Oxford's comfortable victory at Oxford City was played in the background of an increasingly urgent situation in the transfer market.
After slow progress so far, Robinson will be hoping for several more incomings in the next few weeks, or his squad will be looking very thin when they travel to Pride Park at the end of the month.
Unsurprisingly for Robinson, one of his main priorities seems to be strengthening wide areas, where he suggested Oxford are looking to bring in another three players.
We've used data scouting to analyse some possible wingers Oxford could target, looking at their strengths and weaknesses to show how they would fit into this United side.
This is the second in a series of scouting reports, and for information on some of the techniques we'll be using during the piece, check out our scouting report on potential centre back signings.
Josh Martin
Norwich City
LW/RW
20
Possible Transfer Type: Permanent
Josh Martin finished last season with a flurry of goals on loan at Doncaster, and his performances in a poor side showed enough to suggest he could flourish in a promotion pushing League One team.
Martin did not travel with Dean Smith's Norwich on their pre season tour, and with just 12 months left on his contract, the winger appears surplus to requirements at the Canaries.
Martin could be available on a permanent signing, then, but Norwich will probably be looking for a fee for the 20-year-old, and another loan move is not off the cards.
Josh Martin is an explosive winger, averaging the joint third most carries per 90 (18) in League One last season.
His 42 chances created from those carries ranks him 21st in the division, but that might be down to his relatively limited minutes across loan spells at MK Dons and Doncaster.
Martin's 0.11 Expected Assists per 90 is respectable, and shows his driving runs can open up teams, replacing the creative force Oxford have lost from last season's loanees.
His final ball definitely needs some work, but Martin has the raw qualities needed to be a top creator at this level.
Martin's ball retention ranking is low, and he was dispossessed on average 2.1 times per 90 last season, the tenth most of League One wingers to have played more than 10 matches.
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Martin does have the potential to pose a goalscoring threat, as shown by his high ranking for shots as well as the three goals in his final five Doncaster matches last season.
Martin's 0.08 goals per shot indicates he can be somewhat wasteful and does not always get in the best positions to score, and it is unlikely Martin would add a substantial number of goals from the wings, which is something Oxford were missing last season.
Martin's skill on the ball and and ability to create from wide positions means Oxford could be getting a a real prospect for a relatively affordable price.
If Martin isn't the one for Oxford, then perhaps they could turn to another Norwich youngster in Tony Springett, who is highly rated at Carrow Road but doesn't have enough data for a full profile.
Jack Diamond
Sunderland AFC
LW/CAM/RW
23
Possible Transfer Type: Loan
Jack Diamond has shone during two season long loans at Harrogate Town, and now might be the time to take him up a level as Sunderland seek to loan him out again.
Diamond scored 14 goals, predominantly from left wing, as he finished as joint top goal scorer at Harrogate, but it is his explosive nature which would be most appealing for Oxford.
He ranks very highly for dribbles, averaging the joint fourth most carries per 90 in League Two last season.
These carries resulted in five goals for Harrogate, putting him joint third for this metric in League two, and showing how his pace and directness can open up defences.
Diamond also has a good final ball, creating the second most chances from his carries (65) in League Two last year, behind only Harry McKirdy (71).
Diamond is a strong creator, ranking highly for expected assists, chances created and key passes, indicating he is adept at cutting teams open from the wing, and would certainly be a good difference maker off the bench for Oxford should he not be an immediate starter.
As a right footed player on the left wing, Diamond does not deliver many crosses, but Robinson usually favours inverted wingers anyway.
Diamond's commitment to engaging defenders does mean he is susceptible to losing the ball, hence his low rating for ball retention, and he may therefore be deemed more of an impact sub to begin with.
His 14 goals last season show he is capable of getting in dangerous positions, and could provide an extra source of goals for United.
Although, Diamond's xG of 0.22 per 90 last season was 0.10 lower than his actual goals scored, indicating that it is unlikely he would reciprocate those high goal scoring numbers immediately in a division above, particularly as he would be playing in a team less reliant on his goalscoring abilities as Harrogate were.
If Oxford were to go in for Diamond, it would be because of his ability to beat players and create chances out of nothing, and the closest comparison in last season's Oxford team would be Nathan Holland.
It would be a significant step up for Diamond, who was playing in the National League two seasons ago, but Sunderland have rejected bids from Harrogate to take him back for a third time, and are reportedly willing to listen to offers for the winger from League One.
Elliot Anderson
Newcastle
LW/CAM/RW
19
Possible Transfer Type: Loan
Elliot Anderson also had an excellent season on loan in League Two last year and is therefore not short of suitors this time round.
His statistical profile shows why, as he ranks highly in several categories.
Anderson was one of the chief creators in a free scoring Bristol Rovers team, and ranked fifth in the division for Expected Assists per 90 (0.19).
His 1.64 chances created per 90, meanwhile, put him sixth in the division, as he proved to be one of the best creators in League Two.
Anderson has the capacity to open up defences, both with his passing and ball carrying ability, as no League Two player averaged more carries per 90 than Anderson (20) last season. This would help to replace the ball carriers lost in Mark Sykes and Gavin Whyte (both averaged 12 carries per 90 last term) in Oxford's team.
Like Diamond, Anderson is not an avid crosser of the ball, and does have a tendency to lose possession, but this shows his confidence and bravery on the ball, keen to progress forward whenever he gets possession.
Anderson scored eight goals in 21 League Two appearances last season, and is not afraid to pull the trigger when he gets a glimpse of goal.
Anderson's 3.78 non-penalty shots per game was the third most in League Two last year, although his 0.09 goals per shot indicates there is still room to improve on his decision making.
This mix of creativity and goalscoring threat makes Anderson a sought after player, and Opta's attacking contribution index (which combines non-pentalty shots and chances created) was the highest in League Two last season at 5.42, showing how influential he is in the attacking third.
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| Attacking Contribution = Shots + Open Play Chances Created |
There are championship clubs circling, but Anderson is not yet the finished product. Still only 19, a spell at a club pushing for promotion in League One may be beneficial for his development.
Josh Ginnelly
Hearts
LW/ST/RW
25
Possible Transfer Type: Permanent
Josh Ginnelly spent the 2020-21 campaign on loan at Hearts from Preston North End and signed on a permanent basis last season.
Despite a strong start to his Hearts career, he has failed to nail down a spot in the first team, and Hearts may be open to offers for the winger. It is likely they would want a fee to compensate the loss of a headline signing, but given his contract expires next summer, it could be a feasible move for Oxford.
Ginnelly's profile shows him to be fairly creative, ranking well for Expected Assists and chance creation, although his key passes ranking is lower.
His high ball retention ranking shows he is tidy in possession, but also suggests that he is wary of playing risky, penetrative passes.
Ginnelly's passing ability may be something of a problem fitting into a possession based Oxford side, and it could take him some time to adapt to the team.
It is Ginnelly's physical qualities which are particularly attractive, though, as he is very quick and relatively powerful for his size.
Though nominally a winger, he has played as a striker at times during his career. Robinson alluded to wanting a winger who could also play up front, and Ginnelly would certainly tick that box.
Ginnelly's pace and directness up top would offer something different from the clever partnership of Baldock and Taylor, and he could be a difference maker for United, replacing the raw pace lost by Whyte's return to Cardiff.
This is shown in his attacking stats, with Ginnelly's profile illustrating a serious goal threat.
He ranks highly for shots and expected goals, although he only managed five goals in 38 appearances last season.
His 0.28 expected goals per 90 suggests he can deliver more than that, and perhaps Robinson could be the man to coax more output from a player with undoubted quality.
Ginnelly also averages 13 carries per 90 and his average carry distance (12.76 metres) was in the top twenty Scottish Premiership players last season, indicating he has the ability to drive his team forward with his dribbling.
Ginnelly has experience in League One during spells with Bristol Rovers and Walsall, and though he is yet to show his best form, would certainly have a lot to offer for Oxford if they could convince Hearts into a sale.
He is slightly above United's usual age bracket, so it is unlikely they would break the bank to get him, but he would provide an immediate bonus heading into the new season.
Nicky Cadden
Forest Green Rovers
25
LWB/LW
Possible Transfer Type: Permanent
Nicky Cadden signing for Oxford has seemed something of an inevitability for a few years, but unfortunately United now look at the back of the race for his signature.
Still, his signing would make sense if Robinson was serious about the five at the back being an option this season, and Cadden can easily play further up on the wing should United go with a flat four.
His statistical profile is pretty heavily weighted towards his creative attributes.
He ranks in the top twenty for Expected Assists per 90 (0.16) of all League Two players last season, whilst his 1.31 chances created puts him just outside the elite group in England's fourth division.
Cadden's distribution from wide areas is very strong and he was often charged with breaking the lines from his position at wing back in Forest Green's promotion winning side.
Cadden's 2.9 key passes per 90 was behind only Bradford's Callum Cooke (3.1) of all League Two wingers and wing backs to have played over 10 matches.
Given the dominance of Forest Green Rovers and their tendency to build through the wing backs, this should not be too surprising, but the biggest compliment to Cadden is that he outscores his wing back partner, Kane Wilson, on most of the creative metrics.
Wilson has earned himself a move to Bristol City, so it is understandable that Cadden is also now gaining interest from the Championship.
Cadden is left footed, which would be a big bonus for Oxford, and he ranks very highly for crossing. This would mean some of the attacking burden from the left wing could be relinquished from Steve Seddon, adding balance to the Oxford side.
Cadden's 3.5 accurate crosses per 90 was the second highest amongst League Two wingers and wing backs to have played over 10 matches, and he gained 7 assists from crosses last year, joint second in the division.
Cadden's attacking stats stand up well, but are not as impressive as his creative numbers, indicating that he prefers to create from deep rather than burst in behind the defence too often.
His high rating for shots shows he is not afraid to pull the trigger, but his lower xG means that it is not always from the best positions.
Oxford's history of Caddens meant that this move always seemed plausible, but United may have left it too late as Barnsley have joined a cluster of top level teams chasing Nicky Cadden this summer.
Whether he should really be on this list as a winger is debatable, but Cadden would make perfect sense as a signing for Oxford, filling an immediate gap on Oxford's left hand side whilst also providing versatility and individual quality.
Theo Corbeanu
Wolverhampton Wanderers
RW/LW
20
Possible Transfer Type: Loan
MK Dons have swept in for Nathan Holland, and it opens the way for a loan player swap move (I think that term will catch on) as their former Wolves loanee Theo Corbeanu may now be available for Oxford.
Corbeanu wasn't able to truly impose himself during his loan spells at either MK Dons or Sheffield Wednesday last season, but his stats show him to be a very strong player at this level.
He ranks top of the pile for carries per 90 in League One (23), and his electric pace makes him a very dangerous player.
Corbeanu's creative stats do not look stellar, but like many on this list are respectable, and at just 20-years-old would continue to develop as he gained more experience.
Corbeanu does offer a goal threat, with his 4.14 shots per 90 the highest average in League One last season by some distance. His six goals in 35 appearances last year, though, showed that he was not able to translate this into goals that often.
Corbeanu has the physical attributes which could make a real difference at League One level, and could be a very smart acquisition for United.
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