There is potential for real change this summer, with a plethora of out of contract fringe players, several loanees returning to their parent clubs, and the prospect of losing important first team players like Brannagan and Moore.
So how will Oxford go about replacing them?
Your memory probably tells you that it will be young players, at least two from Ireland, and a lot of wingers on loan.
We've studied all of Oxford's transfers over the past four seasons - a number chosen as it was at this point that Oxford shifted from recreating the 2010 Malmo side under pep Clotet to focussing on younger assets - to test existing theories.
The report also studies the twenty teams who have been in League One for at least three of the last five seasons, and analysed their transfer strategy whilst in the league to compare how Oxford's recruitment drive compares to other sides at their level.
Loan moves and permanent deals have been included to show the overall range of players that each club aims to attract.
A grand total of 1,363 League One transfers have been tallied to leave us with hopefully conclusive results, plenty of trends to analyse, and one very big spreadsheet.
Oxford's Transfer Strategy
For the purposes of this article, I have attempted to categorise the different age groups: 21 and under (youth), 22-24 (lower peak), 25-27 (peak), 28-30 (experienced), 30+ (veterans).
Oxford have a clear transfer strategy which focusses on recruiting from particular age brackets to extract both the best performances and potential sell-on value.
The below graphic shows the percentage of Oxford's signings which come from each age bracket...
and then here is an average League One side's recruitment strategy from the other twenty teams analysed...
then the two graphics compared...
The notable trend from these graphics is that Oxford's signings tend to be younger players who they can develop in the future.
The average age of an Oxford signing since the 2018-19 season is 23.63, compared to the League One average of 24.04 in the past five years. That total also puts Oxford sixth for the youngest average signing of the twenty teams studied.
It's not simply about signing young players, though, and there is far more to Oxford's transfer strategy than that.
Intercepting Upcoming Talent
It is clear from the data that Oxford are looking to target that 'lower peak' category (ages 22-24).
This is the age where players are still going to deliver strong performances, but have perhaps not quite made it onto the radar of higher League One or Championship clubs yet.
Oxford could be viewed as intercepting this talent, catching them on the upwards trajectory before the big clubs come sniffing.
The likes of Moore and Brannagan fit into this category and they are young players with room to improve but enough experience to play games regularly at League One level.
41% of Oxford's signings over the past four seasons have fallen into this 'lower peak' category, which is the second most behind Peterborough (45%) of the twenty clubs included in the study.
By signing these young players, they are almost always able to extract a profit as well as getting considerable playing time from them.
This is perhaps why United don't invest as much in raw youth, choosing instead to sign players who Robinson knows can play regular minutes, and then find younger talents from the Academy.
29% of Oxford's signings in the last four seasons have been aged 21 or under, which is still a large chunk, but is not as impressive compared to some other teams in the division, who invest considerable amounts in young talents who they develop from scratch.
Oxford are some way off the likes of Doncaster, Accrington and Lincoln, with 50% of Donny's signings being 21 or under.
Still, 70% of Oxford's singings are 24-years-old or younger, but most of these are in their 'lower peak', rather than being developed from their very beginning.
Not many 'Peak Age' Signings
The term 'peak age' is far from a definitive category, and there is no way to really define when League One players do reach their peak, often because by the time they do this, their not in League One anymore.
In the broader football world, the mid-twenties is generally viewed as a player's peak. The right blend between experience and physical athleticism.
Oxford have never seemed too interested in these 'peak' players, though.
Of their 63 signings over the past four years, only ten have fallen into the 25-27 age category, as they have largely focussed on signing players before they reach their peak so they can then sell them on for profit later.
This is not unusual for League One clubs, who, as we have seen, tend to focus their market pursuits on younger players.
Even so, Oxford are an example of a team who show little interest in recruiting from that mid-career age.
19% of the average League One club's signings are aged 25-27, whereas only 16% of United's recruits have come from that bracket.
With the exception of Plymouth, the clubs at the top of that list have all recently fallen from higher echelons of the footballing pyramid, whilst most at the bottom have been flitting between the bottom divisions of English football.
This is no coincidence, and shows how difficult it is for League One teams like Oxford, Lincoln and Wycombe to continually compete with the fallen giants.
Whilst the likes of Portsmouth (34%), Sunderland and Ipswich (both 32%) are able to focus their recruitment drive on signing 'prime age' players who can deliver immediate success, League One regulars must rely on a steady influx and development of younger players.
When Oxford so sign players from this 'peak' age category, it has usually been for someone who is almost certain to bring quick success.
With the exception of Garbutt, Thorne and Carruthers, all of the 25-27-year-old signings can be deemed as successful, adding real strength to the team in either the short- or long-term.
Oxford don't often sign from the 'peak age' category, but when they do, they make it count.
Avoiding Experienced Players
It has become the norm to see Oxford recruit at least one 'past-their-peak' former championship striker per season, so it is interesting to see that the data suggests they don't recruit too many of these older players compared to other League One sides.
Just 14% of Oxford's signings in the past four seasons have been above the age of 27, compared to the League One average of 19%.
It is mainly the 'experienced' bracket (28-30) that Oxford look to avoid, with only five of their 63 signings since 2018 coming from that age group.
Four of those five 28-30-year-old signings have been attackers, indicating that Robinson is willing to break that rule when the opportunity to get an experienced head to lead the line is available.
Oxford are also below average for the number of above 30-year-old signings (6% to the league average of 8%), but the difference is less pronounced.
Signings such as Sam Baldock shows a willingness to sign 'veterans' if Robinson believes they will genuinely improve the squad, but United look to avoid signing older players unless they will substantially improve the team's fortunes.
Trusting Young Defenders
Oxford have become synonymous with signing and developing young centre backs who will eventually play at a higher level.
Rob Dickie is the poster boy of that movement, and it would be surprising if Elliot Moore and Luke McNally don't follow suit.
The data backs up this trend, with the average age of United's defensive signings (23.15) being well below the League average (23.81), and Oxford recruit the fourth youngest defenders of the twenty teams studied.
Many League One teams conform to signing experienced defenders in the age bracket of 28-30, often tall and physical players who know how to do a job.
This is not the Oxford way, and United's recruitment of defenders since 2018 has only once led them to signing a player above the age of 27, and only three times have they signed defenders over 25-years-old.
If these numbers are anything to go by, the conveyor belt of Oxford defenders will continue for some time.
Older Attackers
Robinson is always keen to bring in exciting prospects in attack, and United have gained something of a reputation for developing young players when they arrive on loan.
However, as briefly mentioned, Robinson is also keen on an experienced attacker, and United seem to bring in older attackers more often than the youth prospects.
The average age of an attacker signed by a League One club in the past five years is 23.98, significantly younger than the average age of Oxford's attacking signing of 24.44.
The likes of Bodin, Williams, Taylor and Winnall show Robinson's desire to build a core attack around experienced players, and perhaps add a sprinkling of younger players for dynamism.
Full of Energy Midfielders
Oxford aim for experienced attackers, but they are more willing to take a chance on young midfielders.
The average age of an Oxford United midfielder is 23.3 compared to the League One average of 23.99.
The youthful nature of Oxford's midfielders is likely due to Robinson's desire to have vigorous players in the engine room, able to work tirelessly within his 4-3-3.
This may be a reason for the lack of older signings for Oxford's midfield, with Robinson valuing physical capabilities over experienced heads.
Again the dominant age is 22-24, when a player is usually in their prime physical condition, and only one player out of United's 23 midfield signings in the past four seasons has been above 28.
...
Oxford usually provide a few surprises every window, but over the past few years, we've had a few clues of how they might go about things.
They will look to target upcoming talents in the 22-24-year-old category, look for young defenders, and add a few experienced heads to attack.
Robinson will only sign older players if he believes they will add immediate value to the squad, and there aren't many 25-27-year-old signings.
As Oxford gear up for another attempt at League One glory, another summer of interest awaits us.
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