Derby County would have felt considerably dejected when the switch window slammed shut, the Rams not fairly capable of get a deal over the road for a brand-new striker addition.
Paul Warne was eager on including Michael Smith to his ranks alongside fellow Sheffield Wednesday attacker Lee Gregory, however neither deal occurred with Derby now simply specializing in attaining promotion out of League One after an up-and-down window.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing would bag Derby’s solely purpose of the sport on the weekend as Warne’s males brushed apart Charlton Athletic 1-0, the skilled attacker beginning as a makeshift striker to assist the Rams neglect about their switch woes for now.
This might properly work within the short-term, however wanting in the direction of what lies forward sooner or later, the third-tier promotion candidates might properly stumble throughout their very personal Smith within the type of 18-year-old homegrown prospect Dajaune Brown.
Dajaune Brown’s statistics at youth degree
Loaned out to Gateshead in January to allow Brown to chop his tooth in senior soccer, everybody at Pleasure Park may have their fingers crossed that the Rams teenager can set the world alight within the Nationwide League very like he has within the youth set-up at Derby.
Brown has netted 21 targets for each the U18s and U21s from simply 35 appearances, resulting in Warne sometimes giving the wide-eyed teenager first-team minutes right here and there off the again of such goalscoring exploits.
Earlier than relocating to Gateshead in a mortgage change that may hopefully be formative for the starlet, Brown had bagged six targets from simply 9 Premier League 2 begins together with discovering the again of the web twice towards Manchester Metropolis U21s.
When thrown into the deep finish by Warne towards Northampton City final 12 months, assistant head coach Richie Barker waxed lyrical in regards to the “good” attacker with these at Pleasure Park anticipating Brown to have a particularly brilliant future.
It is a tall order for Brown to immediately are available in and make a distinction for a crew sitting fairly close to the highest of League One at present, but when given time to flourish, the breakout Rams star might properly change into as essential as Smith has been up to now for Warne.
Brown turning into the subsequent Smith
Each Smith and Warne would’ve been gutted that no harmonious reunion occurred within the window, the veteran Owls striker essential to the a number of Rotherham sides assembled by Warne that clinched promotion to the Championship.
Throughout Warne’s last promotion season in South Yorkshire, Smith discovered the again of the web 18 occasions with the Millers going up routinely because of this.
Derby would have hoped Smith might are available in and play that function of a prolific sharpshooter to fireside the Rams to automated promotion within the current, however no such transfer would ever recover from the road.
This might be a blessing in disguise, with the League One facet needing to look in the direction of freshening their facet up sooner or later with the variety of ageing figures of their lineup.
With James Collins probably declining quickly at 33 years of age – regardless of bagging 18 targets in all competitions this marketing campaign to date – Derby will maintain out hope that Brown can reside as much as his hype and change into a reliable first-teamer when the time is correct.
Warne will hope failing to recruit one other striker would not come again to chunk his Rams facet of their short-term aspirations of profitable promotion, however the bold League One crew might properly have their subsequent lethal attacker ready within the wings to make an impression quickly in Brown.
