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Fire Sale?


IslandExile

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A headline in the DET the other day said something along the lines of there will not be a fire sale at Derby County.

I'm not so sure.

It's clear to most that the takeover will not happen. Mel wants out - in my opinion, understandably given the abuse he gets - and cannot keep pumping money in.

We have cash flow problems - see player wages - and Covid/no crowds, lack of ticket refunds.

So we somehow have to pay the day-to-day running costs of the football club.

Sure, there are a reason for some of the outgoings currently underway:

  • Holmes - last few months of his contract
  • Gordon - head turned by Premier League club

But, now there are stories emerging of players we would like to keep on the verge of leaving:

  • Sibley - potential future star
  • Evans - really useful utility/squad player

I am quite fearful. That said, the club's long term future is the most important thing. It's just frustrating because I have just been hoping that we were on the cusp of - finally - creating a team that could get promoted.

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I don't think there is a fire sale, just some pruning here and there, to reduce outgoings and bring some operating cash in. One thing covid has done is force clubs to massively reduce their expenditure. Derby's wage bill must be down to circa £20 million now? around two thirds what was the previous pre covid turnover. If the takeover does not happen then Mel will still own a sustainable football club (post covid!), possibly running a modest surplus before transfer and ground maintenance costs etc.

I suspect more savings will be made at the end of the season too.

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I'm not sure Gordon's head was turned by a "big club". It looks to me as if Derby has drive this to capitalize on an asset not yet ready for the first team so whose future is inevitably a gamble.

The one that worries me is Sibley, purely because of Rooney's refusal to play him. Will Hughes (of course with much more experience) was in a similar position under Rowett with the manager not wanting him in the team, so had to find a way out. In the summer, Sibley was looking like an incredible option as an attacking midfielder with figures of £20-30m.

Derby are desperate for more goals. Sibbo started the Birmingham game (finally) and we won 0-4 and he might have scored 5 that day with just a little more match sharpness. He started the following game against Sheffield Wednesday and we might/could/should have been 0-4 up at half-time, but he was subbed off and hasn't played again. And Derby have completely stopped looking threatening. 

For his own career Sibbo needs to play. It's obvious to me he should be starting for Derby. Sadly it's not obvious to Rooney, so I can see the jewel of the academy going for peanuts this week to pay the wages for a couple of months. I would class that a fire sale.

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1 hour ago, IslandExile said:

 

  • Holmes - last few months of his contract
  • Gordon - head turned by Premier League club

But, now there are stories emerging of players we would like to keep on the verge of leaving:

  • Sibley - potential future star
  • Evans - really useful utility/squad player

 

Holmes: clearly never wanted to stay, shadow of a player this year and Rooneys comments seemed to suggest that was always the case. 

Gordon: literally no different to the Delap situation last year, hasn't really played for the first team but if he leaves it serves the purpose of investment in the academy. 

Sibley: any actual real links? If there's not even enough to open a transfer thread why even entertain the discussion? 

Evans: useful now, up until 3 weeks ago I don't think anyone would complain at moving him on. You have to assume Millwall have been doing their homework more than 3 weeks. 

 

We're exactly as active as I'd expect us to be. Perhaps look at the kind of sale Wigan had last season before we go into panic mode. 

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8 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

I'm not sure Gordon's head was turned by a "big club". It looks to me as if Derby has drive this to capitalize on an asset not yet ready for the first team so whose future is inevitably a gamble.

The one that worries me is Sibley, purely because of Rooney's refusal to play him. Will Hughes (of course with much more experience) was in a similar position under Rowett with the manager not wanting him in the team, so had to find a way out. In the summer, Sibley was looking like an incredible option as an attacking midfielder with figures of £20-30m.

Derby are desperate for more goals. Sibbo started the Birmingham game (finally) and we won 0-4 and he might have scored 5 that day with just a little more match sharpness. He started the following game against Sheffield Wednesday and we might/could/should have been 0-4 up at half-time, but he was subbed off and hasn't played again. And Derby have completely stopped looking threatening. 

For his own career Sibbo needs to play. It's obvious to me he should be starting for Derby. Sadly it's not obvious to Rooney, so I can see the jewel of the academy going for peanuts this week to pay the wages for a couple of months. I would class that a fire sale.

Sibley is the one that will upset me. Proper home grown ram

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I think we maybe just 'slightly' getting a wee bit carried away with this speculation about who is about to leave.

At moment there only 2 players who are definitely leaving/or have left.

These are are Holmes and Gordon both who allegedly expressed a desire too leave.

Any thing else at the moment is as once famously quoted by a distinguished ex-manager 'pure jurnalistic speculation'. 

The only person who really knows who will be allowed to leave in Mr Rooney and he has mentioned no one as of yet.

With the squad numbers so thin and games coming thick and fast am sure he will be very reluctant to let too many go with getting in replacements. The number priority is to stay in this league and he knows we will not do this with U23's and youth team players.

 

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5 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

A fire sale could spark a riot with the old Ossie Embers.

It’s certainly going to ignite the passion of supporters 

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