With so much debate amongst fans regarding GSE and the future of DCFC we asked Stuart Hughes a few extra questions for a match day special. As always he had plenty to say!

RamZone:

“It seems a majority of fans are angry and fed up with the way the club seems to be moving sideways at best and there were protests against the board after the Ipswich Town game. What should GSE do now? What should fans do now?”

Stuart Said:

First of all I’m not sure it is a majority or, at least, not a majority that want GSE to go. I think most fans want to see an improvement and an investment in quality players but I'm not convinced the majority of supporters want to see the back of GSE yet.

After all, who is there to buy GSE out? Peter Gadsby has tried to control a debt that was spiralling out of control; he brought in Adam Pearson to sort out the mess. Pearson couldn't sort it either and had to bring GSE in to clear the debt and get the finances under control.

Secondly, I’m pleased to hear RamsTrust distancing themselves from the protests and think it’s sensible that they are campaigning for assurances from GSE rather than looking to oust the board.

Say what you like about GSE, they are not crooks (it was right RamsTrust actively campaigned to oust the three Amigos) and I still believe GSE have the best interests of Derby County Football Club in mind.

Let’s take RamZone's two questions one at a time.

"What should GSE do now?"

Well I think it’s pretty clear what GSE should do now and, with apologies to those who protested against the board after the Ipswich Town game, I think Tom Glick and the board should carry on doing what they’re doing, only do it better.

GSE made some mistakes in the January transfer window and Tom Glick has held his hands up to them. Who hasn't made mistakes from time to time? And, like everybody else, GSE will learn from those mistakes.

In the current climate I think it’s absolutely right that the football club should be managed responsibly. Chester City and Ilkeston Town are but two examples of football clubs that have been wound up recently.

Portsmouth, Cardiff City and Crystal Palace all came very close to it last season and may not be out of the woods yet. Plymouth Argyle are the latest football club facing a far from certain future.

A big football club is going to be wound up at some point in the future and I don’t want it to be Derby County.

GSE and Nigel Clough have been quick to talk about the transfer window and some supporters have been equally quick to jump on this and accuse them of spin, spouting the same old rubbish, and of blatant lying.

Maybe it is the same old same old for a very good reason – that there is a plan and the football club are sticking to it. It might not be a plan to splash £2 million on this player and £2 million on that player but I still find it reassuring to know there is a plan … and a long-term plan at that.

Glick has said that the wage budget is where GSE want it to be and that there is money available for permanent signings. He says it was the manager’s decision not to bid over the odds for Gary Hooper (a player Celtic signed from Scunthorpe United for £2.4 million in the summer) and he says there is flexibility in the budget for loan signings and for permanent signings in the summer.

Clough has said all along that he’s looking to sign young, hungry players for the football club and reduce the overall age of the playing squad. He has said that he’s not prepared to risk the future of the football club by paying over the odds for players and he won’t sign players just for the sake of it if they don’t improve the squad or aren’t the players he wants.

The manager has made it clear that he won’t rush to bring a player in; if the players he wants to sign permanently aren’t available he won’t rush to bring any player in.

I’ve been behind that plan from the moment Nigel Clough was appointed because I saw how it worked for my home town club Burton Albion and I see no reason why it won’t work for Derby County too. John Brayford, James Bailey, Alberto Bueno and Tomasz Cywka have been good, young signings for the club.

It’s early days but Ben Davies looks like he will be a good addition too, he certainly adds a potency to our set-piece delivery we didn’t have before.

Don't get me wrong, I’m very disappointed that we appear to be weaker, not stronger, as a squad after this transfer window but one disappointing window doesn’t mean the plan is flawed.

Look at Watford - they've been through what Derby County are currently going through and have come out the other side with a hungry, young squad. The Hornets are currently 7th in the npower Championship, three points off the play-offs with two games in hand.

The emergency loan system gives Derby County an opportunity to plug the gaps in the squad short term and the Rams should have a lot of flexibility in the budget this summer without Commons and Robbie Savage on the wage bill.

Permanent signings will be required in the summer that add quality to the squad. Having missed an opportunity in the January transfer window GSE will need to deliver that this summer.

"What Should Fans Do Now?"

I understand the frustration and disappointment of the fans right now, and I share that disappointment and frustration, but I would urge them to forget protesting against a board that is here for the long term and focus on supporting the players, manager and coaching staff, and get behind the team.

It’s not that long ago that the team went on a superb run of form with just one defeat in ten games; a sequence that included seven wins. There was also the record breaking sequence of six consecutive home victories at Pride Park Stadium. A purple patch of form that saw us reach 4th place in the npower Championship and we were ten minutes away from going 3rd when the Rams played Burnley.

Despite the weakening of the squad, the starting eleven now is only three starting players different from the team then – Frank Fielding in goal, Shefki Kuqi or Luke Moore up top, and Kris Commons.

The football played during that impressive run was the best I’ve seen a Derby County side play since the days of Jim Smith and the Rams were playing consistently well too. In the last couple of games the Rams looked to be getting back to that same way of playing.

I thought we were unlucky not to draw against Nottingham Forest and should’ve beaten Ipswich Town. An end to this losing run is in sight, it won’t be long before we win again, and then our results can kick-on.

Yes we need to strengthen up front and at the back and there are other areas of the squad that will need to be addressed in the summer. Glick and Clough are all too aware of that and they are working hard to bring in loan players now and improve the squad further in the summer.

Disappointingly, the January transfer window represented a missed opportunity but it doesn’t mean the plan is flawed. Some of the fans who are calling for GSE to go now were also talking about promotion to the Premier League back in November.

Let’s not get one transfer window set-back out of all proportion.

Stuart Hughes is a local writer and Derby fan.

You can read more of his written work on his website www.stuarthughes.webs.com

Photo: Action Images

colin263 added 11:20 - Feb 5 LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE
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DCGRam added 12:59 - Feb 5 I am afraid that the self opinionated, self rightous ramblings of sycophants like Stuart are the real problem here. Who the hell is this guy to start giving his opinion as some form of self evident fact when, quite clearly, he has absolutely no feel for the mounting groundswell of opinion that is against GSE and (increasingly) Nigel Clough. Stick to your more creative writing and cease trying to tell rams supporters what is and is not wrong with their club. You are the perfect portrayal of the happy cllapper blind faither who, despite his love for DCFC, has an attitude that will actually KILL this club through its 'have faith - it will all come good' laissez faire attitude. No - it will not come good - there is no empirical evidence that suggests it - just sheer hope that messrs Glick and Clough will somehow correct their ever rising incompetence and failure to improve DCFC. The FEW good games we had were against teams below us who were struggling at the time. Clough and GSE have since systematically dismantled that side and broke what was a winning formula. Basically people like Stuart are incapable of the paradigm shift into the real world were actual fact and performance means anything. The club is going backwards at an alarming rate and Stuart and people like him (who fill the internet with views designed to placate the DCFC fans) are genuinely blinded by the 'bleeding obvious' and, in my opinion, would never have the courage to tell it as it is even if they do suddenly wake up. Re-read your article - you have merely listed the failings of GSE and Clough but actually present no reason why their continued failings will suddenly come good. People like you need to look at yourslef and then when it all finally implodes ask the pertinent question - why did I not see this OR why did I not have the courage to speak out. And, Burton is my home town club too - but I do NOT push that as some reason why Clough is somehow right for DCFC. Unfortunately in this day and age with ever increasing PL parachute payments 5 years is too long let alone 10. Carry on in your cosy bublle - DCFC urgently needs fans who are prepared to talk TRUTH not serve up wishy washy apologetic articles for the curent management and board.

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colin added 13:08 - Feb 5 Stuart You are wrong wrong wrong.We the season ticket holders are fed up. We are fed up with Tom Glick and his weasel words, we are fed up with the lack of funds. Get GSE out now and someone local in who cares about Derby County. There will be a lot fewer season ticket holders next season unless we get some action, not words but action
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ramdanj added 13:42 - Feb 5 Take it easy DCG Ram. Absolutely unfair and terrible personal. Stuart is allowed his opinion and if that is the way he feels fine, whether you agree or not. He pays his money like you and everyone else. Personal attacks just turn you into the type of ranting loon that GSE would be happy to paint passionate fans as. You are not incorrect in what you say about GSE but attacking a fellow fan in such a personal fashion is pretty pathetic. Grow up and channel your anger at those who can change things instead of those who are entitled to opinion without worrying someone will bludgeon them for doing so. Grow up.

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DCGRam added 14:02 - Feb 5 ramdanj6 Read your response to me and then look in the mirror - if ever anyone has suddenly become personal then it is you my friend - eg. 'ranting loon' / 'pretty pathetic' /'grow up' . Did I actually resort to such actual 'personal' abuse in my comment? No I thought not. No personal attach was ever intended or can be construed by my reponse. Stuart has put forward an opinion (which he is perfectly entitled to) IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN and as such has to take responsibilty for it . I happen to passionately disagree with it - do you have a prolem? May I add that you have just demonstrated sheer hyprocisy by doing the exact thing that you accuse me of. The only difference is i will not get drawn into pointless attacks on you as a fellow DCFC supporter. What I care about is DCFC and again, I will re-iterate, when Stuart wishes to put an article such as his in the public domain then I am sure he is mature and adult enough to appreciate that individuals are free to repond and comment .

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colin263 added 19:11 - Feb 5 DCGRam I'm 100% behind you on this one pal More power to your pen
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ramdanj added 21:46 - Feb 5 Oh sorry DCG I didnt realise you could dish it but then not stomach it when plated. You were very personal about Stuart labelling him in various ways. Typical of the loud vocal minority who feel the need to bash all who have an opinion different than their own. As for your comment about not being drawn into attacks on a fellow DCFC supporter.... lol ..... that is gold. So calling Stuart a 'sycophant', self opinionated, self rightous and telling him to go back to his creative writing, is the stuff of intelligent calm debate? Sorry I missed that lesson in debating class. I apologise for doing much the same to you but fed up to the eye teeth with the bashing of fans who's opinions differ to the ranting fans that come out at times like this. Nice to have you on RZ and would have loved your opinion when we were winning but we rarely see comments when we are.

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DCGRam added 23:38 - Feb 5 ramdanj Three independent posts - all NOT in agreement of Stuart's original article - a small poll admittedly but pretty conclusive. One poster is even encouraged to state that he is 100% behind me (thanks Colin 263)! Further, as editor you are clearly neither independent nor without self-interest! I perfectly understand that you may wish to rush to support a fellow contributor - but this game is about opinions and you more than anyone should champion that. Clearly you wanted to make personal comments about me - but hey - I do not care! I am a big enough person not to be bothered about that - sticks and stones! I respect your views - HOWEVER this site is drawing people in from the wider internet (I picked it up from News Now). In my opinion the article should therefore take care in how it may look in representing the views of Rams fans as it is clearly in the public domain. Both Stuart and you yourself seem intent on labelling people like me as the minority. Unfortunately this is where you and Stuart may now out of step - but do not take my word for it - just look at the mounting frustration on other forums which have contributions from fans far far in excess of this site. Anyway apology accepted and I re-iterate that I have no wish to be personal to you or Stuart or anyone else but the article struck a raw nerve when it used terms such as 'majority' etc. Please be careful! You only have to see the storm that Nigel's latest comments have caused to realise that the natives are increasingly frustrated and restless.

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ramdanj added 01:53 - Feb 6 Ok well let's leave it there. I never said I agree with all that Stuart wrote either and I also NEVER stated that I do not see what is happening in the wider Rams community. I support change and I support investment. Whether that includes GSE or not it needs to happen. But I will not tolerate the personal barbs that you levelled originally as Stuart. I would feel the same towards anyone who contributes to this site in any capacity and my error was returning fire rather than stating that. I have no other "issues or interests", I have not dedicated over 10 years of my life assisting and now running an independent site to be dragged in to squabbles. I am protective of all our team no matter what I think of their opinions and I assure you we all regularly disagree with each other. I just caution you and all Rams fans caught up in the swirl of emotion as most will have different levels and thoughts on the matter. All will think differently to some degree on how it should be dealt with and overcome. To attack another fan no matter how strongly you disagree defeats the purpose of what everyone is rallying against. Sometimes sensible points (of which you made many) and reasons as to why you believe someone are incorrect are enough. The passion involved had us both boil over and I see the error in my ways but i hope you will also examine the way in which you cut down rather than prune. Otherwise we end up fighting a common cause and each other. Fight the fight but accept no casualties.

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