Ghost of Clough

For reference, in Wigan's promotion season, he played half his games on the right (7 goals and 7 assists) and the other half down the middle (8 goals and 3 assists)

It's why it's usually a good idea to include a couple of U21s in the team. They bring enthusiasm and unpredictability to the team, the sort of energy which helps motivated the more senior players in the team.

For comparison, he's creating as many open play chances as Szoboszlai is for Liverpool. There are only 7 PL CM/AMs who create more from open play than Bird does in League 1. It's nothing to be embarrassed by

Wildsmith
Nelson   Cashin   Forsyth
Wilson   Bird   Hourihane   Sibley   Elder
Collins   Mendez-Laing
 
Subs: Bradley, Ward, DRobinson, Thompson, Barkhuizen, John-Jules, DBrown

It's why it's usually a good idea to include a couple of U21s in the team. They bring enthusiasm and unpredictability to the team, the sort of energy which helps motivated the more senior players in the team.

Elsnik is now a full Slovenian international and has played Champions League football. I think he could definitely done a good job for Derby up to Championship level.

To be honest, I was tempted to leave Waghorn out for that reason, but he was still signed by Warne in the end.

I’ve corrected it for you the bold is warne signings.
 
the bold italic and underlined is Craig Forsyth signings 

It's why it's usually a good idea to include a couple of U21s in the team. They bring enthusiasm and unpredictability to the team, the sort of energy which helps motivated the more senior players in the team.

If my personal budget is £10, but someone tells me I'm restricted to spending a maximum of £20, it's not really a restriction, is it?

If we go up, I would keep 12 out of the current 24 man squad. If we don't go up, I would want to keep those 12 (unlielly as some will want to move on) and keep a further 3 or 4.
Either way, we'll need 10 signings between now and the end of the summer window. The more players we sign in this window who are capable of stepping up the better off we'll be. Due to who we have contracted currently and beyond the summer, that means a heavy focus on the attacking players this month - AMs, wingers and forwards

DCs budget which EFL have approved as not breaching any rules.  Happy to be persuaded otherwise but I don’t sense DC would like to spend more.

You could argue it'd down to a small sample size (3 games / 187 minutes).
I'd also say it's fairer to judge players per 90 than per game, but the ratings are average game rating instead. Per game, Rooney made 2.7 tackles and 3.3 clearances to Nyambe's 1.5 and 1.6 respectively. Per game, there isn't much difference statisticly.

I would bring Wildsmith back, but defo have Vickers on the bench. Wildsmith can do daft things (imagine if he'd been sent off when conceding that first-minute penalty against Oxford), plus while rarely used, not having a keeper on the bench sows seeds of doubt in your mind in terms of how you should play. With Nyambe at the African Cup of Nations, I think this is our strongest and most balanced starting lineup.

Wildsmith
Nelson   Cashin   Forsyth
Wilson   Bird   Hourihane   Sibley   Elder
Collins   Mendez-Laing
 
Subs: Bradley, Ward, DRobinson, Thompson, Barkhuizen, John-Jules, DBrown

It seems like Smith will be heading out this window. Washington could still be out for 16 or more games, whilst Warne didn't plan on sobbing Waggy anyway. Loach is just emergency backup and Rooney is also out for the season.
Our current 24 man squad quickly becomes just a 19 man squad and a couple of players short of a healthy squad.

Do you have any actual evidence to show they were all bargain basement freebies? Can you please list all the signing fees, agent costs and wages?
Asking for an insider penny for penny breakdown is the usual crap you do, so I thought it might be fun to ask the same of you.

Performances have dropped off since we stopped playing with a midfield 3. It's about time we go back to it to regain some control of our games. It doesn't matter if 433, 4231 or 352, but we need that change.

As much as i like Vickers, i cannot wait until Wildsmith is back

To be honest, it's this kind of game DRobinson, Weston and Brown should be playing in to earn loan moves away this month. I would add Bardell, Bartley, Radcliffe and Lindsay would be in the same at the start of next season too

4411
Vickers
Ward   Nelson   Bradley   Elder
Wilson   Fornah   Thompson   Barkhuizen
Sibley
Collins
 

To be honest, it's this kind of game DRobinson, Weston and Brown should be playing in to earn loan moves away this month. I would add Bardell, Bartley, Radcliffe and Lindsay would be in the same at the start of next season too

4411
Vickers
Ward   Nelson   Bradley   Elder
Wilson   Fornah   Thompson   Barkhuizen
Sibley
Collins
 

Interesting that Isaac Hutchinson has carved out a decent lower league career so far, there was a game or two under Rooney that he played and I thought he looked decent, already had a “man’s” physique, possibly scored in one of the games but I don’t remember clearly. But then Rooney seemed to stop using him, not sure if he got injured or something, but looked like a better option to me than Watson who Rooney seemed to be keen to use.