Carl Sagan

I feel there's a parallel universe in which Mel was never mad enough to bring in Rooney, allowing Cocu the time and space to develop a formidable team built on the academy, now competing around the top of the Premier League with Sibs as one of the great hopes of the coming England campaign in the Euros. Alas Mel had to be Mel, and Sibley who was streets ahead of Saka in the then biggest game of their lives for the young England championship, is now seemingly a bit part left wingback who the manager would rather not have played in League One. In this universe I still think there's a possible future for Sibs as a brilliant attacking midfielder, but I'm dubious it's with Paul Warne's Derby.

2 hours ago, inter politics said:

https://www.instagram.com/mwaghorn_9/p/C7HV6ZpIKyj/?img_index=1

For those who can't view this link, it's Waggy's farewell message:

For the love of god, please can people put their Fozzy comments in the retained list thread, or a separate thread for our brilliant longest-serving player. This is the Wildsmith thread. The clue's in the name. 

3 hours ago, CapeTownRams said:

PW !!?? 😂😂

Being serious for a sec, I was a little surprised there's been no link seemingly between PW and Norwich, when I believe he's quite a big fan. Interesting to see how people rate in the wider football world. 

Edit: I see it's already been mentioned in this thread. Soz for not reading to the end first. 

After two years, De Zerbi is leaving Brighton, apparently by "mutual consent". They're a good club in terms of succession planning, and he was an amazing candidate to take them off after Graham Potter left. Now he's being linked with Bayern or Barca and they're not standing in his way, showing other managers who might look to come next, that they understand they're a stepping stone to a bigger job, but it can be a win-win for both parties.

Wonder where they'll find his replacement? 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cjeed3g258eo.amp

13 minutes ago, angieram said:

This is the goalkeepers' union with our promotion trophy. Jack holding the trophy. 

How well do you think he'll stand up to being bullied by big forwards at corners? 

Needs to grow and put some bulk on before we throw him to the wolves in the Championship.

Fwiw, I've seen him play a fair bit. He's an excellent shot-stopper but has put the team in a mess with some rash passing out from the back.  

Evans, on the right, is much stronger physically. Also a good shot-stopper, but had a bit of a 'mare in the Central League Cup final recently. 

Neither of them are first-team ready.

Great to see, but I do wish we'd focus on bigger keepers. Do 17-year-olds still grow? I'm encouraged that Iversen is reputedly 6 foot 4 inches, when Joe was only 6 foot and Jack Thompson looks much smaller. A shame for Harry Evans in the final - is he bigger or just nearer to the camera? I guess when you sign people up at a young age, you're not certain how tall they'll end up.

42 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

It is possible, yes. Of course, it also possible that the discussions aren't about money but what role PW wants him for. If Sibs has set his heart on an AM role and PW sees him more as a LB/LWB...

For me, and I guess for Louie, he should be playing up the pitch as an attacking midfielder. And I feel Warne refuses to see that. So I don't think Sibs can reach his ceiling at Derby, and I'd like to see him reach it. Perhaps he can move on and we'll get a fee from another Championship team, or even a lower Premier League club. Wolves and the dirties were always tracking him, and either may feel they have the means to let him become the player he's threatened to be.

If he's a bit part left wing back next season, it will be a disappointing watch. If he's playing centrally, causing havoc around our opposition box, then tremendous. 

34 minutes ago, jono said:

It’s all relative I suppose.

Except for the speed of light in a vacuum. Perhaps the most profound observation in the universe.

1 minute ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

Interested in the wording by Dom Dietrich, “Tom Barkhuizen and Craig Forsyth activated clauses”…. Sounds like it was in the players’ favour rather than the club’s? 🤔 Appearance based as hinted at earlier in the year? Or am I scrabbling for a conspiracy that isn’t there 🤣 

That's the club's wording in the statement, rather than coming directly from Dom.

9 minutes ago, jono said:

I hope he stays. Young for a keeper, strong bond with Cash and Nelson,. Don’t like to see a stable unit broken up. He can still be coached. That said, if as a free agent he gets offered a signing on fee it’s bound to be tempting for a young man so who knows. If he does go then we might get a keeper on lower wages but would likely have to pay something to someone. I suppose all will be revealed in the fullness of time 

Within the last 9 minutes it's confirmed he's left the club! The fullness of time isn't always very long...

All our transfers (presuming we have them) will be "undisclosed" as that's the way of doing business at the bottom end nowadays. My guess is we'll spend £2-3m on actual transfer fees, unless we sell Cash in which case it will be £4-5m.

Growing up, it felt as if we broke the British transfer record every other year. What times they were.

Inevitably, as the downstream effects of the concussion scandal in American football, we have now reached the point when football is being phased out in English youth football: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd190dn549yo. Soon 11 year olds won't be allowed to head the ball. 

There is so much money in football, and the potential for law suits so massive, that it will likely be banned across all football within a decade. 

The beautiful game evolves. We will quickly adjust. Kids a few decades hence won't believe people risked brain damage to play, and the ball will spend much more time on the floor. Maybe a "head height" rule like in 5-a-side (is that still a thing?) will be implemented. I feel we'll miss something, but I understand the reasons behind it.

8 minutes ago, Reggie Greenwood said:

Would hope that we may trouble the top six places 

In any season where you're not starting in the top flight, promotion is the goal. That's the beauty of football - we all begin equal, and there are always surprises. That's why we have hope, even if it's the hope that kills you. I get that many don't like them, but the genius of the playoffs if that it maintains interest for so many teams all the way through to near the season finale. I'd hope we would still be in with a chance of making them with a very few games to go, even if we don't quite get over the line. I'd really hope we do get over the line.

Between 5th and 12th for me. 

Couldn't resist

1 hour ago, SECornerRAM said:

Few highlights confirmed last night (Some may be already known) 
Wildsmith going - Not offered (New Number one inbound) 
Collins Going 
Gayle Going 
Waggy going
Hourihane has a year if he wants it but Derby keen to cut ties 

Smith Offered 
Sibley offered 
Tommo offered 
Robinson offered 

Barkhuizen expecting one year trigger to be used 

Fozzy offered (believe it was a triggered contract clause) 

 

Two inbound midfielder at advanced stages (not a clue who but one is definitely from abroad) 

After Collins' goals, his consistent fitness and then his superhuman return from injury to see us over the line, I'm surprised - but this hints at an impressively ruthless streak at the club. And suggests we're looking at major upgrades in the striking department.

Interesting times.

12 hours ago, Srg said:

Only ever thought Allsop was "ok" here. Wildsmith has been much better than he was.

This game is all about opinions isn't it? I thought Allsop was exceptional for us. I like Wildsmith, but Allsop seemed much more reliable. Both good keepers. But I also think Wildsmith is a little too small to be a top-level keeper. 

Matlock tickets on sale 

8 hours ago, Dartmouth Ram said:

A bit of a controversial one, but I'd love to see Ben Osborn at Derby.

Right age and very versatile, he can play in that Left Wing Back position or Centre Mid (both areas we need to strengthen).

Wages might be a sticking point however...

Looks like he'll be released by Sheffield Utd and he's definitely Championship standards.

I know he's an ex Red Dog and I know he scored that winner against us but he's a Derby lad and that's got to count for something, right???

I thought he was a Derby fan. Which might make him raise his game? Decent shout. I'd also love to see Jamal Lascelles at Derby, as another fan (I believe), but he's rightly not going to give up another year on his contract at Newcastle. 

Langstaff is like Billy Sharp. He might struggle to lead the line for us on his own, but if the price is right he would be a good buy. And will find a way to score quite a lot of goals. A striking collection of Langstaff, Collins, Brown and an other (Louie Barry?) would start to look tasty. All giving the opposition different problems. But Brown is the one with the highest ceiling and the potential to become a formidable main striker at the top level. How do we get him to realize that, and in the way that's best for Derby County? 

3 hours ago, jimtastic56 said:

Doesn’t have to be Lallana . Barkley wouldn’t drop into the Championship. The Prem is 3 leagues better than the Championship , but if we could get a real class player to be our Leader and show us how to play “High Tempo Football” . That would be great. 

This is why I suggested Thomas Delaney earlier in the thread (p54?). If a team has a leader (like we had with Igor) who is a class above, it can take them a long way. And raise the level of the players around. Like Eranio when he came. Obviously also John Gregory dropping down the leagues.

Might we sell someone the Derby dream/project and bring one player in to excite the city?

Dajaune says: " I'll enjoy myself in the off-season and go do some celebrating but then I'll work hard because in pre-season I am coming to impress." I like the sound of that.

This is taken from a DET article: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-dajaune-brown-gateshead-9281591

12 hours ago, FindernRam said:

Apparently the viewing figures were down 23% on last year. Not a surprise to me. 

Last year the programme was live from the UK with a raft of UK presenters so of course the ratings were way higher. The year before we had our only decent entry for a decade and a good chance of winning (and would have without a Europe wide Ukraine sympathy vote).

This year the viewing figures reverted to their normal level. And were high given the paucity of good songs. In 2021 it was 7.4m, this year it was 7.6m. No contest in 2020, but 6.9m in 2019.

1 hour ago, Jubbs said:

One of 3 Barnsley midfielders I wouldn't mind having. Good set piece taker, more of a Hourihane replacement.

All this Hourihane and set pieces stuff that's talked. Ours were always better when we had Sibley taking them! It was another reason not to have Hourihane in the team. 

3 hours ago, Tamworthram said:

An eight figure sum for a player with so little experience at senior level? I’d snap their hand off. 

Indeed but I don't think it's worth selling him for less. Worth much more to us than, say, a sale for a couple of million. Our academy has singularly failed to produce top strikers for years. It's the hardest, and most valuable, position. 

27 minutes ago, Dimmu said:

My guess is that we sell him this summer. 

The rebuilding is enormous and we need money. He might be the one to go because we don't have many sellable assets.

It doesn't matter, do we aim for quality free transfers again over cheap deals or not, we might need a dozen new players who do not only replace the leaving ones, but they have to be an upgrade as well. For that to happen, every penny in a war chest helps.

While it would be sad, if an 8-figure offer came in we would have to take it. Say £15m from Newcastle who have the money. The fear is Warne isn't the ideal manager to develop young talent, so why not reinvest in players more suited to his approach?

But, if doing that, we absolutely must do our transfer business in a similar manner to Christian Dailly and Spencer Prior. For those who don't recall, Blackburn came in with a quite massive offer for Dailly. But before it was publicly announced, we were able to bring Spencer Prior in from Leicester as his replacement, for peanuts.