The Rams managed to throw a couple of points away again, this time at Fratton Park but that result is likely to be discussed less than Nigel Clough's scathing post match comments about Tomasz Cywka.
In my opinion, Clough was totally out of order in his post match interview with BBC Radio Derby, which can be heard here. Make your own mind up but personally, I believe he overstepped the mark... and by some considerable distance.
I've always believed a manager (football or otherwise) should defend his people in public and keep any criticism behind closed doors. Nigel Clough either doesn't agree or is unable to control his emotions as he's repeatedly criticized his players in public, post match.
However, in his post Portsmouth match interview he crossed the line between criticism and insult in my opinion.
On more than one occasion, he referred to Cywka as "not very bright". That might well be the case but apart from it being more than a little insulting, I suggest to you it was indeed "not very bright" to make the comment publicly. His comments will hardly have endeared him to Cywka, who he admits he may well have to use through necessity rather than choice.
Clough can hardly be surprised if he now finds Cywka now giving less than 100%, can he?
The other players could also be forgiven for looking around and wondering which of them is next in line for this kind of treatment.
I wrote earlier in the week that it was time Rams fans showed GSE and the owners that they needed to put their hands in their pockets and produce some real investment and I still stand by those comments. However, I concede that it may not be solely down to lack of investment.
Potential signings can also be forgiven for not busting a gut to sign for us when they have other options when they know it's quite possible they could be the unfortuante subject of another such outburst if they did sign.
Kris Commons said on several occasions that he wanted to stay at PPS but he eventually left. He's been the subject of Clough's ire previously and has no doubt seen his teammates suffer the same fate on the training pitches at least. Who's to say that wasn't a deciding, or at least contributory factor in him leaving?
"Non-League Nigel" has often been criticized for his lack of top level managerial experience but you can learn man-management at any level and I suggest that Nigel has in fact failed to learn this skill. His father was certainly a master but it doesn't seem to have rubbed off.
Clough Senior was very outspkoken but he possessed the invaluable skill of being able to temper his comments with irony and when required, some humour. Nigel unfortunately seems bereft of these qualities. Clough Senior also possessed the invaluable quality of more often than not, being ultimately proved right.
I would hope that Nigel's comments against Cywka might get him an invitation to spend 30 minutes in Tom Glick's office on Monday morning and I'd also hope that public apology will result.
Not that an apology will do any real good, Nigel needs to remember that you can never "unsay" something. The damage has been done.
Apologies are always uncomfortable and public apologies even more so. It takes a strong character to publicly admit they were wrong but I'm afraid Nigel Clough has gone down in my estimation and it'll take just that to redeem him somewhat.