Liam Manning: Oxford United head coach looking to bolster squad in "multiple areas"
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Oxford United head coach Liam Manning is looking to recruit versatile players with high character in the summer transfer window
Oxford United head coach Liam Manning says he needs to bolster his team in "multiple areas" during his first transfer window at the club.
The U's finished the season 19th in League One, only two points off the bottom four.
Earlier this month they released five squad players, including long-serving striker Matty Taylor.
Manning, who was appointed head coach in March, believes the club has a lot of work to do to get the line-up right.
"We need to cover most positions, the difference is whether they are starter or squad players," he told BBC Radio Oxford's The Dub podcast.
"Goals were a real challenge last season so it's quite clear we need to add at the top end of the pitch, that is no secret.
"I'm pretty sure 95% of EFL managers are looking for goalscorers as well."
The summer transfer window opens on Wednesday, 14 June and it will be Manning's first opportunity to bring in players who fit his playing style to the Kassam Stadium.
The ex-MK Dons boss wants a high character squad: "A compact, organised team that has a hard-to-beat element," he added.
"We want to live in high press more than block with an understanding that we still need to block.
"The bare minimum supporters can expect is the correct behaviours in the players.
"Everyone being 'all in', working to their maximum, fighting and scrapping, high-level basics and organisation."
Manning says he is not only interested in possession players, but also to make advances on what the team can achieve off the ball during matches.
He is quick to highlight the importance of a versatile team: "What we have in the squad at the minute is people who are quite flexible positionally.
"Sam Long can play right-side centre-half, centre-half, right-back.
"Same as Ciaron Brown, who can play left-back, left-side centre-half or left of a back three.
"We have an element of flexibility that I quite like but we need to recruit balance.
"We need people who technically can control games that way and others who can control games physically when it is very 50-50."