Considering what the Northern Hub wants to do (more CLC route passing loops) and the loadings on them services, and lack of choice about where to send these, something needs doing.
Unlike the Chat Moss and Windsor Bridge lines, the CLC doesn't have any choice but to use Oxford Road. Sounding like a broken record again, but the terminating capacity from these routes is a total of 1 platform at Oxford Road.
If for example, some joined up thinking came and the Chat Moss gained some platforms at Victoria with a smidge of grade separation and each route is cut back to 3tph maximum through Oxford Road + CLC stoppers, it's do-able.
I'm working on a maximum capacity at Oxford Road of 15tph w/o Freight (a bridge over the M62 and some electrification can solve that). With the spare paths required then 3tph Windsor Bridge, 2tph Chat Moss, 3tph + 3tph CLC and 4tph Cord is possible.
Services would likely be: 1tph Southport via Atherton, 1tph Blackpool North, 1tph Preston / Blackpool North / Barrow / Windermere, 1tph Scotland, 1tph Llandudno.
But no-one wants to admit that the Ordsall Cord will mean a cut in services through Oxford Road to other destinations, since it's currently running at 12tph and already suffers capacity problems, and no-one wants to be kicked off to Exchange / Victoria.
Since platforms on Exchange wouldn't mean demolishing anything would they be more viable in your eyes? Or would the required grade separation at Ordsall Lane be 'silly'? Grade separation at this junction will likely be necessary soon anyway, given to the increases in complexity and the flat junction at Castlefield. Grade separation would provide a series of diverging routes with a roughly 40/60 split between the CLC and Ordsall at Castlefield, followed by a 44/56 split at 'Cord Jcn' then a 40/60 split at Ordsall Ln Jcn, with an additional ?6tph joining the Chat Moss by means of grade seperation from Exchange / Victoria, improvments in layout may enable the Windsor Link to be used to prevent crossing movments (but avoiding Salford Central) to have Windsor services use the Exchange platforms, if not, reversing sidings will be required.