Breaking Down Connor O'Riordan's Return

It's been a quiet January transfer window for Crewe Alex. Probably the quietest one we've seen in a long time. That speaks to the settled and deep nature of their squad. Even before the window opened, finding glaring holes or positions of need was difficult. Then they were given the good news that Max Conway and Filip Marschall were sticking with the club for the full season and weren't to be recalled.

So, it was a fairly big shock when rumours broke on Friday that Connor O'Riordan was on his way back to the club on loan. This was backed up by pictures of him sat behind the Alex's dug out at Morecambe and subsequently confirmed today when his return was officially announced.

But what to make of this? Are they making a superfluous signing in a position where they are well stocked? Are they bringing back a proven L2 performer who'll improve their threat at set pieces? Well, I thought I'd break this signing down in a different way. I'm going to look at this from the best case scenario and the worst. As both are realistic possibilities right now.

Worst Case

O'Riordan has started 10 games and appeared in 1 more in the last 12 months since leaving the Alex. He's badly out of match practice and that can be crippling for a young player in his development. There is no guarantee he comes back the same player he was when he left the club. Whilst he knows most of the players at the club, as he played with them last season, it'll still take time for him to reintegrate himself into the squad and get up to speed. And that's if he starts every week.

Which brings me onto the next issue. Where does he play and who does Lee Bell leave out? The Alex already have Zac Williams and Mickey Demetriou as regular starters and in leadership positions. Neither of those 2 are dropping to the bench. So that suggests Jamie Knight-Lebel, who has performed at least as good as those 2, now has his position under threat. That doesn't seem fair.

If he finds himself on the bench on a regular basis, I doubt he'll be too happy about being benched for a fellow Championship loanee. And I doubt Bristol City, who were surely content to let him stay at the Alex on the provision that he gets regular game time, will be too pleased to see their player sit on the sidelines.

And if Knight-Lebel isn't replaced and he plays for the majority of their remaining 20 games, with O'Riordan going onto the bench, what was the point in bringing Connor back in the first place?

Ok, maybe he's coming to improve their defensive depth. After all, Lewis Billington is untested at CB and James Connolly is currently nursing a hamstring injury which could be more serious than the club have let on. But the fact is, both of those players are still under contract and they're going to see their paths to playing reduced, as they'll now be 5th and 6th choice. You could be faced with some very unhappy campers in the dressing room.

And do we have to go down memory lane to remember most of the former players who returned and struggled? See Luke Murphy and Charlie Kirk for 2 recent examples. Now, I'm not saying any of the above happens or is even likely to happen. But a half fit O'Riordan who adds little of value and doesn't play very much coupled unhappy players who've lost their spots in the starting XI/squad is potentially the worst case scenario.

Best Case

O'Riordan is a solid professional. You'd hope he's been able to keep himself fit and bringing him into the squad or starting XI wouldn't cause too many issues. He knows his team mates, having played alongside some of them for a year or more as both an academy player and then as a senior.

This, at the very worst, makes their defence deeper. We saw how thin they became last season when O'Riordan himself was sold and then they got injuries to both Luke Offord and Ed Turns in the final months of the season. Lee Bell is likely trying to offset that happening again, given they're, as already mentioned, down Connolly for an unknown length and Billington is seemingly not being preferred as 4th or 5th choice. One more injury/absence to their current starting back 3 and things become very dicey indeed. Which would be an issue given it's been their biggest strength this season and they need 3 viable starters every week.

Another factor is forthcoming suspensions. Zac Williams is on 8/9 yellow cards and is approaching a 2 game ban. Knight-Lebel isn't far off either with 7. They'll need all the defensive depth they can get. Even if O'Riordan is 4th choice behind the current starters, he's still a heck of an option to bring off the bench or to plug when one of those starters potentially gets banned.

Then you consider the impact he made last season. He's 6ft 5in and a monster at set pieces. His 6 goals in 39 league starts between 22-23 and 23-24 is something a midfielder/winger wouldn't shrug at. And he's a CB. It's no coincidence that the Alex's threat from that area dried up once he was sold. With inconsistent output from Williams and Knight-Lebel in terms of goals, having an option like O'Riordan to mix in can't be a bad thing.

His arrival should free up Demetriou, who hasn't had anywhere near the attacking success this season as he's been heavily marked. Having a 2 headed monster might unlock their threat at set pieces once again.

We worry about what this might say to those already here, but can increased competition really hurt them? If he doesn't find a way into the starting XI in the final 20 games, then that means that the 3 who start ahead of him have done enough to keep their spots and the defence, which fell apart at the end of last season, has held up as well as it has done for the first 26 games of the season. If he does break into the first team and stay there, then it'll say that was deserved also. This addition will keep the other CBs on their toes.

Conclusion

I think whether you are voicing concerns or commendations, both are equally valid. I suspect the majority of the fan base will support this move. I'm on the fence. I'm optimistic it'll work, but do have some concerns that it might not. However, I trust Lee Bell to have thought this through and for him to know what he needs to do to make this move work. Welcome back Connor, let's hope his return is a positive one.