"Disappointed" - Derby County fan pundit issues assessment of 2023

HIGHLIGHTS
– Promotion Secured: Derby County achieved Championship promotion following a late-season surge under manager Paul Warne.
– Defender’s Redemption: Defender Sonny Bradley initially underwhelmed fans but redeemed himself with promising late-season performances.
– Key Leadership: Despite a rocky start, Bradley’s experience and leadership will be crucial for the Rams next season.

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings, and more.

Derby County is preparing for life back in the Championship after winning promotion from League One.

The Rams had an inconsistent start to the season, leading some supporters to call for manager Paul Warne’s dismissal. However, a significant improvement in the second half of the campaign made them strong contenders for automatic promotion.

A six-game unbeaten run, including three consecutive victories in their final three games, secured Derby second place behind champions Portsmouth. They will return to the second tier next season after a two-year absence.

League One standings 2023/24
	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Portsmouth (C)	46	37	97
2	Derby County (P)	46	41	92
3	Bolton Wanderers	46	35	87
4	Peterborough United	46	28	84
5	Oxford United	46	23	77
6	Barnsley	46	18	76
7	Lincoln City	46	25	74
8	Blackpool	46	17	73

There is no doubt the Rams will need to strengthen this summer in order to be competitive in the Championship, but Warne is likely to be backed by owner David Clowes, and reducing the average age of the squad will be a priority over the coming months.

Derby County fan pundit names most underwhelming player

FLW’s Derby County fan pundit Shaun Woodward says that while he had a good end to the season, defender Sonny Bradley was the player that underwhelmed him the most this campaign.

The Rams signed Bradley on a free transfer from Luton Town in the summer, and it was seen as a big coup for the club to convince him to drop down to League One, particularly considering he had just won promotion to the Premier League with the Hatters.

Bradley scored three goals and provided one assist in 41 appearances in all competitions this season, but he put in some unconvincing performances at times, and Shaun admits he has been disappointed by the 32-year-old.

“For me, the one player that was underwhelming was Sonny Bradley,” Shaun said.

“I think he had a good end to the season, which I’m really pleased about because he started to show a bit of the form that we thought he would bring to the club.

“But the first three quarters of the season when he played, he looked like a rabbit in the headlights, and he looked scared to be playing at Pride Park.

“It didn’t start well for him in the first game against Wigan with a poor backpass that led to a goal, and he never really seemed to recover from that.

“He came in like he was going to be our leader, he’s got a lot of Championship and League One experience and he’s got teams promoted, and I really thought he’d be the player that dragged us through the tough times.

“But, if anything, he really went the other way, and it was the likes of Cashin and Nelson that had to step up and take over from him, so I was really disappointed.

“But he had a good end to the season, and he started to show what we thought we were going to get when we first signed him, so hopefully that bodes well for next season, especially if we play three at the back.”

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