Oxford United boss Karl Robinson has admitted part of his recruitment strategy this summer was high-risk but remains adamant that it could still pay off.
As reported by the Witney Gazette, Robinson admits signing Josh Murphy and giving Sam Baldock a new contract were risky, with both players spending significant time out of the team. Oxford are currently 16th in the League One table but just six points off the play-offs, five clear of the bottom four. It’s a precarious position, not helped by the absence of the two players.
27-year-old Murphy arrived from Cardiff having played Premier League football for them and Norwich but he’s been restricted to just five outings for The U’s. Baldock scored four in seven after joining from Derby at the tail end of last season but has yet to feature. Robinson admitted that those two were the high-risk signings, although others, such as Alex Gorrin and Yanic Wildschut, have also been out injured.
“The two big high-risk ones were Josh Murphy and Sam Baldock,” said Robinson at a fam’s forum. “If you look at everything else, there wasn’t too much of a fear in any of them – in Stuart Findlay’s injury record, in Kyle Joseph’s record, in Yanic Wildschut’s record. These players were arguably generally always fit.”
“Josh Murphy was probably the one that I look back on as the biggest risk we took, and I take full responsibility. Josh has been, when he’s fit and when he’s training, probably up there as one of our best players and could be our biggest output. They were risks I felt we had to take in this window.”
Robinson still believes his side will be a threat when the players return, but he confesses that the risks won’t be repeated going into a crucial January window.
“I feel if we get these players fit, we will be ultra-competitive. We’ll look in this January window; you’ve got to be ultra careful because taking any high-risk players in January, you don’t have that ability to get them back fit.”
The U’s are unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions but have tricky matches against Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich either side of Christmas, with a home tie against Arsenal in the FA Cup Third Round waiting in the New Year.
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Our View
Robinson has been in the game long enough to know it’s worth taking a risk on certain players. His side have been hit by a perfect storm, with a number of unexpected injuries exasperating the situation with the two risky acquisitions.
They’re going to be well clear of the bottom four come may, and whilst they might not trouble the top six, the signing of Murphy could yet provide to be a master stroke. if they do get him fit, he could be a big asset, and playing the long game might work in Robinson’s favour.
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