Ghost of Clough

My understanding is, he cancelled his contract under TUPE (so we don't have to pay him anymore), but we still hold his registration for a season (so someone has to pay us to sign him)

My understanding is, he cancelled his contract under TUPE (so we don't have to pay him anymore), but we still hold his registration for a season (so someone has to pay us to sign him)

Byrne would have had a very good chance to get 15 assists to his name in this team, and go into next season with a reputation as one of the most dangerous RBs in the football league. Could have ran the final year of his extended contract down and moved on with his reputation intact and got a very good wage at his next club.
Instead, he's damaged his reputation on a high risk strategy to earn a little bit more in the short term. Probably the last time he'll be offered a Championship level contract now as well.

Byrne would have had a very good chance to get 15 assists to his name in this team, and go into next season with a reputation as one of the most dangerous RBs in the football league. Could have ran the final year of his extended contract down and moved on with his reputation intact and got a very good wage at his next club.
Instead, he's damaged his reputation on a high risk strategy to earn a little bit more in the short term. Probably the last time he'll be offered a Championship level contract now as well.

Byrne would have had a very good chance to get 15 assists to his name in this team, and go into next season with a reputation as one of the most dangerous RBs in the football league. Could have ran the final year of his extended contract down and moved on with his reputation intact and got a very good wage at his next club.
Instead, he's damaged his reputation on a high risk strategy to earn a little bit more in the short term. Probably the last time he'll be offered a Championship level contract now as well.

Points earned in the Premier League since June 1999.
Derby: 121
Forest: 0
It's embarrassing our tally is so low. Imagine how the Forest fans must feel ?

Last season was more like:
GK
CB   CB
DM                 DM
RB   RW   AM   LW   LB
CF

The difference is that Forest's academy setup is well established. Darlow is 31 for example. Bamford 28, Lascelles 28, Osborn 27, Burke 25, Worrall 25, Cash 24, Yates 24, Brereton 23, Johnson 21. Dawson, Reid, Jenas, Morgan and many others before them. 
We started from scratch 10 or so years ago. We had a 5 or so year spell of bringing players through in the Burley era, an another spell in the late 90's, but the club has never had a sustained approach to the academy until now. 
You could argue we got lucky with recruitment, finding Hendrick (30) and Hughes (27) when we did as they were both levels above their peers in our academy at the time. The investment in to our academy has brought a lot more consistency to the players we're producing, as well as the overall ability. It's why the other players who're 23+ now are only Championship standard at best.
Forest have Johnson at 21, possibly Mighten next at 20, then probably someone else the year below, then another the year below him, etc...
Derby have Bird, Knight, and Buchanan (now in the Bundesliga) all 21. Sibley, Cashin, Thompson, and Stretton all 20, Ebosele (now Serie A) 19. Delap (19), Williams (18), Gordon (17), Sharpe (16), Scanlon (15), Kaba (15) all poached off us over the past 2 years.
We caught up with Forest, arguably in greater numbers, but the last couple of years will have likely set us back a little bit. Although we do still have a number of youth internationals still with us including DRobinson (17), Moloney (17) and JThompson (15). 
Of course, you won't see where the academy currently is until about 5 years time when these players are at a similar age of the likes of Worrall and Cash.

By far the biggest problem is the uneven level of competition in the Championship. A team like Hull in the 1st or 2nd year of parachute payments would have a budget 4 times that of a bottom 6 side (where they'd be without parachute payments, or Boro having almost double the budget of the team with the highest non-parachute revenue whereas they'd be mid-table without.
Everyone, except those in receipt of parachute payments agreed this is a problem.
This will absolutely make the Football League a closed shop. It's bad enough in the Championship as things stand, with parachute clubs having 2-5 times more revenue that the smallest clubs, but your proposal creates a gap at least 1000% between the bottom side in L2 and top in NL. To be quite honest, it would be the worst decision ever in English football.
What I suggested levels things out considerably. Distributing parachute payments through all three leagues removes the single biggest problem in the Championship. It also cuts the financial gap between the Championship and L1 down by an average of £4.5m. Total to each league being:
Championship: £672m (down from £800m)
L1: £384m (up from £312m)
L2: £108m (up from £84m)
[with £32m to spare]
The gap between the Championship and the PL for most clubs is reduced by £5m (with a more even playing field for all in the division)
The gap between L1 and the Championship is reduced by £200m.

The direct punishment for entering administration is 12 points and an agreed business plan upon exit. The restrictions put on a club in administration (contract renewals, sales, etc) are indirect punishments.
It's undeniable that the club was punished by not being able to renew contracts. Jagielka being an obvious example.

Unable to sign players. Lost Marshall, Shinnie, Jagielka, Jozwiak, Baldock, Plange and Williams. Unable to offer contract extensions, losing Festy and Ebiowei as a result, as well as losing out on higher transfer fees for other players.

Maybe yeah? Although I do think Knight Bird and Roberts were virtually in line especially in the first two thirds of the pitch.
I do worry about playing fozzy though if we really expect the left back to be involved in the starting of moves. Roberts, on the other hand looks more than comfortable.
Out of possession is more or less the same shape as last year virtually falling back into a 442.

Maybe a little bit more like this:
CB   CB
RB       DM           
      DM    AM    LB
RW       CF     LW   
LB push a bit higher and LW tucked in a little bit. At times you'd have crosses from the right with Collins, McGoldrick, Barkhuizen and Forsyth to aim at.

Unable to sign players. Lost Marshall, Shinnie, Jagielka, Jozwiak, Baldock, Plange and Williams. Unable to offer contract extensions, losing Festy and Ebiowei as a result, as well as losing out on higher transfer fees for other players.

Unable to sign players. Lost Marshall, Shinnie, Jagielka, Jozwiak, Baldock, Plange and Williams. Unable to offer contract extensions, losing Festy and Ebiowei as a result, as well as losing out on higher transfer fees for other players.

I think even Cashin himself wouldn't expect to be competing with Collins and McGoldrick! 

R/LW depends on where we plan to play Sibley, Knight and Hourihane. Definitely two players needed in the CM/AM/W area. Bird, Smith, Tommo and another for the CM spots Hourihane, Knight, Sibley, Mendez-Laing, Barkhuizen and another for the AM/W positions.
Or two wingers if Hourihane or Knight will be starting alongside Bird.
It'll be Stretton...

Yes someone said Knight had bulked up and grown a bit too. Must be the sun.

R/LW depends on where we plan to play Sibley, Knight and Hourihane. Definitely two players needed in the CM/AM/W area. Bird, Smith, Tommo and another for the CM spots Hourihane, Knight, Sibley, Mendez-Laing, Barkhuizen and another for the AM/W positions.
Or two wingers if Hourihane or Knight will be starting alongside Bird.
It'll be Stretton...

Best of luck to him. 
will he be starting or on the bench?  ??

Cashin will be first choice LCB. Chester and Davies battling it out at RCB.
Davies occasionally playing LCB if Cashin is injured or has a dip in form.
Roberts at LCB if Cashin and one of Chester or Davies is out. 
Stearman steps in for emergency situations.