BOSS Graham Coughlan admits Newport County AFC will have to think on their feet at Rodney Parade today courtesy of Swindon's busy transfer window.

The Exiles aim to start a streak after their seven-game unbeaten run was ended by Manchester United 4-2 in the FA Cup last Sunday.

They now have 18 games left in League Two with a healthy 16-point gap to the relegation and a top-half finish in their sights.

They are two places below 14th-placed Swindon with a game in hand but the clubs had contrasting starts to the year.

It’s been all-change at the County Ground, and not only because of a managerial change after the departure of Exiles great Michael Flynn.

The Robins lost influential loanees Jake Young and Dan Kemp after they returned to their parent clubs while Remeao Hutton and Liam Kinsella also headed for the exit.

Early in January they signed Southampton goalkeeper Jack Bycroft, Nottingham Forest defender Pharrell Johnson and Liverpool forward Paul Glatzel plus brought in MK Dons' Dawson Devoy, Barnsley's Conor McCarthy and AIK's Zachary Elbouzedi on loan.

They weren’t finished and on deadline day Swindon signed experienced Irish forward Aaron Drinan from Leyton Orient and Leeds winger Sean McGurk, then at 11pm the return on loan of former Exiles loanee Harry McKirdy from Hibs.

Their activity makes the cliché of ‘concentrating on ourselves’ appropriate for the Exiles.

South Wales Argus: INFLUENTIAL: Saidou Khan remains a key figure for SwindonINFLUENTIAL: Saidou Khan remains a key figure for Swindon (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“What Swindon do you coach for? There is a Swindon prior to January, a Swindon mid-January and a Swindon at the end of January,” admitted Coughlan.

“They have probably been the most active of the League Two teams, maybe the Football League.

“It's a huge amount of players to bring in for January, that's strange and I've not seen it before. They have brought in three on Thursday night, more before that.”

Gavin Gunning was appointed as interim Swindon boss after Flynn’s exit and he has tough choices to make regarding the new recruits after a 2-0 home win against Bradford last weekend.

“They are on the back of a win and the manager has a headache of who to put into the team, but they won't change much from a really good victory,” said Coughlan.

“They will have a front three that will stay high, they will be brave, pass through the zones and are not afraid to hit the front man early, a vastly-experienced striker [Charlie Austin].

“Now they have a couple of additions, so it will be one we might have to work out as we go. They are a really good, adventurous, attacking team so we will have to be on our game.”

Swindon won 2-0 when the sides met in Wiltshire in October thanks to goals by Dan Kemp and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy.

League Two fixtures: County v Swindon (12.45), Accrington v Grimsby, Barrow v MK Dons, Bradford v Wimbledon, Colchester v Forest Green, Crawley v Morecambe, Gillingham v Walsall, Mansfield v Notts County, Salford v Wrexham, Stockport v Harrogate, Sutton v Doncaster, Tranmere v Crewe.