An Interesting Experiment

At both ends of the A52 an interesting experiment in football management is going on.

At the Western end GSE have installed Nigel Clough and told him to BUILD a team over a few years as he did at Burton. At the Eastern end, Arab owners - multi billionaires we are told have hired one decent manager and not found the patience to back his team selection - and instead, they have paid him off to install another manager with a somewhat more doubtful background having achieved some success but more failures. The Arab owners have given him an imperative of getting promoted in this current year.

At the Western end - with whatever funds the owners had, frittered away by Billy Davies and Paul Jewell - the manager has had to rebuild under a regime of severe financial prudence, looking for promising young players from lower leagues rather than proven, ready made Championship footballers. Over 4 years he has stripped out all the dead wood and moulded a team in his own image and encouraged them to play to his own very high standard. Some observers from the Eastern end have even dubbed the manager Non League Nigel, intending it as an insult, but not realising until too late that the soubriquet "NLN" is in fact a great compliment.

The Western end manager has expressed himself well satisfied with his squad and very happy if there are to be no departures and no incomers in the transfer season.

At the Eastern end they have already gone through one rich family's fortune and now the new manager is embarked on a spending spree of unknown magnitude. In stark contrast, the Eastern-end manager has said he needs both departures and many new signings in the January window.

The interesting question is - which philosophy will be most successful?

Finally, whilst I may be very unpopular for saying it, Derby County owe a large debt of gratitude to GSE for having the wisdom and the patience to allow Nigel Clough to construct what is now a great young and above all STABLE Championship side.