Amid continued speculation over his future, Oxford fans are beginning to brace for life without Josh Ruffels next season.
The full back has been gracing Grenoble Road for nearly
eight years now but he has really stepped up in the last few seasons.
His injury record is next to perfect, having missed only six League matches since the start of the 2018-19 season.
So how do Oxford go about replacing him should he choose to
leave this summer?
Hopefully it won’t come to this, but we’ve drawn up a
shortlist of five potential replacements for Ruffels using statistical profiling.
We’ve used their most recent season to create a 'stats radar' on each player showing their strengths and weaknesses based on how they
rank for a particular action compared to other full backs in their respective
leagues.
For a little example, below is the statistical profile of Josh
Ruffels.
As we can see, Josh Ruffels’ defensive stats are some of the
best in League One.
He tops the charts for blocks and is in the top five for
interceptions, aerial duels and one vs one defending (judged by the percentage
of times a player is dribbled past per game).
Ruffels does not hold the classic full back ability of
dribbling or crossing, with his profile clearly showing a player who rarely
goes on the outside.
Instead, he opts to drift into central shooting areas and
averages the fourth most shots per game of all full backs in League One.
It is going to be tough for Oxford to find another player with
quite so many of those attributes and at the right price, but here’s our best
attempt.
James Husband
Age: 27
Club: Blackpool
James Husband is a player who has been linked to a few
League One teams this summer, and the out of contract left back is certainly an option for Oxford given how similar he profiles to Ruffels.
The former Norwich City man has played in 26 of Blackpool’s 45 matches this season and has struggled to nail down a firm starting spot for the two years he's been there.
Former Oxford loanee Luke Garbutt looks like
first choice at left back and with both out of contract this summer, he is the
likely candidate to be offered a new deal.
At 5”10, Husband is not the tallest defender, but he more
than makes up for it in his defensive abilities.
He averages 1.7 tackles per game and 2.3 clearances, both within the top 20 in the league.
Like Ruffels, he is also strong at stepping in to win the ball, averaging 1.6 interceptions per game, the sixth most of all League One left backs.
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| League One left backs in 2020-21 |
What is also notable is his ability in one v one defensive
situations.
Only Mathew Sorinola is dribbled past less per game than
James Husband of the 38 left backs in League One this season.
As expected, Josh Ruffels also features on this list at 7th.
Husband offers far less going forward than Ruffels, though,
with only 0.3 shots per game and 0.9 dribbles, both among the lower totals in
League One.
He has also only accumulated four goal involvements over his
last three years in League One.
If Oxford wanted a more expansion option at left back, then
Husband is not the option.
But he is an excellent defender, so would be an
experienced and affordable option, with his ability to fill in at left centre
back possibly proving useful if – deep breath in – Rob Atkinson was to be
poached away this summer too.
Max Clark
Age: 25
Club: Hull City
Another League One full back who we can expect to see out of
contract this summer is Max Clark.
He left Vitesse Arnhem of the Eredivisie in January to join his former club Hull on a short-term deal, but has
not made a senior appearance and is expected to be released at the end of this
term.
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| Max Clark in action against Aston Villa for Hull back in 2018 [Ashley Allen/Getty Images] |
Clark offers more of an attacking threat than both Husband and Ruffels, acting as a traditional overlapping full back.
Max Clark ranked in the top ten for shots (1) and key passes
per 90 (1.5) of full backs in the Eredivisie for his last full season in 2019-20 –
indicating a player willing to progress the ball quickly and directly up field.
Clark also appears to have the ghost like quality of Ruffels
when arriving in the box, with his 0.8 shots inside the penalty area the fourth
best of any Left or Right Back in the Dutch league – a reminder that this is a division
containing European regulars Ajax and PSV Eindhoven.
Clark also shows a strong ability crossing from the left-hand
side, averaging the sixth most accurate crosses in the league in 2018-19 (1.1)
and then the second most in 2019-20 (1.7) of all full backs.
He also offers a left-footed set piece delivery,
something Oxford have looked for in both Obita and Grayson this season but
would be left without next term.
Although he is not known for his defensive attributes, he
also proved he is a strong tackler in his last full season at Vitesse averaging
the most tackles per game of any full back to have played over 10 matches.
In
fact, Clark does profile very well for aggressive defending, though
occasionally struggles in one against one duels, perhaps a sign of slight inexperience when rushing into challenges.
At
25, Clark would likely easily slip into Oxford's first team and provide them with a more progressive option at full back.
Josh Earl
Age: 22
Club: Preston North End
Josh
Earl only has two standout attributes judging by his statistical profile:
tackling and dribbling.
His
ability to carry the ball forward is one of the best of all full backs in
League One this year, where he is on loan at Burton, a valuable to attribute to relive the pressure off Oxford's front three.
He
averages the ninth most total attempted dribbles per game (2.3) and the sixth most
successful dribbles (1.5) of League One full backs.
The
problem Oxford would need to address with Earl is his final product, with his
accurate crosses per game very low along with limited numbers of shots per
game, an important aspect of Robinson’s full backs.
Earl’s
profile shows him to be solid if not spectacular defensively, although his
extremely high rating for tackling is indicative of a player who loves to put a
foot it.
Injuries and suspension hs limited him to only five starts for Burton this season, so Preston may look to loan him back out to this level or put him up for permanent sale this summer.
Earl is the youngest option on this list, but has enough experience to hold down a first team place as well as be an asset for the future.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson
Age: 24
Club: Oldham
If
Oxford were to expand their search to the lower reaches of the football
pyramid, they may look into former England Under-20 international Cameron
Borthwick-Jackson, who will be available on a free transfer this summer with his contract expiring at Oldham.
He
is a name fans may recognise from being one of the brighter talents
in Manchester United’s academy, but his career has somewhat faltered since his
move away from Old Trafford.
The 24-year-old has nevertheless enjoyed a sturdy campaign at Oldham and offers a cut price option for a player who still has room to improve.
Taking
a look at his profile for this season, we can see he is defensively sound, with
extremely high numbers for blocks, interceptions and one vs one defending
scenarios.
His
lower rating for tackling quantity indicates that he is less likely to rush
into challenges and instead favours a more steady reading of the game,
hence his quality when it comes to stopping people progressing the ball past
him one on one.
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| Borthwick-Jackson made 14 appearances for Man United, including 10 in the Premier League [Getty] |
Attacking wise, he does not offer a bombarding presence, but is about average for League Two full backs in the key areas.
He has also scored twice and provided one assist in 31 league matches this season, showing he holds potential to become an attacking option.
Borthwick-Jackson is unsurprisingly happy to fill in at centre back too and would offer cover in that position with his consistent defensive numbers.
Sam Hart
Age: 24
Club: Southend United
Sam Hart's contract is also up this summer, and will likely be in line for a move away from now National League Southend this summer.
Despite
his teams struggles, Hart’s statistics have stood up well in League Two.
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| Sam Hart has been relegated to the national League with Southend United [https://www.prostinternational.com/img_5621/] |
Hart
spent last season on loan at Shrewsbury Town from Blackburn before being
released by the Championship side after struggling for game time.
His
profile shows that he still has potential, though, and at 24 is another prime
age option for Oxford.
His
profile shows him to be a front foot full back, certainly holding his own when
going forward.
He
ranks among the top five full backs in League Two for accurate crosses per
game, and also shows a willingness to carry the all forward with an above average total for dribbles per game.
His
high rating for interceptions per game is further evidence of his desire to step
forward to win the ball back or progress the ball forward.
This
forward thinking, though, can sometimes catch him out as only five League Two
players are dribbled past more on average than Hart.
Robinson
likes his players to be aggressive and risky on the ball, though, and Hart
seems to fit those categories.
Hart
is quick and also more than holds his own in aerial duels, another area which
Ruffels has excelled at in recent seasons.
Hart has all the traits to be able to get himself into the opposition area as well as track back defensively, making him a viable target despite getting a relegation on his CV.
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