Derby County have signed 28 year old midfielder Ebou Adams on loan from Cardiff City. What can Adams bring to The Rams? We spoke with Three Little Birds, ACE Podcast Nation and Glen Williams from Wales Online to find out!
Derby have signed midfielder Ebou Adams. What do you make of it?
Three Little Birds: I think it’s a move that just makes sense. With Adams needing more consistent minutes and Derby needing some quality reinforcements, there’s no reason he couldn’t be part of a title push.
ACE Podcast Nation: I think it's a good move for him. He's not played much for Cardiff and doesn't look to be in managers plans.
Glen Williams: I think it's a good move for Ebou. He had a torrid first season with injuries and needs to go out and get some games, he's in the prime of his career.
What can we expect from him?
Three Little Birds: He’s a hard worker in the middle. I wouldn’t expect a lot of flair or technical prowess, but he’ll do a job for you. He has the attributes of a great ball-winner at League One level.
ACE Podcast Nation: I quite like him he's aggressive and strong. Decent defensively and has a really good attitude. He's never thrown toys out of pram or caused an issue. He can play CDM or centre-back, so he gives you a bit of versatility as well.
Glen Williams: I've not seen a great deal of him, but he has bags of energy and is very athletic. He will get about the park no problem.
Adams has only made 13 appearances this season. Why is that?
Three Little Birds: He was injured for most of last season with a torn pectoral muscle - a freak injury. This season, we’ve added international players to our ranks, so he hasn’t had a look-in really. A loan is best for all parties.
ACE Podcast Nation: The new manager bought in Emmanouil Siopis (who bought his contract out to join the manager) so it's been very difficult to find a way into the midfield. He's played in defense now and again.
Glen Williams: His first season was written off due to a pectoral muscle tear he suffered in pre-season. He then underwent surgery on his knee last January and that essentially ruled him out for the season.
Is this move about getting Adams matches or putting him in the shop window for summer? Does Adams have a future at Cardiff?
Three Little Birds: Probably a bit of both. He’s a handy squad player to have at Championship level, but he’ll probably look for pastures new in summer. I’d imagine Cardiff will be looking to aim a bit higher as well.
ACE Podcast Nation: In my opinion, he's not quite up to the level Cardiff are looking to build and progress to now. I think he can be a really good defensive midfielder in League One but may struggle to make the jump up to Championship.
Glen Williams: It's hard to tell at the moment but I wouldn't rule anything out. I'm sure if he ripped it up at Derby then Cardiff would be more than happy to welcome him back with open arms.
I’ve read a bit about his injury history. What’s his history with injuries been? Is he ready to “hit the ground running” with The Rams?
Three Little Birds: As I said, he had a freak injury last year that kept him out for a ridiculous amount of time. However, I’m sure his injury record before joining us was minimal. If he stays fit, he’ll start every week in League One.
ACE Podcast Nation: I would say it may take him one or two games to get match fit as he hasn't played many minutes at all for Cardiff recently and only played once in AFCON as he got sent off.
Glen Williams: He's been fully fit this season, just hasn't had a look-in due to others being in front of him in the pecking order.
What are his strengths? His weaknesses?
Three Little Birds: He’s tall and can win the ball with ease, however, he seems to be a bit clunky at times. If you’re looking for a playmaker, he’s certainly the opposite.
ACE Podcast Nation: His biggest strengths are his defensive traits. He's aggressive and strong but also reads interceptions well. I believe he's bit better on the ball than some give him credit for but in the same way he probably won't be dictating games in midfield. Fitness is gonna be an issue but once he's up to speed if he stays fit he should be well suited to League One and Derby.
Glen Williams: It's difficult to say - as you've already stated he's only played 13 times - but he's athletic. He hares around the place and can be physical when he wants to be. Weaknesses? Difficult to pinpoint. Cardiff needed to see more quality from him going forward in an ideal world, but again it's been a small sample size.
What other elements to his game are there?
Three Little Birds: At Cardiff, we’ve only seen glimpses, but he seems like a very hard worker and would run through walls for the right manager.
What type of midfielder is Adams? Box to box? Creative? Defensively minded?
Three Little Birds: Definitely defensive-minded, but will probably be deployed as a box-to-box figure alongside someone like Max Bird or Conor Hourihane.
ACE Podcast Nation: Most effective as a defensive midfielder or a centre-back. He played quite well in EFL Cup as a centre-back in 3-5-2. For Gambia I've noticed he ventures further forward in a box to box role. He has a lot of the attributes to do that well if he can put it all together and stay fit.
Glen Williams: He is definitely box-to-box. That's what Cardiff thought they were getting when they bought him in the summer of 2022, anyway. It'll be interesting to see if he adds to the creative side of his game at Pride Park.
Do you think Adams can be good player in League One for Derby?
Three Little Birds: I think so. If you guys won promotion, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make the move permanent. We signed him for free, so doubt the fee would command a high figure either.
ACE Podcast Nation: If Derby lose one of their holding midfielders, I believe there's been rumours of a Hull move for one of them, then Ebou Adams is good fit for Derby. If Derby retain their first choice holding midfielders then I think he's a strong utility player that can play a range of positions off bench or when injuries come about. However I think League One is the level that he can really show his abilities. I think he has a lot to offer if he's fit and sharp.
Glen Williams: He smashed it in League Two. He looked OK in the fleeting appearances I've seen of him at Championship level, so there's no reason he can't be a hit in League One.
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