Derby County

I have refrained from blogging about my beloved Football team because quite frankly I was beginning to doubt Nigel Clough and his management team. I must admit when they lost 1-4 at home to Scunthorpe United I really lost it. I knew that we had an horrendous injury list but hell ... Scunthorpe United ...at home ...bloody 1-4 that could not be excused.

You must remember that Derby County fans have had a very rough time of late. Ever since we binned Billy Davies for Paul Jewell we have been in serious decline. We were getting stuffed by minnows who had nothing like the fanbase that Derby County enjoy. It was unacceptable to any Derby fan and I must admit that I doubted Nigel and his team.

Suddenly there are shades of his Dad. He has raided the lower leagues for his players. They are finding their feet at a higher level and I am sure that Nigel is also finding his feet. Suddenly the Rams are emerging once again. Some of the early signings who appeared to be bad buys are proving their worth.

We paid serious money for Shaun Barker from Blackpool and now he is looking like a real player. I had never heard of him when we signed him but then I had never heard of Roy McFarland when Nigel's Dad signed him from Tranmere. Last year Jake Buxton was playing for Burton Albion and now he is looking like a Championship player.

I am not a fan of loan signings but Nigel is using the system to good effect.He has brought in players who would normally cost us a lot of money. Proven players like Nicky Hunt and Michael Tonge have turned the team around. The whole point of this post is that someone is doing a great scouting job for Derby County.

The other point that I would like to make is that the playing staff appear to be happy. Rob Hulse and Kris Commons has been the target for predators and even though they have been struggling at the wrong end of the Championshhip table they have remained faithful. I think that they know something!

I am beginning to believe that the Rams are once again on the rise and of course the rise will be exciting! I met my wife the year that Brian Clough began his quest for glory. I have to admit that we were, the modern parlance is 'snogging', at her flat when the BBC news announced that Derby had knocked Everton out of the then League Cup!! I nearly swallowed her and she thought it was passion! Please don't tell her that my first love (Derby County) had priority! After all we have now been married for 41 years and we have a wonderful family thanks to Brian Clough!!

That was tongue in cheek (well yeah) as I am sure you would expect but suddenly the Rams have taken off and they are playing like madmen. This has always been a family club but suddenly we are reemerging and when we have turned the corner then we are dangerous.

Derby County are a Premiership club. Everyone knows it and it is only a matter of time.