Once, Twice, Three Times A Striker For Nigel Clough!?
Friday, 27th May 2011 14:33 by Daniel J Sewart

As the Rams search for a man to help them sign players to stop teams constantly shutting the door in their face – Nigel Clough is intent on having a big stable of strikers for 11/12, in particular a ‘talisman’ centre forward.

The Derby manager spoke to the official site today about his hopes of signing up to three strikers to compliment his current crop. The fact that his top priority is a Centre Forward will be music to the ears of Rams fans tired of screaming it from the roof tops.

In the interview Nigel also reflected over what didn’t work last season and what he hopes will change in the next:

"We certainly missed having a talisman up front; we never had a striker that played 40-or-so games over the course of the season who everyone (as a team) knew everything about.”

"Shefki Kuqi came in for a short time on loan from Swansea and did well, as did Luke Moore when he arrived from West Bromwich Albion. We thought we had Luke until the end of the season but he changed his mind and signed for Swansea on a permanent deal, and that was a blow for us.”

"After that Steven Davies came in but it was a big ask for him to fill that role after six months out injured and Chris Porter was in a similar situation. We just about got through in the end, but it is area we are looking to address this summer, that is for sure."

"At times we only had one or two strikers in the squad on a match day and we didn't have the chance to change things around or give someone else a go."

"Already for next season we have Jamie Ward, Steve Davies, Theo Robinson and Callum Ball on our books, but we certainly need to be looking to bring in another two, if not three strikers."

As much as I want to give Nigel the benefit of the doubt it is interesting he mentions Kuqi as after the Moore deal fell apart, he could have quite easily had the striker back at Pride Park. I am sure that we would have made more use of the Fin than the bench at Newcastle.

Also the statement about not having strikers on the bench is interesting when Ball found it tough to make the bench or be given a ‘go’, despite scoring for fun in the clubs second tier.

I don’t want to focus on the mess that last season became but when these types of statements are made I just get confused as to whether I was in the same reality as Clough.

I have always considered myself a great supporter of our manager and I may not understand the ins and outs of what went on behind the scenes with players such as Kuqi but you can’t help but think the problems he now bemoans were largely self created.

As we move towards a new and hopefully more successful dawn – I am willing to give Nigel the benefit of the doubt and assume there were more factors involved than those that seemed pain-stakingly obvious to fans.

All of that taken into account - there is one fact that still remains.

We need to sign players and get moving fast!!

The sooner it happens, the sooner the management team can ensure the squad has time to gel before once again a new season is upon us. That will be even more important if a big target man can be landed to ensure the squad adjusts to the style of play to make such a player effective.

The fact that Tom wants to sign someone to help us sign players - a situation that in itself is starting to drag on – could become a comedic irony in its own right.

Hopefully signing that signer is just around the corner so the signer can assist to find some signings and Clough can send us a signal that the signs are looking good for 11/12.