I know that this is probably a post that concerns nobody but myself and a few thousand Rams fans but I cannot believe what is happening at my beloved football club! I really don't understand how we always seem to attract the wrong type of owner. This club has marvellous support. They attract loyal attendances of in excess of 25,000 every week. Often they for big games exceed 30,000 and recently for the 'derby' match against the Forest there was a full house of 33,000. With the exception of the really big clubs nobody outside of the elite can compare with this.
Our other local clubs, our rivals, are in the ascendancy. Leicester have the 'Sven' factor and they have owners prepared to spend money so they are signing 'names' who can move them up the table. Forest have the 'Billy Davies' factor who of course once managed Derby and must take huge pleasure that his team with ex Rams players like Earnshaw, Tudgay and Camp have taken us to the cleaners twice this season.
But back to Derby County. We have American owners but they are parsimonious. When almost every other owner of a large club realises that in order to compete they must spend money our owners have just one aim. Derby County must self fund! Football in England has become a billionaires playground! A club cannot compete unless they are prepared to invest in their team.
Not so long ago we had owners who were so corrupt that two of them ended up behind bars. They sold our best players without any regard to the performances on the pitch. These past few weeks we have witnessed a repeat of that behaviour. Two of our best players have left the club for frankly very little money...probably only enough to balance the books. In return only one player has been recruited from Notts County and the needs of the team have not been addressed whatsoever!
We need a striker! Our one fit striker doesn't strike very often. He was quite cheap of course but even so he goes game after game without troubling the opposition defence. We sold the guy who scored all the goals Today at the absolute fag end of the transfer month (they had a whole month to pursue strikers) they bid for an Irish striker from Kilmarnock and were rebuffed. Kilmarnock for heaven's sake!? Even Kilmarnock realise that you can't buy effective strikers for peanuts. This guy is the top striker in the Scottish Premier League and we apparently bid less than half a million. Mind you we let Kris Commons go for peanuts so obviously the board at Derby County have no idea of modern values.
Recently I have got the impression that the dressing room is not a happy place. The manager, Nigel Clough, has taken to criticising his players publically and that is not a good strategy.
We entered the transfer window in a state of desperation. We leave it after failing in every direction to sign a player who will move us up the table. The board is a joke. We will almost inevitably be relegated before they leave us... having pocketed the season ticket money. I really hope that I am hopelessly wrong but the portents have been seen before.
Derby County will rapidly lose their support unless they show ambition. The gravy train will cease. I cannot believe that they have ignored the transfer window. It is a dereliction of duty and proves once again that Nigel Clough is not his Dad!
1 comment:
When I were a lad I used to kick a ball around with Ron Webster - a neighbour.
Have always been a Rams fan (I'm a Derbyshire man) but the glory days of 1972 - 1975 will I fear never now be repeated. I have noted that for years the Rams have either started the season well or finished well - rarely both. Consistency , apart from losing, is rarely there.
I have to suffer my pain here in the North East surrounded by Newcastle fans. How glad I was the NUFC went down to Stevenage in the cup. Stopped them ribbing me about Crawley!
Football is now just big business. Think it would be far better if teams had to largely recruit from their own geographical catchment area
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