The window has closed and George Thorne, Ikechi Anya and Jacob Butterfield remain on Derby's books. It is reckoned that between them they cost 10-12 million pounds in transfer fees and a fair few million more in wages, you would think.
Are any of them likely to get anywhere near the first team squad? We have so many options in midfield and wide who are all at the moment ahead of them in, as far as we can tell from Lampard's selections including pre-season matches. Barring a catastrophic combination of injuries it seems inconceivable that any of the three will come close to even getting onto the bench.
What are the options now for them? There was rumour of Anya going overseas, maybe USA - does anyone know if that is still possible now that the window has closed? He still has a couple of years on his contract I think. For the other two, do Derby now simply have to pay their wages and let the clock wind down to the summer when their contracts expire? Would anyone consider elevating either of them in the pecking order, effectively as a different bench option, and if so who would they replace there? Or just cast them out into the under 23s to play out the remainder of their contracts?
10 million pounds of talent
posted on 1/9/18
It never fails to amaze me the number of high earning, non- playing, injured, high transfer players we have at Derby County.
Or is it the same at other clubs? Maybe we just focus upon what we know .
I'm with Heb, I think Connor Sammon is/was probably the best value player for football overall in the last 15 years. Let's face it, he's never stopped playing and works for what he earns
posted on 1/9/18
I dont think any of them would be an asset to our first team squad. I feel most sympathy for Anya.
One or two keeping the bench warm maybe? but I can't see them playing except as you say - in circumstances of catastrophic injuriy to a lot of players. Meanwhile someone has to prevent them becoming bad apples in the barrel.
posted on 1/9/18
Maybe Thorne too is worthy of our sympathy and would be most useful on the bench.
posted on 1/9/18
You say on the bench for one or two Ramdini, but in place of whom? Let's say that Huddz, Bryson and Mount start in midfield. That leaves Johnson, Ledley and Evans (when fit) as possible midfield subs. If you leave one or two of them out then you are in the same position, paying someone a lot of money not to play.
posted on 1/9/18
If Thorne could recover both form and fitness by say playing twenty consecutive 90 minutes for the reserves... and I mean playing full-blooded, not timidly ... then I thing he'd be genuine competition for the DM role.
But after the horrendous series of injuries he has suffered I suspect that either physiology or psychology will let him down again and prevent that happening.
Anya needs game time. He's not going to get it as a winger. I did think with substantial coaching input he could have been cover at RB...but that makes no sense now. He's never let us down, but he needs to leave now for the sake of his career.
Butterworth was an expensive panic buy by an expensive panicked manager who has contributed nothing at all. The sooner he's gone the better.
posted on 1/9/18
There’s Alex Pearce too. Of all I feel Anya could be an asset. Like his energy and endeavour.
posted on 1/9/18
comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 51 minutes ago
You say on the bench for one or two Ramdini, but in place of whom? Let's say that Huddz, Bryson and Mount start in midfield. That leaves Johnson, Ledley and Evans (when fit) as possible midfield subs. If you leave one or two of them out then you are in the same position, paying someone a lot of money not to play.
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Yeah Yeah Yeah. I thought in the vent of these injuries which can crop up. I hope Franck does not disturb the harmony which seems apparent. Of course cup matches help in that. And they must all be bursting to play at M.U.
posted on 1/9/18
Dont know where Frank changed his given name or where the word vent came from. Must check corrective text more thoroughly.