As 2023 draws to an end, the January transfer window will soon be open for business.
It is a time for clubs to reassess their squads to determine whether a piece is missing from the puzzle of promotion or avoiding relegation.
On the other hand, prized assets may be set to leave, especially if their contracts are ending.
This is precisely the case with Derby’s highly regarded centre-back, Eiran Cashin.
At only 22 years of age, the defender has yet to sign a contract extension; it has been reported that numerous EFL Championship sides and Premier League outfits, including West Ham and Brighton, are showing interest.
In this tactical analysis and scout report, we will assess Cashin’s importance at Pride Park and explain why he is in such high demand.
Furthermore, our analysis will also evaluate potential transfer options to replace the defender and how such potential new arrivals would fit into Derby’s tactics.
Eiran Cashin Style Of Play
A product of the Derby youth system, Cashin first broke into the first team in 2021, when the Rams were still playing in England’s second tier.
Since Derby’s relegation to League One, Cashin has been virtually an ever-present at the back.
He is regarded as a luxury because he is a left-sided centre-back.
However, he has been known to occupy the right-hand side of the central figures in a back four or even operate in a back three.
For the majority of this campaign, he has featured in the heart of a back four with the more experienced Curtis Nelson.
The Derby backline boasts one of the best defences in the division, and Paul Warne’s side is within the playoff positions.
Derby have only conceded 17 goals so far this season.
Only league leaders Portsmouth have conceded fewer.
With such a strong defence, it is not surprising that Cashin is ranked highly compared to his peers in League One this season.
Eiran Cashin Radar Chart
The pizza plot shows Cashin is within the 84th percentile for percentage of defensive duels won and within the top 10% for defensive positioning when compared to other left-sided centre-backs in the division.
Paolo Maldini once said, “If I have to make a tackle, then I’ve already made a mistake”.
Cashin’s strong defensive positioning ensures he is a strong reader of the game, as evidenced by his ability to intercept the ball successfully.
As Fleetwood plays the ball forward, Cashin breaks away from the backline to intercept the pass.
His quick thinking enables his side to counter, as seen below.
Cashin’s interception falls into the path of Max Bird, who can then instigate an attack.
This quick turnover in possession suits Derby under Warne, who prefers a more direct approach.
Moreover, Warne’s side have a tendency to attack at such speed, averaging 2.05m/s, second only to Stevenage in the league this campaign.
The 22-year-old is one of the strongest interceptors in the league, averaging 6.14 interceptions per 90.
This value ensures he ranks fourth in the division for interceptions per 90 among all centre-backs and top for left-sided centre-backs.
His strong reading of the game has also benefited Derby in defending set pieces.
Cashin is often the first to defend corners like the one above, as he ranks in the 65th percentile.
Subsequently, Derby have only conceded five goals from set plays in the division this season.
Only five teams have conceded fewer.
He is also a strong tackler, averaging 2.09 tackles per 90.
In the above example, Cashin does not appear to be the initial favourite for possession, yet he manages to get back in time to win the tackle and prevent the opposition from crossing.
The images suggest a calmness to his game, as he doesn’t panic when making last-ditch tackles.
His composure in matches is equally evident when he is in possession of the ball.
The previous pizza plot showed that Cashin ranks in the 76th percentile for dribbles per 90.
He is comfortable in possession, and he will advance from outside his own half to aid Derby’s transitions into the more advanced areas of the pitch.
He has proved adaptable throughout his Derby career, having played more possession-based football under Liam Rosenior compared to the direct style implemented by Warne.
His possession qualities are evident in his passing.
Cashin is an important figure in aiding Derby’s direct attacking style.
He has excellent vision and passing ability, enabling him to pick out difficult long switches, as seen above.
When making passes like the one above, he often looks to assess his options before carefully playing the ball forward.
He rarely panics in playing the ball long and looks to add variety by also picking out passes down the channels.
Although the Wycombe defender intercepts in the example below, it shows the defender’s vision to try to pick out such a pass.
The defender’s 48% long pass accuracy and 83.1% overall pass accuracy demonstrate his comfort in possession.
Whilst he could still improve in making more dangerous passes forward and his aerial ability, it is not hard to see why he is attracting interest from numerous clubs.
Derby’s financial struggles have been well-documented over the past few years, but the Rams may use any funds they could gain from the defender’s sale to find a replacement for Cashin.
But who could replace him at Pride Park?
Nelson Abbey Scouting Report
At only 20 years of age, Nelson Abbey was recently made Reading‘s captain.
Although the Royals are currently struggling at the wrong end of League One at present, Abbey is considered a player with enormous potential.
Despite Reading’s struggles, Abbey still ranks in the 80th percentile for percentage of defensive duels won compared to other left-sided centre-backs in League One this season.
Like Cashin, he has shown he does not panic when out of possession.
As Charlton have the ball, they have a numerical advantage over Reading, with Abbey as the last defender.
Charlton are unable to take advantage of the strength in numbers, though, as Abbey reads the situation well to get in front of the attacker to win the ball.
This particular case also shows his strength.
A further attribute of the young defender is his pace.
The above images show that Abbey was not the favourite for the ball, considering his position compared to his opponent.
However, he uses his speed to time the tackle to win possession successfully.
Abbey also ensures the ball does not go out of play and advances with it.
Abbey is not known for his attacking skills, but dribbling is undoubtedly one of his strongest attributes.
The 20-year-old is, however, very comfortable in possession and currently outranks Cashin for dangerous passes per 90.
The Reading defender also has a similar passing range to Cashin.
The graphic shows that both players have tended to play long diagonal progressive passes down the left-hand channel this season.
Abbey has a similar level of long pass accuracy at 40.6%; overall, he has an 81.1% pass accuracy.
Evidence suggests that Abbey’s passing range is well-suited to Derby’s play.
It is noticeable that Abbey is also more successful than Cashin at playing progressive passes into the penalty area.
At such a young age, there is potential in the Reading defender.
A move to Derby could benefit his career by playing alongside a more senior figure in Nelson.
Moreover, Derby have the oldest squad in the division, and if they were to sell Cashin, that average age would increase.
It may be worth their while to inject some youth into their team with the acquisition of Abbey.
Tristan Crama Scouting Report
French defender Tristan Crama is currently on loan at Bristol Rovers from Brentford.
His current situation may make a move challenging to negotiate in this January window.
Still, there could be scope in the summer window, mainly if Derby were to clinch promotion.
Crama initially started his playing career as a defensive midfielder but has since moved to centre-back.
He has impressed in the role whilst on loan at Bristol Rovers.
The radar chart shows the striking similarities between Cashin and Crama.
Moreover, Crama’s performances this season have surpassed those of Cashin’s in some departments.
Having started his career at Béziers, Crama, like Cashin, has operated in either a back four or back three, thus highlighting his defensive flexibility.
The Frenchman has won slightly more defensive duels than the current Derby defender, at a rate of 65.1%. Interestingly, Crama is much stronger in the air.
The current Bristol Rovers loanee has won 64.5% of his aerial duels compared to 59.8% that Cashin has won.
A further quality of Crama’s is his ability to block efforts.
The graphic shows that Crama has blocked efforts with higher expected goal values, suggesting his desire to work hard for his team.
The previous radar chart showed that Crama has a stronger overall possession-based game than Cashin.
This is unsurprising, given his previous role in midfield.
Like Cashin, Crama aims to play long, diagonal, progressive passes.
In this campaign, his long pass accuracy has been 48.9%, which is marginally better than that of the Rams defender.
In further parallels to Cashin, Crama is also a good reader of the game, as illustrated in the example below.
As the pass is played forward, the Frenchman successfully intercepts as the opposition looks to play a through ball.
This is reminiscent of the movement previously observed in an example of Cashin.
It seems that Crama would certainly be capable of aiding in Derby’s direct attacking style.
Furthermore, Crama could add an additional attacking dimension due to his tendency to complete more dangerous passes per 90 than Cashin.
It is not difficult to see why Brentford regards Crama highly, and he recently signed a new deal with the West London side.
However, Derby is currently in sixth position, only four points from the automatic places, so there is every chance it could play Championship football next season.
Brentford could, therefore, be open to Crama departing for another loan in the summer.
While Crama may not represent an immediate solution for Derby, it could still be worthwhile to inquire about the Frenchman.
Alex Bannon Scouting Report
Alex Bannon from Queens Park Academy is currently playing in the Scottish Championship.
He mainly operates at right centre-back but has played across the back four.
Although in the tier below and with results not going Queens Park’s way, 20-year-old Bannon is showing much promise.
Although his attacking credentials are not as strong as Cashin’s this season, Bannon is showing signs of a strong defensive and possession game.
Considering the central role of a defender is to defend, the youngster is doing just that, as he ranks highly for the percentage of defensive duels won this season.
As the opposition goes towards the goal, Bannon is the last defender but times his tackle to halt the attack.
Much like the calmness of Cashin, the youngster did not panic and showed composure to regain possession for his side.
Regarding Bannon’s passing range, his long pass accuracy is 52.6%, better than Cashin’s 48%.
The 20-year-old has also been known to switch the play like the Derby defender.
In the above still, the young Scotsman was calm in assessing his options and showed his ability to complete the same type of pass that Cashin looks to make.
Despite Bannon’s less experience on the left-hand side in the heart of defence, his contract expiring in May 2024 could certainly be worth a punt.
Conclusion
In this scout report, we have shown the importance of Cashin to Derby.
His defensive displays, where his main strength lies in reading the game to intercept passes successfully, have been crucial to Derby’s solid backline this campaign.
Moreover, his passing credentials fit into Warne’s direct style of play.
It is easy to see why he is in demand.
The quality of the defender will be challenging to replace, but we have identified some options.
Investing in youth would seem a good option for the Rams, but will they opt for an individual who knows the division or take a punt on an unknown?
We might find out in January.
