As the international break continued, Derby County had a full week to prepare for their visit to Coventry City, as fans wondered if the club would strengthen the squad via the loan market.

CEO Tom Glick was at pains to defend the lack of transfer activity at the end of the summer transfer window last week.

He cited the difficulty in moving unwanted players on and suggested there were half a dozen such individuals at the club. Having labelled these as ‘very good players’, truth is, he has failed to make them attractive to other clubs since the end of last season!

Manager Nigel Clough long ago identified gaps in his squad that remain unfilled, despite a busy early summer transfer period - but Glick has factored in the successful promotion of Jeff Hendrick and Mark O’Brien to the first team as reasons that ‘caused us to pause’ in the recruitment process.

Despite the Rams flying start to 2011-12, fans have reiterated their nagging worries about the squad’s depth and resilience once the long, hard campaign takes its toll on the existing squad and supporters look to the club to underline its promotion ambitions through activity in the loan market.

The club has recruited and spent money but has also shed high-earners and taken in substantial transfer fees and many fans expect the club to further demonstrate their intent in the market. Mr Glick justifies his stance in deferring access to the loan market by the team’s excellent start - whilst rivals such as Brighton, Leeds and Ipswich have acted already to strengthen their squads this month.

Should Derby’s form dip and the manager fail to receive his desired reinforcements, the CEO will have squandered Derby’s chance to build whilst at the top of the table with a chance attract the best loanees and underline the Rams’ challenge. The tide is high, but the tide goes out as well.

The manager’s own contract expires at the end of this season and Mr Glick was asked if a new deal was being offered to Nigel Clough. After six months of shenanigans that eventually resulted in top scorer Kris Commons declining a deal to move to Glasgow Celtic, the club might pursue prompt clarity over the manager’s status.

Stability is important and Clough’s squad, incomplete as it is at the moment, has shown more togetherness, discipline and consistency so far this season. Nigel’s stock has begun to rise, as shown by his nomination for Manager of the Month. Gus Poyet of Brighton rightly won the award for Albion’s incredible table-topping undefeated start to the season.

The club repeatedly says of Clough: ‘he’s our man’ and has backed him (verbally) through two seasons of economy and mediocrity. Time will tell if they will back him substantially with funds and the confidence of a new contract as well. “We’ll be working with him to hopefully extend him,” Mr Glick said.

Nigel has Derby close at heart and probably does not see greener grass elsewhere - but the Rams’ improvement may well alert other clubs looking to change their regimes.

The ‘son of Brian’s’ stoical attitude and methodical approach within a tight budget, if coupled to a long-awaited sustained upturn in fortunes on the pitch, could make him an attractive proposition to troubled chairmen looking for new blood to turn their clubs around.

Although fans have anticipated a senior recruit at Pride Park Stadium to aid Glick and Clough for several months and Tom said it was now ‘a priority’, the club’s quest for a ‘technical director’ trundles on – and this week they instead reinforced the Academy management by employing former Ram Craig Short.

Derby paid £2.65m for central defender Craig nineteen years ago (then a record fee for a club outside the top flight) and he was a formidable component of Arthur Cox’s 1980s promotion team. He later joined Everton and Blackburn Rovers, and also had spells in football management in Hungary and England.

Maybe Craig showed interest in the ‘technical directorship’ role or was approached about the post? He is well-travelled and highly experienced but is actually two years younger than manager Nigel Clough. Short’s appointment wasn’t expected - but good luck to him in his new role.

Craig joined the Moor Farm set-up (apparently, back on August 1st) as ‘head of Academy recruitment’ with a brief to bring in 13-16 year-olds and also to capture older boys and place them in the Development squad if they have the potential to become professional players.

The Rams’ Academy is an essential piece of the DCFC jigsaw and the production of home-grown players is very significant for the club’s future. Grooming successful players who graduate to the first team and who can later bring in transfer fees will help the club to adhere to upcoming financial regulations that bind transfer expenditure to club turnover.

Signs are that the £5m+ Moor Farm complex is benefiting from the management stability of the past two-and-a-half years. Darren Wassall’s team is producing players of promise, as the emergence of Hendrick, O’Brien, Ball and others demonstrates. Derby possesses excellent facilities and increased numbers of players that graduate to first team level bodes well for the future.

Regarding the ongoing search for a ‘technical director’, Mr Glick said that the club had now started to put that search ‘on the front burner’, whatever that means, so perhaps he and Mr Clough will soon benefit from the much-needed extra resource and experience that this person would bring to squad recruitment and player movement.

Speaking of player movement, ex-Ram and voracious self-publicist Robbie Savage has joined the line-up for the TV footlights nonsense that is “Strictly Come Dancing”. 

It seemed to me rather inevitable that the costumed ballroom extravaganza would embrace Mr Savage eventually - even though he claimed (with scant credibility) that it wasn’t a career-promoting move! Whatever; I have not altered my own viewing habits that have thus far seen me avoiding the show at all cost.

Robbie was involved in a rather more worthwhile cause last Thursday night, when John Hartson’s Welsh Legends played an England Legends side managed by Harry Redknapp. It was in aid of testicular cancer awareness - a cause which Hartson has been championing since successfully coming through lengthy treatment for the condition himself.

Here’s a link to John Hartson’s Cancer Foundation, which was set up to increase awareness of testicular cancer and to raise money for associated charities:

http://thelegends.co/the-john-hartson-foundation-what-its-all-about/

Derby County did the cause proud too by staging the match at Pride Park Stadium; many ex-players, sporting heroes and TV stars from a wide spectrum of drama series and soaps took part in the spectacular.

Ex-Ram Robbie Savage captained the Wales Legends, with Spurs boss Harry Redknapp as ‘manager’ of charge of England; perhaps a low-key dress-rehearsal for the future?

The game ended in a 6-0 victory for the England XI - with ex-Ram Seth Johnson scoring two cracking goals - and goalkeeper Dave Beasant ignored the script to make an instinctive save from a second-half Hartson penalty, cruelly denying the Welshman a consolation goal.

There’s a report on the official DCFC site:  http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~2445407,00.html

Over 7,000 attended the game and it will certainly have achieved the aims of attracting donations for Hartson’s chosen causes and raising awareness of testicular cancer. After the extensive treatment that Hartson endured through ignoring his symptoms his message to men is: ‘check yourself - and don’t delay if something’s wrong’.

In the Euro 2012 qualifiers England duly completed a successful week with a 1-0 win over Wales at Wembley, courtesy of a first-half Ashley Young goal. Robert Earn-sure contrived the miss of the season as Wales fought back; he blazed a second-half open-goal chance over the England crossbar from 5 yards out.

That will have caused some hilarity among Derby fans but the buck-toothed contract-hopper’s crass error mattered little, as England held out for the victory and moved to within a point of qualification. The Welsh stayed planted at the bottom of the Group.

Rams’ keeper Frank Fielding, as with England’s game in Bulgaria last week, did not get in on the action for the Wales match so will have to await his chance for a full international appearance. Derby’s young midfielder Jeff Hendrick earned another Republic of Ireland Under-21 cap with his appearance in their Euro 2013 qualifier in Turkey, which his country lost 1-0.

Back in Derby, Nigel Clough had the benefit of good news on the injury front; defender Russell Anderson was able to participate in the Rams’ reserves 6-1 victory over Walsall at Belper Town’s ground. Winger David Martin also returned to action. Anderson scored Derby’s opening goal and Ball and Maguire added goals before the break. Forgotten Man Tomasz Cywka scored twice and Alex Witham completed the rout.

Young American Conor Doyle was back in training this week and was involved in the reserves’ game but Jake Buxton has fractured an eye-socket in training - so his comeback has been set back another month.

Nathan Tyson’s long-awaited appearance in a Derby shirt is moving nearer as he steps up his training; perhaps he will be involved in the City Ground clash with the Red Dogs next weekend?

The Rams still had some injury worries ahead of Saturday’s televised game at Coventry, however. Kevin Kilbane and Jamie Ward pulled out of their international squad with hamstring strains and Steve Davies was nursing the same injury, having been withdrawn during Derby’s last game at home to Burnley at half-time.

They were both fit for action at the Ricoh Arena but Bailey did not make it, Croft (hardly a holding midfielder) deputised. Coventry were winless and in the bottom three of the Championship table; Derby hoped to climb back into the top three after earlier Saturday results saw Boro and West Ham climb above them.

Derby did not start the game with the snap and zip that they showed in winning their earlier games and so the Sky Blues were able to gradually build up some first-half momentum. The Rams finished the first half well but the 0-0 scoreline at the break was not a surprise.

There wasn’t much enthralling stuff for the 14,200 souls who made a pilgrimage to the soulless Coventry stadium. The “BOGOF” two tickets for the price of one did not tempt many people out and of course SKY TV had dictated the teatime kick-off - as if folks needed an excuse not to watch City.

Having been outfought and outsmarted by Burnley before the international break, Derby had an unrewarding trip for once on the road. The very ordinary Sky Blues came out on top and live to fight another day despite in-stadium unrest from home fans about finances and investment.

City activists were protesting at owners’ SISU and stewards and police waded in. As I. Saw has said in his RZ match report - so much for freedom of speech. At least we stopped SISU getting their hands on Derby County.

What about the football? It looked pretty much like a game from last season - Derby played some pretty but non-penetrative stuff, exhibited some weaknesses, lapsed back into slack and deep defending, and wasted their chances. The team also missed James Bailey, as the midfield was not as tight as it should have been - which invited an ordinary Coventry side onto them too much.

The Indian summer from earlier this month dissipated into windy, rainy conditions that whipped around the sparsely-populated stadium. Derby’s strong finish to the first half and bright start to the second period dissipated too, as they failed to take the lead when on top. Then, City got help from their 12th Man - the referee.

The game turned just before the hour mark, when City took the lead from the penalty spot. The refereeing decision was diabolical - but I can see why referee Chris Foy gave it from where he was standing 25 yards out, looking across to the right of the penalty area where the incident took place.

Foy could not see Shackell clearly push the ball out of the path of Keogh with his boot; instead the ref construed that the defender got the player. He did not impede or foul Keogh; Jason was first to the ball. Keogh was ready to go headlong when he realised Jason was going to reach the ball first and Foy was deceived. A bad decision, as Foy could not at all have been sure of what happened.

What was the assistant doing? Could he not see that the defender reached the ball first? Who knows, and why bother asking; the matchday officials are not accountable to managers, players and fans.

The ball was cleared by Shackell before he and Keogh came into bodily contact, plain and simple. It was an erroneous but game-changing decision - but at the time, Derby appeared ponderous, even complacent, as if anticipating that they could draw or win the game in any event.

Coventry made their own luck; they earned the victory. Derby looked powder-puff, much like last season. The Rams did not create enough danger from their possession - and when they did, they were hurried or wayward and failed to pressurise City’s rookie substitute goalkeeper.

City’s second goal resulted from weak defending - a poor Shackell header out from a throw-in - the alert Baker was onto the ball smartly to plant it straight back into the net on the volley. A good finish but the loose defending that preceded it was reminiscent of goals conceded last season, when a soft goal from a throw-in was not an isolated occurrence.

Derby’s attacks fizzled out as they scrambled to salvage something from the game in the later stages. The cutting edge is absent, coupled with poor decision-making at vital moments. Jamie Ward and Steve Davies are busy and willing but lack the physicality to disturb defences. I repeat: we need a centre forward. Theo Robinson failed to make a real impact as a substitute.

The gaps in the team remain as has been observed and commented on by almost everyone (including Nigel) in that a midfield leader and a strong, prolific striker are badly needed.  Is Nigel as relaxed as Mr Glick with the CEO’s statement that the club could 'take a pause' and not recruit after the team's good start? Somehow, I don’t think so.

Clough has to ship unwanted players out first - but other teams all carry unused players and have a few that they wish to ship out and it doesn't necessarily freeze squad building.

Will Tyson make a vast difference? I’m not convinced; he’s not a Hulse, Howard or Kuqi either. Clough should press for more resources - and perhaps Mr Glick might refrain from trying to talk himself into thinking everything's been turned around.

“We know we have great spirit and great quality, we’ll see how far it will take us,” Tom said this week. Perhaps it’s not going to be as far as he thinks after all, without rather more ‘quality’?

Last season we were told: “We have a young, exciting squad that is going places.” That optimism was misplaced as the club again came close to being displaced from the Championship. We have improved in some areas so far this season; it would have been difficult to get much worse!

Sure, it was ‘surf’s up’ for a while, when the Rams were aboard the enjoyable crest of a wave in August - but reality dawns after the boys fell off their surfboards. Losses to teams unlikely to challenge for League glory this season have followed another early exit from the Carling Cup.

Ultimately the tentative, timid Derby we know so well from recent seasons was back on duty again on Saturday.

The Rams have been victims of bad decisions in the last two games; they were denied a goal against Burnley as the ball certainly crossed the line from a Lee Croft header - and Coventry’s penalty should not have been awarded.

However, Derby’s winning habit has dissipated because essentially, the Rams are competent but utterly unexceptional. I’m not convinced of their credentials for this season; am I being premature, negative, or realistic? Discuss!

In my opinion, the GSE investors need to bite the bullet and pay some wages to quality loanees that will improve the team, given that they have again shied away from the promised ‘marquee’ attacking signings.

Tom and Co: take a good look at all those good players excluded from the 25-man Premier League squads who are available to us - or our rivals. Strengthen now to sustain a challenge and then buy in January - I dare you! While you’re at it, go and nab Stefano Eranio or Aljosa Asanovic to be your ‘technical director!’ (OK, I know I’m being silly, now!)

Rams fans hardly need reminding that the next match up is Nothingham Forest at the City Ground next Saturday. All 4,000 away tickets have been sold well in advance. Forest lost again on Saturday; the Trees are fifth bottom with Derby still in a good position, fifth from top of the table.

Wee Billy has gone; the rivals’ places in the table are reversed from last season. The Rams need a win or at least a draw to get back on track.

Can Nigel add to McLaren’s woes and take some revenge for last season’s poor showing in local derbies? COME ON YOU RAMS!

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RamsWeek 37 in 2010 it was a case of ‘beg, steal or borrow’ for Nigel Clough as club economies and the closure of the transfer window had meant that he could not replace striker Rob Hulse except with a loanee.

Chris Porter was still injured; Everton’s James Vaughan and Leicester’s Matt Fryatt were thought to be loan targets. Ex-Ram Chris Riggott was set to sign for Cardiff City.

The Rams lost 0-1 at home to Sheffield United in a performance that I condemned as atrocious, witless, awful’ and one of the worst I’d seen in 45 seasons. There was little for Rams fans to cheer and the ineffectual captain, Robbie Savage, criticised the home fans for showing their displeasure.

The defence was slack and the team lacked a target man; the Blades, eventually to fall into a relegation battle that they lost, always looked in control.

I suggested that Derby would struggle again unless they drafted in some quality reinforcements. No crystal ball was needed!

Photo: Action Images

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