Ghost of Clough

Collins replacing himself! Crikey. We'd have seen everything then 😀😀😀

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Why? What are Radio Derby going to do to you?

If we gained promotion, which is by no means a certainty, the first season will be about survival on a sustainable budget. Beyond that further progress will probably require further inward investment, with a possible change of ownership at some point.   

I'll be surprised if Bates is here next season. Despite being a regular starter last season, he's struggled to get much game time ahead of DRobinson, Fapetu, Radcliffe (when fit) and Hawkins this season, nevermind getting close to the first team. We also have central mids from the U18s ready to step up, such as McAndrew and Allen.
Bates is also 20 (not 18)

I think you can compete in the Championship with a £30m wage bill, but it has to be spent so effectively as now you are seeing a similar wage structure in place for all non-parachute payment clubs (circa £23-28m). It means the smartest team has an opportunity to be successful, but ultimately you’re all up against the parachute payment clubs for a promotion place - which Ipswich are finding out and fighting against now. 

I'll be surprised if Bates is here next season. Despite being a regular starter last season, he's struggled to get much game time ahead of DRobinson, Fapetu, Radcliffe (when fit) and Hawkins this season, nevermind getting close to the first team. We also have central mids from the U18s ready to step up, such as McAndrew and Allen.
Bates is also 20 (not 18)

Next season in the championship the wage bill table will be heavily skewed ny Forest being there with their 120m or so...
 

I’d be very interested to know what their wage budget is for this season and reckon it would be around the figures you’re quoting for top 6.
However - £23.6m being 14th highest wage bill and £35.9m being 7th highest is frightening!! When Mel was going mad overpaying our wage bill was £45m so not much more. Just shows we’ve got it all on to compete when we do get back to the championship. Hopefully being leaner with a couple of astute signings, clever use of loan market and a couple of academy players able to make the step up at the right time will give us a chance. 

Im at a rather embarrassing 21.
3 PL, 9 Championship, 7 L1, and 2 L2

Probably because Kei is a CB who could cover LB with no one else in the squad covers these positions.
Darren is a CM who can cover CB and RB. We already had 3 CMs on the bench, and had both Ward and Wilson starting (so 2 players who could play RB)

Probably because Kei is a CB who could cover LB with no one else in the squad covers these positions.
Darren is a CM who can cover CB and RB. We already had 3 CMs on the bench, and had both Ward and Wilson starting (so 2 players who could play RB)

They were actually shouting “Ebouuuu”. They knew they saw something special.

There will be a heavy emphasis on attacking set pieces, so Sibley and Ward will be starting. They've conceded almost half of their goals from set-pieces. We'll also sit off, letting Portsmouth have most of the ball and hit them on the break.
Truth be told it's hard to not see the same 11 starting - the only changes due to fitness (Washington and Blackett-Taylor got over an hour first yhe first time in a while) or injury (Mendez-Laing struggling with his injury?).
The bench will probably be the same too, with KRobinson potentially being the only change. Elder or DRobinson most likely to take his place on the bench.

In 21/22, a £147m wage bill would have been the 18th highest in Europe (ahead of AC Milan) and 10th highest in England.
In 20/21, only 8 teams had a higher wage bill than £147m.
Less than 10 years ago (14/15) Liverpool were 5th highest with £144m.
 

I think it's a bit soon to be putting him in . Still only 17 and has barely had half a season at U21 level. I would give him half of next season to see how he's progressing (maybe the full season) before loaning him out. He'll need to learn how to deal with being bullied by opposition players, something he wouldn't have truly experienced before.

His first international goal
 

I'm going to assume promotion for this and we'll go with a 3412/3421...
Loans for: Evans, Rooney, Fornah, Radcliffe, Weston
Extensions for: Forsyth (backup and in-game coaching for U21s), Sibley, Thompson and DRobinson
Meaning we retain the following squad:
GK: Vickers
RCB: Nelson, Nyambe
CB: Bradley, Forsyth
LCB: Cashin
RWB: Ward, Wilson
LWB: Sibley, Elder
DM: -
CM: LThompson, DRobinson
RW: -
LW: Mendez-Laing, Blackett-Taylor
CF: Washington, DBrown
In my squad, that would leave gaps at GK(x2), CB, LWB, DM(x2), CM, RW(x2), CF(x2) - 11 signings
GK, 1st choice - Chris Walton (free, Ipswich)
GK, 3rd choice - John Ruddy (free, Birmingham) May want to go somewhere he will get game time which would rule us out. He's at the age where he should be stepping back, and he wouldn't have to move too far if he were to join us.
CB, 1st choice - Sam Stubbs (free, Bradford). A risky option, but he's still only 25, dominant in the air, and a good defender. He is slow so could struggle with stepping up a couple of divisions. Saying that, I thought he played very well in his game against us in the EFL Trophy.

LWB, rotation - Sam McCallum (free, Norwich)

DM, 1st choice - Ebou Adams (£?). Makes our team click without doing anything fancy. Difficult to say what Cardiff would want for him.

DM, 2nd choice - Nohan Kenneh (£?, Hibs). He would often train with the first team at Leeds under Bielsa, so you know the type of player he is. A 21 year old version of Adams.

CM, 1st choice - Herbie Kane (free, Barnsley). Would take over from Hourihane as the main set-piece taker.

RW, rotation - Tyrhys Dolan (compensation, Blackburn). Versitile, coming through as a winger at Blackburn before moving more central this season. The type of player you need in a squad to give the flexibility between formations depending on opposition and injuries within the squad.

RW, rotation - Femi Azeez (compensation, Reading). One of the best wingers in the league, with a high goal contribution output. Will be in high demand, so an unlikely signing.

CF, 1st choice - Harry Leonard (loan, Blackburn). A good all-round forward who creates as well as scores. We were apparently close to signing him in January, so I can see us going back in for him in the summer.

CF, 2nd choice - John McAtee (loan, Luton). More of a #10, but is another hard worker and one of the more creative CFs in L1.

 
A final squad of:
GK: Walton, Vickers, Ruddy
RCB: Nelson, Nyambe
CB: Stubbs, Bradley, Forsyth
LCB: Cashin
RWB: Ward, Wilson
LWB: McCallum, Sibley, Elder
DM: Adams, Kenneh
CM: Kane, LThompson, DRobinson
RW: Dolan, Azeez
LW: Mendez-Laing, Blackett-Taylor
CF: Leonard, McAtee, Washington, DBrown

A question at the fans forum was raised, asking Buxton and Hale if they think the U18/21 players ahold have been given more of an opportunity this season. The response being "they haven't done enough to convince Warne". They also stated Thomspon not being a top performer in the U21s, but stepping up seamlessly under Rooney.
None have played more than Robinson, who has only got 90 minutes vs a Wolves U21 side and hasn't played in any other game. The only player to feature in the League (Brown) has only got 13 minutes, I would be extremely surprised to see someone getting a chance this season.
Take that Wolves U21 game away, then you really see how willing Warne is to using them: Brown (30 mins), Radcliffe (11 mins) Weston (6 mins) and Fapetu (2 mins). It's pathetic.
They could have had a meaningful amount of minutes earlier in the season, even against the likes of Crewe or Bradford in Cup competitions, or when 2 goals up against Carlisle, Leyton Orient, and Bristol Rovers. If they were, we'd now have a better idea of whether they could step in for a couple of games. Even if they weren't ready, using them in more games would have helped keep our older players fresher, and potentially injury free.

xG favours Blackpool (0.49 vs 1.19) so we clearly didn't deserve the win 😉
However, in terms of xGOT (0.77 vs 0.13) we clearly deserved to win.

xG favours Blackpool (0.49 vs 1.19) so we clearly didn't deserve the win 😉
However, in terms of xGOT (0.77 vs 0.13) we clearly deserved to win.

xG favours Blackpool (0.49 vs 1.19) so we clearly didn't deserve the win 😉
However, in terms of xGOT (0.77 vs 0.13) we clearly deserved to win.

xG favours Blackpool (0.49 vs 1.19) so we clearly didn't deserve the win 😉
However, in terms of xGOT (0.77 vs 0.13) we clearly deserved to win.

I presume he'd just taken an inswinging corner. On the radio in the bit I was able to listen to, they were saying Sibbo's corners were very good (as I think they always are).

Rodri has pictures of Ebou Adams on his bedroom wall