Andicis

Maybe, but I doubt the EFL could insist on us keeping our manager. I'm not inferring Clowes is a moron, I think he's a smart guy, I just think there is no way we wouldn't have anything in place in case we needed to fire Warne. Even if we hired Guardiola it would be advisable to have a get out plan. My point is that I doubt it's a financial decision not to fire Warne and more that Clowes still believes in Warne.

To be fair, not having any contingency in place for firing Warne would be absolutely reckless from Clowes and a bit moronic, which is why I don't believe it to be the case.

G Star, in your opinion, do Derby have a wage budget for playing staff that is within the top 6 in the division?

I give up. Bury your head in the sand.

So when Clowes said we had a competitive budget, you took that as what? This is is a tiring charade.

Not everything needs a peer reviewed study. I'm stating the bleeding obvious.

Yes, I'm just guessing. It would take an expert analysis for someone to observe than Derby have a bigger budget than Burton, Cheltenham, Northampton, Carlisle, Fleetwood, Leyton Orient, Shrewsbury and Stevenage. Very smart take. When Clowes said we had a competitive budget he clearly meant with those teams and not the top ones. Obviously. Use common sense.

As the initial post, poor recruitment. But you surely don't believe it to be true?

Because there is no such thing as a ''budget table''. Use your common sense. If you want to pretend Northampton and Cheltenham have similar budgets, be my guest.

Objectively a success, how couldn't it be? Getting immediately relegated would naturally be a complete abject failure.

If we get up in 5th or 6th, I'd imagine we aren't going to be well set up for success in the difficult division above.

Clowes was quoted at saying we had a competitive budget. I daresay he wasn't implying we would be competitive for 8th place but towards the top 3-4. I don't expect a team full of world beaters. We should be beating clubs with much lower budgets than us, and if we aren't it's the manager's fault. He signed them. If we get in the playoffs, the only way it can be considered a success for Warne is if we come in 3rd or 4th and then win them. Limping in 6th and going out in the playoffs would be unequivocally a failure.

Give me a break. We're not little hard up Derby County. We probably have 3-4 times the budget of the lower half of the league. If you're insinuating Warne signed crap players, that's because he chose poorly.

Then why did Warne sign them?

Shouldn't with his coaching and the fact he was allowed to sign players that almost all came from teams that finished above us in the pyramid yield a return of at least being a few points ahead of where we were last time? It's also in my opinion (the data also will back it up) a weaker division.

You've plucked that number from thin air, but if you're asking me whether he should be comfortably at the top of this table, then yes. Comparing him with managers that have managed in harder divisions is unhelpful.

It reached 21k under Nigel Clough. Could easily get there again.

Yes, and we're on exactly the same points as last season. Even with his own squad. How have we made 0 improvement? Isn't that what Warne is paid to do?

Going back to the original point though, it's no more stable to continue with an unpopular manager through dwindling attendances then it is to replace them and try something new. I'd imagine from a cost stand point, the lost revenue of a 4000-5000 drop in fans would soon end up costing us much more than paying Warne and his entourage and parting ways.

Such a misleading use of statistics. Comparing win ratios of managers who are managing against Man Utd and ones who manage against Forest Green is beyond useless.

Not exactly the sign of a harmonious or stable club is it? Not to mention the financial implication.

We aren't there yet, but who knows? Our attendances got pretty low under Nigel Clough.

Equally, would we be a stable club if fans stop attending pride park in their droves and the players stop playing for the manager?

I can't believe it's 2 for one second. That would be complete mismanagement of the club to gamble our future giving someone a four year contract that we aren't able to relieve him of.

Derby can tell journalists whatever they like, if the football continues people will vote with their feet and Clowes won't have much of a choice.