Michael O'Connor working on signing 'three or four, maybe more' to boost Glenavon's survival hopes
Glenavon manager Michael O’Connor admits he’s hoping to sign “three or four, maybe more” in the January transfer window to breathe fresh life into the Lurgan Blues’ survival mission.
Ahead of Saturday’s home clash against reigning champions Linfield, Glenavon sit eight points adrift at the bottom and face an uphill battle to preserve their Premiership status.
O’Connor’s squad has been significantly impacted by both injuries and departures – he has lost three strikers, Francely Lomboto, David McDaid and Michael O’Connor in recent weeks, while Peter Campbell is also set to miss another couple of weeks with a hamstring issue.
His attacking options could be further depleted in January with loanee Bridel Bosakani, who scored a stunning volley to briefly put Glenavon ahead against Cliftonville last weekend before ultimately losing 5-2, scheduled to return to parent club Drogheda United next month.
O’Connor also faces a potential goalkeeper crisis ahead of this weekend with Jacob Carney in a race against time to be fit following an injury to deputy Mark Byrne – 17-year-old Sean Hamill came on for his Premiership debut at Solitude.
The Glenavon chief has been working tirelessly to secure January reinforcements and wants to have new faces available at the very start of next month.
"Our plan is to get at least one in for January 1,” he said. “You get players in that aren't playing football and just want to come and play football.
"If they come, they're going to showcase themselves and at the end of the season, they might get a move.
"But I think it's hard for us at the minute to get players in on permanent deals because of where we are in the league.
"We'll look at the loan market, hopefully get three or four, maybe more, in January. I’ll keep making phone calls and trying to get something done.
"We've got players lined up, but that could change depending on the clubs they're coming from, whether someone gets injured and then they have to stay.”
Given developments in recent weeks, O’Connor admits finding new strikers will be top priority after deploying players out of position in emergency situations.
“We'll need two strikers in,” he added. "We've got Bridel, who's more of a ten. We had Paul McGovern as a nine last week, who's a left winger or a right winger.
"We'll try and get a couple of forwards in, try and get more attacking players in. We've still got players to come back. Kris Lowe has been out most of the season, Stephen Mallon has been out most of the season.
"Sean Carlin had an operation not that long ago, he's out for another four or five weeks.
"So you look at our injured list...if you had all the players fit and available, we wouldn't be where we are, but that's football. We have to get on with it.”
O’Connor has also called for defensive improvements as Glenavon look to boost survival hopes – the Co Armagh club have conceded 44 goals in 20 league matches this term.
"It's schoolboy defending,” said O’Connor. “I think most of the goals we concede are preventable.
"You learn the basics of defending when you're 12, 13, your body shape, when to drop, when to go in – we're just not doing it at the minute.”