Next Season Recruitment

[Andy_Faber]

All good news so far. Wilson tied in for a season, Eustace wants Fozzy to extend, Armstrong would extend if nothing better pops up

[SithHappens]

Salvesen will be like a new signing too.

[ramAnag]

Be delighted to keep Armstrong for another season if possible. Agree that Fozzy is worth another season and pleased to see Wilson staying even though he wasn’t at his best today imo.
I think we all know what’s needed, basically more quality up top and better service to whoever is up there.
Personally I have far more confidence in Eustace having a proper plan and being able to attract the right sort of players into the club. The alleged incoming extra investment should help too.

[swaledale]

Be delighted to keep Armstrong for another season if possible. Agree that Fozzy is worth another season and pleased to see Wilson staying even though he wasn?t at his best today imo.
I think we all know what?s needed, basically more quality up top and better service to whoever is up there.
Personally I have far more confidence in Eustace having a proper plan and being able to attract the right sort of players into the club. The alleged incoming extra investment should help too.

Your possibly being a tad unfair on Warne, he could only buy in the players available for the budget he had and had his hands tied by those players still in contract who he couldn't move on, Washington being a prime example.

Lets not forget that Zetterstrom, Langas, Salvesen, Clarke, Phillips and Armstrong all joined whilst Warne was in charge.

Having survived a season in the championship, Derby should be more attractive and Cashin's sale has raised some funds. If Clowes manages to get another investor on board (and one assumes that Eustace was given certain promises regarding funds for improving the squad being available when he joined) then the financial situation will permit bringing in players of higher quality.

The improvement Eustace managed without bringing in players (I may be wrong, but I think none of his free signings played any significant part in games) rather demonstrates that the squad, certainly post January transfer window was good enough to be mid table.

The changes Eustace made, using a consistent formation that utilised the strengths of the players he had, making Adams captain and his coaching style again showed that it was up top as you rightly say where Derby were lacking. Given the unfortunate run of injuries, Eustace has worked a miracle, but thats a sign of a very good coach, someone who can get results in difficult circumstances.

I note comments on social media already by fans saying, enough of the financial restraint, we need to spend money. I wince, fans have very short memories, but I'm sure Clowes won't be risking the future of the club by doing that. He it seems put a good recruitment team in place who are picking up good players from abroad who on the face of it seem good value. More of the same would be good, but we won't be returning to the mad days of Mel's spending.

[macstheman]

Perhaps getting the fitness levels up helped, they certainly seem less leggy late on??
No need to spend willy nilly to improve the squad, gradual progress will do with the emphasis on quality not quantity. Interesting few months ahead, just no stress please DCFC!

[Andy_Faber]

Perhaps getting the fitness levels up helped, they certainly seem less leggy late on??
No need to spend willy nilly to improve the squad, gradual progress will do with the emphasis on quality not quantity. Interesting few months ahead, just no stress please DCFC!

Yes very much (for fans) take a deep breath, watch some cricket and let the club do their stuff at a professional pace and without bankrupting either the club or Mr Clowes

[macstheman]

Yes very much (for fans) take a deep breath, watch some cricket and let the club do their stuff at a professional pace and without bankrupting either the club or Mr Clowes

Exactly,

[ramAnag]

I think the following players are shortly to be out of contract. Luthra, Phillips, Clarke, Forsyth, Ozoh, Armstrong, Barkhuizen, Yates, Washington, Thompson and Harness.

Collectively, according to the details MA provided last week, they seem to cost wages in the region of around 110,000 GBP per week (!) which doesn’t include figures for the bit part covers like Pieters and Hendrick etc.

I’d love to see Phillips back but he’s mightily, and - as GP has suggested - possibly disruptively, expensive. Of the rest Clarke, Forsyth, Armstrong and Thompson would be the four I’d be keenest to retain. Those four currently cost just under 28,000 GBP per week which still leaves a budget of around 82,000 GBP per week, without further adjustment, to start next season.

Overly simplistic perhaps - and GP might need to get his red pen out - but a healthy sum in our search for a new attacking force?

[swaledale]

I think the following players are shortly to be out of contract. Luthra, Phillips, Clarke, Forsyth, Ozoh, Armstrong, Barkhuizen, Yates, Washington, Thompson and Harness.

Collectively, according to the details MA provided last week, they seem to cost wages in the region of around 110,000 GBP per week (!) which doesn’t include figures for the bit part covers like Pieters and Hendrick etc.

I’d love to see Phillips back but he’s mightily, and - as GP has suggested - possibly disruptively, expensive. Of the rest Clarke, Forsyth, Armstrong and Thompson would be the four I’d be keenest to retain. Those four currently cost just under 28,000 GBP per week which still leaves a budget of around 82,000 GBP per week, without further adjustment, to start next season.

Overly simplistic perhaps - and GP might need to get his red pen out - but a healthy sum in our search for a new attacking force?

Clarke, Forsyth, Thompson I'd say will be retained. Philips will depend upon what wages he is happy with and how happy he has been playing at Derby, he may be a higher earner than others but as long as its not too out of kilter then shouldn't be an issue, depends what other offers he gets.

Those beign signed on new contracts will, with the possible exception of Fozzy, generally be on higher contracts than they are currently on.

[MadAmster]

Your possibly being a tad unfair on Warne, he could only buy in the players available for the budget he had and had his hands tied by those players still in contract who he couldn't move on, Washington being a prime example.

Lets not forget that Zetterstrom, Langas, Salvesen, Clarke, Phillips and Armstrong all joined whilst Warne was in charge.

Having survived a season in the championship, Derby should be more attractive and Cashin's sale has raised some funds. If Clowes manages to get another investor on board (and one assumes that Eustace was given certain promises regarding funds for improving the squad being available when he joined) then the financial situation will permit bringing in players of higher quality.

The improvement Eustace managed without bringing in players (I may be wrong, but I think none of his free signings played any significant part in games) rather demonstrates that the squad, certainly post January transfer window was good enough to be mid table.

The changes Eustace made, using a consistent formation that utilised the strengths of the players he had, making Adams captain and his coaching style again showed that it was up top as you rightly say where Derby were lacking. Given the unfortunate run of injuries, Eustace has worked a miracle, but thats a sign of a very good coach, someone who can get results in difficult circumstances.

I note comments on social media already by fans saying, enough of the financial restraint, we need to spend money. I wince, fans have very short memories, but I'm sure Clowes won't be risking the future of the club by doing that. He it seems put a good recruitment team in place who are picking up good players from abroad who on the face of it seem good value. More of the same would be good, but we won't be returning to the mad days of Mel's spending.

There was a reported string of players we didn't sign but wanted in January. Some went elsewhere, others stayed where they were.

[MadAmster]

Players with contracts that expire in 2026... Ossie, Nels, Elder, Wilson, NML, Ward, Jackson, Vickers, Rooney, Robinson. Ossie has been a disappointment. Elder has again had injury problems, Ward the same, Jackson simply hasn't delivered. I'd like us to move those 4 on and keep the others with just the one year left on their contracts.

CBT still has 2 seasons left on his, as do JWZ, Lars-Jorgen, Nyambe, Ebou and Daj. I see all of them staying with the club. JWZ, Lars, Nyambe and Ebou will be matchday 18 if not starters. Daj, squad unless he gets a half season loan somewhere. JE has been upbeat about what CBT has been doing in training. Last chance to show he's more than just a sicknote.

Kenzo to 2028. Hopefully played as a #10 rather than a 6 or an 8.

Those expiring this summer are Phillips, Yates, Clarke, Roofe, Harness, Ozoh, Tommo, Armstrong, Hendrick, Barks, Pieters, Wash, Foz and Luthra. Probably cant afford Phillips wages. If Yates comes back it shouldn't be as the main striker. I think Clarke will stay and there's probably a clause in his contract we can trigger now we're staying up. If there isn't one the club has made a big mistake. Roofe can go, Harness too as he's not been consistently good enough. Ozoh is very good but appears to be made of glass unfortunately. Tommo new deal please. Armstrong I expect to make Everton's matchday squad next season but, if he does go out on loan again, yes please. Hendrick, Barks and Pieters all to leave. Foz, a 1 year deal. Luthra? We need a 3rd keeper and he's cheap as chips, if we let him go we'd still need a replacement. Not bothered either way. Interesting time ahead on squad changes.

[swaledale]

There was a reported string of players we didn't sign but wanted in January. Some went elsewhere, others stayed where they were.

Yes, the key word being "reported", that loanee from Villa, went to Hull, reported on a ?1 million loan fee plus 100% wages and managed 3 games. As for these other players, where exactly were the funds going to come from to sign them?

January is always a difficult window and more so if the club is bottom end of the league and in danger of relegation. What we do know is that some rather good players came in January, pity many of them got injured, but thank **** Armstrong came and remained fit.

Warne signed some good players, some not so good, Eustace has proven that, the reality is that financial restraints on wages and transfer/loan fees were more of an obstacle. Thank goodness Cashin's sale enabled Eustace to be snaffled from Blackburn!

[ramAnag]

Yes, the key word being "reported", that loanee from Villa, went to Hull, reported on a ?1 million loan fee plus 100% wages and managed 3 games. As for these other players, where exactly were the funds going to come from to sign them?

January is always a difficult window and more so if the club is bottom end of the league and in danger of relegation. What we do know is that some rather good players came in January, pity many of them got injured, but thank **** Armstrong came and remained fit.

Warne signed some good players, some not so good, Eustace has proven that, the reality is that financial restraints on wages and transfer/loan fees were more of an obstacle. Thank goodness Cashin's sale enabled Eustace to be snaffled from Blackburn!

Of the late arrivals, I think Clarke, Armstrong and Langas have made the difference, just as Adams did a year earlier.
Without those three - and Eustace - I think we’d have been down by the middle of April and I cannot speak highly enough of Langas whose attitude to playing through the pain barrier has been nothing other than outstanding.
If that’s him at about 50% I look forward to seeing the fully fit version next season.

Unfortunately from Warne’s point of view…for every Langas, Armstrong and Adams there’s a Washington, Ward, Bradley and Blackett-Taylor.

[swaledale]

Of the late arrivals, I think Clarke, Armstrong and Langas have made the difference, just as Adams did a year earlier.
Without those three - and Eustace - I think we?d have been down by the middle of April and I cannot speak highly enough of Langas whose attitude to playing through the pain barrier has been nothing other than outstanding.
If that?s him at about 50% I look forward to seeing the fully fit version next season.

Unfortunately from Warne?s point of view?for every Langas, Armstrong and Adams there?s a Washington, Ward, Bradley and Blackett-Taylor.

Or from Guardiola's point of view for every De Bruyne, there's Kalvin Phillips! Except he cost north of ?40 million, whereas Wanre's failures don't amount to ?500K!

Every manager has transfers that don't work for whatever reason, whatever the budget but obviously when shopping in the bargain basement the odds are greater.

Also all of those players you mention were L1 signings, now as Birmingham have shown, with a big transfer and wage budget, you can win L1 comfortably, when largely restricted to free transfers 2nd place wasn't too shabby.

Absolutely agree that without Eustace we'd be down, but the fact remains it was largely Warne's squad that he kept us up with. I think Zetterstrom was a fine signing to, oh and didn't Warne sign Vickers?

[ramAnag]

Or from Guardiola's point of view for every De Bruyne, there's Kalvin Phillips! Except he cost north of ?40 million, whereas Wanre's failures don't amount to ?500K!

Every manager has transfers that don't work for whatever reason, whatever the budget but obviously when shopping in the bargain basement the odds are greater.

Also all of those players you mention were L1 signings, now as Birmingham have shown, with a big transfer and wage budget, you can win L1 comfortably, when largely restricted to free transfers 2nd place wasn't too shabby.

Absolutely agree that without Eustace we'd be down, but the fact remains it was largely Warne's squad that he kept us up with. I think Zetterstrom was a fine signing to, oh and didn't Warne sign Vickers?

Lol, we’ll never see completely eye to eye on this one will we?
Completely agree about Zetterstrom and Vickers and yes…of course it was largely Warne’s squad that kept us up. Of course it was, given the timing of his ‘release’ it would have been impossible not to be.
Equally Rosenior’s signings played a very significant part in getting us up in the first place.

All I’ll say is, I suspect Eustace and Rosenior will both have much bigger futures in management than PW who I wish well and am sure he’ll make a very good career in the lower divisions.