"Not chucking silly money at journeymen" - Derby County owner David Clowes sent fan demand | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fan pundit has told David Clowes what one demand he has for the current owners of the club

Derby County have made their return to the Championship this season after two years in League One.

The Rams were relegated in 2022 after suffering serious financial uncertainty under their previous owners, which led to going into administration.

David Clowes purchased the club in the aftermath of their drop down to the third division.

He appointed Paul Warne as manager, and the team secured their return to the second tier with a second place finish in the table last season.

The Derbyshire outfit will now be hoping to cement their place back at this level, with a long-term view towards potentially challenging for promotion to the Premier League.

David Clowes urged to stick with Paul Warne

When asked what one demand he’d have of Clowes, FLW’s Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward suggested sticking behind Warne and the plan they’ve built under this ownership.

He believes chasing well known names on big wages would be a mistake, and that the club should stick with the current squad and management, even if their form continues to take a dip.

“I would tell David Clowes to stick with Paul Warne, stick with the current business plan, not chucking silly money at journeymen and just keep going with what we’re doing,” Woodward told Football League World.

“We’ve got hungry players at the club at the moment.

“Yes, they’re not household names.

“We could do with strengthening in certain areas, but I would just keep going with what we’re doing.

“Bring one or two players in in January to make us better, especially in the attacking options, attacking areas.

“And then go again.

“But I wouldn’t panic if we maybe start to struggle, and start to look over our shoulders a bit.

“Just trust the process, survival is the main aim this season, anything else is a bonus.

“So, David Clowes not to panic, stick with Paul Warne and stick with the plan and I think we’ll be fine.”

Derby County’s start to life back in the Championship

Derby had started the season off quite brightly, but three losses in their last four games has seen them drop down to 12th in the table.

Warne’s side suffered defeats at the hands of Sheffield United, Norwich City and Sunderland in a tough run of games right before the international break.

But a 2-0 victory over QPR last weekend meant they finished this period on a positive note before the two-week pause in action.

Next up for Derby is a trip to face Millwall at the Den on 19 October.

Sticking with Warne and the plan is the way to go for Derby

Derby have built a much more sustainable model with the current make-up of their squad at the moment.

They have a young core of talent, like David Ozoh, Kenzo Goudmijn and Eiran Cashin who will all be hungry to prove themselves at this level.

Their start to the season has been positive, and survival seems like quite a realistic aim for their first year back at this level.