Derby County have signed Elliot Embelton on loan from Championship side Sunderland. The 24 year old midfielder played 24 times for Sunderland last season before getting injured in December. What can Embleton bring to The Rams? We spoke with The Roker Report to find out!
Derby have signed Elliot Embleton on loan. What do you make of it?
I think it’s a good move for Embo. I like him but there’s no getting away from the fact he needs to be playing games, and given he’s so far down the pecking order at Sunderland that seems unlikely. He’s shown he can play at League One level before as he’s been promoted twice out of that division (With Sunderland and Blackpool), so it’s just a case of him getting on the pitch and used to playing again.
He played 24 times last season for Sunderland? Why are they looking to loan him out?
Well, he’s been injured since December last year. He made the bench for the first time on Saturday against Coventry which is the first time he’s been near a squad since he picked that injury up, so it’s fair to say that now that he’s fit that he needs to be playing regular football. We have better players in his position, so his playing time isn’t guaranteed at Sunderland.
Is there a future for him at Sunderland? Or is this a move to potentially put him in the shop window?
I’m not convinced that there’s much of a future for him. We’ve moved on a fair bit since he got injured and, in truth, I don’t think he was overly convincing before it. That’s not his fault really as he’s been out injured for so long, but we have some good technical midfielders already so I doubt his presence will be missed much here.
We’ve read and heard a bit about his injury(s). Can you elaborate a bit more on what injury(s), he sustained?
He went in for a 50/50 against Hull last season and broke his ankle and damaged the ligaments. That was in December 2022, and he hasn’t kicked a ball since.
What are his strengths?
He’s technically very good. He’s genuinely two footed, in that his left foot is as good as his right… I don’t think either of them are stronger than the other. You’ll see this when he’s taking corners and free kicks with different feet. It’s freakish.
What are his weaknesses?
He’s not a great tackler, he’s not very big and not particularly quick. But given that he’s an attacking midfielder, I doubt that really matters much. Surrounding him with players that will do all the donkey work is probably the key to getting around those issues.
What type of midfielder is he? Box to box? Creative? Defensive minded?
Certainly creative. He can play as a ten, out wide or even as a centre mid. We’ve seen him in all of those positions at Sunderland. At Blackpool when they got promoted he played mostly as a left midfielder, but I think he’s probably more of a ten long term.
What other elements to his game are there?
He likes a shot from range so expect goals and assists. Not ridiculous numbers, but he’ll contribute.
Do you think Embleton can be a good player for Derby in League One?
I certainly do. I think patience is key, though. He’s going to need a month or so just to get back up to speed and fit. Once he’s fit, well we’ve seen he can do it in League One as he’s got two promotions on his CV, including a goal in our play off final win against Wycombe (thanks to a kind assist from David Stockdale, but still). If it doesn’t work out, well it was only a loan so no harm done for Derby!
Comments