Full-time: Derby County beaten 3-0 by Blackburn Rovers in FA Cup

“Really thought we'd do Blackburn but was not to be. I think it's times NC gives Hughes a rest and as others have stated, play those players in form and not his favourites.

Go back to 4-4-2, give Sammon some consistent help and maybe playing alongside the same guy they can actually form a strike partnership. If we're not creating then play with more offensive players. When I've seen Jacobs he's always looked positive so get him back in the side.

As for getting in Atkins, I now calling for NC's head but he would be a good replacement if it came to that.”

“Totally agree Derwentx pal, Time is over to keep blaming the backroom ****!

As stated: Clough controls everything on the pitch i.e.

The starting 11
The formation
The tactics
The subs/timing of them

Everytime we get a purple patch and be within a couple of points off the play-offs he changes the team and formation (at home)... We get beat and teams above all get 3 points to extend the gap to 6 (not a great deal but still)... Does he do this on purpose as he has no balls or ambition to want to challenge for play-offs?

Like myself, tads and stimac, usually labelled wrist slashers after we lose a game.. But we 3 have always praised the performance after a win and entertaining football... If we lost but played well I know we would praise the performance! But as we say the season is more a less finished... maybe a change in gaff i.e. Nigel Adkins to prep for next season wouldn't be such a bad move... Ok he had a few bob to spend but he always set his team out to play for 3 points home or away!

NC with us, its like a box of chocolates (as Forrest Gump quotes) You never know what your going to get.. which has fans coming to PP or away with no enthusiasm or excitement..”

“Derwentx A serious question for you i am not going to argue with you about finances because im sure you understand them better than me What i can not understand is why a company from across the atlantic would wish to take over a club that was on the verge of relegation from the Premiership with debts of £32 million and after 4 years are now in debt to the tune of £34 million ever hope to get a return on their investment As Sam Rush stated last week our future lies in the academy Well if they are waiting for that to come to fruition im afraid it will be a long wait”

“Jamie Ward was poor last season when playing on the left flank and nothing I have seen so far justifies his inclusion in that position over Jacobs or Davies, both of whom were doing a very decent job. He may justify his selection in a more central role but on the left wing? No.

Hughes and Coutts have been virtually ever present and both are now receiving plenty of attention. Clubs know that if they shackle Hughes and stifle the Brayford/Coutts combo we produce very little as an attacking force, especially if Ward produces little on the left flank.

Hughes is 17, he has played a lot of games and he has been under the spotlight, time to give him a short rest. Coutts has shown that he can play in central midfield and, whilst Bryson continues to struggle with a knee injury, let's give him the opportunity and introduce Davies on the right flank. I would then return Jacobs to the left flank and start with Ward playing alongside Sammon in a more central role.

So that means starting with a middle four of Jacobs, Hendrick, Coutts and Davies and a front two of Sammon and Ward (although I would be very tempted to give Bennett his chance).

Its easy to blame the owners but in the pre-amble to the latest audited accounts it states that, since taking over the club in January 2008, they have invested £36.6 million to 'meet the working capital needs of the club'.

In the last financial year to June 2012 they invested £9.8 million and, since those accounts were complete, they have invested a further £3.9 million to date.

Out of all that money a little over £18 million has been put in by way of interest free loans 'with no expectation of repayment'. A further loss is expected in the year ending June 2013 but the owners have guaranteed to continue to fund the club and meet all further working capital needs.

So lets put to bed this myth about the tight fisted owners who don't give a monkey's about the club and have no ambition. No one buys a club then puts in a further £36.6 million if they don't want success.

By putting in the money, and not resorting to bank loans, they have wiped nearly a million quid a year off the interest payments that they inherited, that's money we can use in other areas. The £11 million overdraft that they inherited has gone, the revolving bank loan, which was £4 million, is now just over £100,000. So instead of paying the banks a small fortune in interest we have a loan from the owners on which we make no repayments and pay no interest whatsoever. For the 4th year running the owners have voted not to take a dividend and only one Director received a salary, Tom Glick.

There are those who believe we are losing money hand over fist on gate receipts but the figure was actually up over the previous year by £100,000. The thing has been killing us has been wages and they still continue to be a drain on the club.”

“It goes without saying that we were very poor yesterday and never looked like getting a result.
Overall the first half of the season has been quite enjoyable however I fear that the second half could become a long hard slog because we have become predictable.
IMO Nigel needs to fit the players into the team rather than fit the team round the players.
We were told James Bailey could go out on loan because Bryson & Hendrick were his first choice central midfield however the emergence of Hughes has caused him a problem because he now feels he can't leave him out and he knows that he is most effective playing in the centre.
This was ok whilst Ward and Bryson were injured but now they are fit I think he should grow a pair and leave one of Bryson or Hughes out because they are wasted playing wide left and are never going to take on a full back and add balance to the team like if Jacobs was playing.
Performances since the Boro game have been going downhill and I fear that opponents have sussed us out and know that if they stop Coutts/Brayford then they stop Derby.”

“Pete, nice one, but.......
Clough has stated many times we don't get enough crosses in the box, at Charlton we had wingers and got the most crosses in any game, and wait for it Sammon was dropped!!!!
Boro at home we were all over them with Davies and Jacobs, he tinkered and cost us, Brayford at Brighton!!
He needs to be accountable for this, thus is not knee jerk, some fans put up with it because if young players and rebuilding, that excuse has gone, he is picking players to get them in the team, unbalanced. I don't know much about football but I do know when I am being done, he us not inspiring.

You would be better off winning one and losing one, drawing 2 is negative and non productive, simple maths.

Disrupt the team with a new man in charge, may be may be not, you have to sometimes take a gamble in football, I would go for Atkins, so so positive, worth a punt because as we stand now late in January it is season over.”

“PeteDerby ( see you can have constructed critisism without the pitchforks ) thats good coming from someone who has posted about us talking claptrap stones and glasshouses sping to mind”

“Tadley, I think you'll find I'm agreeing with everyone who says Clough plays too negatively with this 4-5-1 formation. This setting the team up based on fear is his Achilles Heel in my opinion. If you look at everything Clough has done, domestically in his private life and in his management career, he's played it safe and gone for the big picture.

Where I disagree with the more reactionary fans who, in my opinion, think some wonder manager is going to take on Derby, is that although he's far from perfect, we're better with the devil we know.

I don't go for all this knee-jerk reaction stuff. Many of the things fans are frustrated by have their roots in finance and any manager coming in will face exactly the same restrictions.

I feel like turning round and going straight back home when I see a 4-5-1 team sheet. I think Clough is a bloody idiot sticking with it, but that doesn't mean I believe some new guy is going to come in and turn us into promotion candidates. Quite the reverse, I think changing the manager will just disrupt things.

I get him playing Ward, because he's a far better footballer than Robinson, but - and this is the crux of it for me - if he's going to pretend Ward is on as a striker, stick a friggin left winger on at the same time and make him play up the middle in partnership with Sammon.

Robinson has a hatful of goals by being Johnny on the spot. Ward scored a nice goal against Forest by being up the middle. On the wing he's not as good as having Jacobs there.

Also, playing Bryson in midfield with Hughes, Hendrick and Coutts just doesn't work. It's too congested and the opposition just bypass them.

See, it is possible to provide constructive criticism without grabbing for the pitchforks lads!”

“Some of you may remember my asking 'What is the difference between a DCFC 'cup run' and a DCFC 'cup tie'?' on January 4th. Maybe the three people who red arrowed me will recall.

Well, January 26th and now we know. A DCFC 'cup tie' is one game and a DCFC 'cup run' is two games.”

“As any body thought it might be Nigels coaches are the ones who should be changed.”