City have moved quickly to secure the services of Alfie Lloyd on loan from Queens Park Rangers until the end of the season, rendering my article from this morning redundant fairly quickly!
It’s a quirk of fate that we have signed a player from QPR, who are the primary reason we needed to sign a striker in the first place. Their rumoured move for Justin Obikwu caused him to be recalled by Coventry, and graciously, we’re now able to fill that void with one of their players.
The 22-year-old forward has made 31 first-team appearances for the Championship side after signing from Yeovil Town in 2021. He made his debut against West Bromwich Albion on the opening day of the 2024/25 season and was a regular in matchday squads in the second tier, scoring against Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall. More on that further down the article.
This season, he’s been on loan at Leyton Orient. He’s only appeared 12 times for the O’s, having spent the majority of the campaign struggling with injury. He had a groin operation in the summer and only returned to fitness in October. A recent outing against Cardiff caught the eye, as he gave their defence a torrid time, but Orient fans didn’t really see enough of him to form a solid opinion.
“I’m excited by the opportunity and hope I can add to the brilliant team that is already here. The fans can expect an explosive player who will run his heart out for the team,” said Lloyd, seemingly fitting the profile we require.
“I’ve heard great things about the fans, I look forward to seeing them in the two big home games coming up and can’t wait to play in front of them.”
We’re very much a team that relies on a profile of player designed to fit the system, and Lloyd’s metrics in his extensive Championship stint have impressed our head coach.
“Alfie fits the Lincoln City profile for a centre forward or wide player in that he is aggressive, powerful, runs in behind, works hard and presses well,” said Michael Skubala.
“His data for these metrics with QPR in the Championship last season is incredible, ahead of some top Championship players, and we know that he can come in and share the load with our front-of-the-pitch players while giving us the same outputs.”
Of course, our recruitment goes beyond just the head coach, and Jez George paid tribute to the recruitment team for their work in replacing Justin Obikwu within 48 hours of his departure.
“Great credit to Joe (Hutchinson, head of recruitment) for identifying Alfie and reaching an agreement with QPR to make this happen so quickly after Justin’s unexpected recall,” said Jez.
“There was literally no time to spare due to the deadline for QPR to recall Alfie. Our need is also immediate and, after playing 75 minutes against Cardiff City nine days ago, Alfie is up to speed and ready to contribute.”
Lloyd’s numbers
The sort of numbers that Michael refers to will not be available to the public. Wyscout is good, but it doesn’t have ground-covered or running stats, so we can only look at the other numbers to gain any insight.
If the Wikipedia warriors search for him, they’ll not see a hatful of goals and assists. He got two in 27 Championship outings for QPR, but bear in mind they both came from the bench, and he’s only started four matches in the second tier for them. We were never going to sign him for goals and assists, but for the profile of player and how it suited our needs.
Alfie Lloyd Career Stats – Championship and League One
It’s worth noting that these numbers consist of 288 League One minutes and 885 Championship minutes.
| Metric (per 90) | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total actions | 60.13 | All on-ball and off-ball actions |
| Successful actions | 38% | Overall efficiency rate |
| Shots | 1.75 | Attempts per 90 |
| Shots on target | 27.3% | Accuracy rate |
| Passes | 14.06 | Involvement in build up |
| Pass accuracy | 75.7% | Consistent short passing |
| Crosses | 0.71 | Occasional wide involvement |
| Dribbles | 3.65 | Regular ball carrying attempts |
| Dribble success | 50% | Average efficiency |
| Duels | 34.32 | High physical involvement |
| Duels won | 32.4% | Reflects contest rather than dominance |
| Aerial duels | 9.45 | Frequent aerial contests |
| Aerial duels won | 28.6% | Average success rate |
| Interceptions | 1.99 | Pressing and defensive contribution |
| Recoveries | 14.93 | Work rate off the ball |
| Recoveries in opposition half | 3.26 | Evidence of counterpressing |
| Yellow cards | 0.32 | Low disciplinary risk |
Pass volume is around 14 per 90 with an accuracy rate in the mid 70s, rising notably away at Hull City (11 passes, eight successful) and at home to Millwall (ten passes, 100% completion). Long passing and crossing are clearly not major features of the role he’s been employed to do for the Hoops, with very low volumes per 90 and limited success rates, reinforcing the idea that contribution comes more through short combinations than distribution.
The physical side of the game stands out more clearly. Duel involvement is high, at over 34 per 90, although the win rate sits just above 30 per cent overall, not bad for a forward. Aerial duels follow a similar pattern, with frequent contests but a success rate around 25%, suggesting willingness to compete rather than overall dominance. Some individual matches buck that trend, notably Millwall away and Leyton Orient versus Wimbledon, where duel success climbed closer to 50 per cent and aerial success was markedly stronger. Defensive contribution is also evident, with around three interceptions per 90 and recoveries split fairly evenly between own and opposition halves, pointing to consistent pressing and counterpressing responsibilities. That’s the sort of language I’m sure attracts Lincoln City’s scouts.
Discipline and defensive risk are largely under control. Yellow cards average out at roughly one every three matches, with no red cards in his career. Losses in the defensive half are relatively low compared to total actions, which supports the idea of a forward trusted to contest possession without exposing the side structurally. Overall, the data paints the picture of a forward whose value is rooted more in work rate, duels and tactical discipline than in devastating end product, which is exactly the sort of replacement we needed.
I don’t get excited about new signings, nor get down on them at all. The proof is in the pudding, and while we don’t know how this one tastes, all the data and raw attributes point to him being the type of player we were always going to sign to replace Justin Obikwu.