Head Coach Paul Warne is looking to get the full focus back to the football now that the transfer window has concluded and believes his Derby County players are 'right up for it' ahead of Saturday's trip to Charlton Athletic (3pm kick-off).
The Rams are looking to build on last week's 2-1 home victory over Cheltenham Town when they travel to London to face the Addicks for the first time in the 2023/24 campaign.
Speaking to RamsTV ahead of the trip to Charlton, Warne spoke about the past month's business, Eiran Cashin's new deal, Max Bird joining Bristol City, the signing of Ebou Adams and previewed the match with the Addicks.
On the transfer window...
I am really satisfied, to be honest. We went into the window wanting to keep our best players. I alluded to the fact that I wanted to strengthen the front line and keep our best players at the club. I thought if we could keep the group together, that would be imperative. We’ve been trying for weeks and months to try and convince Eiran Cashin and Max Bird to stay and it became apparent that this would be Birdy’s last season with us. It wasn’t a financial thing, he just wanted a different challenge and I get that. In consequence to that we ended up selling him to Bristol City for the money we wanted, plus we loaned him back so we haven’t lost out; that’s a win-win situation.
To convince Cash to stay is credit to everyone at the football club, so that’s great news. We wanted to strengthen the front line. We were always after Corey Blackett-Taylor, I was after him in the summer so to get him in the building was a massive coup for us. We wanted some meat in the middle of the pitch and a bit of pace and Ebou ADams was a player I’ve tried to sign before. Then it was just about trying to strengthen that front line. I didn’t want to go into the next few games without something else up top, so that’s the only disappointment. Pretty much all the transfers this window, I would say 95% were done in the last two days. We spoke to two Premier League clubs about their young strikers and both chose us as their first choice, but because they didn’t get a player in and as a result they couldn’t release the ones we wanted. I had my eye on a Championship striker that I really liked and I felt would have definitely improved us; the lad wanted to come and everything was in place but at the eleventh hour the manager pulled it and decided he wanted to keep him at the club.
Unfortunately, that’s always the problem with this window and I have no issue with the manager pulling it because I’d have done the same if I felt it was right for us. All in all, I felt the window went well but you always leave a window thinking what if, every club will. We did everything we could to improve the squad and we’ve added two bits of quality. I’m really happy with that.
On Eiran Cashin's new deal...
It's been really difficult period for Cash and it's been really difficult for me to speak openly about it. It's been going on for a long time now and to have a Premier League club come for you is something else. We have turned down very good offers for Cash but it's very difficult when big clubs come calling. I thought it effected him at the start of the season but he got himself back into form and him and Curtis Nelson are probably our two best players this season, they are so consistent.
The fact we've convinced him, his advisors and his family to stay is brilliant. The deal is very handsome and it awards him for how good he has been. However, it also doesn't mean he's here for the next four years. Just because he's on a better deal, it doesn't mean someone won't come in and tempt him away again, but at the moment he's been rewarded for what he's done and what he's doing. It gives us more security and potentially he could be here for a long period of time. The way he's behaved over this period of time as well has been amazing. If he was my son, I'd be very proud with how he's conducted himself.
On Ebou Adams joining the club...
I really like him. I spoke to Kane Wilson and he was unbelievable in that Forest Green Rovers side that won League Two a few years ago. I've always kept an eye on him. I just wanted someone who could get around the pitch, put a foot in and can play. He can play as a six or an eight and he's just a brilliant addition to the group. You want players that want to play for the football club and are just good people, I think good people bring success.
On the squad for Saturday...
It's the strongest bench I've seen for us in League One. We've got quite a number of players back. It's the strongest looking squad we've put out for many weeks.
On getting back to the football...
The lads are right up for it and, as always, it won't be plain sailing but we've put ourselves in a good position to compete and that's all we can do.
