Max Bird

[IlsonDerby]

43 minutes ago, ollycutts1982 said:

If selling him enabled us to sign 2/3 replacements, Wood, Forshaw, Tunicliffe then I’m all for it. I feel like for too long we’ve been saying this is his year and he has never really improved for me. People are quick to say Thommo isn’t progressive enough but Bird, barring the rare worldie pass, isn’t much better. I thought him and Knight would dominate L1 but neither did. If letting them go enables us to get players to get us out this division then let’s crack on. 

I’d be utterly depressed with these as his replacements. If we’re able to be spending cash it should be on exciting young players not players who were decent for Leeds and Brentford 3/4 years ago. 

[RodleyRam]

I'm a little surprised by this to be honest, more so the statement that Max is keen to move. I'm not sure I buy that, he seems far more at home here than most other players, lots of history and a genuine connection with the manager at a critical time in his career.  I would expect him to buy into the season ahead with a view to being a dominant force.

I would be gutted to see him go. Knight I have come to terms with but Bird is lovely to watch and I think could be a surprise package next season in terms of his ability to influence games.

Still, every player has a price. If he goes and we can replace him and strengthen in a couple of positions then it is what it is!

Edited August 1, 2023 by RodleyRam

[ramboy63]

37 minutes ago, Jourdan said:

Timing is everything.

If you had asked many fans a few weeks ago when we were active in the market and making promising and shrewd looking moves, they likely would have been in favour of Bird moving on and getting a fresh start.

Our midfield does need a shake up.

But at the moment, at a time when our business has ground to a halt and the recruitment team appear to have exhausted all avenues, it will raise concerns that another important player is on their way out and we don’t seem to have a succession plan in place.

I have been quite relaxed so far, but today this news is the first sign of concern for me. 

Yes i have to agree with you,we are days away from the start of a new season and if the rumors are true then Birds head will of been turned already and getting in a replacement or replacements become even harder

This sadly is were we are as a club having to sell our better players,i see ourselves as way bigger club than both Bristol City and Hull City yet they have both come calling.

Will Warne be allowed to spend any incoming money on players or are we still watching the purse strings,yes concerning

[Ramarena]

11 minutes ago, sage said:

I wasn't thinking about who we could get, more would a fee of say £2.5m be fully invested in the squad along with Bird's wages.

That is the 'if'

Yep that will be for the club to work out with the budget and EFL. 

I highly doubt the whole 2.5m (if that were the fee would be used. Probably more like 1.5m with the bulk going to wages.

[VulcanRam]

1 hour ago, EnigmaRam said:

I guess it all depends on the fee, and if we can reinvest it. Something we didn’t do with Bielik or Knight money. 
 

Even if he didn’t sign a contract this year he still could next year or we would get compensation. 
 

I don’t like the fact we’re selling our youngsters and bringing in older players with no resale value. It’s not a good business model. Although if our Browns and Robinsons in the academy are seen as players that can step up then that may be where our future capital comes from.

Time will tell

On the other hand, it is a good business model if it results in us getting promoted, as the money on offer in the Championship compared to what we get for selling the likes of Bird or Knight will be considerably more.

We're in League 1, we're not going to get millions for players unless they are a striker (always worth more) who is young and has just banged in a hatful the previous season. I don't even know what we would get for Bird as we only got around £1.7m (if you believe reports) for Knight, who is a proven international. Say we get the same for Bird, we will get far more in TV and sponsorship from being back in the Championship than £3.4 million. 

 

 

[VulcanRam]

15 minutes ago, RodleyRam said:

I'm a little surprised by this to be honest, more so the statement that Max is keen to move. I'm not sure I buy that, he seems far more at home here than most other players, lots of history and a genuine connection with the manager at a critical time in his career.  I would expect him to buy into the season ahead with a view to being a dominant force.

I would be gutted to see him go. Knight I have come to terms with but Bird is lovely to watch and I think could be a surprise package next season in terms of his ability to influence games.

Still, every player has a price. If he goes and we can replace him and strengthen in a couple of positions then it is what it is!

If you offer any footballer the chance of playing at a higher level for more wages, he'd be mad not to take it. Bird didn't have a great season last season, and no-one knows how he will get on this season. Football's an opportunistic game, you have to take a decent offer if it comes your way as you don't know when another might come along.

Also, and I speculate, he might prefer Liam's brand of possession-based, passing football to Warne's style, whatever that might be as I still don't really know. 

 

[Leeds Ram]

We shouldn't be selling him unless it's for upwards of 4 million pounds which we can use throughout the squad. I'm honestly not sure what we're doing with recruitment atm, we started off well but up front it's been so sparse. 

[Gerry Daly]

34 minutes ago, Rich3478 said:

Would be very happy with him.

He’s not 31 and on a free transfer so count him out

[Ambitious]

19 minutes ago, ramboy63 said:

Yes i have to agree with you,we are days away from the start of a new season and if the rumors are true then Birds head will of been turned already and getting in a replacement or replacements become even harder

This sadly is were we are as a club having to sell our better players,i see ourselves as way bigger club than both Bristol City and Hull City yet they have both come calling.

Will Warne be allowed to spend any incoming money on players or are we still watching the purse strings,yes concerning

It's all about money rather than stature - as it should be. 

All things being equal we dwarf them as a club in size and stature. e of a club - Hull and Bristol have rich owners who are willing to bridge the gap as best they can to the parachute payment boys. Hull turnover is around £15m - we will do more than that in League One and double that in the Championship. Bristol are slightly bigger, but not by much more. 

Playing for a bigger club that's under-performing has it's pros and cons. It could be argued last season with the likes of Wednesday and Ipswich being in our division but as we kick off the new season, no club in English football is playing as far below their natural level as we currently are - it carries expectation and frustration. We finished 7th last season and whilst it was enjoyable for the most part - the season will go down as the joint-lowest finish the club has ever had in it's 139 year history. I don't think anyone would make the case as that being our worst ever side, but the fact is that no Derby team in 139 years finished lower in the football pyramid as they did. 

Football is cyclical and I'm fairly sure that a well-run Derby County will be snapped up by someone with plenty of money. Clowes just has to steer the ship as best he knows how until that point and we can go back to a more comfortable part of the food chain. 

[Rample]

Not what you want to read. Has been our standout player in preseason. 

I'm open to anyone moving on if the move is good for them, if the fee is appropriate, and if they are adequately replaced.

The worry is we probably only get a couple of hundred thousand added to the budget and are suddenly chasing 4 new players rather than 3, and the extra one is someone who will need replacing asap. You don't just find Bird quality on frees or going cheap.

Suddenly our midfield opens wide up and Thompson, Johnson and Rooney become contenders to start.

Can I see Warne taking a more attacking midfielder over Bird, maybe, I think it would suit his plans, but it would probably also use the transfer funds up meaning no new striker. Suddenly we have 3 z list loanees again.

No way we are going to be able to pull Woods down here, and Hull don't have much else I'd want.

Also Rosenior mate, leave our players alone, especially if you are lowballing for them.

 

[Day]

Didn't Warne mention after the Sheffield United game he will spend the night thinking about central midfield, if he needs to bring another in or not as we lack depth in that position.

Would be bizarre to see Bird leave unless it was for daft money that we couldn't possibly say no to, or a player with decent cash.

Worrying thing is, clubs don't tend to place bids unless they have been encouraged to do so by the player/agent.

Always bizarre that Hull Daily Mail are saying Bird is a top target, if true, why are they waiting this late to bring him in.

To lose Knight and Bird in one window would be ugh.

[Dcfcsr92]

1 hour ago, RamLad1884 said:

If there was a player we should be pulling out of every stop to tie down to a longer deal it’s Bird. 
 

Might be an unpopular opinion but we won’t be able to replace him with anyone that’s even remotely within the current restrictions. 

If there was no other option, and Bird decided there was no way he would sign an extension then we have to be looking at 3 million plus for him, anything less would not be worth what we would lose over the next year in a promotion push. 

Feel like this is a truly defining situation for Warne and Clowes. I’m one of the biggest supporters of both but if they can’t keep Bird then I think we will see a lot of fans turning on both quickly this season if results do go the right way. 

That's a utter joke, if you think this is the case we are doing well and clowes has done a fantastic job and made us alot better off as a club. As for Warne IF bird does want to leave then get the money for him if it is 3m as reported then snap there hands off he's not worth that! One year left on his contract I think 1.5m is acceptable offer! Bird you offer him a contract if he turns it down them get the money from him! 

[Nuwtfly]

We haven’t replaced McGoldrick, Bielik or Knight, so I wouldn’t be too confident that Bird would only be sold if a replacement is already lined up.

[nogbad van 50]

2 hours ago, TuffLuff said:

Also! It’s just occurred to me, Derby so far aren’t currently saying he’s not for sale…we all love Bird but Smith and Hourihane have so far been playing in his preferred position and Bird has played a role that would suit Sibley in pre season.

Not saying im right or wrong, gonna be interesting what Warne says tonight tbh.

Wouldn't expect them to,every player has his price.

[Papahet]

Losing our better players to Notts, Brum, Bristol and Hull is pretty depressing s***

[therealhantsram]

Surprised he is still here to be honest. As soon as we failed to make the playoffs last year, that meant goodbye for Knight, Bird and Cashin. 

That's the reality of the league we are in.

Expect all 3 to be gone before the window closes 

[DiggerB]

1 hour ago, Leeds Ram said:

We shouldn't be selling him unless it's for upwards of 4 million pounds which we can use throughout the squad. I'm honestly not sure what we're doing with recruitment atm, we started off well but up front it's been so sparse. 

In the last year of his contract? Not capped at international level. One goal last year. I can’t see it. 

[Sparkle]

I did say many weeks ago that Hull were trying to get Bird from us !

Anyway the worrying bit for me is in the Hull paper article where it says Hull are speaking to Derby and have spoken to Bird himself ( if true) 

we as a club cannot afford to let half decent transfer fees not come in if players can walk away in a years time for nothing but fortunately we would still get a decent fee for his development if that did happen. Ultimately if Bird wants to see his future in Hull then good luck to him.

Another concern is that my expectation is that we get promoted this season but we would then need a range of better players again next summer so it would be very difficult recruiting with little money for transfer fees at that point.

If he doesn’t want to stay I’d expect Warne to sell him and I couldn’t blame him 

in terms of a fee I can’t imagine Hull would go anywhere near the £2 million we got for Jason Knight so it would be sub £1 million no doubt - personally I would like him to stay get promoted with us and earn a good move to a premiership club where we genuinely get a decent transfer fee.

[AndyinLiverpool]

I'm gonna blame Morris

[littleover ram]

17 minutes ago, therealhantsram said:

Surprised he is still here to be honest. As soon as we failed to make the playoffs last year, that meant goodbye for Knight, Bird and Cashin. 

That's the reality of the league we are in.

Expect all 3 to be gone before the window closes 

 

Yep and it'll get worse the longer we're down in L1. Eventually the whole squad becomes L1 level and then needs a rebuild/investment if we ever do go back up