Cards Close To The Chest

We now enter the new year and Derby remain without a manager, although Chris Hutchings was going to be in charge this week regardless.

One man being constantly linked with the job is Nigel Clough, who could follow in the footsteps of his father, the late great Brian Clough. Burton boss Clough was also linked with another of his former sides Forest, but with former Rams boss Billy Davies taking over that one is a no go. Burton are currently 10 points clear at the top of the Blue Square Premier but he has played his cards close to his chest.

'I'd rather talk about the achievements of my players than any other club.

'We're just getting on and doing our job as always and if anything needs talking about it's the lads here.'

Clough was talking to BBC Radio Derby.

Others that remain in the frame are former Rams star Dean Saunders, current caretaker-boss Hutchings and former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd. Saunders, currently boss of Wrexham in the Blue Square, is playing down his own chances.

'It's the first I've heard of it and I have got a job to do where I am at the moment.

'I want to keep my head down and concentrate on trying to get Wrexham out of the Blue Square Premier at the first time of asking.'

Saunders was talking to the Evening Telegraph.

Boothroyd wants to stop being linked to a job and actually get one, so he seems to be throwing his hat firmly into the ring?

'There are a lot of very good managers around. I think every chairman and every board and every group of fans of any club know what they want, whether it is a younger manager or a senior one, who has been successful somewhere else.

'And they'll pick what they want.

'So what I bring and what the managers bring there are different. With a little bit of luck, I might stop getting linked with a job and finally get one. Who knows?'

This time next week we should be closer to knowing who our boss will be, if Hutchings does the business in the FA Cup and Carling Cup then he is very much a possibility for the post. However his past record having taken over jobs from Paul Jewell when he left at Bradford and Wigan is far from impressive, so wouldn't fill me with much optimism.

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