Derby's squad for next season

[Gritty]

Sam Rush has said Derby don't need to make big changes to the squad if we make it to the Premier League: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27427234

 

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Derby County chief executive Sam Rush says the Rams will not have to make drastic changes to their squad if they win promotion to the Premier League.

The Rams will face Queens Park Rangers in the Championship play-off final.

Rush insists there would be no repeat of Crystal Palace's summer business, which saw them sign 16 players after winning last year's Wembley final.

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“Let's head to Wembley, enjoy the experience, enjoy the build-up, but certainly in the background the cogs continue to work”

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Sam RushDerby County chief executive

"We have the basis of a Premier League squad, I don't think we need to make hasty changes," Rush told BBC Sport.

"I think we have a super squad and we will look at that as things go on.

"We are looking to add to the group, but I don't think we need to rush anything.

"If we can strengthen in due course then, of course, we will."

Derby are the most prolific side in England's second tier, having scored 84 league goals, adding six more against Brighton & Hove Albion over two legs in the play-off semi-final.

Steve McClaren's Rams finished third in the Championship table, 17 points behind title-winners Leicester City and eight points adrift of Burnley, who also won automatic promotion in second place.

Striker Chris Martin, who has netted 25 goals in 50 Rams appearances so far this term, became the club's first player in 18 years to score more than 20 in one season.

With Craig Bryson contributing 16 from midfield, Johnny Russell scoring nine in his maiden campaign, winger Jamie Ward netting seven and eight coming from on-loan Chelsea forward Patrick Bamford since his January arrival, Rush is content with the squad already assembled at the iPro Stadium.

"The goals have been spread throughout the team - it's a team where I think they have all been stars," said Rush.

While McClaren prepares his side for their Wembley final later this month, Rush said planning for next season will continue unabated, despite not knowing what division they will be playing in.

"Let's head to Wembley, enjoy the experience, enjoy the build-up, but certainly in the background the cogs continue to work," said Rush.

"You are looking at recruitment all the time. We brought [head of football operations] Chris Evans in to head our recruitment and we have a wide national and inter-scouting network."

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However, looking at our squad, and those that either have contracts running out, or who are otherwise expected to leave we have:

 

Keepers
Keele Roos
Mats Morch
Lee Grant

[Legzdins out of contract and will go]

 

Assessment: OK in keeper department

Full Backs

Craig Forsyth

[Naylor out of contract and Freeman likely to be at Sheff Utd, Wisdowm to go back to Liverpool]

 

Assessment: We need 3 full backs unless the youth team have some stars


Centre Halves
Jake Buxton
Shaun Barker [but who knows if he will ever be back at the rihgt level]
Mark O'brien
Richard Keogh

Naylor will probably go, and Whitbread returns to Leicester]

 

Assessment: We need a couple of centre backs, possibly 3 depending on what division we are in. We have been incredibly lucky with injuries at CB this season

Midfield

Craig Bryson
Jeff Hendrick
Will Hughes 
Paul Coutts

Bavies, Bailey and Eustace out of contract, George Thorne returns to WBA

Assessment: Coutts might leave, probably need 2 midfielders [which could be Thorne returning and Eustace re-signing]

 

Strikers

Jamie Ward (assume we exercise option)
Mason Bennett
Conor Sammon 
Chris Martin
Johnny Russell
Simon Dawkins

 

Assessment:  Possibly need one wide forward (could be bamford returning) and someone to back up Martin (hopefully we can shift Sammon)

 

Overall: I think we need 9 to 10 players signing this summer (albeit a few could be existing players re-signing). That's actually quite a squad overhaul...

[Rev]

Rather not go up than sign ten new players, loved watching the boys this season, if we could either re-loan or sign wisdom, thorne and Bamford, that'd do me, with some cover for fozzy, and the central defense.

Believe that would be enough to keep us out of bottom 3.

The players that have done so well to get us here at least deserve the chance to go again.

[WFC4EVER]

If you don't fancy Eustace - we'll have him back!

 

Even Alumina admitted we missed him last week.

 

Pleased to see Forsyth has done well.

 

Good luck at Wembley - just hope your team turn up unlike ours last year.

[Thierry Ennui]

If we had the exact same team who faced Brighton next season we should survive no problem. The issues are getting those loans permanent and getting adequate backups. Which is a minimum of six signings. Maybe Rush isn't counting loans becoming permanent there.