Derby County Squad Overview
By the time the Derby County players return for pre-season manager Nigel Pearson will have had the best part of a month in the job. What will he and assistant manager Chris Powell have been doing during that month?
Well, preparing for pre-season and getting themselves up to date for sure. Pearson and Powell should know the Championship well from their previous jobs at Leicester City (Pearson) and Charlton Athletic and Huddersfield Town (Powell) and you’d hope both will have kept themselves up to date.
Talking to first-team coach Kevin Phillips and goalkeeping coach Pascal Zuberbuhler must be high on the agenda, plus hearing the thoughts of Darren Wassall, Pat Lyons and Craig Short who all stepped up from academy to first-team responsibilities following the sacking of Paul Clement.
What they will all tell the new manager will be that the squad has good players capable of challenging for promotion but that they’ve fallen short over the last three seasons. They will also say that the squad is on the large side and fringe players need to be moved out. How many? I guess, will depend on how many new players Pearson wants to bring in.
Following the release of Stephen Warnock (Wigan Athletic), Conor Sammon (Hearts), Ivan Calero (Sparta Rotterdam), Shaquille McDonald (Nuneaton Town), Kwame Thomas, Tom Koblenz, Mats Morch, Jared Bird and James Carvell the squad contains 29 senior players and 19 Under-21 players, some of whom have first team experience either here or at other clubs [based on the official retained list on dcfc.co.uk]. For those of you, like me, who missed it Under-21 defender Jack Tuite joined Athlone Town in February this year.
Let’s take a look at the first team squad, position-by-position.
Goalkeepers: Scott Carson arrived in the summer and ousted Lee Grant as number one. Grant became the back-up goalkeeper and Jonathan Mitchell overtook Kelle Roos as the third goalkeeper.
Grant did well in the last couple of seasons but was prone to an occasional costly error. Carson proved a reliable and more consistent goalkeeper and deserved his number one status. With Zuberbuhler retained as goalkeeping coach, it’s difficult to see much changing.
If Pearson looks to bring in a new goalkeeper then Grant would appear most at risk. And Grant, himself, may not fancy another season as backup. Mitchell and Roos both had successful loan spells in League Two and look set to continue their development under Zuberbuhler. Luton Town (Mitchell) and AFC Wimbledon (Roos) will be monitoring the young goalkeepers closely.
2015/16 Championship appearances: Carson 36 (0), Grant 10 (0).
Defenders: By the end of the season, a back-four of Cyrus Christie (RB), Richard Keogh (CB), Jason Shackell (CB), and Marcus Olsson (LB) picked itself and all contributed to the Rams play-off qualification with strong performances.
For many, Keogh remains an enigma and some will never forgive him his mistake at Wembley. If you’ll forgive the cliché, he’s a whole-hearted player who wears his heart on his sleeve. Despite being prone to the occasional individual error, by the end of the season he had regained the captaincy and swept all the player of the year awards. It will be interesting to see if Pearson retains Keogh as captain.
New signings Chris Baird and Alex Pearce were unable to establish themselves and spent the second-half of the season on loan at Fulham and Bristol City respectively. Ryan Shotton hung around a bit longer, regularly finding himself on the bench, but eventually moved out on loan to Birmingham City. Raul Albentosa spent the season back in Spain playing for Malaga on loan.
Jake Buxton returned from injury as the back-up centre-back and made a couple of cameo performances. Many see his departure as inevitable this summer, with Burton Albion a suggested destination due to his links with Nigel Clough and the Brewers, but I’m not so sure. Buxton’s in a similar mould to Leicester City’s centre-back pairing Robert Huth and Wes Morgan – a fully committed, no nonsense, take no prisoners defender – and Pearson may see something in Buxton he can work with.
Farrend Rawson, still officially listed as part of the Under-21 squad, had a very successful loan at Rotherham United in the Championship. When Wassall recalled him, I expected Rawson to figure in the first team squad and challenge Buxton for a place on the bench. Instead, he went straight into the Under-21 squad and was a regular in their title winning run-in. With 15 Championship starts to his name already, this summer looks like being a big one for Rawson as far as his Derby County future is concerned.
By the end of the season, Jamie Hanson was the full-back cover on both sides even though his natural positions are centre-back and defensive midfield. When Hanson got injured, Baird was recalled.
At face value right-back is an obvious area Pearson needs to look at with his former players Ritchie De Laet (RB) and Paul Konchesky (LB) being touted as possible targets. Baird though is one of four Rams players participating in the European Championships and a good performance for Northern Ireland could see Baird stake a claim to be part of Pearson’s plans. Based on what I saw last season, Baird is a more natural right-back than Hanson, but Pearson may prefer to bring his own right-back in.
There’s no doubt we missed Craig Forsyth at left-back following his injury and it was a shame that young Max Lowe was injured at the same time and missed out on an opportunity. Warnock did very well defensively, but failed to impress going forward, ultimately being loaned out to Wigan Athletic as soon as Olsson arrived from Blackburn Rovers.
Interest in some of Derby County’s defenders is rumoured to be high. Birmingham City want to sign Shotton permanently. Malaga want to sign Albentosa, but are playing games over the transfer fee. There is also meant to be three or four teams chasing Forsyth. Fulham may look to move for Baird and Reading may look to take Pearce back. If Keogh, Christie and Baird impress in the Euros then they could become wanted men too.
2015/16 Championship appearances: Keogh 46 (0), Shackell 46 (0), Christie 40 (2), Warnock 19 (1), Olsson 16 (0), Hanson 10 (8), Forsyth 10 (2), Baird 8 (6), Shotton 0 (6), Buxton 0 (3). [Rawson 15 (1) for Rotherham, Shotton 9 (0) for Birmingham City, Baird 3 (4) for Fulham, Pearce 3 (4) for Bristol City]
Central Midfielders: There’s no doubt Derby County’s midfield was devastated by the injuries to Will Hughes and Craig Bryson on the opening day of the season. That led to the signings of Jacob Butterfield and Bradley Johnson and a real strength in central midfield depth now Hughes and Bryson have recovered and returned to the squad.
With the Rams playing 4-3-3 (or 4-1-2-3 if you prefer), based on appearances the midfield trio was Johnson (left), Thorne (holding), Butterfield (right). By the end of the season the midfield trio was Hughes (left), Thorne (holding), Bryson (right), and this combination, arguably the best combination, saw Wassall’s side recover from the slump and cement play-off qualification.
Unfortunately Thorne was injured in the last game of the season and missed the play-offs. Once again we saw the system fall apart as, it seems, only Thorne can effectively play that key holding position. Hanson, who had done okay earlier in the season but hadn’t been able to break into the starting line-up regularly, was also injured otherwise he may have been given a chance in the play-offs.
Pearson’s preference at Leicester City seemed to be 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 which throws up a completely different dynamic in midfield. Can Thorne play in a 4-4-2? Can any of the central midfielders play wider? Can any of the wide forwards play a more withdrawn role in a midfield four? Or will Pearson persevere with the Derby County way and play 4-3-3 (or 4-1-2-3 if you prefer)?
All of this means it’s difficult to predict what will happen in the midfield department. New signings Butterfield and Johnson still have a lot to prove. Bryson and Hughes had very frustrating injury-plagued seasons but returned strongly. Hendrick was caught in-between as the nearly man with niggly injuries disrupting his season every time he seemed ready to establish himself.
And, as a wild-card, if Pearson decides not to cash-in on Forsyth then the former Watford left-midfielder could stake a claim for a left-midfield spot in a midfield-four. Could we see Olsson and Forsyth in the same starting line-up?
Newcastle United are rumoured to be lining up a bid for Hughes and three or four teams are meant to be chasing Forsyth. Hendrick could put himself in the shop widow too if he impresses for Ireland in Euro 2016.
Whichever way Pearson decides to go in midfield, the squad looks to have a surplus of players – particularly if Pearson wants to bring some new blood of his own into midfield.
2015/16 Championship appearances: Thorne 32 (2), Johnson 30 (1), Butterfield 29 (8), Hendrick 21 (11), Bryson 14 (7), Hanson 10 (8), Baird 8 (6), Hughes 4 (2). [Baird 3 (4) for Fulham]
Wide Forwards: I’ve gone for ‘wide forwards’ rather than ‘wingers’ as I don’t think Derby County really have any out-and-out wingers.
Over the course of the season Thomas Ince and Johnny Russell mainly played these positions but the inconsistency of both allowed Andreas Weimann to make a dozen starts and eighteen substitute performances.
Ince was a shadow of the player that thrilled us on loan the previous season, and whilst I would never fault Russell’s work rate and effort, his end product is often lacking.
I thought Weimann was unlucky not to get more playing time and found it interesting that for the play-off second-leg against Hull City when we needed goals it was Weimann, not Ince, who started.
The player I feel most sorry for is Abdoul Camara. He left a side who were third in the French top tier in January to hardly figure for a team in England’s second tier. But, interestingly, for the play-off second-leg Camara was back on the bench and made a second-half appearance.
Daft as it sounds though, when you look at the wide-men Pearson used during his time at Leicester City in the Championship then Camara is the one player most in the mould of Jeffrey Schlupp and Lloyd Dyer.
If Pearson is to persevere and try to evolve the current system then I think wide forward is an area that needs to be improved. If, however, Pearson reverts to a midfield-four then I think he will need to look for players to play the wide roles, although he may find himself pleasantly surprised to have Forsyth and Camara already in the squad.
There has been rumoured interest from West Ham in Thomas Ince.
2015/16 Championship appearances: Ince 37 (5), Russell 35 (10), Weimann 12 (18), Blackman 5 (9), Camara 0 (4).
Strikers: Chris Martin led the line as the lone striker and, to be fair, nobody else got a look in – not even the desperately unlucky, and proven to be prolific, Darren Bent.
I like Martin, and think he’s a good player, but it’s asking too much to expect him to lead the line on his own for an entire season. The season we made the play-off final Martin was outstanding, but he has been unable to reach that level in the subsequent two seasons. Martin isn’t getting any younger and he’s never been the quickest or the most mobile.
I honestly expected Bent to play a lot more than he did. After having him on loan last season we knew what we were getting so it seems odd that we’d sign a prolific goal scorer and not play him – especially as he must be there or thereabouts our highest paid player.
I also feel sorry for Nick Blackman. Third top goal scorer in the Championship at the time we signed him but, like Bent, we hardly played him. Blackman scored his 13 goals for Reading as an out-and-out-striker but we played him out wide.
This is the area where I think Pearson needs to pay most attention. Our system relies on Martin to lead the line but, after three seasons, this hasn’t seen us promoted. It makes us very predictable and I think other teams have worked out how to play against us. It also means we don’t seem able to play effectively with two strikers on the pitch at the same time which, given Pearson’s preference for a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1, I think (and hope) he’ll want to do something about.
At Leicester City Pearson had David Nugent, Chris Wood, Jamie Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa. He also took a young Harry Kane on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. All of which suggests Pearson likes a strong, fast, powerful striker and we don’t currently have anybody who fits that mould, although at Under-21 level Offrande Zanzala possesses strength, speed and power, and he should be given every opportunity in pre-season to see if he can step up to the senior squad this season..
I’m not sure where we are financially, but if owner Mel Morris is going to splash the cash this summer then it must surely be on a proven striker at Championship level.
2015/16 Championship appearances: Martin 42 (3), Blackman 5 (9), Bent 4 (17).
Stuart Hughes.