Summer 2020 Transfer Suggestion Thread

[RamNut]

9 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

If our best 11 (Hamer, Bogle, Wisdom, Clarke, Lowe/Fozzy, Bird, Rooney, Sibley, Waghorn, Lawrence, Martin) could play every minute of every game and maintain their minutes per goal rate, we'd score 116 goals in a season (Sibley scores 41). Adjusting Sibley's to a more appropriate 10 (I'm sure he'd get more), 84 goals a season is pretty good and the sort of figure you'd want for challenging for the title. The main problem we have is goals from the bench - Knight's return is decent considering his game time, but the rest are below what we need, especially Holmes, Marriott and Jozefzoon.

Martin is our 20 goal a season forward, but he can't play enough to reach that figure. His strike rate is 25 in a season. We need a fit and firing Marriott to return to his form from last season so we don't see a drop off in our team's performance in front of goal.

Current strike rates:

1. Sibley - 41
2. Martin - 25
3. Waghorn - 16
4. Rooney - 16
5. Lawrence - 14
6. Knight - 11
7. Marriott - 8
8. Shinnie - 4
9. Holmes - 3
10. Bogle - 2
11. Clarke - 2

 

That’s an interesting assessment, but unfortunately we have to shoot if we want to score. We currently seem far more interested in going backwards at the slightest sniff of opposition. No wonder we need a goalkeeper who can kick it. 
 

[Ambitious]

1 hour ago, RamNut said:

That’s an interesting assessment, but unfortunately we have to shoot if we want to score. We currently seem far more interested in going backwards at the slightest sniff of opposition. No wonder we need a goalkeeper who can kick it. 
 

I believe we’ve just broke a 30+ year record for goals in consecutive games and we’re possibly the highest scoring team in the league since Christmas, certainly 1 or 2 with Brentford anyway. 30 goals in our last 15 games which is pretty good all things considered. 

 

 

[Ghost of Clough]

6 hours ago, RamNut said:

That’s an interesting assessment, but unfortunately we have to shoot if we want to score. We currently seem far more interested in going backwards at the slightest sniff of opposition. No wonder we need a goalkeeper who can kick it. 
 

35 goals scored in the last 18 games vs 21 in the first 23. Here's how our rolling average looks:

[ramit]

17 year old wonder kid, Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson AMC-L, at Norrkoping will likely be available for sale after the summer, according to Swedish sports media, as he is the best young player playing in Sweden and growing quickly.

Ísak is son of Joey Guðjónsson, who many may recognize from 2001-2007 at Villa, Wolves, Leicester and Burnley.  Born in UK too.  The page below says he is 180cm tall, but he is 182 now.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/isak-bergmann-johannesson/profil/spieler/579565

 

[sage]

4 hours ago, ramit said:

17 year old wonder kid, Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson AMC-L, at Norrkoping will likely be available for sale after the summer, according to Swedish sports media, as he is the best young player playing in Sweden and growing quickly.

Ísak is son of Joey Guðjónsson, who many may recognize from 2001-2007 at Villa, Wolves, Leicester and Burnley.  Born in UK too.  The page below says he is 180cm tall, but he is 182 now.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/isak-bergmann-johannesson/profil/spieler/579565

 

Have you notified the club? I seem to remember you did a few years ago about another young player.

 

[oomarkwright]

Icelandic eh? 

Any better than our current yoof? 

[DCFC Kicks]

Just read Arjen Robben said he had multiple offers before deciding to go back to Groningen. I do wonder if Phil gave his former teammate a ring. 

Says a lot that I wouldn't have been that surprised if he'd joined

[Bob The Badger]

23 hours ago, Ambitious said:

I believe we’ve just broke a 30+ year record for goals in consecutive games and we’re possibly the highest scoring team in the league since Christmas, certainly 1 or 2 with Brentford anyway. 30 goals in our last 15 games which is pretty good all things considered. 

 

 

Oh you and your facts!

I do think (as most do) that we need an out and out scorer (I'd love it to be Jack), but at the moment scoring goals is way lower down the list than not conceding them. 

[sage]

Can I suggest that we sell Marriott and Lawrence if we receive decent offers as they don't fully fit the current team ethos.

 

[ramit]

49 minutes ago, sage said:

Have you notified the club? I seem to remember you did a few years ago about another young player.

 

i notify the club here, as i did a few years ago.  If they don't read it, so be it.

[ramit]

53 minutes ago, oomarkwright said:

Icelandic eh? 

Any better than our current yoof? 

In the link i supplied you can see that Ísak has scored 10 goals in 13 games for the U17 national squad and 1 goal in 5 games for the U19's.

He is 17 and already in Norrkoping's main squad, that should indicate a certain ability, i would think

There is this compilation.  It starts at 3 minutes by my mistake

 

[oomarkwright]

Yeh sounds like you need to tell the club to have a gander at him before the end of the Swedish season. 

[Rampage]

20 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

35 goals scored in the last 18 games vs 21 in the first 23. Here's how our rolling average looks:

G of C ..... What a guy.

[RamNut]

20 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

35 goals scored in the last 18 games vs 21 in the first 23. Here's how our rolling average looks:

Not a lot in the 3 hours since Rooney’s  free kick though. ?

[Silver]

I hope we make the playoffs but I do worry that promotion this season could derail the Cocu four year plan.  I would rather we stayed in the Championship and gave the autos a real go next season and continue to develop our young players so that they are ready for the Premier League when we do go up.  On the assumption that we do not go up this season this is what I would like to see happen transfer wise before next season, please read this as a wish list rather than a prediction!

 

Goalkeepers - We currently have four keepers, I would like to see Scott Carson move to Man City on a permanent basis, he is a good keeper but I suspect one of our highest paid players and clearly is not the future. I would not extend Ben Hamer’s loan, he is a reasonable Championship keeper but I think we need, and can get, better if we want to challenge at the top of the division.  Kelle Roos has not done enough to be considered first choice and I would move Jonathan Mitchell on as he has not developed into a first team keeper.  I would look to sign a mid-20s keeper as first choice who can continue to develop and grow at Derby, I would not be pleased if we signed another mid-30s keeper e.g. Joe Hart, on the way down and on big wages similar to Carson.

 

Right backs - Jayden Bogle and Andre Wisdom provide a good mix and competition for this position.

 

Left backs - For me Craig Forsyth and Max Lowe are both good options at left back with Lee Buchanan providing additional cover.  One of Lowe and Forsyth needs to step-up and make the position their own next season.  Forsyth is a bit of a marmite player but to me on his day he is still one of the best in the Championship and gets unfairly called out for mistakes which other players get away with without comment.  I would try to move Scott Malone on, but I suspect we will be lucky to do so as he will be on big wages that few clubs would be able, or want, to match these.  

 

Centre backs - I would love us to sign Matt Clarke but Brighton paid big money for him last season and would probably want to match or better what they paid as he has now proved himself at a higher level, as such, I feel we will have to say goodbye unless we can manage to extend his loan for another season.  For me, I see us playing Mike te Wierik and Krystian Bielik as the first choice pairing here with cover provided by Andre Wisdom, Curtis Davies and George Evans with Craig Forsyth to be added to that list in an emergency.  I would love us to sign a younger player to challenge the first choice pairing but feel that may have to wait until Curtis Davies is off the payroll at the end of next season to do so.

 

Holding Midfield - Wayne Rooney and Max Bird are the obvious first choice here with cover provided by Graeme Shinnie. Krystian Bielik is also more than capable with playing here but I see him at centre back next year and then maybe stepping forward when Rooney moves on.  I would not try to retain Tom Huddlestone as I believe we have adequate cover here and he will demand big wages.

 

Attacking Midfield - Duane Holmes, Jason Knight and Louie Sibley provide good options and competition here.

 

Wide Midfield / Winger - I think this is our weakest overall position, I would look to move on Florian Jozefzoon and Mason Bennett.  I would also like to see Tom Lawrence go if we can find a club who will match what we paid for him, on his day he is a great player but I just feel it would be best for both the club and player for him to get a fresh start given what has happened this season.  That would leave us with only Jayden Mitchell-Lawson, Martyn Waghorn and Jason Knight, as such, I would like us to sign two fast wingers.  Cocu said after Fulham beat us earlier in the season that they were the model for how he wants to play, two skilful wingers and a big striker who can get on the end of crosses so I can see some real investment here assuming we have funds to do so.

 

Strikers - I would give Chris Martin the two year contract he apparently wants, he is not a player who relies on pace and so I believe he will be able to do a job until he is 33, his performances this season suggests he deserves this.  However, I would look to sign a young more mobile version of him to be our first choice thereby making Martin the cover.  Martyn Waghorn provides another option and we have both Morgan Whittaker and Jahmal Hector-Ingram pushing to break through.   That leaves Jack Marriott, I love the guy but would be prepared to sacrifice him to raise funds for the signings we need. If we do sign a new first choice and extend Martin’s contract I would consider sending Whittaker out on loan to gain experience at a lower level.

 

In Summary, I do not think for a minute we will be able to move on all the players I would like to, but hopefully we can move on a few enabling us to bring in fresh talent whilst still reducing the wage bill.  This will also leave us with a smaller more focused squad and create space for a couple more youngsters to break through next season.

 

Players out:

 

- Scott Carson

- Ben Hamer (end of loan)

- Jonathan Mitchell

- Scott Malone

- Matt Clarke (end of loan)

- Tom Huddlestone

- Florian Jozefzoon

- Mason Bennett

- Tom Lawrence

- Jack Marriott

- Morgan Whittaker (loan out)

 

Players in:

 

- Goalkeeper

- Wingers x 2

- Striker

 

[brady1993]

14 hours ago, sage said:

Can I suggest that we sell Marriott and Lawrence if we receive decent offers as they don't fully fit the current team ethos.

 

Just to clarify are we specifically talking about playing style here ? 

Lawrence I honestly feel is progressively growing into and fitting into the team better and better and thought his absence against Forest was noticeable. 

Mariott doesn't fit really but we probably wouldn't get what we payed for him and is definately a good option to have if the game calls for it.

[Rampage]

20 hours ago, ramit said:

17 year old wonder kid, Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson AMC-L, at Norrkoping will likely be available for sale after the summer, according to Swedish sports media, as he is the best young player playing in Sweden and growing quickly.

Ísak is son of Joey Guðjónsson, who many may recognize from 2001-2007 at Villa, Wolves, Leicester and Burnley.  Born in UK too.  The page below says he is 180cm tall, but he is 182 now.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/isak-bergmann-johannesson/profil/spieler/579565

 

How can he be a young player and 182, Ramit. For goodness sake if you thought that he is young then how old are you and what are you taking. ? COYR

[Rampage]

Got to say that Lawrence adds more than I thought. Come back Tom, all is forgiven.

[ramit]

2 minutes ago, Rampage said:

How can he be a young player and 182, Ramit. For goodness sake if you thought that he is young then how old are you and what are you taking. ? COYR

Ahh i inadvertently blurted out our national secret.  We daily guzzle copious amounts of lukewarm cod liver oil. 

i am 590, but don't look a day over 400

[sage]

31 minutes ago, brady1993 said:

Just to clarify are we specifically talking about playing style here ? 

Lawrence I honestly feel is progressively growing into and fitting into the team better and better and thought his absence against Forest was noticeable. 

Mariott doesn't fit really but we probably wouldn't get what we payed for him and is definately a good option to have if the game calls for it.

A bit of both. 

Marriott first. He doesn't fit into a 4231. He isn't enough of a footballer to play in the 3 and doesn't have the strength and touch to play in the 1. Added to this is his poor fitness record. People get injuries and need recovery time but he seems to get a succession of minor injuries, I'm not talking about his current injury btw. Also I would add that rumours of poor fitness level and lack of fitness and health discipline have plagued his career.

As for Lawrence, i would agree that pre-lockdown he had improved, interestingly it was most noticeable in the immediate period of time after the 'incident' which reinforced what i see when watching him play; he lacks humility. He's a good player who thinks he is a great player, whereas in reality on the days he thinks he's a great player, he's actually a poor player. He still loses the ball an unbelievable amount of times in a game, this is a team that is generally patient in possession, looking for the right opportunity. I would also suggest that Lawrence's preferred (and most productive) position in a 4231 is behind the CF rather than out wide and this position looks now to belong to Louie Sibley.

Going back to the incident, the 5 main players involved where Lawrence and Bennett who drove, Keogh got injured , Huddlestone shot the video and Bradley Johnson (who had already left) shared it beyond the club. Lawrence was arguably the guiltiest of the 5 and is the last man standing at the club, well in the team. I know the club has invested time n Lawrence's rehabilitation and i think his recent red card at a vital time, with us already short of forwards is another nail in his Derby County coffin. I am reminded of The Godfather Part II where Fredo betrays Michael and is allowed to teach Michael's son to fish but you know the day he goes fishing without him, it will be his last trip. 

Both players have ability and that is what frustrates me. Obviously their sale would be dependent on receiving an appropriate fee and being bale to source replacements. One last comment re frustration. Marriott and Lawrence are the only 2 players I have noticed receive a rollicking on the pitch from Rooney. That is not a decisive factor but shows the frustration isn't only amongst the fans.