Pearson says spending big was Rams biggest mistake
ADAM Pearson admits splashing the cash in the January 2008 transfer window when Derby County were hurtling towards relegation from the Premier League was a mistake.
"That was one of the biggest regrets of my two years at Derby," said Pearson, who resigned from his role as chairman of football this week.
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poor call: Adam Pearson (right) says spending big when Paul Jewell was Derby County boss (left) was a mistake.
Pearson was club chairman at the start of 2008 and overseeing a takeover by American company General Sports and Entertainment.
Derby were 10 points adrift from safety at the time and rooted to the foot of the table.
Only seven points had been collected from 20 matches but the Rams made eight signings in the January window.
Paul Jewell, who had been manager for a month, brought in Emanuel Villa, Laurent Robert, Robbie Savage, Mile Sterjovski, Roy Carroll and Alan Stubbs, as well as Danny Mills and Hossam Ghaly on loan.
Derby still went down and with a record low number of points despite the additions to the squad.
"We shouldn't have spent any money in the January 2008 window. We should have been tougher," said Pearson.
"We inherited a situation where the team was miles off Premier League standard and it was never, ever going to stay up.
"To waste that money was a big regret.
"The new owners were keen to make an impact but we spent too much money in that January when it should have been spent in the summer of 2008 going into the Championship."
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by Paul Rankin, Nr Nottinngham
Sunday, November 01 2009, 6:18PM
“Derby deserved to get a draw at the very least. DCFC have so many out with injuries that it was a 'winner' just to get the lads on the pitch at Ipswitch. Well done Rams, it can only get better for you. Lets hope you get a good Ref too. Luck has not always been on the side of the mighty Rams, but today starts a new month and hopefully a new start for our honest wonderful Rams team. Come on you Rams !!!”
by steady, alvo
Saturday, October 31 2009, 1:42PM
“it,s easy to say what he said after the event looking back after they spent the money is way too late . its in the past where it belongs.
this season is more important in staying in this leauge ,by starting to win games .
happy halloween”
by Craig, Kenilworth
Saturday, October 31 2009, 12:49PM
“Spending "big" might have saved us. We spent small. But to be fair to Pearson, its the DET's phrase, not his. Pearson's biggest mistake, I feel, was his inability to control Billy Davies' ego.
I've criticised the board recently for a lack of investment but the relegation season was 100% Davies' fault. As soon as we won the play-offs, he started spouting on about how we needed £20m just to compete, totally sucking the spirit out of the team (which was all that got us up in the first place).
If he'd been persuaded to accept the reality of the situation, we could have banked the cash and come back stronger the following season with a team capable of surviving - and without debt.”
by MB, Derby
Saturday, October 31 2009, 12:46PM
“No barker has got injured between the QPR match and now....but it's in no way related to training, no sir, nothing wrong with the training - nope....and that has nothing to do with hulse and davies either”
by Igor, ilson
Saturday, October 31 2009, 12:19PM
“So is Barker not fit, why 'the academy guy' for Barker?
My sincere hope is that we can get players fit and playing to get half a dozen games under their belts before Christmas so that we can see partnerships developing in important areas, centre back, centre mid and front 2. Then the manager can see which players on his 'hitlist' can be targeted to create the squad needed to seriously challenge in this league, we are not as far away as some people on here think we are. A second half of the season playing catch up and heading for a top 10 finish will do very nicely in preparation for next seasons onslaught.
The same whingers on here would be moaning if we were 7th because we should be in the play-offs, or moaning that 3rd isn't good enough and that we should be automatic top 2, seen it bin there!
We all know what happens if you get ahead of yourselves and go up ill prepared, the foundations are there with the current squad and manager, let him manage in the next transfer window as he may be able to operate quite 'normally' in the next window instead of a constant battle of offloading dead wood out of the club which is much more difficult than getting players in to a club like ours.
Now that wasn't too difficult, thinking positive!!”
by red dog, notts
Saturday, October 31 2009, 12:14PM
“YOU REDSSSSSSS”
by MB, Derby
Saturday, October 31 2009, 12:10PM
“We'll see Ireland...I'm already wrong about one thing; the unchanged line up.
Would you believe it, a player injured outside of a game...who would have thought. Just Dickov upfront today as Commons & Porter still out and Davies and Hulse injured in the meantime”
by Ireland, Rams
Saturday, October 31 2009, 12:02PM
“No result wont be the same ipswich are terrible! We are not much better so a 0-0 draw. Paul Jewel should never got the Job he would depress you listening to him even if he was talking about apples. We do have the makings of a mid table team but whats the chances of them all being fully fit at the one time the way things are going!”
by MB, Derby
Saturday, October 31 2009, 11:48AM
“I'm glad you see a potentially good team because I don't.
It comes to something when we have to put academy players in the starting line up to cover centre back.
Our manager isn't managing on any level.
And why has nobody pointed out the Moxey has spent his Exeter career playing winger not left back. I predict an unchanged team except the academy guy for barker... And a not too disimlar result”
by paul, Derby
Saturday, October 31 2009, 11:33AM
“we just need to get the injured players on the pitch for a few games and let this potetially good team play
we have 2 good centre backs leacock and barker full backs snoor and moxley forwards hulse and porter midfield perm any from 6 and we have a team
then a couple of signings and we are there .But we are short of most of the better players due to injury
final point was anybody else p!"££ off when PJ told us in november we were going to write the season off after buying £1000 of season tickets only a few months before ?”