“I don’t think there are a lot of players out there who we can buy who could improve our squad.''

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

McClaren says he is happy with the squad.

“I don’t plan to do anything at the present moment. I am happy with the squad and why not? said McClaren.

“This squad in the first half of the season has performed very well.

“It has proved good enough to get in a good position.

“What’s January, really? We have still got the loan period after January and that is what we will be looking at anyway – loans, not to buy anybody.

“Unless something really exciting comes up, something that is going to change our team, help our team, then I can see us doing no business at all.”

McClaren does not believe January is a good time to buy.

“I think it is the wrong time,” he said.

“I don’t think there are a lot of players out there who we can buy who could improve our squad.

“I think that might change in the loan market but I don’t think at present there are players out there at the price and salaries we can acquire that are going to make a difference to what we have got.

“The key thing we are trying to do as a club is not to panic, not to over-react and say after a performance and a defeat like Leicester that everything is wrong. That is not the case.”

Read more: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Loans-likely-January-signings-Sky-Bet/story-20454242-detail/story.html#ixzz2qg3ylbGS

A few sweeping statements in there, certainly into our expenditure.

"I don’t think at present there are players out there at the price and salaries we can acquire that are going to make a difference to what we have got.''

Wasn't we told that if we ever got into a position in January to stick or twist, we would twist?

I think we're looking good, but certainly could be easily improved IMO - unless of course, we are still offering peanuts. And what's the difference between loaning someone this month, in comparison to next? Surely, the ability to get someone until the end of the season (including play-offs) would be preferable.

I don't understand how the board and McClaren can be so nonchalant about it, we'll have to see what happens, but it seem strange - are we really that hard to improve?

I have put in bold the key phrase.

[rynny]

Don't think Bertrand is that highly regard by Jose, Wisdom has played more games in the PL this season and he's been here for a few months!

He has been injured for a while.

[G STAR RAM]

For those who have read my posts in the past they will know I am not the sort to call for investment from the board. Just don't understand why they would get fans hopes up though because it can only backfire.

[uttoxram75]

For those who have read my posts in the past they will know I am not the sort to call for investment from the board. Just don't understand why they would get fans hopes up though because it can only backfire.

I've liked your post G Star cos i remember you never slagged the board off when others were calling them. I'm not sure they have promised any decent investment though. if they have then i'll apologise but i really can't remember reading anything along those lines.

When NC was sacked there was a bit of spin about money being available, but at the end of the day, if its not enough to bring in better players then its really not a major option for a manager.

 

Steve, it appears, will pay for loans out of a meagre budget but is not willing to spunk it on a signing that may or may not work. You can't blame him, he's not gonna get 4 or 5 years to turn the club round, that work has been done. Steve is here to take it to the next level so he's got to keep his powder dry for maybe one big loan to push us for promotion this year rather than invest in the future.

[Ambitious]

I have put in bold the key phrase.

 

Yeah, I understand that - but why not?

 

I guess from this point onwards, our season is defined by whether we finish in the top 6.

 

Anything less than the play-offs now will be considered a failure, and rightly so.

 

I'm not saying money is everything, but I can't understand the concept of not wanting to improve the side. No team in the world should ever not want to strengthen the side, its a ludicrous suggestion.

 

For me, I think the team is in good shape. However, we are far away from being the most perfect side in the world, even the award for the best side in the world eludes us, obviously in my humble opinion

 

Therefore we should be looking to strengthen the side at every chance we get. Obviously the board will take the brunt of this, after finally being in a position to contend for promotion - they still keep their hands in their pockets.

 

I'm not dealing in pure speculation, just the facts - I'm not even saying we haven't spent money, but we certainly could do a lot more.

 

£1 or £2m spent wisely can make a huge difference in this division. Brian McDermott signing Jason Roberts when Reading were promoted for example. That should be a reasonable investment for the board in our current position.

 

I guess it depends on what the teams around us do,

[G STAR RAM]

I've liked your post G Star cos i remember you never slagged the board off when others were calling them. I'm not sure they have promised any decent investment though. if they have then i'll apologise but i really can't remember reading anything along those lines.

When NC was sacked there was a bit of spin about money being available, but at the end of the day, if its not enough to bring in better players then its really not a major option for a manager.

 

Steve, it appears, will pay for loans out of a meagre budget but is not willing to spunk it on a signing that may or may not work. You can't blame him, he's not gonna get 4 or 5 years to turn the club round, that work has been done. Steve is here to take it to the next level so he's got to keep his powder dry for maybe one big loan to push us for promotion this year rather than invest in the future.

I have seen an e-mail from Andy Appleby where he gives the impression that if we have a good chance of promotion then we would really go for it plus there were tweets from John Vicars saying business had not finished yet.

I am still not calling for them to throw money at us now, just don't understand why they would give fans that impression because at the end of the day they are just handing the fans a stick to beat them with.

Now we are in such a good position I don't think we should be looking at more loans, I think we should be looking a bit more long term and think our league position and new set up makes a good proposition for good quality players.

To hear the manager say he doesn't think he can improve the squad doesn't inspire me with confidence because to me he is saying that he can't find any available left back that is good enough to be cover for Forsyth.

It's not the end of the world but I saw this transfer window as an opportunity to re-ignite the feel good factor and put a few more bums on seats whereas I think what McClaren has done now will have exactly the opposite effect.

The only positive people may take from it is that the squad won't be disrupted like it was in BD promotion season.

[rynny]

We might be trying to do a deal and the selling club are could be asking for a stupid amount and SM has said this in the press to try to get them to lower their valuation. Just mind games from him.

Or it could be a true statement and there are no players available within our budget that are better than what is in our starting line up. He has repeatedly said that if a player isn't deemed good to start then there is no point signing them.

[PistoldPete2]

I have seen an e-mail from Andy Appleby where he gives the impression that if we have a good chance of promotion then we would really go for it plus there were tweets from John Vicars saying business had not finished yet.

I am still not calling for them to throw money at us now, just don't understand why they would give fans that impression because at the end of the day they are just handing the fans a stick to beat them with.

Now we are in such a good position I don't think we should be looking at more loans, I think we should be looking a bit more long term and think our league position and new set up makes a good proposition for good quality players.

To hear the manager say he doesn't think he can improve the squad doesn't inspire me with confidence because to me he is saying that he can't find any available left back that is good enough to be cover for Forsyth.

It's not the end of the world but I saw this transfer window as an opportunity to re-ignite the feel good factor and put a few more bums on seats whereas I think what McClaren has done now will have exactly the opposite effect.

The only positive people may take from it is that the squad won't be disrupted like it was in BD promotion season.

 

John Vicars said there would be more activity. So there has , outgoing with Jacobs , Freeman and Ball going out on perm or loan and Cisse leaving too. 4 in and 4 out is quite an active window already.

[eddie]

I don't see why McClaren needs to say anything about possible incoming (or outgoing for that matter) transfers at all any more than he has already. Why show your hand if there is cash to spend, and why raise expectations if there isn't? We're in a decent position in the league, although form has taken a bit of a wobble at the moment, but we're never going to be in a position where we can afford to chuck millions on a LeFondre, an Austin or the like in a speculative manner - and that's all it would be. Speculative. ****-or-bust. 

[TroyDyer]

I would like a left back.

A blonde one.

With a wife.

She's also blonde.

Used to work in a launderette.

If her school friends could see her now!

They used to call her 'ring tip'

I'm unsure why.

[Shuff264]

No point spending money on a player just for the sake of it, has to be the right player

[jcidaho]

January sucks to buy, lets do it in the summer whatever league we're in.