In the cold light of day on Monday, Derby had to begin a frustrating fortnight sitting on the bottom of the Championship table after a needless defeat at Barnsley.

Bad boy Tyrone Mears told press that he’d “misunderstood the situation” when he tripped away without permission to Marseille, which is both a convenient explanation of his misdemeanour and entirely typical of many modern-day contract-hopping, self-interested journeymen footballers.

Others and I might just take Mears’ explanation as another insult to our intelligence and to our football club, and move on.

He is subject to disciplinary action from Derby County, which may mean a hefty fine; he was also duly removed to Olympic Marseille on a season-long loan, once the clubs had properly negotiated a deal. He’s off the wage bill and out of the way, at least.

Apart from two timely tackles at Wembley in May 2007, he’s proved to be another average bit part mercenary with the perfunctory 50 or so appearances for Derby. Poor reward indeed for the club that stuck by him, resurrected his career and also strove to resolve his long-standing injury problems.

The initial £160k loan fee will enable Derby to replace the joker with someone fit to wear a Derby shirt, though apart from Mears’ departure there was no other pre-deadline transfer activity at Pride Park Stadium, though Jewell will avail himself of the loan system in the near future if he feel it appropriate.

Although it made financial sense to put Mears on his bike and Paul Jewell wanted a bad apple removed, it did give Mears precisely what he wanted right away. Tyrone is too myopic to share our hopes of Derby County as an established Premier League club, even though he’s young enough to be a part of that vision.

If he copes with the large crowds he might face and the level of football he aspires to (Marseille are in the Champions League), then Derby could take a £1.2m fee from a permanent move next year. He can forget all about Derby - and we will forget about him!

It emerged that he’d told Paul Jewell in summertime he didn’t want to play in the Championship and clearly hadn’t got the loyalty or the bottle to help rebuild his relegated team.

I’m therefore surprised that a player with that selfish attitude was given the shirt this season and personally wondered why the introduction of Jewell’s own new full back signings was delayed so long, in favour of Mears & McEveley, because the Rams’ defence has appeared to be as porous as last season with them playing.

Perhaps Mears and Co were put in the shop window? They were (mercifully) soon dropped along with other under performers due to mediocre showings and Mears has now effected his escape. I hope Jewell will now mould a combative, competitive defence because without it, recovery and progress will be a long and painful process.

Manager Paul Jewell is looking to the future now and one player realising his potential is 19-year old Academy graduate Miles Addison, who has impressed Jewell enough to win a first team place. Miles has now been rewarded with a new three-year contract and looks set for a bright future.

Whether he establishes himself as a midfield dynamo or centre back is yet to be seen, as Paul Jewell (like Billy Davies) has already used the likes of Dean Leacock and Andy Todd (and now Miles) in similar roles in front of the defence, with mixed success.

Ex-Rams defender and Radio Derby commentator Gary Rowett said that he saw Miles’ long-term future as a defender. Derby should guard against making him into a utility player who is jack-of-all-trades and master of none. However, Addison played well at Barnsley and seems to be a player prepared to give his all to the cause.

Fellow Academy graduate Lewin Nyatanga is returning to training after his cartilage operation but young Aussie Ruben Zadkovich will be out for a month or more, as he must undergo groin surgery.

The Academy side has been doing well this season so there is promise for the future, and the Reserves comfortably disposed of Oldham Athletic 3-1 in the Reserve League Cup. Derby fielded several experienced squad members in Stephen Bywater, Andy Todd, Claude Davis (who retired early, feeling an injury yet again) and Stephen Pearson, but it was two Rams’ youngsters who shone, with Steve Davies grabbing two goals and the lively Paris Simmons scoring the other one.

Newspaper chatter derided ex-skipper Robbie Savage for his array of luxury cars, with the blond buffoon apparently turning up for training in variously a Mercedes, Lamborghini and Bentley. Savage hit back and said his cars are irrelevant as he can spend his stash how he wishes; he says he just wants to get into the team and help Derby recover from their post-relegation torpor.

At least Robbie can’t be blamed for the current downturn in motor industry retail sales or the reduction of some of the Bentley workforce to a three-day week!

You can’t help but think however that with his performances to date, he’s hardly earned his wages even if he is in a position to buy a black & white (or slime green, or blue/white-striped) limo per month. It is Catch 22 for manager Paul Jewell, who is still trying to ignite his midfield with the best combination from his array of signings.

Few would want to see Savage back in contention on the evidence of his Derby career so far.

Whilst the international break deprived Paul Jewell of a full squad in training, he has had a fortnight to ponder over Derby’s pretty but ultimately ineffectual performance at Barnsley last week and prepare for what looks like more formidable opponents next Saturday in the form of Sheffield United FC.

Midfielder Mile Sterjovski again staked his claim with a part in Australia’s surprise 2-1 World Cup Qualifier victory over the Netherlands. Derby need more midfield beef and continuity and Mile could be a telling option (well, at least according to fellow columnist Dan J!)

As England overcame mighty Andorra unconvincingly in their own World Cup qualifier, there has been turmoil in the domestic game back home with both Newcastle United and West Ham United imploding spectacularly as their respective managers, Kevin Keegan and Alan Curbishley departed in a war or words.

Meanwhile Manchester City’s takeover via Abu Dhabi has seen them announce their impending rise to pre-eminence in the domestic and European game with the presumptive (and foolhardy) declaration that they will soon dislodge Manchester United from their lofty perch. Where will it all end? In tears, I’d say!

There are more homespun matters for Derby County to attend. With 6 games in September and 3 League home games, it is delivery time for Paul Jewell’s men and if September is as vapid as August in terms of cold hard results and points, it won’t only be the wet autumn weather that will multiply the storm clouds over Derby.

Having heard repeatedly how the new board of DCFC are backing Paul Jewell 110%, whilst also pointing out that he was given a free hand to recruit his own squad, an extension of the winless run is not an option. There’s no better way to banish those clouds than by beating the Blades! Come on you RAMS!

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In RamsWeek 36 last season, Derby had a breather from their Premier League home truths on the pitch, though Craig Fagan picked up an extended ban for his stamping incident against Liverpool.

Chairman Peter Gadsby, along with Chief Executive Trevor Birch (remember him? No, me neither!) were ‘Takin’ It To The Streets’ by spending time to explain in person about the club’s recent actions, intentions and policies.

Their frustration at the volume of players and agents’ showing reluctance to commit to the Rams was clear, as was their resolve not to damn Derby County to another period of financial turmoil if they overspent on what already looked like a lost cause in the club’s bid to consolidate in the Premier League.

Their message was rather like the current one we hear – ‘be patient, be calm, let’s stick together’. There had been criticism and some downright abuse aimed towards the Chairman from some characters but Mr Gadsby reiterated his aims to build a Premier League club then an expanded stadium with enhanced facilities. Squad funding was declared an entirely separate issue to any Pride Plaza development plans.

A year later, none of his aspirations are currently tangible and the club is endeavouring to rebuild under an entirely new structure on and off the pitch. The club scotched press rumours of Paul Jewell replacing Billy Davies as manager, giving the Scot their full backing and saying the story was ‘claptrap’.

An all-black Adidas away kit was launched to go alongside the home kit and the yellow away strip. Whilst there have been even more comings and goings in the boardroom, at Moor Farm, or in the squad at Derby, that does also make it 6 new kits launched in 14 months (since July 2007) by my estimation.

I guess the team and the fans are just trying to camouflage themselves from looking too much like the Rams to other supporters and outsiders, because of our pitiful recent playing record.

Maybe the flurry of different kit colours explains why Derby players don’t pass the ball to each other? And spare a thought for poor old Tyrone Mears, who now has to cope with yet another set of kits!

It’s not a black & white world!

Photo: Action Images

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