Head Coach Paul Warne says he is excited for the future as he begins to press head with his plans for Derby County’s 2023/24 season.
Derby finished the 2022/23 Sky Bet League One campaign last Sunday with a 1-0 reverse at Sheffield Wednesday which saw them narrowly miss out on a top-six berth.
While not making the play-offs was an understandable disappointment in the Rams’ first season in the third tier since the 1980s, there has been significant progress made in rebuilding the club in the last ten months after Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd’s takeover last July.
Warne and his squad are now taking time to refuel and restock before reporting for pre-season training at the end of June, but the Derby boss still has plenty of work on his plate as he looks to shape how his time will look.
It’s something that enthuses Warne, and his trusted coaching staff, as the look to have the Rams competing at the top end of League One next time around.
Warne sat down with RamsTV earlier this week to offer his take on the 2022/23 season, discuss the departure of club captain Curtis Davies, the new contract offered to club stalwart Craig Forsyth and explain how he plans to act in the transfer market in his first summer in the hotseat.
On reflection of the season...
I said that it would be a failure from my point of view if we weren't successful and got at least into the play-offs, so I feel disappointed that we didn't do it.
It wasn't the last game against Sheffield Wednesday why we didn't get there, it was the points we dropped against the likes of Bristol Rovers and MK Dons recently and that's fundamentally what we need to get better at.
I would have really fancied us in the play-offs so I am disappointed we didn't make it - however I am excited about what we can do next year. I'm really pleased with the effort from the players this year and hopefully we can refuel and restock and grab the league by the horns next year.
We came in here back in September to support the team's progress up the table and try and get in the play-offs and I thought we had enough in the room to give us a right good chance. I do think there was many successes along the way and many good performances but, for me personally, it feels like a failure.
I'm not saying the club has failed at all but for me personally it feels like a failure. I'm a winner and don't like losing at anything so it feels like six teams have been better than us and that's frustrating for me. That's what energises us to get up, get in and do hours of recruitment just to try and get the things we got wrong right next year.
On what lessons will be learned from this season...
We do reviews after every single game. I watch every minute back from every different angle and we present it to the lads every week so we're constantly learning.
I got loads wrong but those things were always done from the right point. Although I'm disappointed with the outcome of the season, the work everyone put in behind the scenes to try and make us successful has been amazing. I don't have any regrets because all the decisions we made were with the best intentions.
I think what I've learned is we probably needed a little bit more in January to get us over the line. We were a little bit too dependant on certain players and we had around six players that played over 50 games. When you've only got a squad of 20, that's a lot.
Maybe at times I stuck with certain players in the hope that it would come good in games when realistically I possibly could have been more ruthless. I've learned, definitely, that all the staff that we've inherited and kept are excellent at their jobs and are fully committed to the cause.
I think we're a pretty good fit for this football club. We're really settled, we enjoy everything we do.
On his individual meetings with the players post-season...
When you speak to a player mid-season and end of season, you get different answers because mid-season you sort of want to tell the manager you're fit to go for every game and give the most positive reflection to the management team.
At the end of the season you get players being a bit more reflective, a bit more honest and a bit more humble. What I like about these meetings is it develops your understandings and respect for each other.
I think most players are pretty accepting of critique at the end of the season so you can have more honest conversations and answers.
On Curtis Davies leaving the club...
He's been excellent for Derby County and it wasn't an easy decision to make. Prior to January, he wasn't getting game time and we had an honest conversation about where he wants to be at.
He got back into the team at the end of the season and his performances were really good. This is his club and I've just come in through the back door but he's also a big boy and he understands how football is. Sometimes you have to take the emotion out of it.
Fundamentally we haven't achieved what we wanted to achieve this season. This is an elite sport, this isn't a charity and isn't done out of goodwill and gesture because if that was the case Curtis Davies would be here as a player until he's 50 and that can't be the case.
We need to revive the team, strengthen in areas and we need to play in a way that I choose to play. I explained this to Curtis and he understood.
He's been a brilliant captain for this club, a brilliant ambassador and I'll stay in contact with him for the rest of my life.
He's more than welcome to come and train here in the off-season and he's more than welcome to join pre-season training if he wants to train and get fit.
There's no drama, it was just a footballing decision and I have to make the decisions that I think suit the team. No decisions are easy and his certainly wasn't but he wants to play more regularly and I understood that and this gives him the opportunity to do so.
On how the next few weeks will look...
I'll put a presentation together to show David Clowes and the board the players I want, the positions I want to fill and the reasons that I want them.
I'll show some players round Moor Farm Training Ground over the next couple of days to try and put us a club and as a personality in a shop window. They have other options but I'm trying to win them over and trying to see if we get on.
I won't sign anyone on a whim or on a phone call. I'll show them in the Meeting Room why I want them to sign for this club, how we play and how their play suits us and if we get on. If we don't get on then there's no relationship to be had.
I'm constantly on the phone to agents, it's a constant thing. Going forward from then, there will be a week of getting players in to show them around and sell them the dream but then I have to leave the finances to the board.
Pre-season has already been planned. Every day is like clockwork and we know what we're doing. All the lads have had chats with Ross Burbeary about their individual close season programmes.
My hours are longer in the off-season because it's just all on the phone and setting up meetings and trying to recruit the best people and players that we can.
On having more freedom in the transfer market this time around...
It's a boost but if I can take you back a step, when I spoke to the players this week I was saying to them that these are also the conversations that I'm having with possible new recruits. The club is paying you to train; not paying you to play. If you play, it's a bonus. I'm not building a team around you and you're not the star of the show, it's all about the team. If you have to be the man that plays every week then do not sign for me.
When I get the opportunity to sign the players that I want, they will know the situation. They know that this is a really good team, a really good club and I don't think we're far off by the way.
I'm going to strengthen at wing-back, which is no surprise. We need more choice and strength up the top end of the pitch. More 'number tens' and another 'number nine' at least and then it's just about reacting to whoever we lose.
It's about planning and the excitement of bringing new players into this very good group already. I don't think we're far off and I think a pre-season with this group will really help.
On Craig Forsyth signing a new contract...
It was an easy decision, he's been brilliant for me. When I first came in I wasn't so sure and I have told him that. As soon as I saw Knighty running around I knew he was right up my street but with Fozzy he was a slow burner.
We rolled the dice with him at centre-half and he's been brilliant. I don't give out contracts for charity or romance, I have to make it on what I see and I think his performances have been excellent.
I like him as a bloke I think he's brilliant and I like him as a player, I like the way he looks after himself and takes information on. I like him in this team.
He's a real solid citizen, always at least a 7/10 and I'm really pleased he's stayed - it wasn't a difficult decision.
On how pre-season will look...
I'll join in with some of the running! I enjoy running with the team in pre-season because if they finish behind me, they haven't got a career!
They need to be pushed. Collectively, we need to be 10% better because we were just that short this season. If we can be 10% better we'll give ourselves a right good chance.
I am looking forward to not only the physical part but the mental part with all the meetings. The difference with a pre-season camp is that they have nowhere to be and nothing else to do other than moan that their legs hurt.
The other thing I like about pre-season is that you bond friendships and understandings with people.
All the lads will know more about each other, have more care for each other and hopefully that might be the extra 1% we need that could get us over the line.
I love pre-season, that's the short version!
