Gunning expecting shift in transfer policy this summer

Gavin Gunning said that Swindon Town need to go after a different profile of player than they have in previous years during the transfer window.

Swindon confirmed the expected mass clear-out when the retained list was announced on Thursday as 11 players were released, leaving Town with 12 contracted players with Sean McGurk and Nnamdi Ofoborh having been offered contracts that they are yet to sign.

This will inevitably lead to a busy summer on the transfer front as Jamie Russell looks to rebuild the squad and Gunning has said he is looking for a departure from the previous profiling of potential transfers.

Gunning said that he was expecting there to be a shift in the club’s transfer policy this summer as they look for players who are better suited for the rigours of League Two football.

He said: “The profiling of the players that we have gone for in the last two years hasn’t quite worked out and sometimes you have got to just own it, realise when you have probably made a mistake in something, and improve it.

“[Is that too great an emphasis on young players?] It is what it is – everyone can see what we have been after and we know we need some experience in the team.”

Gunning added that he had been pleased with the shift towards a more possession-dominant style of play since he took over, but there were areas where recruitment would be required to help them improve.

He said: “We have dominated the ball in the last few games, like against Walsall we dominated the game and got beat by a long ball, and that is where we have got to improve.

“That bit where we are solid behind the ball, which we haven’t been for two years, where we will concede on a long ball forward and a knockdown.

“Going forward and looking at recruitment, I think that that is a key area for improvement.

“I have been happy with how we have manipulated the ball, we have dominated the ball but what are we doing with it? Are we penetrating?

“At times against Grimsby, we cut them open but we weren’t clinical and against Walsall, we dominated the game and you get done by two long balls.

“That is something that you can work on and recruitment will be key in the summer because we have to be dealing with those long balls better.”