With the transfer window set to close next week - fans are asking is if the Rams will add to their playing stocks? Nigel will be asking the same question as despite a great start to the season - is still forced to play the penniless beggar!

News today once again links the club with Martyn Waghorn and the continuing rumours regarding former Derby players Steve Howard and Matt Oakley. But it is no stretch to believe nothing at all will happen and if so - we will be justified to ask what has happened to the promises made pre-season?

It seems that unless Nigel can move on some high wage earners, once again the manager will be forced to settle for loan signings to fill important gaps in his squad.

Tom Glick promised a ‘Director of Football’ figure to be brought into the club to help Nigel in the transfer market; he promised significant funds to be made available to sign players and he promised that fans would be excited by the ‘experienced names’ that would be brought in.

Instead, we have signed out of contract players, players bought on what could be considered as minor fees in today’s market and only one really significant fee in Jason Shackell.

At the same time, the club has off-loaded a couple of players including the sale of Luke Varney which put some money back in the kitty which was from all reports more than the club had expected to make from his sale.

Nigel Clough was positive and looking forward to adding genuine talent at the beginning of the transfer period - but once again seems to be forced to tow the company line in that we must move players out to bring players in.

With all respect to Howard and Oakley, are signings of that type the best we can do to build our squad? Are they the type of signings Nigel would have been targeting when the club rolled out its ‘money back guarantee’?

The time is fast approaching, if it has not already arrived, for us to ask questions of what was promised against what is being delivered. When the window closes shut then that time will have come.

The club has constantly trumpeted their ‘nine new signings’ over the off-season - but really only a couple come even close to the criteria of player that Glick was promising when urging fans to renew their season tickets.

With no disrespect to the players involved, budget buys, out-of-favour players from other clubs and unproven SPL players did not fulfil the criteria set by Tom Glick prior to the 2011/12 season. Besides the fact the team has started like a bull at a gate, the fact is the promises made - remain undelivered to Clough and the fans.

Nigel Clough has worked wonders again this season against the odds, with injury once again taking its toll on the team. Despite the annual club hiccup, Nigel and his team must be applauded as they have dug deep and produced three gutsy league wins.

The thing that we must be mindful of is that last season - although not gathering the same amount of points - started promisingly but fell away mainly because the club sold two of its most important assets.

This sensational start has bought those at the top of the DCFC tree some time - but if results slip, Mr. Glick had better be prepared for backlash on a scale that will make last season’s small rumblings pale in comparison.

Nigel cannont keep setting up the blocks only to not be given the support to finish building - if they are not going to give him the support financially and in administration as promised - are most of us happy to ignore that if because we are winning?

Surely Nigel deserves better.... surely we deserve better. If this start slips through our fingers, I for one wont be blaming Nigel.

If we have to move players on then surely it is likely that a an experienced ‘Director of Football’ with contacts in football would, at the very least, be able to find a loan home for the likes of Bywater, Leacock, Pearson and Martin to assist with the wage bill.

Has no one been appointed because they may actually expect to be given a budget to work with?

Has no one been appointed because they would not just want to dabble in the loan market and instead sign some genuine Championship performers to boost a squad that the manager happily admits, has serious holes that desperately need filling?

Tom Glick told us all he had Nigel’s shopping list and they would be working hard to bring in these players. Why do these signings, that the manager tells the media he needs, seem so hard to deliver, especially when it was promised they would happen, and we were all privy to that promise?

Nigel Clough takes the brunt of the fans anger and if it goes wrong again this season that will happen again - and it will be likely to cost him his job.

This problem needs addressing now and addressing fast before a good start to the season may be wasted and the Rams' lack of depth can be exploited by opponents, as players tire and (heaven forbid) we pick up even more injuries.

Nigel is not perfect but he has done all we can ask of him by delivering four wins from four starts. Even the most optimistic fan would have struggled to honestly predict that!

It is now time for his bosses to deliver on their promises and make sure they give their employee – who constantly takes one for the team (and quite often two or three) – some real help in getting the cattle on the pitch that he requires.

Rams fans are loyal and love their team - but they are not stupid. The time is coming where supporters may have to remind those who hold the purse-strings of that fact!

'Mr. Everywhere' Tom Glick has been very quiet by his standards of late – it makes you start to wonder if something is up behind the scenes… time will tell.

Every club in this league would fall over themselves for the perfect start that Nigel has delivered to DCFC.  If building on a solid foundation does not make sense to the club - then you have to ask - how seriously they want the club to climb the league table?

Does the club need to back Nigel's perfect start with more signings?

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davram added 22:36 - Aug 24 Please note that, given Varney's original fee paid by Varney, his high wages and minimal benefit to the Rams since his addition to the squad, it can hardly be claimed (as you do) that DCFC made a "good profit" on him; please explain! Mr. Glick saw no further than the extra cost of appearance money payable for Varney, and accordingly sacrificed the benefit of an in-form striker to a depleted squad throughout last season, and placed the player in a difficult situation. OK - DCFC now has £750k from Varney's sale that cuts the losses on his ill-judged period here, but at least you do also allude to the removal of other significant wages - Hulse, Commons & Savage. These departures had already facilitated the signing of some of the promised "experienced & proven" players - regardless of what happened to Varney. Your article also gives no credit to any of the incoming players apart from Shackell; Bryson works his socks off for the team, and we await Tyson's fitness to see how his experience and ability will contribute.

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ramdanj added 00:29 - Aug 25 Without getting into a debate Dav the 'profit' from Varney was simply meant in terms of actually making some money from his transfer - it was not meant in the overall scheme of what he was bought for. Sorry if I did not clarify. I understand why he was sold but that whole situation stunk of cloak and dagger and the club not being 100% honest about why he wasn't being played - until VERY late in proceedings. And to say I devalue the current crop of players and their work - as I said they must be applauded. I am only stating that what was promised was not exactly delivered - the fact these players are performing brilliantly does not change that fact. So because we are doing well I cannot point out the fact that the players brought in were not exactly as what we were told we were going to get? I am over the moon with the way the team are putting in and Nigel should be appreciated for his shrewd moves and selections. That does not change the fact he wants a couple more proven players and doesn't seem to be backed by the board after such a great start. I feel you are looking for a debate where there is none - this article is about how the money had to be spent and how much - not attacking individual signings or the players ability - by constantly praising Clough in the article surely that in turn means he has got the best from whom he has brought in? It is also about our as yet undelivered 'director of football' who could have assisted in moving on players and helping free up wages for the players Clough needs. Again not an attack on our chargers on the field. If I wanted to give compliments to the individual players I would write an article about the players and their performance - which has been stunning. This is simply about investment and promised further signings still un-delivered. I have been glowing of the players and their on-field actions in two match reports I have written in the last two weeks. Your aim is slightly off Dav as I agree with your points - yet I feel my article was never alluding to any of the things you are pulling me up on. Hopefully this explanation serves as enough of a 'please explain' but I feel we are on the same side here and you have read between the lines a bit too much :)

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pkay_brum added 01:28 - Aug 25 DJ's well supported in his view that the summer transfer fee is all a bit 'smoke and mirrors', because the club also took £1m from the sale of Hulse and Commons. Shackell was costly (in Derby's terms) but looks worth every penny - however, he is a defender and fans want some flair and goal power to go alongside repairing the shocking defence. The club are no doubt getting much better VFM in wage terms out of Bryson, Shackell, Maguire...and Ward & Robinson didn't break the bank as they had to make a move to kick-start their careers. Without needing to throw multi-millions at the squad, fans know the squad could be exposed as too weak come the winter-time - and another display of his rabbits-in-headlights transfer freeze-up by TG and a slump in results won't be well-received after the New Year debacle! IMHO, Howard & Oakley would be excellent short-term loanees and would not necessarily be starters. They would add strength in depth and injury/super-sub cameos by such experienced players might keep us as front-runners. A sharp-shooter is still needed. Brighton took the plunge with Mackail-Smith; looks a good 'un. Steve Davies is doing well; hope he stays fit. Now, wouldn't Bristol City hot-shot Nicky Maynard be tempted with a move from back-marking Bristol City to a club like Derby - if only DCFC were ambitious to sign that 'marquee' striker?

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davram added 13:31 - Aug 25 I take your points, DJ, but stand by my original assertion that DCFC did not make "a good profit" from Luke Varney; the episode did cost the club a fair old whack overall. A common argument about how much money DCFC are making but not spending follows from alleged transfer profit, and betrays a lack of understanding about the club's true financial "profit & loss" situation. That's been a perennial feature of the Radio Derby moan-in and some MB correspondents. Best to concentrate on the financial facts that we know, and how they relate to squad investment. I didn't state that you "devalued" the current crop of players, and you clearly do give credit for the team's great start. But the club has unearthed some unexpected gems at low cost - e.g. Brayford, Bailey, Fielding, possibly now Bryson, Maguire, etc, not to mention how well O'Brien and Hendrick have done. So it's not beyond the realms of reality that the success of such players might reinforce (and increase the justification for) the "budget" policy. We do indeed need squad additions to capitalise on the good start & see us through the season - but is there truly a dispute between Clough and Glick on this matter, and should we be beating the club now with the "spend big money now" stick? I think we're more likely to seek decent Prem players on loan, when those clubs have submitted their required first team squads.

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ramdanj added 14:49 - Aug 25 Sigh.... I thought I explained myself with what i meant with the Varney comment but obviously not well enough. Also I don't remember writing anything about spending big and I am not beating anyone with any stick. Clough said he needed at least two more signings - Glick said he would get Clough at least a couple more signings - Glick said we would get a Director of football! Am I asking for anything that has not been promised? Is it unreasonable to expect the manager who gets a regular flogging should get support and the signings he is promised? At no time did I say spend big. The club needs to be sensible financially but at the same time the job is still not finished in the transfer market - the job that they outlined themselves! It is time for the club to stop nearly doing the job and push forward especially when they have sucha good foundation to build on. Can you imagine where we may have ended up last season if Hulse and Commons had never been sold. Those two players alone would have made a massive difference to the near unstoppable slide we experienced. But that was part of the "budget" policy which only resulted in us nearly being relegated and had the fans calling for the Manager's head. My whole point is let's not allow that to happen again and deliver the final pieces he needs to build on what is a start all clubs would kill for. Don't need to spend big - or perhaps not even spend - just DO SOMETHING!!! :)

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ramdanj added 14:54 - Aug 25 P.S: Varney section now edited to clarify what I meant. No longer a 'profit'. Further confusion avoided hopefully. :)
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davram added 12:41 - Aug 26 Thanks for acknowledging and editing out your "Varney profit" inaccuracy. That's what initially led me to question the approach of your article. I'd think many Rams fans would like DCFC to make a couple of "big" signings, and TG certainly did allude to "significant funds" being made available to Clough - in the short term. But I'm personally reluctant to consider Clough as a penniless beggar and he has said that he ignores - or simply doesn't read/listen to - any criticism from fans, and accepts any such pressure and budget restrictions as part of the job. We've had a torrid few years, shaped by the club's mainly disastrous & costly transfer dealings in the couple of years pre-Clough (Davies/Jewell) and GSE's subsequent apparent priority of building networked income over aspirations of football excellence. An important factor is that they initially had their fingers burnt in backing Jewell, after they had to rely on his "UK football expertise". He blew their money & his job; he couldn't get the existing players or even his many signings to do their job. So Nigel's lower-league experience based on frugality fitted their revised philosophy and (importantly) was acceptable to the majority of Rams fans. We might be seeing the fruits of this approach now, so I doubt that many (if any) £1m+ players will come to Derby this side of the Premiership. Some of our young & low-budget players are coming good - the team's performances & results this season are beginning to catch national attention. And the Big Spenders still have to catch us up at present. Perhaps DCFC, reviewing their financial commitments and spending projections, have quietly decided to keep things tight, despite their promises in spring - and Tom Glick takes every opportunity to state that spending big doesn't guarantee anything. Any company is a dynamic organisation - the situation changes and the owners respond accordingly. Relegation form has been replaced by play-off potential; it can only remain just that until next April at least, regardless of who we sign. We might worry that we'll fade before Christmas - but it's not automatic that "no signings = no challenge" will follow. Norwich went straight through, but Cardiff flopped. However, it wouldn't be politic at present to "come clean" on the lack of "big" signings, even if fans may demand such honesty. It's par for GSE. GSE Stage 1(post Jewell): We know it's broke, it's gonna take a while to fix it - but we'll see it through now Nigel's here. GSE Stage 2 (now): We think we're making progress in fixing it, our loyalty to Nigel is paying off - stick with us (even if we don't splash cash). GSE Stage 3 (perhaps Jan 2012 if team is challenging - or before next season if promoted): Main investors finally agree to fund significant team investment and plan to exploit Prem sponsorship potential. Future exit strategy may be sale of club at good profit if team consolidates. Alternative Stage 2 is another damp squib season now, which is the scenario you possibly anticipate. Stage 3 might then change to early exit strategy! That's just working some suggestions through rather than seeking to attack your article - but my opinion still differs from yours in places! Good banter, though.

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ramdanj added 14:06 - Aug 26 Agreed Dav banter is good - even if I am still unsure how or why we even ended up debating them ;0)
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davram added 22:12 - Aug 27 Oh - and here's silly me thinking that informed comment and discussion about articles was welcome. We all write with head & heart about the Rams - and so can expect to disagree sometimes about the balance between the two that a writer provides or achieves. That's the "why"; the "how" is the above invite "add your comment".
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