Key Lower League Transfers - Part 1

June 9, 2008 by Rob Scanlon

Despite Euro 2008 being the major event this summer, England’s failure to qualify means a lot of focus will be on the domestic game and its clubs. A lot of the teams in the leagues below the Premier League have already carried out a number of transfer deals, so in this first edition of a regular weekly segment, CLD Sport will examine the major transfer exchanges and how they might have a bearing on the forthcoming campaign.

The Championship.

Player- Rob Earnshaw
Clubs- Derby County > Nottingham Forest
Fee- £2.65 Million.

Review- The 27 year old has always been a prolific scorer at Championship level for Cardiff and Norwich and will have another go at it this term with newly promoted Forest. Derby and Forest seem to be swapping squads at the moment, and Earnshaw is probably the most high profile signature to date. He should claim a regular starting role which is important, and will want to justify a hefty fee and no doubt sizeable wages. Some managers clearly don’t rate the Welshman, with suspicions over an attitude problem often surfacing. John Toshack will not pick him for the National side, even selecting two Wrexham players for the recent friendly defeat to Holland. ‘Earnie’ is a proud Dragon however, and will want to prove Toshack wrong as Wales move towards the World Cup qualifying matches. The striker has been purchased for a total of more than £13 million during his career- more than Cristiano Ronaldo has cost so far, and doesn’t seem to be able to settle. A big season for the forward, who will hope to silence a lot of his doubters- most notably, John Toshack.

Predicted Impact- Earnshaw will always score plenty at this level with his pace and instinctive finishing. Could easily get Forest 20 goals this season and make sure they achieve at least a mid-table position. Whether this means he regains his International place is very doubtful.

Player- Kris Commons
Clubs- Nottingham Forest > Derby County
Fee- Free Transfer.

Review- The left footed playmaker and free kick specialist was out of contract at the City Ground though was expected to stay. Having made over 150 appearances for Forest since moving from Stoke, the 24 year old swaps places with Earnshaw, guaranteeing plenty of extra spice when the Notts-Derby fixture comes around. Commons, whenever I’ve seen him play, can be a frustrating player, with massive swings in form and confidence. He regularly gets into excellent positions and looks purposeful, only to waste an attack by choosing the wrong option. He is very one footed, though his left foot can be a serious weapon at set-pieces. He has always seemed to be a tad overweight, and fitness concerns have been raised about him but he has managed plenty of appearances in his career so far, so maybe it doesn’t affect him. He could possibly gain an extra yard of pace though should he lose any extra weight, which could mean he might even flourish at a higher level. A very talented player, who still needs a lot of nurturing and tutoring to realise his potential.

Predicted Impact- Difficult to say as Commons hasn’t played in the Championship for some time. Paul Jewell, the Derby manager is delighted at the signing, as he is a player who can certainly change a game in an instant. Considering he is a free transfer, it seems Derby have done a sound piece of business. Needs a good start to the season.

Player- Nathan Ellington
Clubs- Watford > Derby County
Fee- 1 year loan with free transfer at the end.

Review- Another player like Rob Earnshaw who is a proven scorer at Championship level. Paul Jewell says should Ellington play to his best, he could be the best signing of the summer. Having worked with Ellington at Wigan, Jewell knows what ‘The Duke’ is capable of and presumably, how to get the best out of him. A rather tepid last season at Watford (only 4 goals in 34) suggests the 26 year old might benefit from a fresh start with a less direct team. Still has time to play in the Premier League again and increase his value, should he recreate his Wigan form at Pride Park.

Predicted Impact- Could be lethal if he and Kris Commons establish a good understanding. Is a good finisher and should benefit from Commons’ deliveries and Paul Jewell’s management. Will probably score a good few goals in helping Derby to at least a play off place.

Players- Peter Ramage and Radek Cerny
Clubs Newcastle/ Slavia Prague > QPR.
Fees- Free.

Review- Two big Premier League signings from the wealthy Queens Park Rangers. With substantial financial backing, these could be the first of many purchases for Iain Dowie’s side, who want to improve on last season’s 14th place finish. Ramage was nearing 50 starts for Newcastle and was considered a decent prospect, if only a back up. Kevin Keegan, despite barely playing the 24 year old, wanted to keep him but couldn’t guarantee regular football. It is a credit to Ramage that he wanted to seek regular action rather than loitering in the reserves, picking up his wages. Cerny is another impressive signing, having displaced Paul Robinson at one point last season and making 20 starts, producing some agile saves. The signings are a clear statement of intent from the club.

Predicted Impact- These two players should form part of the core of a very strong QPR side this coming season. They certainly won’t be the last players to sign as Iain Dowie aims to take another club up from the Championship. The lure of the capital is a good selling point and QPR can now compete on a wages front with the teams relegated from the Premiership. QPR should be vying for a playoff place at the very least and have made two smart signings already.

Player- Lee Carsley
Clubs- Everton > Birmingham.
Fee- Free.

Review- Could be one of the signings of the summer. Still a consistent performer in the Premiership, it came as something of a surprise when the 34 year old midfielder made the switch to St Andrews, having turned down a new deal at Everton. Family reasons and Alex McLeish’s ambition were cited as reasons for the move and if Carsley’s stamina and work rate remain the same, he should ensure Birmingham go straight back up. This signing could also convince the likes of James McFadden to stay as well, as Birmingham clearly don’t want to hang around in a very strong looking Championship this season. The Republic of Ireland International only missed 5 games of a very successful last season at Everton and thinks Birmingham could match his former team in the near future. With more signings like this and the retention of key players, he may be right.

Predicted Impact- One of the numerous benefits of the parachute payments to relegated clubs is the ability to retain a Premiership style wage budget. Birmingham want a swift return and the coup of Carsley should help this. As long as his years don’t suddenly catch up with him like they did with Neil Lennon for example, the player who turned down the UEFA cup for a trip to Blackpool will be an excellent addition.

Player- Sam Vokes
Clubs- Bournemouth > Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Fee- Undisclosed.

Review- The great escape didn’t quite happen for Bournemouth last season as the points deducted from the club’s administration condemned them to League 2 football next season. Sam Vokes caused plenty of ripples though as Kevin Bond’s side rallied towards the end of the season. Still only 18 years old, the striker was rumoured to be interesting Newcastle at one point but quickly signed for Wolves once the campaign finished. The Welshman scored 12 goals last season and proved himself to be a composed finisher both on the floor and in the air.

Predicted Impact- This is a tricky one. Mick McCarthy has signed 10 strikers since joining the club less than two years ago. 6 of those strikers have moved on, been sent back to their parent club, or been transfer listed. So Vokes will be keen to impress, though he does have time on his side. It is questionable though if he will get many starts in his first season. McCarthy needs to make the play-offs this season or he will probably be sacked and his side need a good start to the season. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and Andy Keogh will probably be the favoured front two still, and Vokes will have to do something special in the cups or when used as a sub to earn a place. This may be a bit of a season of transition for the promising forward.

League 1

Player- Keigan Parker
Clubs- Blackpool > Huddersfield.
Fee- Free.

Review- Huddersfield are a club to look out for this season. A very reasonable season ticket offer (£100 each) means crowds will be big, they have a new manager in Stan Ternant and they have already made good forays into the transfer market. Along with signing the Scunthorpe midfielder Jim Goodwin, they have brought Keigan Parker to the Galpharm stadium this summer. The Scottish forward/attacking midfielder, who scored 16 times when Blackpool went up from League 1, is a pacy and clever player who is still only 25. Limited to only a handful of games last term, he will want to prove himself again at Championship level in the future so must see Huddersfield as promotion candidates. Only 5″7 tall, Parker should combine well with the tall and experienced Andy Booth.

Predicted Impact- Having hit double figures in goals in his last two seasons in League 1, Parker clearly knows how to play at this level. He will want to prove a point to Simon Grayson as well, having only being used sparingly in recent times, prompting the forward to reject a new contract and seek pastures new. After playing an integral part in their play off triumph, Parker may be justified in feeling aggrieved at being on the periphery. He should revel in playing at a good stadium in front of 16,000 + fans this season and I expect his side to make the play offs, if not automatic promotion.

Player- Andy Robinson
Clubs- Swansea City > Leeds United.
Fee- Free

Review- This is a bit of a strange transfer. Stalling on a new deal at Swansea, allegedly Robinson wanted to see if Leeds were promoted via the play-offs before committing to a transfer to Elland Road. The Swansea board said no and set a deadline to decide before Leeds had their play off final game against Doncaster. The winger chose to move, and as we know, Leeds lost 1-0 in the final, consigning them to another year in League 1. Robinson has strongly denied he wanted to wait and see if Leeds got promoted but it hasn’t stopped the Swansea fans voicing their anger at him via the message boards. They know they have lost an excellent player. I commentated on him when playing against Bristol Rovers last season and he was one of the stand out players in a very good Swans side. Pacy, eager to shoot and with a good delivery, Robinson thrives on cutting in from the left flank (though he can play either side) and unleashing shots with his right foot. He scored at a good rate for a winger, with 54 goals in 226 appearances and the Scouser was held in high regard at the Liberty Stadium, with the latest contract offered to him proposing to make him one of the highest paid players ever at the club. He will now have to spend another year in League 1 before maybe returning to face the wrath of the Swansea fans should Leeds go up this coming season.

Predicted Impact- Robinson brings with him the fresh experience of success at League 1 after Swansea’s romp to the title last season. He will continue to thrive in Leeds I’m sure, and really is a championship player. At 28, he still has time to realise that ambition and it is hard to bet against Leeds going one better this season and returning to the 2nd tier of English football. Robinson is a very good player, but won’t have enjoyed the effect of his recent transfer, and must be dreading playing against Swansea in the future.

League 2

Player- Kevin Austin
Clubs- Swansea > Chesterfield.
Fee- Free

Review- It is testament to this 35 year olds durability and quality that Swansea wanted to retain his services for another year in the Championship. With the full back entering probably the final chapter in his career though, he opted for the security of a 2 year contract and in doing so, has given Chesterfield a major boost to their promotion ambitions. He has tasted two promotions with Swansea, and still feels he has plenty to offer to the game before retiring. Having seen him play last season, it is hard to disagree. He had the Bristol Rovers winger in his pocket in their 2-0 win and certainly didn’t look like a 35 year old. He has plenty of lower league experience so the added physicality of League 2 shouldn’t faze him, and will bring plenty of steel to the defence. Should the Spierites hold on to forwards Jack Lester and Jamie Ward, they should have enough quality at both ends of the field to have a good season.

Predicted Impact- The Chesterfield fans will almost certainly take to Austin who is a very popular person in the dressing room and an excellent professional. Roberto Martinez’s glowing endorsement of him speaks volumes, and after just missing out on the play offs last term, the Derbyshire side are clearly looking to make a push for them this coming season. Austin should play a big part in this, providing he continues to stay injury-free.

Check back next week for another update on the important exchanges between clubs below the Premier League. Any thoughts on these transfers? Missed anyone out? Leave a comment, let me know!

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