Scott Wharton Type

This is assuming that Callum Connolly will be recalled. I’m suspecting he will – he’s not getting games at the moment and Everton will surely want him in the Championship for six months. If that’s the case, we need someone to come in at the back.

I don’t think we’re that bad at the back, but I feel the winds of change beginning to blow. I said yesterday how I felt Neal Eardley might need swapping on occasion with Aaron Lewis and I pondered on where we might go centrally. I’ve picked a ‘Wharton’ type for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it’s time we found loan players who will go on to be vital parts of our team. I look at successful teams at this level and their defenders: Luton had Matty Pearson, Portsmouth had Matt Clarke and right now, Oxford have Rob Dickie. Two of those players spent time on loan with us before moving to bigger clubs from their youth setups and I think it’s time we took a top youngster on loan and kept him. Wharton is a classic example; I still maintain he’ll be a top player, he’s mobile and good in the air and if we’re going to do loans, let’s do ones we might be able to craft and keep.

I also want to see a defender who is a danger in the box again. Our corners have been woeful, either delivered badly or not connected with. Wharton had the ability to pop up with a goal or two and, crucially, if things went awry he had the legs to get back as well.

I’d love to see MA pluck a player like this from somewhere and begin to turn our fortunes around.