The club have said that we are in no danger of breaching FFP rules, but even so such great an outlay over the last couple of seasons with such little reward would have surely made Morris hesitate when parting with his cash. On this front I suspect Mel enacted a sell first buy later policy this window, limiting his losses. This isn't to say he's not continuing to pump his money into the club, just that he's being a bit more cautious in the transfer market.
On the playing side, Nigel Pearson has been struggling immensely to get his message across to the players with players looking lost on the pitch and unclear about what their roles are. Pearson appears to have decided that possession football is not the way forward and that the focus should be on quick forwards with quicker wingers. This is the most important thing to remember when looking at ins and outs this window.
Rather than starting with outgoings and then moving on to incomings, I've decided that a position-based article is best. It's much easier to understand the business that has taken place this way.
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| Lee Grant left for Stoke on a 6 month loan deal. (Getty) |
Outs - Lee Grant (Stoke, 6 month loan), Kelle Roos (Bristol Rovers, season long loan), Mats Morch (released).
Ins - Chris Weale (Free Agent)
As is always the case at Derby County, there has been plenty of movement in the goalkeeping department. Lee Grant makes the short journey to Stoke as cover for the injured Jack Butland (a former Derby loan player), and will be back in January all being well. It does seem like an odd move on the surface, but he doesn't look like displacing Carson as number one and this way he gets games whilst we get him off the wage bill.
Also leaving on loan is Kelle Roos, who has joined Bristol Rovers on a season long loan. Something tells me this is the last chance saloon for Roos who will have one year left on his contract when he returns at the end of the season. He either impresses here and forces his way into the team next year, or we try and get a fee for the 24 year old next summer.
Youngster Mats Morch was released at the start of the summer from the youth set up and as far as I'm aware hasn't found a club yet.
Chris Weale has been brought in by Pearson as 'goalkeeping cover' on a one year deal. Weale has previously played for Pearson, indeed he was in goal for Leicester during their first season back in the championship. Those of us with keen memories will remember him scoring an own goal several seasons ago when Pearson's Leicester were playing Nigel Clough's Derby. Feel free to find it on YouTube, it's hilarious. His recent career is more mixed; he was Yeovil's reserve goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach last season as they stayed up by the skin of their teeth in League Two. From a playing perspective it sort of make sense though; we need cover now Grant has gone, he won't be on high wages (at least I should hope not) and Pearson gets someone he can trust in the dressing room.
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| The arrival of Chris Weale is not what many fans were expecting or hoping for. (@dcfcofficial) |
Outs - Raul Albentosa (Deportivo de La Coruna, £675,000), Jake Buxton (Wigan Athletic, Free Transfer), Ryan Shotton (Birmingham City, £750,000), Stephen Warnock (Wigan Athletic, Free Transfer).
Ins - Max Lowe (Promoted from Youth)
You have to say that it was no great surprise that a number of defenders have left the club this summer, given how settled our defence has been over the last season or so. The remarkably reliable and injury free pairing of Shackell and Keogh means there is barely a look in for any other centre backs at the club. Some had to go.
Albentosa said farewell to England after the briefest of stays. A pre-agreement with Malaga fell through after the Spanish club decided they didn't fancy paying over the odds for him and for a time it seemed as if Raul was going start the new season in the Midlands. Finally though, just before the start of the season Deportivo de La Coruna made a move and so did Raul. It never really worked for him, with language difficulties not helping his integration into the team as well as a disturbing lack of ball control. Sometimes things just don't work out; there's no doubt in my mind that despite his sojourn in England he'll have a good career in La Liga.
Ryan Shotton joined former Ram Gary Rowett at Birmingham City after a loan there last season. This seems like its for the best, Shotton was a nervy defender on the pitch prone to lapses in concentration and had a worrying knack of letting the ball roll under his feet. Still, like the Albentosa deal, we somehow managed to make a profit from him, which is remarkable - perhaps his form was better at Birmingham than Derby?
Stephen Warnock's tempestuous relationship with Derby came too an end, moving to recently promoted Wigan Athletic on a free transfer. Getting sent off in your first match is not a good way to endear yourself to the fans and his hesitancy to cross the halfway line when on the pitch made him a black hole on the pitch, where attacking intent went to die. Still, when asked to defend he was half decent, with a happy knack of being in the right spot on the line time and time again to block shots. Wigan fans were impressed with his defensive solidity when on loan with them last season, so I think it was a good deal all round.
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| Popular defender Jake Buxton left for Wigan after 7 years at the club (skysports.com) |
There were no ins so to speak of, apart from Max Lowe finally getting promoted from the under 21's to the senior squad. I'm led to believe he was going to do that last season except he was injured all season, leading us buying Olsson to replace the ineffective Warnock at left back. Even so, here he is now, and I expect him to make some more appearances after his debut against Carlisle in the EFL Cup.
I must say though, that I would have liked a new right back to have been brought in to either replace or at least challenge Christie. Christie is quite the athlete, but it is becoming painfully obvious that he's a winger turned right back who in his own words has "never been taught how to defend". His product going forward could make up for this except he doesn't have any; when was the last time he assisted a goal or scored? Oh well, we can't have everything I suppose.
Midfielders
Outs - Jeff Hendrick (Burnley, £10.5m), Ivan Calero (Sparta Rotterdam, Free Transfer).
Ins - Timi Max Elsnik (Promoted from Youth), Ikechi Anya (Watford, £4m).
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| Derby cashed in on Jeff Hendrick's superb Euro's, accepting a £10.5 million bid from Burnley. (©INPHO/James Crombie) |
Perhaps the most predictable move of the summer was Jeff Hendrick's extremely drawn out departure to Burnley for a club record fee on both sides of the deal. It was always on the cards, after Hendrick's impressive performances during Euro 2016 for the Republic of Ireland and Burnley were thee first in and last out for the academy graduate. I have to be honest £10.5 million is great money for a player who despite having a remarkable amount of talent, has rarely put it together consistently on the pitch and I'm sure a lot of Derby fans think the same.
It is sad all the same though to see him leave; it has been a pleasure to see him grow and mature as a footballer from his debut in 2011 (which pretty fittingly was against Burnley.) He has given us some special moments - several goals against Forest, a few beauties along the way and some really impressive performances, but you feel in the end that if we don't cash in now we'd never get even close to as good an offer for him. I've heard that the sell-on fee for him is quite something as well. I'll keep an eye out for him and hopefully we'll come up against him in the Premier League next season.
Also leaving Derby is Ivan Calero who was let go early in the summer on a free transfer to join Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam. One of Steve McClaren's many youth signings, despite being a skillful player he always seemed a bit too lightweight for the English leagues, something he confirmed when he was sent on loan to lower league sides.
Young Slovenian Timi Max Elsnik was promoted to the senior squad in the summer as well. The versatile midfielder, at the age of 18 has only been at the club for 2 years, but has impressed in the youth set up at every level and he was given his debut in the EFL Cup against Carlisle. He impressed there, showing a maturity beyond his years to score two penalties in the shootout at the end, whilst impressing me with his post match interview afterwards. He has a big future ahead of him.
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| New winger Ikechi Anya will add pace to the team after signing from Watford. (dcfc.co.uk) |
A fan favourite at Watford for his work rate, it's obvious why Pearson has brought him, but I do have a few concerns about his end product (0 goals in his last two seasons and only 16 assists in his four seasons at Watford give me doubts), and the fact that he is nearing the dreaded age of 30 when most players reliant on speed begin to struggle. Still, with his pace he should be a welcome addition to the squad.
Forwards
Outs - Shaquille McDonald (Nuneaton Town, Free Transfer), Conor Sammon (Hearts of Midlothian, Free Transfer), Kwame Thomas (Coventry City, Free Transfer), Chris Martin (Fulham, season long loan).
Ins - James Wilson (Manchester United, season long loan), Matej Vydra (Watford, £8m).
Starting with the less high profile moves. Youth players Shaquille McDonald and Kwame Thomas were allowed to leave on frees to other clubs. This is no great surprise, McDonald was fairly old when we brought him in from Peterborough and he never got anywhere near the first team, whilst Thomas always seemed to lack the technique required to make the jump up as a target man.
Who else had forgotten that Conor Sammon was a Derby player? It's okay, you can admit it. It seems so long ago that he actually played for us, like it was in another life. For all his faults; the lack of ball control, the inability to cleanly connect with the football and poor attempts at link-up play, I will miss Conor. I don't think I've ever seen someone work so hard on a football pitch (Craig Bryson and N'Golo Kante not included). There was something endearing about his terrier-like chasing of the ball and he did actually score some important goals for us over the years. I suspect his sheer physical presence will mean he isn't an absolute disaster up in Scotland.
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| Chris Martin's departure left a bitter taste, as Fulham snapped him up. (Action Images) |
So with no obvious place in the team for him Pearson ships him out to Fulham. The loan fee is a considerable £3 million and from what I gather the option to buy at the end is takes the overall total to near £10 million. This is good money for a striker who doesn't fit. It's poor money when the likes of Kodjia leave for Aston Villa for £4 million more despite having a poorer scoring record. This doesn't even take into account the fact that he's leaving for a Fulham team who look like they will be up there challenging for promotion this season meaning we've most likely strengthened a promotion rival.
The arrival of James Wilson on a season long loan from Manchester United on the face of it looks like a decent move. Very highly rated at Old Trafford he was on loan at Brighton last year where he scored 5 goals in 25 games, not the greatest return for a striker. He did score two good instinctive goals against Derby last season, but he was very much in and out of the Brighton team last season and didn't seem to have much of an impact in open play. His inexperience was clear and whilst this is obviously the reason he has been loaned out, it doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.
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| Matej Vydra signed from Watford for £8 million, a club record fee. (skysports.com) |
I'm not sure how optimistic to be with this signing. He is obviously everything Pearson wants; fast, hard working and with an eye for goal, but his struggles last season bear some resemblance to the ones we've had so far this season. Reading's midfield was poor last season and creativity low; most of Blackman's goals for them were shots from outside the area and Vydra struggled with the lack of service. Vydra's best seasons have come with a partner up front (Troy Deeney), giving him through balls and helping take attention off of him. I would have thought that Martin was the perfect partner in this regard and I have been of the opinion that Martin has needed a partner to help him out recently as well; someone who can get on the end of his flicks.
Pearson has decided this isn't the case, but I'm not so hopeful. I'm of the opinion that if Vydra and Wilson are going to be successes here without the likes of Martin supplying them, then something has to change in midfield. The midfield two that Pearson likes to employ is simply too lightweight and sitting too deep at the moment. This has led to a distinct lack of creativity further forward as our most creative midfielders are basically sitting on top of the back four in order to get the ball and it has made our strikers isolated. I don't think this will suddenly change now that we've signed some pacy players.
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| Nigel Pearson still has work to do before thinks click into place (skysports.com) |
I have mixed thoughts about this window. On the one hand, we have brought in a couple of good quality players; I have high expectations in particular of Vydra and Anya who have both shown their qualities in this league time and time again. Selling Jeff Hendrick was a good bit of business for all parties; we get what is probably his maximum value and he gets the chance to test himself in the Premier League.
However I'm of the opinion that we have not fixed the underlying problem that has caused our poor start to the season - central midfield. We should have shipped out some more of the midfielders and brought in some truly suited to the system Pearson clearly wants to play. At the moment it seems that he's asking Bryson and Will Hughes to do things that they aren't really suited to; drop deep and pick the ball up, shield the defence. They'll try their hardest doing it and may even have some success, but this isn't what they are best at - I can see it, the fans can see it and Pearson would have to be as blind as a mole to not see it. He should have bought some players in who are truly suited to it, but that hasn't happened.
I wasn't happy with Martin going on loan last night and although I understand the reasons for it, I'm still not happy with it now. This is without a doubt putting all of our eggs in one basket, with regards to a playing style; there's no going back now to hold up play and midfielders surging forward. Should Vydra get injured, there's no one I would trust us to fall back on; Bent? Old and past it. Blackman? Never had it.
It was all going so well until that Martin loan. A lot fans weren't happy either. I know people were expecting it but they were also hoping we had a replacement lined up. What happened instead? The club announced the signing of a 34 year old goalkeeper, who will be lucky to get on the bench! That was truly amateurish from the club; it was obvious that Weale had signed up earlier, so not announce it earlier? Did they truly think the fan reaction would be anything other than fury? Absolutely bizarre from the club.
Things might still change at the club. The loan window opens soon and I suspect we may find a few more players on the way out of the club, some of whom fans may be happy to see the back of, others not so much.
