Marshall future in spotlight for Rams fans after window closes
SUPPORTERS ASK ABOUT TAKEOVER AND POSSIBLE POINTS DEDUCTION
DERBY County continue to operate under a transfer embargo and the summer transfer window closed on Tuesday night without the Rams adding to their squad.
Derby Telegraph chief football writer Steve Nicholson hosted a Q&A and here he answers fans’ questions:
■■Corhys asks: I know we are no way near being in a position to sell any player but to your knowledge did we receive any bids for any of the team during the transfer window? Except the pitiful one for Lee Buchanan!
SN: Not that I am aware of, other than the one bid for Lee Buchanan from Nottingham Forest. There is a difference between a club enquiring about a player and actually making a bid.
■■Corhys asks: If Rooney is so desperate to add more depth and strength to our squad, then why did he sign a third first team keeper? Surely that place could have been used to bring in a player in a different position.
SN: Maybe the manager thought David Marshall would be moving on during the transfer window and he didn’t want to miss out on Ryan Allsop, who was a free agent and who had impressed them in pre-season.
■■Woodleyram asks: Most of us think Marshall should be number one.
SN: It is a good discussion point. David Marshall lost his place at the end of the season and Kelle Roos impressed in pre-season, and deserved to start the season, in my opinion. He has also done well.
Yes, some people might point the finger at him for Forest’s equaliser on Saturday and he should have done better but the save was not as straightforward as some people seem to think.
■■Woodleyram asks: Do you think that Wayne has some free agent signings up his sleeve?
SN: Yes, I believe he has but it is not possible to bring them in as things stand until the transfer embargo is relaxed or lifted.
■■Stuniverse asks: The EFL and DCFC have been in “constructive talks” for a while and the deadline for submitting the accounts, even the extended deadline, passed a while ago. Why are things taking so long? I would have thought the club would have wanted things sorted so
they could strengthen during the transfer window. Rooney certainly gave the impression he did.
SN: This has gone on too long and and a conclusion is needed.
Why it has gone on so long only the EFL and the club will know. I take it they differ on how to move forward with the situation and that is why discussions are continuing.
■■Ricardo67 asks: Is Mel (Morris) having to be silent until after the club’s financial papers are sorted? Who’s still, or are there still, parties looking at buying the club?
SN: Neither the EFL nor the club can comment publicly because they are bound by the disciplinary commission, I understand.
I believe there are still parties interested in buying the club but those parties are probably waiting on the outcome of the issue between the EFL and the club.
■■Lewis276 asks: As the transfer window is now closed is there any update on the takeover and possible points deduction?
SN: It is still a waiting game, I’m afraid, Lewis
■■deccyg asks: Why are Derby so poor without the ball? They don’t press as much as the opposition usually do, and never try to stop crosses into the box. Is this a lack of fitness?
SN: I thought they pressed Nottingham Forest well in the first half on Saturday and should have been more than 1-0 up at the break.
They did not maintain the press in the second half, but you also have to credit Forest for their improvement.
It is not easy to press for 90 minutes, it is very much about knowing when to press and when not to.
As for stopping crosses, that tends to be the general case in football these days and not just with Derby.
■■AshbyRam asks: As an absolute minimum we should have been able to off-load Marshall, it’s obvious he doesn’t fit into Rooney’s plan (irrelevant of what we think of the other keepers). With the World Cup just round the corner surely Marshall wanted to leave and Derby don’t want him, there was a deal to be done. Even cancell the contract by mutual consent! We could have then at least signed another squad player. I think with five games in 20
days coming up, it will really show how thin our squad is!
SN: Derby are facing a demanding five games in 20 days, and it will stretch the squad as you say.
As for David Marshall, it is not quite as easy as “off-loading” a player.
For a player to move there has to be interested club(s) and the deal has to happen.
For a player’s contract to be terminated by “mutual consent” there has to be an agreement between both parties.
■■EastDevonRam asks: I think Rooney ‘assumed’ he would be able to offload Marshall and get the wage bill down. That has backfired now, if we’ve got to keep him then he needs
to play or be on the bench at the very least.
SN: The keeper debate is down to opinion.
My opinion is that there is little to choose between David Marshall and Kelle Roos, as you would expect with healthy competition, but I think it is fair to say Roos has generally done well this season.
■■ramsinoz asks: If we hit an injury crisis can an academy player step up or would that mean having 24 players of whatever standard and not be allowed?
SN: Scholars can step up, as we have seen with Dylan Williams and Marko Borkovic, but not young professionals as in Eiran Cashin and Liam Thompson.