I'd sooner we signed James Vaughan personaly than go for the cheaper option again but he may turn out to be ok and will probably be better at finding the net than Sammon or Martin

The thing that concerns me is that Clough has gambled on so many cheaper option forwards he could have got a really good one with the money wasted

Have we had a goalscorer under Clough? I'd say not

This deal really does not fill me with excitement. He's got a great record north of the border, but with Goodwillie failing to make the grade, our previous Scottish signings upfront, Porter and McGuire more of a League One quality, I had hoped for a new approach.

Same 'ol it is though.

I am concerned about Johnny Russel. Not many prolific scorers in the SPL prove to be any more than average in the Championship. Goodwillie was more prolific than Russel and proved to be pants in England despite his self advertising name. The gene for football seemed to die out in Scotland after Kenny Dalgliesh. .

Problem tends to be that SPL forwards are very skillful, good with the ball at their feet then go to the Championship and are expected never to use them and just rely on endless long balls to their head.
Would much prefer if Russell went to Italy where the initial interest was, his skill might be more appreciated in a football league.

I don't think this would be a McGuire / Porter type signing. JR is a big strong lad, only 23 and looks like a footballer. Clough must have seen something in him to want to bid £800k.
One could describe Ward as a goalscorer, but it seems an eternity since we've had a 20 a season man who we could all get genuinely excited about.

Not over keen on Vaughan myself. He was poor when we had him on loan and he was complete garbage when Huddersfied played at PP last season.
If the bid is accepted and JR chooses Derby over Celtic, that says something about him and his attitude.
If he's out the same tin of Quality Street as Bryson, we may have a bargain. I also like the fact that oppositions won't know much about him, so will be cautious. Possibly.

Bid of around £750k from Derby has now been accepted by Dundee United according to a number of Scottish sources, including the Dundee Utd website.

750K is an absolute steal for this guy. If he goes to you I wish him a well as he will not have chose Celtic. However, like Hobo I would prefer to see him go abroad

Problem tends to be that SPL forwards are very skillful

Mid - Low SPL is probably on par with league 1 at best

Sheff Utd > than most SPL teams

Sorry mate, but watching that Championship play-off final, those teams would be relegated from the Scottish First Division. Outside the top 4 in the EPL, the standard is similar to the SPL then drops off badly in the Championship.
Trust me, I know my stuff.

Hobo,

Using this years Championship Play Off Final as an example of the standard of Championship football, does not say to me that you 'know your stuff.'
The play off final was poor, but over the season, the Championship is an extremely difficult League that 10 or 12 teams have chance of winning and is watched by tens of thousands of people every week. The Scottish First Division cannot be described as remotely similar.

Dundee Utd would not even finish in the top 6 in league one IMO

If SPL players are to skilfull for the Championship then how come EPL teams arent interested?

Championship football is dire. They keep going on about it being competitive but how many good footballing sides are there? It's just the good old fashioned "kick and rush" stuff that the English are famous for.


Did you know that the type of tiki-taki football that Barcelona play used to be called "the Scottish style"? Sadly we let our southern neighbours convert us to the hoofball that you guys seem to know and love.

Thankfully we've reverted back to producing actual footballers rather than "big strong lads" that you guys clearly want (see the comment by Ajisaram).

Ahhh that would explain Scotland being the world power in football that they are

We're trying to catch up with the rest of the world.

You're trying to buy the rest of the world to make up for your own shortfalls (ie the ability to produce people who can pass the ball without hitting it REALLY HARD).

Best of luck with that.

Ivan who are you trying to kid? Us or yourself? Scottish football is dire

I'd rather watch the SPL than the Hoofball Championship

All that money and you still produce god awful games where little to no passing actually breaks out.

And you enjoy it?

Sorry Ivan, but it is Scottish football that is dire and anyone who plays football in Scotland that shows some ability, moves to England ASAP. **see Craig Bryson

That's utter nonsense

Why do players move to England, especially the Championship? Do you think it's because you play such a wonderful brand of football that all purists want to be a part of it?


Or do you think it's because the clubs there suck on the teet of the cash cow that is the EPL and therefore have the finances to buy players and pay them ridiculously high wages that they can't get in their homeland?


They don't go to England for you - they go to England for your money.

Utter tosh

They come to Derby to play the beautiful game

Not the cash


The scary thing is that you actualy believe what youre saying

If Johnny does sign for you guys then I hope you do well. He'll improve your team no end.

But the fact is he's only going for the money and to use you as a stepping stone to a decent club who might actually play a little football.

As I said this isn't a slight on your club - I'm sure Derby is a lovely club with lovely people. It's a cultural thing. You all love hoofball whereas we prefer football.

Just out of curiosity what English team would you say that you’re on par with?

I’d probably say someone like Coventry as they are now

That's a pointless comparison. We have no money so constantly have to rebuild our squad.

I personally believe that if United went down to the Championship we'd have been pushing for promotion every season bar the last one where we probably wouldn't have made the play-offs (our defence was terrible and we couldn't cope with set pieces - given your love for "big strong lads" we'd concede too many goals).

If you gave us your budgets then we'd easily get promoted and also give you a valuable lesson about how to play the beautiful game.

I still remember the Cardiff fans saying Craig Conway wasn't tall enough to be a winger in the Championship.

The reason I ask is because Id be much more comfortable if the striker we were chasing had scored 20 goals for Coventry last season rather than in the SPL

This makes my question valid as I'm trying to gauge the level you think your team is at so I can determine how good you think this Russell guy is

As one of your lot stated above some of think that you are on par with EPL teams outside the top.

Does this make Russell on par with the likes of Berbatov, Lambert, Benteke, Suarez, Remy, Ciise???