If I wanted to save time, I could simply copy and paste one of half a dozen reports from earlier this season.

Incredible that a game featuring four goals could be so awful but that is the Championship in 2008 and it is certainly Derby County in their current state, beset by injuries that have leached much of the composure and calm that had managed to finally permeate the side before the injury list began to rack up.

Injuries are not considered to be an acceptable excuse in normal circumstances but looking at the starting line-up for this game and it is difficult not to be sympathetic; Kaz on the left wing and Darren Powell scraped out of the barrel and thrown straight into the fray, it was not pretty.

Mistakes like Jordan Stewart's doesn't help either but at least he made amends with another terrific goal in front of the Pride Park faithful. The main problem currently causing all the trouble is not having Martin Albrechtsen, an issue that has received a great deal of focus in my reports; all I will add is that I don’t want to see the big Dane rushed back again, as it appears he might be for this Saturday’s trip to Burnley.

In the not too distant future, the Rams will hopefully be boosted by some new arrivals and the return of Albrechtsen, Dean Leacock, Steve Davies and Giles Barnes; then I’ll be a bit more critical with shambolic performances like this one which somehow saw the Rams contrive to steal a point despite another abject display of hoofball that managed to get anywhere near good enough only after half time but certainly not good enough to provide any sort of suggestion that the big win over Watford two weeks ago was anything but a flash in the pan.

I’m certain we are getting this but oh my is it slow progress; we have some good players but the hoofball curse is still an ever present. Darren Powell can’t really be faulted given that you know what he provides and at his age it's unlikely he will change but can someone take Lewin Nyatanga aside and coach him to show just a wee bit of composure on the ball? Still it doesn’t help when his captain isn’t exactly setting the best example.

Defending may be number one on the job list for these players but bringing the ball out of defence is something that good teams do often and since our best (arguably) players all reside in midfield, would it not be a good idea to stop bypassing them at every available opportunity?

So more questions and no answers, Paul Jewell certainly needs reinforcements but he is obviously looking for a quality that the Premier League clubs are unwilling to let go; that’s the way it should be as Jewell should certainly not be going after just anybody but I feel that this team needs a shot in the arm to regain some momentum and that would come with a few new faces about the place.

Here’s hoping the week ahead brings some success in the transfer market; I dread to think how the results would go if we picked up any more injuries.

Attendance: 25,534.

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