A short while ago Paul Simpson commented publicly that all of the club’s scouting network has been busy as the club is looking to strengthen and is eager to add to the squad in January.

Generally I like to warn against fans looking to the transfer market as a way to overcome any of the team’s weaknesses. The transfer market is a dangerous place, and we’ve seen too often the results of badly-judged moves and the damage they can do to the club. But just at the moment the Rams are looking like a team that needs more options, and options can really only come through the transfer market.

There are questions being asked by supporters about several players, particularly defenders. Against Chelsea on Tuesday, the Rams had only one outfield defender on the bench; Lee Naylor, a player who has never started a competitive match for the club.

With John Eustace out of favour, there is no alternative to Omar Mascarell for the defensive midfield position. Up front Leon Best has proven not to be an alternative or useful support to Chris Martin.

There are few candidates coming forward from the Academy, especially as Mason Bennett has been ruled out with injury for a couple of months.

If management wants to freshen up the team, challenge certain players for their places or simply replace players lost to injury or suspension, there seems to be little opportunity to do so with the current squad. So I for one will be happy to see new faces arriving in January — as long as they are of the right quality of course and offer the team genuine options.

So, what of the Rams’ Championship position? Two defeats in the last three matches have seen us drop to third place, and have caused some to suggest that the rest of the division has worked out the Rams’ game; how to play us and win.

Supposedly all that is needed is to aggressively and constantly get in the Rams’ players’ faces and prevent them playing the quick passing game the Rams are so good at. This is similar to last season when there was talk of teams “parking the bus” to frustrate the Rams.

I don’t particularly subscribe to this theory. There can never be any mystery about how a team plays and earns results; anybody watching who knows the game can see what is happening, and how a particular team likes to play.

I’ve always believed that a team with better players will be able to impose itself on a match and should — not always, but should — win. This is regardless of the system they play or the opposing team’s efforts to nullify that system.

For example, I’m sure Chelsea knew quite a bit about Derby’s preferred method, and that Derby were well aware of the Chelsea system; but Chelsea were probably confident in their ability to impose themselves no matter what the Rams did.

This is important, because I believe the Rams do have the best players in this division, and are capable of imposing themselves in the way they did for much of last season. What are needed are the players who will give us options, and the ability to modify the approach when necessary against a particular opponent.

The Rams face an interesting test on Saturday against Norwich. Norwich were much fancied earlier in the season, but a run of one win in ten Championship games saw them fall away badly. Despite that bad start - winning their last two matches has seen Norwich move up to seventh, just five points behind the Rams.

The Canaries are capable of scoring quite a few goals, but their defence may be a little suspect. The Rams will be without Jake Buxton following his red card against Chelsea, so we come back again to the problem of the Rams being a bit short of options in defence.

But we hope that will all be resolved in January… don’t we?

Photo: Action Images

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