"Disappointed" - Derby County fan pundit issues assessment of 2023 recruit despite promotion | 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 preparing for life back in the Championship after winning promotion from League One.

The Rams endured an inconsistent start to the season, and some supporters had called for manager Paul Warne to be sacked, but a significant upturn in form in the second half of the campaign saw them emerge as serious automatic promotion contenders.

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

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."

Derby County must keep faith with Sonny Bradley next season

It is understandable why Shaun has been underwhelmed by Bradley at times this season, and the defender himself admitted in November that he was "a little bit frustrated" with his lack of game time.

However, it is testament to Bradley's character that he recovered from those setbacks to establish himself as an integral part of the team in the second half of the season, and he played a crucial role in Derby's promotion.

There are question marks over whether Bradley will be a regular in the Championship, but his experience and leadership qualities will be important in the dressing room during what could be a potentially challenging season, and the Rams must keep him at the club.