DARRYL Eales admits Oxford United will miss out on potential signings while they are searching for their next manager.

Liam Lindsay had agreed terms to join the U’s last week, only for the Partick Thistle defender to have a change of heart after Michael Appleton’s move to Leicester.

And Conor McAleny, who scored ten goals on loan at United last year, was another target who on Friday joined Fleetwood Town.

Eales says his main frustration over the departure of his manager is it happening so close to the start of pre-season.

While the club will be working hard to bring in new recruits, he accepts they may fail to land some targets.

“The only irritation is the timing,” Eales said.

“If this had happened a month earlier it would have made recruitment so much simpler.

“We lost out on Liam Lindsay purely because we didn’t have a manager. We would have secured that deal.

“That’s nobody’s fault, but these things happen.”

Eales is aware players may be reluctant to hold fire on a potential move until they see who comes in as manager.

But the U’s chairman insists the club will do all they can to ensure any targets are well aware of what the club has to offer, whoever is in charge.

And he also feels some members of the United squad that maybe felt they were down the pecking order under Appleton can stake their claim for regular first-team football with a new man in charge.

“Whilst I can do the hard sell on philosophy, culture, sustainable success and stability among the coaching team, it’s probably quite hard for anyone to make an important decision on their future whilst they don’t know who the manager is,” he said.

“That just reinforces the decision to try and make it quickly – but making sure we get it right.

“I had a chat with Derek Fazackerly that maybe one or two players who were not high in Michael’s plans now have a chance to step up.”

He added: “We know we have got a couple of positions where we are short.

“We are always after the eponymous 45-goal-a-season striker, who we will keep searching for, and we do not know who will play left back, but the spine of the team looks relatively strong.

“But the reality is we are not going to be able to bring in all the signings we want because of the circumstances we find ourselves in.

“But we will get there.”