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It's top six or bust for Derby


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http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/329065/It-s-top-six-or-bust-for-Derby

It's top six or bust for Derby

FOREST and Derby are two clubs close to my heart and they should both be decent bets for a top-six finish this season.

By Archie Gemmill/Published 28th July 2013

This season could be critical for Nigel Clough

It’s difficult for any club trying to get into the Premier League nowadays, as every club needs an owner who is willing to spend £40-50million over an extended ­period of time.

I think getting an automatic place is going to be hard for them, especially with QPR and Readingin there as well.

Forest’s manager Billy Davies has certainly got a proven track record and he should manage a top-six place – comfortably I’d have thought.

And Derby have the most ­balanced team they have had in some time, so I wouldn’t be ­surprised if they managed the top six.

This will be Nigel Clough’s fifth season at Derby now and from his point of view it is a very ­important one. I say that because I believe he has his best squad yet and if he’s not in the top six, the fans could turn on him.

Last season’s top scorer, Jamie Ward, has added back-up in Johnny Russell, who cost £700,000 from Dundee ­United, and ex-Norwich ­forward Chris ­Martin.

The Derby fans have been very good with Clough really – and very patient, too, as he has ­never finished above tenth.

“This will be Nigel Clough’s fifth season at Derby now and from his point of view it is a very ­important one”

But the supporters have seen what he has had to do, with selling some of his high earners and cutting the wage bill.

If it had been anyone else doing his job for the last five years, I doubt they would have lasted that long.

I do hope he does well, though, because I really love the club and I still go to see them maybe eight to ten times a season.

I wish them both all the best.

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It'll take something extraordinary for Clough to get the boot.

If we finished seventh or eighth would he be gone? Not a chance.

 

Disagree. If we finished 8th & were more than 10 points off a playoff place (perfectly possible), I think Clough would go.

 

He's been backed in the transfer market & will have had 5 years (by next Jan) to mould a squad. I suspect the board's patience would run out.

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Disagree. If we finished 8th & were more than 10 points off a playoff place (perfectly possible), I think Clough would go.

 

He's been backed in the transfer market & will have had 5 years (by next Jan) to mould a squad. I suspect the board's patience woulI

I agree

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Im amazed in 5 years we have not finished above 10th. Yet so many are happy.

 

I'm not sure happy is the word - satisfied is probably more accurate.

 

I think the vast majority of the fanbase are disappointed we haven't seriously threatened the top 6 since we came down (myself included) but there are clear mitigating circumstances - that have obviously been done to death on here.

 

The time for consolidation & regrouping is now over though. Its time for results & for what its worth, I think Cloughie will deliver. We'll make the top 6...just.

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LeedsCityRam I would argue Clough hasn't been backed in the transfer market. He's always had to generate his own transfer and wages budget by selling players or letting players go. And he certainly doesn't have anywhere near a top 6 budget for 2013/14 when you look at several other Championship clubs.

If Clough gets top 6 this season it will have been an excellent effort against the odds in my opinion.

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LeedsCityRam I would argue Clough hasn't been backed in the transfer market. He's always had to generate his own transfer and wages budget by selling players or letting players go. And he certainly doesn't have anywhere near a top 6 budget for 2013/14 when you look at several other Championship clubs.

If Clough gets top 6 this season it will have been an excellent effort against the odds in my opinion.

 

 

 

I totally agree with that.

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