Manager Paul Cox has revealed that some squad players will have to leave the club on loan, before we are able to make any new additions to our team.
The window for loan deals opened last week and our boss is still on the search for a frontman to bolster our attacking options, but admits there is little activity happening at present.
Speaking at his pre-match press meeting ahead of Saturday’s game at Oxford United, he said: “We need to get one or a couple [of players] out, before we bring one in.
“There’s nothing happening yet, but we’re working hard in both directions and trying to free up [some funds].”
Asked if any players’ names have been circulated to other clubs, Cox added: “Yes, we have done. I’ve spoken to individuals and they have been told that they can go out on loan with a view to helping themselves out for a club for next season.
“[The lack of activity] is a little bit frustrating, but its football and I understand it. I’m not going to cry about it, we just have to get on with things.”
Our team make the journey to the Kassam Stadium on Saturday unbeaten in four away matches and with the best away record of all teams currently outside the Sky Bet League Two Play-Off zone.
However, we face a tough test as Oxford, who remain under the caretaker leadership of Mickey Lewis, have won their last two matches on home soil.
Our boss believes that the U’s are also capable of achieving automatic promotion this season.
He continued: “We’ve been to see Oxford and when we played them here, I thought we were a little bit unlucky.
“We had Jamie McGuire sent-off early on, but we gave a good account of ourselves, especially in the second half when with the chances that we had, we could have hauled it back to level terms.
“In the end, the extra man and that little bit of extra know-how probably cost us. I remember the boy [Dave] Kitson doing really well, but that’s what we’re up against at this level of football.
“They’re a good side with some good players and I think they’re a team that’ll be around the top three looking for automatic promotion come the end of the season.”
At present, the Sky Bet League Two table is so tight that only 10 points separate Newport County in eighth spot and Torquay United in 23rd position.
Talking about how close things are in the league, Cox said: “Every manager probably from eighth downwards will be looking to get to the 50 points mark as quickly as possible and I don’t think that we’re any different.
“It might go beyond or under [the 50 point mark] this year. There are certainly teams that are even in the league and its fine lines between winning, losing and drawing.
“It’s strange this season in that any team going up to eighth or ninth place could realistically get dragged into a relegation battle.”
“The top seven I think are nailed on and rightly so. I can’t see anybody realistically breaking into that top seven, as I think they are the best seven sides in this league.
“But for everyone else, it’s becoming a little bit like the Premier League. The rest of the sides are hoping to finish mid-table and to avoid getting sucked into a battle in the last four or five games.
Our boss added: “All I want us to do is to concentrate on our own controllable, which is our own games. We can’t do anything about any other team.”
A full interview with Paul Cox from this morning’s press meeting will be available on Stags Player later today. To subscribe, click here.
