Will Derby County’s spending pay off?

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Chris Baird – Free Transfer

Few Derby fans knew too much about the Northern Ireland international, but reading up on his career and hearing his former clubs’ fans opinions on him soon revealed that he could be the experienced defensive general that had been missed ever since John Eustace played his last game for Derby back in January 2015. Soon after joining the club, Head Coach Paul Clement made him Club Captain, removing the title from Richard Keogh, who admitted that he found the pressure slightly too much for him. Baird appeared to be a wise choice for captain, given his experience in the role and his knowledge of the game. However, he soon found himself out of the Rams starting 11 after a small spat with the fans during a 2-1 home loss to Leeds United in August. Since then, he has been in and out of the squad, usually filling space on the substitutes’ bench, though that largely being down to the form of Cyrus Christie at RB and George Thorne at DM. He may still prove to be a useful old head to have during the run in.

Alex Pearce – Free Transfer

After the debacle at the end of last season, the Rams desperately needed to shore up the defence in force. Reading captain Alex Pearce (who’s final match for the Royals was a thumping 3-0 victory on the final day of the season against Derby at the iPro) seemed an assured signing, particularly coming in on a free after his contract with the Berkshire team expired. He knew Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh and Jeff Hendrick from his Republic of Ireland international experiences and so seemed to be a perfect fit to solve what was a horrifying lack of confidence in the Rams’ defence. However, things have not gone as planned. Whether its because fellow summer signing Jason Shackell has kept him out of the team, or the rumours of Pearce not being one of Clement’s personal signings are true, Pearce just has not been able to force himself into the Rams’ lineup. He has made the odd substitute appearance here and there and started the Rams’ Capital One Cup defeat to Portsmouth in August and then not again until a FA Cup third round match away at Hartlepool in January. With the European Championships coming up in the Summer and the Republic of Ireland having booked a place there, Pearce was desperate for game time and as a result is now on loan at Bristol City, with his Rams career showing no signs of ever restarting.

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Jason Shackell – £3.15m

The former Burnley skipper was linked with a return to the East Midlands for the majority of the summer, with the Rams and Clarets engaged in a bitter fight to have the 32 year old centre back in their squads for the promotion challenge each team faced. Shackell finally signed for the Rams after a lengthy saga for £3m, leading to Burnley’s Sean Dyche accusing Shackell of moving for the money that Derby were offering and suggesting Derby were simply buying their way to success (a claim later contradicted by Dyche himself as Burnley spent £9m on Andre Gray from Brentford).

Shackell had been a firm favourite in is sole Derby season back in 2011/12, with many fans furious for years later about Derby letting Shackell move to Burnley so easily for £1.1m. The centre back’s vital experience in promotion and Premier League survival campaigns are vital to the Rams, particularly in the aforementioned shaky defensive area. He wasted no time in endearing himself to the Derby faithful once more, playing in every league game this season and chipping in with two goals in all competitions in the process. He has formed an almost unbreakable defensive partnership with Richard Keogh and many fans wonder why Shackell has not yet been given the captaincy, which has floated around the team since Chris Baird’s inability to break into the team. A big success so far.

Marcus Olsson – £495k

Rumours linking the Rams to Blackburn’s Player of the Year had been persistent since Derby’s LB Craig Forsyth suffered an ACL injury in October. Derby were left with experienced Stephen Warnock and u21 player Max Lowe at left back, the latter of which also suffered a season ending injury, and so were worryingly short of cover at LB. Warnock surprised everyone and has become a mainstay in the Rams side but with his age progressing and the veteran getting battered and bruised seemingly every week, cover was vital, so Olsson came in during the January transfer window. The Rams are considered to have got the Norwegian at a steal, as his Rovers contract was coming to an end in the summer. Its a tad too early to judge him yet, having only made one start so far in a 1-1 draw away at Fulham during which he unfortunately began his Rams’ career by scoring an own goal early in the first half.

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Bradley Johnson – £6.08m

Derby’s marquee signing of the summer came as something of a surprise to Rams’ fans and Norwich fans alike. Joining from the Canaries with only minutes of the Summer transfer window remaining, the midfielder became Derby’s record signing (the third record signing of the window) and delighted Derby fans around the country. A player with such pedigree dropping down a division to join the Rams sent out a clear signal to the rest of the league that Derby meant business. Johnson hit the ground running and was a vital part of Derby’s 1 defeat in 19 games from September to January, contributing 3 goals in the process and becoming a fan favourite almost overnight. However, Johnson’s form has slipped away of late and he has become a shadow of the player he was in September, losing his place in the team at the start of February. So far, he has shown signs of living up to that colossal price tag but confidence seems to be an issue.

Jacob Butterfield – £4.13m

Butterfield’s signing caused plenty of debate amongst Rams fans, with many doubting he was worth the £4.13m price tag that Derby had forked out to sign Huddersfield’s Player of the Year. With Will Hughes being ruled out until early 2016 on the first day of the season with an ACL injury, Butterfield was looked at to be his replacement but took a while to settle in the Derby team, often being substituted around the 60th minute week after week, without justifying his price tag. However, as the season has progressed so too has Butterfield’s improvement as a Rams player. His drive and creativity has taken the Rams’ through tough matches after moments of quality from the Bradford born midfielder – such as Butterfield’s brace in a 2-0 away win at promotion rivals Hull City back in November. The midfielder has proven himself over recent months and is well on his way to becoming a Derby favourite, here’s hoping his quality can fully flourish at the club.