مدير عام كرة القدم
- Hislop concerned about Derby Championship struggles
- Gomez ranks Agyemang among top five USMNT strikers
- Championship represents development step above MLS
In the wake of Patrick Agyemang’s recent transfer from Charlotte FC to Derby County, analyst Shaka Hislop suggested the club’s precarious league position might create challenging circumstances for a developing player.
“I’m a little uncertain, and I say this because of the club that he’s joining in Derby County,” Hislop said on the Futbol Americas podcast. “Now Agyemang, you know what you’re getting, it is exactly what as it says on the box. Big striker, can hold the ball up and again. Talking about a player who needs who needs to tidy upon his finishing, Agyemang is exactly that. For all he does, I don’t think he’s clinical enough in and around the box.
“But get this opportunity – and I think his numbers of Charlotte kind of stand that up. His performance for the U.S men’s national team stand that up. Now, to get this opportunity at Derby… who fall into that middle bracket, Derby are a team that just about survived the Championship.”
Hislop acknowledged that Agyemang’s playing style appears to lean into Derby’s team tactics, although he may need to do more in certain areas.
“You know what you’re going to get from them,” Hislop added. “They’re going to be physical, they’re going to make life difficult for you. Set pieces are going to be key. Agyemang just kind of leans into exactly that. Big, strong striker, needs to needs to be physical, needs to be aggressive, needs to be a little bit dirty – certainly a whole lot more than than we’ve seen at the very least in the USMNT shirt.
“And again, I think needs to tidy up on his finishing. But certainly in terms of personality, in terms of who he is as a player and what I expect how out of Derby in terms of stylistically. It’s a good match but he needs to get the numbers at least to see Derby stay clear of any relegation issues as they had last season.”
Herculez Gomez offered a more optimistic assessment.
“I think it’s a great move going to the Championship,” Gomez said. “Patrick Agyemang, he’s very true to who he is. And you see the trajectory it makes sense. This is a guy that’s defied the odds, you know? D3 soccer player made his way to MLS, breaks down the first couple years, gets an opportunity with the U.S national stream, albeit, whatever type of competition it was, start scoring goals for them….
“He’s a player that played injured in a Gold Cup when most players didn’t even want to show up for the Gold Cup. He’s sitting there with the hernia, playing injured, which limits his mobility, and he was still a handful… It’s a good place for him to hone his skills for him to learn what it’s about to keep developing.”
The former USMNT striker emphasized that the Championship is better than MLS and a step in the right direction for Agyemang, who has hopes of making the USMNT’s كأس العالم roster.
“Do I think he’s the out and out nine right now for the USMNT? Absolutely not,” Gomez said. “Is he in that top three? Probably not. Is he in that four spot, five spot? Yeah, I think so. And if you’re in that four or five spot with the way these top three have not played, you got yourself a realistic opportunity to make a World Cup team.
“And if you can give yourself an opportunity, make a World Cup team and continue your development in a very competitive League and really, really sharpen those teeth, he’s got just as much of a chance as any nine of making that World Cup team.”
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Patrick Agyemang left the MLS, signing for Championship side Derby County in a move worth $8 million for his former team, Charlotte FC.
Agyemang must establish himself at Derby County, while contributing meaningful offensive production to a team battling relegation concerns ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
