Wants To Bully People – Derby County Star Excites Former Rams Man | OneFootball

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Former Derby County star Shaun Barker has expressed his optimism about summer signing Patrick Agyemang, who he believes has the ability to bully people.

The Rams paid a fee close to £5.9m to sign the 24-year-old forward from MLS club Charlotte FC, with approximately another £1.5m to be paid in performance-based add-ons.

Despite missing the first few games through injury, Agyemang is quickly finding his rhythm and scored his first goal of the campaign against Southampton at the weekend in a 1-1 draw.

Derby boss John Eustace has expressed his excitement about the striker, though he feels he still needs to learn about the Championship.

Barker also believes that Agyemang has the ingredients to become a successful goalscorer for the Rams.

Praising the player for his all-round athletic ability, the 43-year-old insisted that once his match fitness improves and once his team-mates realise what he is capable of, Agyemang’s impact in games will be felt even more.

“He has got an all-round athletic ability”, Barker said on Rams TV (7.18).

“His attributes aren’t just he is a big boy that you have to find in the box.

“I think he can run the channels really well and I think the fitter he becomes and the more the players understand what he is capable of, he will get into opportunities based with running beyond.”

Picking the Southampton game for reference, Barker added: “The chance that Carlton Morris set him up, again, running on the shoulder, using his pace.

“Should have gone across the ‘keeper, should have potentially got his second of the game.”

Barker believes that Agyemang is someone that centre-backs will not want to face and admits that he sees the striker as wanting to bully opponents.

“But he is a handful and centre-halves don’t like dealing with handfuls.

“If you drop into a little bit of space sometimes it is easy to go tight.

“But he is looking to stretch it, he wants to go short, he is reliable on the floor and wants to kind of bully people with the ball at his feet.

“He is comfortable in the air.”

“So, working out his attributes, working out the most of how to get goals and it looks like he is going to get goals this season.”

The 1-1 draw against Southampton at the weekend was Derby’s third in a row and Eustace desperately needs to add to their one win so far.

A trip to Oxford United after the international break will provide an opportunity to do that.