Chris Martin - joined Reading on loan until the end of the season

[mike93rh]

Martin was good for us yesterday, really showed his worth I feel. Link up play was like his old self, something we'd maybe been missing slightly I feel.

I wouldn't sell. You have to ask, why would top of the league want him if he's as 'past it' as some on here say? 

[PodgeyRam]

Keep. We are a Nugent injury away from no striker and even then I think Martin can force his way into the starting 11 before the end of the season. He offers something different from the rest of our strikers.

[Dimmu]

I can see Martin wanting to move on. Second whistle here and he would prosper with them.

Unfortunate, both of them.

[Rev]

If we sell Martin, Rowett can use the money to bring in his own players, who maybe fit his philosophy better.

I look forward to a Lambert/Heskey forward line.

[Wolfie20]

Either a non-story or a rumour started by a Martin-hating numptie on a forum.

In any event, the headline says "Wolves want Chris Martin at Derby". Well I've got news for them- he's already here so we're all happy.

[Abu Derby]

4 minutes ago, Wolfie20 said:

Either a non-story or a rumour started by a Martin-hating numptie on a forum.

In any event, the headline says "Wolves want Chris Martin at Derby". Well I've got news for them- he's already here so we're all happy.

I’m only highlighting an article that I’ve seen. 

FYI I am one of Martin’s biggest fans. 

Please get your facts right before you post. Numptie. 

[Wolfie20]

5 minutes ago, Abu Derby said:

I’m only highlighting an article that I’ve seen. 

FYI I am one of Martin’s biggest fans. 

Please get your facts right before you post. Numptie. 

Calm down. My comment wasn't aimed at you - I could work out you were just posting someone else's 'story'

[Ghost of Clough]

8 minutes ago, Abu Derby said:

I’m only highlighting an article that I’ve seen. 

FYI I am one of Martin’s biggest fans. 

Please get your facts right before you post. Numptie. 

He wasn’t accusing you of anything. Numptie 

[Abu Derby]

1 hour ago, Ghost of Clough said:

He wasn’t accusing you of anything. Numptie 

Bigger one. 

[SuperDerbySuperRams]

Was brilliant yesterday I thought, apart from a bizarre final 20 where he couldn’t find a pass...

[Millenniumram]

1 hour ago, mike93rh said:

Martin was good for us yesterday, really showed his worth I feel. Link up play was like his old self, something we'd maybe been missing slightly I feel.

I wouldn't sell. You have to ask, why would top of the league want him if he's as 'past it' as some on here say? 

Indeed, it may look like we’ve Got a lot of strikers, but really only Nugent and Martin can play the more Advanced role- and we can’t be relying on a 32 year old Nugent all season. Martin remains a very good link up man, even if he is no longer first choice.

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

Nixon replied to someone under the tweet that we're after Lukas Nmecha from Man City. 18 year old striker.

Mentioned in this article but Everton also wanting him: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/5053379/lukas-nmecha-everton-manchester-city-england-transfer-news/

He also said on twitter we are after a "midfield enforcer". 

[cosmic]

Selling Chris Martin would be one of the worst decisions Rowett's made during his tenure at Derby, closely followed by not playing him in the first place.

One of the best players we've seen in a Derby shirt for years. It's a tragedy he's not in the starting XI.

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

Find it difficult to believe they are in for him. If it does turn out to be true however, we'd probably not sell for anything under £5M which would be great business imo.

[Carl Sagan]

2 hours ago, Dimmu said:

I can see Martin wanting to move on. Second whistle here and he would prosper with them.

Unfortunate, both of them.

Love Chrissy Martin. Such a skillful, intelligent striker who I think has shown commitment and loyalty to the club. The thinking man's centre forward.

Have been hoping Rowett would see sense and have Martin as a starter in the second half of the season. Are we, as so often happens, about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? No less than £15m to a promotion rival. He'd be mad not to want to go. I hope he stays.

[Ninos]

If we can get out if the daft contract Mcclaren hoodwinked is into, then we’d be laughing. Rowett has played it brilliantly - keeping him involved albeit in limited fashion and retaining some value while moving on ... wolves rather like Fulham last year might see him as a foil for their skilled brazilian and Portuguese flair attackers ... we can’t hang on to dead wood in an oversized squad.

[Cool As Custard]

37 minutes ago, Ninos said:

If we can get out if the daft contract Mcclaren hoodwinked is into, then we’d be laughing. Rowett has played it brilliantly - keeping him involved albeit in limited fashion and retaining some value while moving on ... wolves rather like Fulham last year might see him as a foil for their skilled brazilian and Portuguese flair attackers ... we can’t hang on to dead wood in an oversized squad.

Fully agree - the size of the contract will mean we’d only get £5-6m at best for him but he would take a huge burden off the wage bill.

We have enough strikers with Nugent, Vydra & Winnall but if needed bring in someone else on loan or a younger hungrier permanent signing as cover who better fits the way have been playing.

Am sure Gary has plenty of replacements/squad reinforcements in mind probably many of whom won’t be big names but given how currently hamstrung we are by FFP then any sort of decent bid & Martin will go

[Steve How Hard?]

4 hours ago, Abu Derby said:

Here we go again - Sun on Sunday are reporting that “Chris Martin is on the top of Wolves January list of transfer targets”. 

This is from Sky Sports website. 

Don't be silly. He can't go directly to Wolves. Fulham have to buy him first and then sell him to Wolves. Just ask @Ninos and @toddy. They predicted that months ago.

[Leicester Ram]

Selling Martin's an awful idea. Here's why:

1. Versatility

Big selling point of Rowett has been that he's more versatile than previous managers, more adaptable. So why would we sell the one striker we have that offers something none of the others do? If we sell Martin we lose one of our unique weapons, one of the most technically gifted players at the club and our only hold up striker.

2. Home Form

The Nuge/Vydra combo has been lethal away from home, their mobility lets us set up to counter without having to lose much defensive shape/solidity. That combination and the away performances are what's really sold me on Rowett, I wouldn't change it anytime soon.

However, our home performances have been far from convincing and we've been stumped a couple of times. We've not been given the space to play in behind the defence we get away from home. I think we've looked a lot better at home with Martin playing, particularly now Thorne's back in the side.

Sheff Weds- a win at home against ten men. Went a goal up really early but then got dominated by Wednesday. Couldn't control the ball and ended up riding our luck, Wednesday created just as many chances as we did.

Reading- annihilated. Turgid first half where we couldn't create anything, couldn't hold onto the ball, which completely suited Reading. Plan didn't work, only started to create chances once Martin came on.

QPR- turgid first half where we didn't create anything against the worst team I've seen at PP since Rotherham. Got the goals eventually but most teams would against that QPR set up.

Ipswich- another turgid first half where we didn't have a single shot on target. Only started to create chances once Martin came on, unlucky not to get at least an equaliser. Ultimately the team wasn't set up to attack, the full backs couldn't overlap and we couldn't play well enough with it on deck. Gutting loss.

Burton- Thorne and Martin start, Olsson's put onto overlap. The side that's been successful away but disappointing at home is rested. We finally have a match where we create chances for 90 minutes instead of starting at half-time or praying for a Vydra shaped miracle. We get the win against ansolid away team set up to frustrate.

I think Martin will have a big part to play our home form. Teams aren't coming here for wins, they're coming to frustrate and get a draw. Home form is the bedrock of a promotion push, we can probably make the play-off's continuing as we are now but the aim of this club under Mel has always been automatic promotion.

3. The Future

We have the absolute blessing of having two of the most prolific championship strikers of the last 3/4 years in our squad in Martin and Vydra. They're both still in their 20's and hitting their primes.

Vydra's had the most success playing off a hold up striker. Martin's had the most success having someone playing just off him.

Surely for the long term health of the club, this combination is what we should be focused on getting working and building around? Too many times we've made the decision that's best for right now instead of the next few seasons. How many other clubs in the division have two strikers as prolific as our two?

As much I love Nuge (despite how much I fight Martin's corner on here I do really like him as a person and player) he's 32 now and pace is a big part of his game. We shouldn't be throwing away strikers because we have him, we should be planning for what we're going to do without him.

If we sold Martin we'd be left with Vydra, Nugent (32) and Winnall (on loan). We'd get someone else in but there's no guarantee they'll be of the same quality as Martin, particularly in the January transfer window.

Selling Martin to Wolves would be hideous too because you know he'd flourish there. Give him six months in that squad and he'll be worth twice what we got for him. It's like the Hughes situation, we sold him and after only two PL starts it's clear we didn't get enough for him.

It's just a ***** idea.

[Ninos]

9 minutes ago, Steve How Hard? said:

Don't be silly. He can't go directly to Wolves. Fulham have to buy him first and then sell him to Wolves. Just ask @Ninos and @toddy. They predicted that months ago.

You’re getting a bit desperate and boring now.