The thing Rams fans seem to be finding most difficult at the moment is keeping the faith.

There is no way of knowing if there is light at the end of the tunnel and even upon reaching it, whether things will slowly but surely get better and better.
 
Many fans despair of some of the negativity exhibited by Clough’s  teams with his tactical competence being questioned.

There are some  concerns about whether or not the Board will actually release funding for  January so that we can bring one or two quality players to add to the  squad? 
 
For some fans, getting D.J in, a reject from Fester, smacks of poor judgement on the part of Clough when he could be getting better quality players.
 
I have to disagree – last week saw the closure of the emergency loan system and in my view no club is going to release anyone of Premiership quality at this stage of the season even if there is a recall clause.  That effectively means that we have to shop in the bargain basement and that kind of signing can add to the sense of despair.

There are many players still to come back from injury and when they do it will take time to blend them in while getting back to full fitness. In these days of high pressure football, realistically some won’t even make it back to full fitness until after the next pre-season.
 
So results like this weekend against Reading – another team struggling to recover from the aftermath of relegation from the Premiership – while welcome,  do suggest that the rest of the season is likely to be a long slog with many  results ground out.
 
Not for us this season is there any sense of élan or brio, as we sweep aside teams now and again but a grim and dodgy three points here and a scuffling point there. 

As for going away and pleasing the fans, what do you want? A full plate of dark chocolate Rocher?  No way – it’s  strictly bog-standard Tesco milk chocolate fare that we’re all going to have to get used to for the rest of the season if we’re lucky.
 
Unfortunately, Clough’s persona suggests that, however nice and pleasant he is with everyone from the tea lady to Moor Farm watchers, he is unlikely to  create a team of exciting flair players.  He comes across as someone who will gradually and steadily build a team of squad players giving their all not  only on the park but also in training.

That kind of persona is very removed from what his father used to be, a man  of great intensity and often volatile behaviour.  Someone who was unafraid to punch Roy Keane and yet refused to criticise referees. He was also someone  who could be appallingly rude and crass to people, yet commanded great loyalty for his incredible acts of kindness to many. 
 
Nigel may share the same surname and some of the same genes but he is his own man and will surely create his own niche. You cannot fault how he steadily and surely built Burton Albion up into the club they are now. 

The question in many people’s minds is can he now do the same for us but in turn ask if he could please do it a bit quicker?  Not all of us want to wait for ten years before we start supping at the high table of Premiership football.
 
That probably adds to the sense of despair pervading so many fans but the Board knew what they were getting when they brought him in.  They wanted someone local, someone who would develop local support, someone who would build  local links so that we cream off all the local talent. 

They wanted someone  down to earth, someone willing to learn and they seem quite prepared to give him  that time – and allow him the scope to make the mistakes that he will invariably make.
 
That is what is happening in my view and while he is learning on the job (as are his management team for that matter), it seems that the rest of us are going to have to grit our teeth and get on with it. 

I think it’s going to be a long dark winter with very few shafts of sunlight between now and April but I’ll settle for that if it means that we create a platform on which we can mount a more serious challenge next  season.

Photo: Action Images

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