“It might not be popular” - Derby County urged to make double player decision | OneFootball

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

Derby County are on the cusp of returning to the Championship after a 1-0 victory at Cambridge last time out means they just need one point to guarantee promotion.

Pleasingly for Paul Warne’s side, they couldn’t have asked for a better final day fixture, as they welcome Carlisle United to Pride Park, with the Cumbrians bottom of the table and already relegated after enduring a miserable season.

Rivals Bolton are in action at fourth-placed Peterborough, knowing they need to win, Derby must lose, and there needs to be a four-goal swing for the Trotters to go up in the top two.

Derby County’s summer plans

You can be sure that Warne, the players and the staff won’t be looking beyond the game this weekend, but it’s natural for some fans to look ahead.

And, there are some big decisions awaiting Derby if they do seal a return to the second tier, most notably with the current squad, as several members see their contracts expire in the coming months.

Conor Hourihane and Dwight Gayle are among the players in that situation, and it will be intriguing to see whether they are offered short-term extensions.

Midfielder Hourihane has featured regularly this season, making 40 appearances, although the 33-year-old has lost his place in the XI in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, striker Gayle has had a much more limited impact, as he only signed a short-term deal earlier this year, and he has turned out just six times for the Rams. However, he did impress, scoring three goals in that period before injury hit.

Derby County urged to keep experienced duo

Therefore, whether Derby should keep the pair is a divisive topic, but fan pundit Shaun explained to FLW how the team can continue to benefit from the know-how that Hourihane and Gayle bring, whilst he also talked up their influence in the dressing room as he urged the club to keep them around.

“It might not be popular with a lot of our fans but I would personally give Hourihane another year because I think he would suit the Championship far more than League One.

“He’s a ball-playing central midfielder, and physicality isn’t his main attribute, which League One is about as it’s brutal. In the Championship, especially at home, I think he will get more time on the ball, and I think he could help us in certain games.

“He would need to be happy being a bit-part player though, as I don’t think he will be a starter, as he had been. So, for me, I’d give him another year, he brings experience and he can help the younger lads in the dressing room.

“Plus, at times, when you need some game management, he would be valuable to the team.

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“He looked really sharp for us when he was fit. If the medical staff believe that this injury isn’t going to keep recurring, and that they can get him fit for pre-season, I’d give him another year.

“He looked clever, he looked far too good for League One. Yes, he hasn’t got the pace he once had, but I do believe he’s got another year in him at Championship level, so I would give them both a one-year contract, definitely.”

Hourihane and Gayle have plenty of Championship experience under their belt, with the Irishman having won promotion from this level with Aston Villa in the past, and Gayle has achieved the same feat with Newcastle United.