Got to see you back here
Where was this investment at the start of the season? Because if they (the board) weren't prepared to make this investment then I can't see why they sacked Billy Davis.
Billy Davies spent £20 million in 3 transfer windows.
When he first joined Derby, the players he bought were an unqualified success, especially Steve Howard and Matt Oakley. By Christmas, we were romping away with the Championship.
Then he bought the second batch of players - the likes of Dave Jones, Craig (no offence) Fagan, Mo Camara and a few others. The wheels fell off and a 10 point lead was frittered away. The second batch were utter tripe.
Promotion through the playoffs was achieved, and then the really hard business started - trying to find real quality to keep us up. Three players came in at a cost of 10 million - Kenny Miller (brilliant - the one good signing in a year), Claude 'Bombscare' Davis (has there ever been a worse centre-half?) and Robert 'Keep the bench warm' Earnshaw. Add the likes of Andy Griffin and a few others - oh, Billy had the money. The only problem was, he kept buying the ex-Preston rubbish he had bought in the past.
Paul Jewell has offloaded Howard, Oakley and Griffin for about 2.5 million, and brought in Emanuel Villa (may be a bargain at £2 million - his transfer to Derby has caused his ex-manager, the great Cesar Luis Menotti to quit -
From Wiki: "On 6 January 2008 he quit his position as manager of Tecos because of the decision of the president of Tecos to sell Emmanuel Villa to Derby County Football Club an England soccer team, and by bringing in players that César Luis Menotti did not want in his team and by not bringing in the player he wanted to replace Emmanuel Villa in the forward position."
Savage cost £1.5 million, Mills and Ghaly are loans, Robert is a 'free' - i.e. Jewell hasn't exactly splashed the cash himself.
Almost made up for Upson, Cahill and Fabregas getting just 2 points a piece.