Ambitious

We've been paying Championship wages to players who were willing to jump down into League One. For reference, our wage bill in 22/23 was £6m higher than Rotherham - 170% We have increased the wage bill this season even further so could already be inline or greater than the likes of Preston (£18.8m). 
I would assume there is going to be even greater investment going into next season, but paying the wages hasn't been the problem. It's been the recruitment and how we have had to recruit. I'm excited (albeit nervous too) to see how the club approach it should we win promotion. 
I think there will be a whole host of changes and I think the club know that which is why they've put the brakes on new contracts for next season. I actually believe they understand the gravity of the task and the standard we will need to be at in order to be competitive. 

We've been paying Championship wages to players who were willing to jump down into League One. For reference, our wage bill in 22/23 was £6m higher than Rotherham - 170% We have increased the wage bill this season even further so could already be inline or greater than the likes of Preston (£18.8m). 
I would assume there is going to be even greater investment going into next season, but paying the wages hasn't been the problem. It's been the recruitment and how we have had to recruit. I'm excited (albeit nervous too) to see how the club approach it should we win promotion. 
I think there will be a whole host of changes and I think the club know that which is why they've put the brakes on new contracts for next season. I actually believe they understand the gravity of the task and the standard we will need to be at in order to be competitive. 

The concern I have is the level of player we would need to attract to the club would have to be substantial. 
We know players like Curtis Nelson, Ebou Adams, Mendez-Laing, who have been incredible for us at this level have all suffered in the Championship. Not to the point where they can't play, albeit Ebou is far from proven at that level, but where their impact is diminished. 
I would say we're very similar to the Sheffield Wednesday side who won promotion last season. Players like Josh Windass, Michael Smith, Barry Bannan, George Byers, Michael Ihiekwe & Will Vaulks all were key players in that side but none of them have managed the step-up with much class. 
Michael Smith had 50 goal contributions in his last two seasons in League One. He has four this season. Josh Windass and Barry Bannan had 39 goal contributions last season in League One - both have contributed to 7 in the Championship. 
If promoted, we would see some of our most assured, consistent performers at this level go back to looking human and become a cause of frustration. Ultimately, I have to have faith that the club know the size of the challenge ahead. It's an incredibly difficult market. 
Still, I feel that we would be in a good position knowing that we are looking at a relatively new blank canvas ahead of next season. I think Portsmouth, who recruited well for League One, but expanded the squad over the past 12 months will find the jump more demanding. 

The concern I have is the level of player we would need to attract to the club would have to be substantial. 
We know players like Curtis Nelson, Ebou Adams, Mendez-Laing, who have been incredible for us at this level have all suffered in the Championship. Not to the point where they can't play, albeit Ebou is far from proven at that level, but where their impact is diminished. 
I would say we're very similar to the Sheffield Wednesday side who won promotion last season. Players like Josh Windass, Michael Smith, Barry Bannan, George Byers, Michael Ihiekwe & Will Vaulks all were key players in that side but none of them have managed the step-up with much class. 
Michael Smith had 50 goal contributions in his last two seasons in League One. He has four this season. Josh Windass and Barry Bannan had 39 goal contributions last season in League One - both have contributed to 7 in the Championship. 
If promoted, we would see some of our most assured, consistent performers at this level go back to looking human and become a cause of frustration. Ultimately, I have to have faith that the club know the size of the challenge ahead. It's an incredibly difficult market. 
Still, I feel that we would be in a good position knowing that we are looking at a relatively new blank canvas ahead of next season. I think Portsmouth, who recruited well for League One, but expanded the squad over the past 12 months will find the jump more demanding. 

I do agree, but the wage bill last season was still significant. 
The wage bill last season at Derby (total) was larger than Sunderland during their promotion season which I assume also included promotion bonuses - and they had a category one academy.

My concern is that this season we are likely to post one of the highest, if not the highest ever wage bill recorded by a League One team. I think Ipswich 22-23 at £19.7m is currently the highest and that includes promotion bonuses. We could easily go over that with last season's wage bill at £17.2m. I suspect it will likely exceed £20m. 
This has to be it for Warne - make or break. If he doesn't win promotion then we go into another rebuild next season, ok without restrictions, but the club is already losing roughly £10m at this level from just standing still. I just don't see the appetite there for another Warne season - especially given the increases in season tickets which make us one of, if not THE, most expensive in the league. 
We miss out on promotion, which frankly will be through nothing but losing our own bottle and you're charging near on £600 for a season ticket on the West or East stand  next season. It's almost a given that you're going to have to replace managers in order to create a sense of excitement and a fresh start.
The very last thing the club need now is fans to stop turning up to games. 

My concern is that this season we are likely to post one of the highest, if not the highest ever wage bill recorded by a League One team. I think Ipswich 22-23 at £19.7m is currently the highest and that includes promotion bonuses. We could easily go over that with last season's wage bill at £17.2m. I suspect it will likely exceed £20m. 
This has to be it for Warne - make or break. If he doesn't win promotion then we go into another rebuild next season, ok without restrictions, but the club is already losing roughly £10m at this level from just standing still. I just don't see the appetite there for another Warne season - especially given the increases in season tickets which make us one of, if not THE, most expensive in the league. 
We miss out on promotion, which frankly will be through nothing but losing our own bottle and you're charging near on £600 for a season ticket on the West or East stand  next season. It's almost a given that you're going to have to replace managers in order to create a sense of excitement and a fresh start.
The very last thing the club need now is fans to stop turning up to games. 

My concern is that this season we are likely to post one of the highest, if not the highest ever wage bill recorded by a League One team. I think Ipswich 22-23 at £19.7m is currently the highest and that includes promotion bonuses. We could easily go over that with last season's wage bill at £17.2m. I suspect it will likely exceed £20m. 
This has to be it for Warne - make or break. If he doesn't win promotion then we go into another rebuild next season, ok without restrictions, but the club is already losing roughly £10m at this level from just standing still. I just don't see the appetite there for another Warne season - especially given the increases in season tickets which make us one of, if not THE, most expensive in the league. 
We miss out on promotion, which frankly will be through nothing but losing our own bottle and you're charging near on £600 for a season ticket on the West or East stand  next season. It's almost a given that you're going to have to replace managers in order to create a sense of excitement and a fresh start.
The very last thing the club need now is fans to stop turning up to games. 

My concern is that this season we are likely to post one of the highest, if not the highest ever wage bill recorded by a League One team. I think Ipswich 22-23 at £19.7m is currently the highest and that includes promotion bonuses. We could easily go over that with last season's wage bill at £17.2m. I suspect it will likely exceed £20m. 
This has to be it for Warne - make or break. If he doesn't win promotion then we go into another rebuild next season, ok without restrictions, but the club is already losing roughly £10m at this level from just standing still. I just don't see the appetite there for another Warne season - especially given the increases in season tickets which make us one of, if not THE, most expensive in the league. 
We miss out on promotion, which frankly will be through nothing but losing our own bottle and you're charging near on £600 for a season ticket on the West or East stand  next season. It's almost a given that you're going to have to replace managers in order to create a sense of excitement and a fresh start.
The very last thing the club need now is fans to stop turning up to games. 

Poor performance, but not totally unexpected. I would say that's roughly our average level of performance over the season - we simply are not a good football team to watch. 
Let's see how the weekend plays out before hitting the panic button, If we can get to a four point cushion over Bolton then we should get over the line. It's been jarring watching us since Gayle got injured, it honestly really has. 

Poor performance, but not totally unexpected. I would say that's roughly our average level of performance over the season - we simply are not a good football team to watch. 
Let's see how the weekend plays out before hitting the panic button, If we can get to a four point cushion over Bolton then we should get over the line. It's been jarring watching us since Gayle got injured, it honestly really has. 

Poor performance, but not totally unexpected. I would say that's roughly our average level of performance over the season - we simply are not a good football team to watch. 
Let's see how the weekend plays out before hitting the panic button, If we can get to a four point cushion over Bolton then we should get over the line. It's been jarring watching us since Gayle got injured, it honestly really has. 

Poor performance, but not totally unexpected. I would say that's roughly our average level of performance over the season - we simply are not a good football team to watch. 
Let's see how the weekend plays out before hitting the panic button, If we can get to a four point cushion over Bolton then we should get over the line. It's been jarring watching us since Gayle got injured, it honestly really has. 

Exactly how I saw it, albeit I didn't watch until late. Disjointed beyond belief. 
I hope we make adjustments at half-time.

Exactly how I saw it, albeit I didn't watch until late. Disjointed beyond belief. 
I hope we make adjustments at half-time.

They’re going to build a 60,000 seater stadium apparently and spend the most of any championship side in history in the summer - which won’t change even if they’re relegated.
The bloke sounds like an out-of-touch lunatic with a new toy, obviously these types always have a happy ending so I look forward to the conclusion. 
It’s like when Darlington moved into their 25,000 seater stadium and left 20,000 empty seats. Birmingham have never really been well supported despite the size of the city. 20-25 seems like their level so that’s potentially 35-40,000 empty seats and a huge billion pound project for nothing more than vanity. 

They’re going to build a 60,000 seater stadium apparently and spend the most of any championship side in history in the summer - which won’t change even if they’re relegated.
The bloke sounds like an out-of-touch lunatic with a new toy, obviously these types always have a happy ending so I look forward to the conclusion. 
It’s like when Darlington moved into their 25,000 seater stadium and left 20,000 empty seats. Birmingham have never really been well supported despite the size of the city. 20-25 seems like their level so that’s potentially 35-40,000 empty seats and a huge billion pound project for nothing more than vanity. 

There is a very stark and real difference between being able to forge a career in the Championship and being an impactful player in the Championship. A LOT of fairly unremarkable players have made careers in the Championship, so I actually don't have too many worries about a lot of our players' ability to hold their own at the next level. 
In terms of impactful players at the Championship, well that's a very different story. I would be confident in Mendez-Laing and Cashin. If Nelson was an import from overseas, who had never played in the Championship, then I would also say him. I do worry that he's been unremarkable in the Championship, largely, so would consider it unlikely he's going to carry the same impact at the next level. Adams, too, has found it tough by all accounts. He's in a similar boat to Nelson in the sense he's been very good for us at this level but has struggled to make the step up. I guess you could also put Nyambe in this category too, albeit he has previously done very well at Championship level with Blackburn. 
Blackett-Taylor is starting to show his ability and looks to have good speed, range and technical ability that should serve him well at the next level. He does seem to lack the power of a NML but he has potential to be impactful at the next level if he progresses. Wilson, Sibley are probably more along the lines of being able to play in the Championship, perhaps struggle to be as impactful. 
I do worry about Waghorn, Collins, Smith, Bradley and I'd probably add Elder to the list as players who I think would actually struggle to step up. All of them look to be on the down-swing of their career, in-terms of mobility, Collins has done well for us this season but I think a better class of defender really limits his impact. Waghorn started the season well, but looks laboured since his return from injury. Elder and Bradley just haven't looked right since we signed them, honestly, both have had moments but big question marks over them two - as well as Smith. 
If we do get promoted, the recruitment is going to have to be very strong. Central midfield and strikers, in particular, will need to be improved upon enormously. 

There is a very stark and real difference between being able to forge a career in the Championship and being an impactful player in the Championship. A LOT of fairly unremarkable players have made careers in the Championship, so I actually don't have too many worries about a lot of our players' ability to hold their own at the next level. 
In terms of impactful players at the Championship, well that's a very different story. I would be confident in Mendez-Laing and Cashin. If Nelson was an import from overseas, who had never played in the Championship, then I would also say him. I do worry that he's been unremarkable in the Championship, largely, so would consider it unlikely he's going to carry the same impact at the next level. Adams, too, has found it tough by all accounts. He's in a similar boat to Nelson in the sense he's been very good for us at this level but has struggled to make the step up. I guess you could also put Nyambe in this category too, albeit he has previously done very well at Championship level with Blackburn. 
Blackett-Taylor is starting to show his ability and looks to have good speed, range and technical ability that should serve him well at the next level. He does seem to lack the power of a NML but he has potential to be impactful at the next level if he progresses. Wilson, Sibley are probably more along the lines of being able to play in the Championship, perhaps struggle to be as impactful. 
I do worry about Waghorn, Collins, Smith, Bradley and I'd probably add Elder to the list as players who I think would actually struggle to step up. All of them look to be on the down-swing of their career, in-terms of mobility, Collins has done well for us this season but I think a better class of defender really limits his impact. Waghorn started the season well, but looks laboured since his return from injury. Elder and Bradley just haven't looked right since we signed them, honestly, both have had moments but big question marks over them two - as well as Smith. 
If we do get promoted, the recruitment is going to have to be very strong. Central midfield and strikers, in particular, will need to be improved upon enormously. 

Wildsmith has been a solid performer for us, absolutely. I don't think he really gets too much criticism from supporters either. He's had some blunders this year, but every goalkeeper at this level will do that. It's why they're in League One.
Wildsmith spent 9 seasons in the Sheff Wed team without ever pinning down the starting job and he's made more appearances in two years with us than he ever did with Sheff Wed - and that's with him losing his place in the team to Vickers along the way. 
Ultimately, though, as I said: I can see Warne looking at the goalkeeping position as an area he would want to improve on in the summer. I genuinely think Vickers was brought in to challenge Wildsmith rather than back him up, and I half suspect they anticipated on him winning the job. If not for terrible off-field events and injury then perhaps he may have even done so. 
Even so, whether we've offered him a contract or not, I don't believe Warne see's him as a lock for his position for the foreseeable future. I would think any contract would run roughly in-line, albeit with a small increase, on his current deal and I think he believes there is better out there - Christian Walton who is out of contract at the end of the year from Ipswich as one I'd keep my eye on. 
Rotherham, under Paul Warne, always had an eye for a goalkeeper. When he took over as manager the two keepers on Rotherham's books were two that we know well - Lee Camp & Lewis Price. As well as Richard O'Donnell. 
He then signed Marek Rodak on loan, who we know is a good keeper, in his first full season at Rotherham. He then went on to sign Daniel Iverson, again a very good goalkeeper, before landing on Josh Vickers & Viktor Johansson - with the latter being renowned as one of the best in his position in the League. I think he's even earned a full Sweden international cap recently too. 
I just wonder if he's been around those players, more so his goalkeeping coach who he very much trusts, and thinks we can do better? 

Wildsmith has been a solid performer for us, absolutely. I don't think he really gets too much criticism from supporters either. He's had some blunders this year, but every goalkeeper at this level will do that. It's why they're in League One.
Wildsmith spent 9 seasons in the Sheff Wed team without ever pinning down the starting job and he's made more appearances in two years with us than he ever did with Sheff Wed - and that's with him losing his place in the team to Vickers along the way. 
Ultimately, though, as I said: I can see Warne looking at the goalkeeping position as an area he would want to improve on in the summer. I genuinely think Vickers was brought in to challenge Wildsmith rather than back him up, and I half suspect they anticipated on him winning the job. If not for terrible off-field events and injury then perhaps he may have even done so. 
Even so, whether we've offered him a contract or not, I don't believe Warne see's him as a lock for his position for the foreseeable future. I would think any contract would run roughly in-line, albeit with a small increase, on his current deal and I think he believes there is better out there - Christian Walton who is out of contract at the end of the year from Ipswich as one I'd keep my eye on. 
Rotherham, under Paul Warne, always had an eye for a goalkeeper. When he took over as manager the two keepers on Rotherham's books were two that we know well - Lee Camp & Lewis Price. As well as Richard O'Donnell. 
He then signed Marek Rodak on loan, who we know is a good keeper, in his first full season at Rotherham. He then went on to sign Daniel Iverson, again a very good goalkeeper, before landing on Josh Vickers & Viktor Johansson - with the latter being renowned as one of the best in his position in the League. I think he's even earned a full Sweden international cap recently too. 
I just wonder if he's been around those players, more so his goalkeeping coach who he very much trusts, and thinks we can do better? 

Hourihane started the season well, but had a dramatic drop-off - probably inline with when he decided this was going to be his last season. He's still an influential, well-liked figure and he's been a good player for us but perhaps not the dynamic, all-action midfielder that we anticipated when he signed. 
The best replacement for him is the guy who just picked out our top corner from 30 yards on Tuesday night and someone who I really wanted us to go for in the summer and then again in January. 
We will need a complete revamp of our central midfield options ahead of next season anyway. It's been our biggest disappointment this season, apart from Ebou Adams, who will be back to Cardiff. Bird has been ok, had a purple patch around Jan/Feb, but the whole lot need improving upon. 

Wildsmith has been a solid performer for us, absolutely. I don't think he really gets too much criticism from supporters either. He's had some blunders this year, but every goalkeeper at this level will do that. It's why they're in League One.
Wildsmith spent 9 seasons in the Sheff Wed team without ever pinning down the starting job and he's made more appearances in two years with us than he ever did with Sheff Wed - and that's with him losing his place in the team to Vickers along the way. 
Ultimately, though, as I said: I can see Warne looking at the goalkeeping position as an area he would want to improve on in the summer. I genuinely think Vickers was brought in to challenge Wildsmith rather than back him up, and I half suspect they anticipated on him winning the job. If not for terrible off-field events and injury then perhaps he may have even done so. 
Even so, whether we've offered him a contract or not, I don't believe Warne see's him as a lock for his position for the foreseeable future. I would think any contract would run roughly in-line, albeit with a small increase, on his current deal and I think he believes there is better out there - Christian Walton who is out of contract at the end of the year from Ipswich as one I'd keep my eye on. 
Rotherham, under Paul Warne, always had an eye for a goalkeeper. When he took over as manager the two keepers on Rotherham's books were two that we know well - Lee Camp & Lewis Price. As well as Richard O'Donnell. 
He then signed Marek Rodak on loan, who we know is a good keeper, in his first full season at Rotherham. He then went on to sign Daniel Iverson, again a very good goalkeeper, before landing on Josh Vickers & Viktor Johansson - with the latter being renowned as one of the best in his position in the League. I think he's even earned a full Sweden international cap recently too. 
I just wonder if he's been around those players, more so his goalkeeping coach who he very much trusts, and thinks we can do better? 

I have to assume this is more Radio Derby related than Derby County related. 
A big name in for the final game(s) as a guess, but who knows. 
I'm just very aware that when it comes to big news from the club, it's not left to Radio Derby to announce - contract extensions or otherwise. 

I hadn't realised that we had beat every team in the top 8, bar Portsmouth (and we didn't lose to them). In a play-off format, the only team we lose to is Stevenage (albeit a couple of extra times). Not bad going, really.