The Rams have now lost eight of their last ten games, including the FA Cup tie at Crawley. Hardly stellar is it? And this after a spell in September and October when we were winning games and confidence was high.

Saturday saw our rivals from the wrong end of Brian Clough Way take all the points at Pride park for the first time ever. Personally, (and I might be in a minority here) that defeat on its own doesn't bother me too much. What does bother me is that the club seems complacent about its obvious inability to compete.

Back in September and October, everything seemed rosey. Confidence was high, we were winning more games than we were losing and we were playing good football too. We had the right shaped pegs in the right shaped holes but unfortunately, several of those pegs were loanees and they've since gone back to their clubs.

We're now three weeks into January and at the time of writing, we've made one signing. For whatever reason, we didn't try hard enough to keep those players at Pride Park at least for the remainder of the season.

Supposedly, there's ample money available for incoming transfers but Clough has told us he feels that loan signings offer us better value for money at this moment in time.

The problem is that not spending can also be a false economy. You can't maintain a successful team around loan signings, you need a core, a backbone. Ultimately, you have to spend to bring players in on permanent contracts.

While it's true that if you have a reputation for throwing money around there'll be plenty lining up to take it off you, it's also true that if you have a reputation for not spending, people will not be interested in doing business with you.

I think the Rams may now be falling foul of this latter policy. Why should another club spend time talking to the Rams if they suspect we're not interested in "proper" transfers? They'll talk to another club with which they think they have a better chance of doing serious business. I suspect the Rams are getting a reputation as Scrooges, or maybe "tyre kickers".

We're getting nowhere. There are smaller, less well supported clubs than the Rams which have much stronger and sounder squads. How can this be?

No-one's suggesting we suddenly start spending money we don't have but you do have to trade.

It seems likely that Kris Commons will move on, either this month or at the end of his contract in June. He's probably waiting for the club to show him they have some ambition and at the moment it looks like he's waiting in vain.

The current policy is only going to lead to a steady hemorrhage of talent out of the club, only for that talent to be replaced by short term loanees or bargain basement gambles from the lower leagues who may or may not prove successful.

That policy can't be sustained.

As the Stranglers once sang - "Something better change".

Photo: Action Images

colin added 17:29 - Jan 25 The Americans who own Derby talk a good story. They have no long term ambition except selling at a profit. The sooner a new owner with Derby County as the centre of their thinking comes in the better.Meanwhile we stagnate. The fault is with them and them only Nigel is working to instructions from them. Get them out quickly Colin
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mickbolton added 19:50 - Jan 30 I agree with you mate, He can only play the cards he is delt and at the mo they arnt very good. new faces req and quick. on the pitch and behind the scenes. Any word on the "sack the board" protest after blue scum game
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