Oldben

But last season with a cobbled together squad we (according to Warne) failed when we achieved 7th place. 
What is happening this season compared to last?

I think it’s hard for any of us to say definitively without more information. So we can speculate that it’s less, because we have only signed free agents and not spent fees. Or we can speculate that it’s more and that we’ve paid increased wages to the 8 permanent additions as well as handing out new contracts to Rooney, Brown and 4 players added to the u21 squad. Or we can speculate that it’s the same because we don’t know for sure what Didzy, Curtis, Chester and Stearman were on wage wise plus the loan players so maybe their wages are balanced out by the new players, 8 new additions, 4 u21 players and allegedly more to come in potentially balancing out the 11 that left in a budgetary sense.
We don’t know in reality, which I know you’re also aware of, only those in charge of the club know for sure. 

If it’s an opinion you’re after I’ll say I’m disappointed we haven’t spent fees on a couple of players out of left field. I was hoping Mark Thomas joining the club would herald a new dawn of us unearthing gems, that’s why I was so enthused by the Lee Bonis link/rumour. I took what the local press reported earlier in the summer as a sign we were going to spend a bit, the reality has been different to my initial expectations but I stand by a point I’ve put across to other posters in that I’m not upset with who we have signed, and there’s still time to add more. 

Hoping to get Coburn from Middlesbrough 

I believe Warne should be given time - at least until Christmas - but I didn't and still don't  believe he's the right man and I'd be surprised if he gets us promoted.   Why give him time then - simply because we are where we are and I don't claim to be infallible - I hope he proves me wrong.  
 
First off lets forget the decent man stuff - 90% of us are decent men or women aren't we?  Being a decent man is not a qualification to manage a football team.   Is he likeable - I find him slightly annoying - all that family photos on the wall stuff or whatever he does to me would just be irrelevant BS. Not everyone is wired the same way - if I'm a player I want decent sessions, tactics that work and a manager that is straight up - if Warne provides them the rest is irrelevant.
 
For me the issues are:
- He seems wedded to his 532/352 Rotherham way of playing - he's dogmatic rather than pragmatic.   If you listen to the BBC podcast series on him he admits he's not really a tactical thinker.   I think he stumbled onto a system that worked to an extent at Rotherham and he can't now see beyond that.   Our best form last season was due to non Warne type players playing non Warne type football - it was was Rosenior's side with a dash more directness. 
- At Derby in div 1 we are going to have the ball a lot - at Rotherham he didn't.   Does Sonny Bradley look like a player comfortable being last man in possession ? 
- His transfer policy is short term.  These frees will be on biggish wages for div 1 and have no sell on value IF we can even move them on.   This squad is only getting weaker if we don't go up this year - anyone think Waghorn, Washington or Collins will be at Derby in 2 years? 
- I don't know what Clowes' budget is but we desperately need to start identifying younger talent and paying a fee with the thought we can recoup that and more in 2 years.   The issue is bigger teams won't want to buy players from a Warne style team - its certainly not a style that will attract decent fees for players. 
- Do good players want to play for Warne?  I honestly think it's a factor in McGoldrick leaving.  The guy is a footballer he doesn't want to be run into the ground. 
 
Longer term my real worry is that Clowes is a footballing dinosaur hankering after the 80s and he's going to keep appointing managers in the same mould.  We need an innovative forward thinking owner not just a saviour. 

Might be worth considering Josh Maja, George Cox, Han-Noah Massengo,  Fankaty Dabo, Todd Kane, Steven Caulker and Ross Barkley.

Might be worth considering Josh Maja, George Cox, Han-Noah Massengo,  Fankaty Dabo, Todd Kane, Steven Caulker and Ross Barkley.

Like I said, I don’t see it how you do. We’ve got round pegs in round holes for the most part and then the odd rounded square peg for emergencies. This has been covered a fair few times by others now but the way I see it Knight played a fair number of games out of position last season, as did Smith, by signing Ward and Wilson to cover the rwb/rb position we have freed Smith up to be another body in midfield and have two very capable options for the right side of defence. The change in formation/signing of players that suit the formation will cover the attributes which we have lost in the shape of one Jason Knight. Wing backs will be full of running to get us up the pitch, Smith in midfield frees Bird to play in a more advanced role as we saw against Stoke. Could we do with another body? Yeah sure, why not, is it a disaster if we don’t sign a like for like replacement for Knight? Not for me as I can see the other options and possibilities within the playing staff we have. 
 

I would have him over Rhodes and Waghorn to be honest.
Would be brilliant in this league. Pace, power and knows how to finish.
And he's only 30.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/charlie-lindsay-derby-county-transfer-8609447
Could he reach 15 goals in a season, now we have signed him.
I don't think that 19 is too young for first team action at league one level.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/charlie-lindsay-derby-county-transfer-8609447
Could he reach 15 goals in a season, now we have signed him.
I don't think that 19 is too young for first team action at league one level.

Be pretty disappointed if our front 3 going into this season are Collins, Washington and Rhodes. 
If we’ve had since about September last year to come up with ideas and these are the best we can do, then on paper it’s not great is it? 
 
Would it kill the club to do more overseas scouting? They don’t always work out, but most of our UK based signings don’t either. At least there’d be an element of the unknown. 

He'll definitely benefit from having attacking wingbacks who can whip in good crosses. I wouldn't be that surprised if he had a 15 goal season, especially if we play two up top, but I still wouldn't be confident going in to the season with him as our main goal threat.
 

Here's Collins stats over several seasons ...

Here's Collins stats over several seasons ...

I do think he will have a better season, 20+ would have to include penalties though and lots of them. 

I fully expect to be ridiculed, but I stand by my prediction that Collins will comfortably score 20+ goals this season !! 
The future’s bright, the futures Black & White !! 🐏🤗

I think 2 million is a good fee for a player in the last year of his contract, whether the cast of Wilson, is the right player and after 4 months injury last season?
Any way the focus must remain on replacing knight with player like Josh Onomah, who I think could do well in League one.
Hourihane at 32 hes not going to look any faster in the coming season, plus he looked tired towards the end of the season.
I'm looking for players like these from last season, who created at least 11 assists ...
Leif Davis, Ipswich Town, 14
Barry Bannan, Sheffield Wednesday, 13
Aaron Collins, Bristol Rovers, 11
Wes Burns, Ipswich Town, 11
Then the next challenge, finding a striker who can score more than 15 goals in a season and remaining injury free (take a look at their historical injury records, plus the fact that they as older players are more likely to be injury prone) which I don't see collins or Washington doing.
For the striker I'd be happy with us signing sam smith.
 

Don't know how many times this has been addressed but repayments were already factored into budgets. Even if we didn't sell Knight and Bielik, we would have been able to pay the necessary installments and be within our limits.
Now you could make an argument about clearing debts ahead of schedule but I don't know why you would ever do that, especially when our team needs significant investment.

Billy Sharp guaranteed as over the hill at 37.
Godden is 31.
Godden seasonal stats:
2022/23 scored 8 goals
2021/22 scored 12 goals
2020/21 scored 6 goals
2019/20 scored 15 goals
2018/19 scored 18 goals
2017/18 scored 14 goals.
Many of these were scored at championship level.
I would be very happy if the club signs godden.
 

Billy Sharp guaranteed as over the hill at 37.
Godden is 31.
Godden seasonal stats:
2022/23 scored 8 goals
2021/22 scored 12 goals
2020/21 scored 6 goals
2019/20 scored 15 goals
2018/19 scored 18 goals
2017/18 scored 14 goals.
Many of these were scored at championship level.
I would be very happy if the club signs godden.
 

Billy Sharp guaranteed as over the hill at 37.
Godden is 31.
Godden seasonal stats:
2022/23 scored 8 goals
2021/22 scored 12 goals
2020/21 scored 6 goals
2019/20 scored 15 goals
2018/19 scored 18 goals
2017/18 scored 14 goals.
Many of these were scored at championship level.
I would be very happy if the club signs godden.
 

Noticed on Instagram this evening that Sonny Bradley and Callum Elder have recently followed each other. Never played together before and just found it strange how in the past day they’ve followed one another. There could be something in it as why would footballers who have never really crossed paths apart from playing against each other start following one another with all this speculation? 
 
My striker targets would be:
1. Sam Nombe 
2. Will Keane 
3. Sam Smith 

I'm not being negative,  or trying not to be, my way of thinking is this. The defence has hopefully been improved, but everything in front of them is the same or weaker.  When last season ended, i like most people thought he needs time and to get his players in, which i still do but......  I was hoping he would address the midfield, getting a couple of box to box players to help with controlling and scoring  a few. Going with the same as last season a midfield that struggled at times and not scoring many, i think that's why the pressure has risen to get some goalscorers in the club. Can't see where the goals are coming from at the moment, plus the manager confused me with his comments about struggling to compete with other L1 sides, after the chairman said our budget can.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/derby-county-paul-warne-transfers-8580884
I'd ask Warne, what about these ...
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlton-athletic-moving-closer-to-landing-cheltenhams-alfie-may-as-transfer-negotiations-continue/
https://www.oufc.co.uk/news/2023/june/ruben-rodrigues-joins-oxford-united/#:~:text=Rodrigues%2C who was born in,their EFL status last season.
these free agents could have done a great job for derby, but warne wants to stand by the idea that its difficult to find and sign strikers