Well, I may not personally be walking backwards for Christmas but it certainly feels like Derby County is. Yet again at the close of a transfer window it seems our better players are moving out and being replaced by unknowns or others who are unproven at Championship level.

It's not only that - it's the way anything perceivable as bad news is hidden or minimized by the club while we're bombarded with 'good news' about the latest commercial partnerships, look at the club's terse statement about the Hulse transfer for instance. The official website could teach the Chinese or North Koreans a thing or two about spin.

Anyway, back to the football (of which there seems to be precious little on the official website - oops, there I go again). We fans were looking for a signing that indicated that the club is trying to move forward - not necessarily a big money signing but a respected player bought in to fill a position of known weakness (you can fill the blanks with your own favourites).

Instead, we sell our most valuable asset (not in itself a bad deal) but we're left wondering who will fill the void.

As a fan of Spanish football, I was delighted when we signed Inigo Idiakez even though he was an unknown quantity to most Rams fans. I sincerely hope Alberto Bueno will be as big a success. Nevertheless, his signing is a gamble and we seem to be more and more gambling that any new signings can make the step up rather than bringing in players already established at this level. To compound matters, Bueno is another loanee.

Many fans think we rely too much on the loan system and I'd be one of them. We all know what the advantages of the system are but you can't build a team round loanees. It would be nice for once, to see the club spend some real cash and bring someone in, as much as a sign of the club' commitment  as anything else. Alas, it seems not to be and we're left hoping that this can be put right in the next window in January.

Whether Nigel Clough's purse strings are kept tight by GSE or whether it's Clough himself who has an aversion to spending money is unclear. The perception of many fans though is that the club is going backwards and not only over the transfer policy.

Managers, players and backroom staff have come and gone over the years but the playing staff is still plagued by injuries. Some injuries are obviously attributable elsewhere but it makes me wonder if there isn't some characteristic of the much vaunted Moor Farm facilities that's causing these niggles.

Well, the emergency loan window opens next weeks so I dare say we'll be making full use of it. I really hope I'm wrong about the direction the club's going but I know I feel the same way as many others. I know there are positive signs, but the overall perception is one of negativity.

Let's hope I'm proved wrong.

Photo: Action Images

Rabbram10 added 10:24 - Sep 1 You are 100% right Steve, the club has been going backwards ever since we dropped out of the Premier! I also like your comment about is it GSE or Clough thats hesitant to spend the money, i personally think its Clough, but its easy to blame GSE?
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jamesengland121 added 11:06 - Sep 1 Agree with some of it, apart from the loans apart. If we rely on the loan system too much, how is it we've only just got one loan who signed yesterday?
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Steve_T added 11:13 - Sep 1 Look at the proportion of loanees to permanent signings rather than when the deals were done. Everybody does their business in the last few hours of the transfer windows. It's called brinksmanship.
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good_one added 12:17 - Sep 1 Get real & look at the bigger picture Derby can get alot better players in for Hulse & Varneys wages, I think were playing the best football weve seen for years But you want big name signings, I dont care how much they cost as long as they can do a job for us. Clough is working magic & if not this season may be next we will have a quality side that will be a force to reckon with. all you moaners take one look at the merry go round at Newcastle, Portsmouth, Palace, etc.

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Steve_T added 14:28 - Sep 1 Show me where I said I want big name signings. I just want the club to show us that they really are interested in investing in the squad.
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colin added 14:44 - Sep 1 Your article is spot on, these American flatter to deceive remember no strikers available for Coventry we get rid of two and bring an unknown winger in.!!! Loans do not develop loyalty to the club.The sooner the Americans go the better!!Stick to baseball eh!!
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taffyram added 16:37 - Sep 1 I so want to give total support to NC but either he or GSE is making it so difficult to commit - we're one step forward then two back. I'm fed up heasring about commercial deal this, commercial deal that! Yes by all means bring money into the club but let's be transparent on where it's going - unfortunately at the moment not on the team. No-one was expecting a £2m striker yesterday but c'mon - don't insult the loyal supporters. The statement on DCFC web-site was cr*p - where's the club mouthpiece when he's needed - plenty to say on team affairs but surely he should be informing us of the clubs' transfer policy and direction. Or am I just a fan who's being naieve?

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leedcfc added 18:05 - Sep 1 Steve, absolutely bang on, well said! We only have Porter now as our only out and out centre forward & he is more unfit than fit. Then you have the players "paying for the training camp break", what signal does that send to the squad, more like Sav paid for it for everyone! its grim thats for sure but no doubt we will see 2 or 3 loan signings come in now because thats been the plan all along as far as I can see, this board has not invested a single penny in the playing staff whilst taking out £2 million a year in management fees, the " debt" is another PR masterstroke by Andy and Tom, the debt is there bigger than ever before because when they come to sell the club our lovely investors will want at least double the "invested money" back......the true horror is yet to surface!

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davram added 18:38 - Sep 1 Fact - We are never going to get Commons, Davies & Porter fit to play at the same time or compete against each other for forward places in the team. The club HAS to think ouside that particular box NOW! This has been obvious (if only to the fans) for a year. At the same time, Varney has been sent out, frozen out and finally loaned out again long-term. If the club wanted to choose the most cost effective option they would have been integrating Varney into the team. He has scored goals wherever we have sent him and now has scored/made two Prem goals to earn a point for Blackpool, a little team with inadequate support and a ramshackle ground whose achievements far surpass the spin,cost-cut & sell approach of GSE. When will we see a truly settled Rams team that attacks with conviction and scores enough goals to win more games than it loses? In my lifetime?

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