The sacking of Paul Clement

As the fans left the away end after the Fulham match I heard one man loudly proclaim two things. The first was that the fans "shouldn't clap that s**t" as the payers walked past the Putney End towards the tunnel. The second was that Paul Clement was "inept" and that he "wouldn't go to another away match" whilst Clement was still manager. He could have done with toning down his language (there were children around), but still, he got his point across to everybody in earshot.

This man I can only assume is now very happy at the events that took place last night, as Paul Clement was relieved of his duties by Mel Morris only eight months after taking the job. The statement released was bizarre to say the least.

Morris explained:

"promotion this season was not the primary target. The priorities were building on the Derby way and style of football enjoyed in the past two seasons; adding depth and strength to our playing squad; and, developing and improving player and team performance." 

  

CEO Sam Rush added:

"Our focus is to get the team back on track, delivering the style of football and performance we know they are capable of."

The idea of a 'Derby Way' seems to have been met with scorn amongst some areas of the press and supporters of other teams, but Morris explained many times in the summer what he meant by this. The idea was that everybody; from the under 8's up to the first team quad would play the same brand of expansive attacking football introduced by Nigel Clough and fine tuned by Steve McClaren. For this to work, everybody on the club has to be on the same page and there has to be a clear pathway from the academy to the first team.

Mel Morris (Andy Clarke)

Some fans have undoubtedly been unhappy with the more cautious approach of Clement that has frequently led to dull matches; the antithesis of what Mel Morris wanted. Fans go to watch football to be entertained and I don't truly think that many have been entertained this season - it's typically been a case of Derby not playing too well but grinding out the result with their superior quality. None of the quick, incisive play that blew teams away during McClaren's reign. The statement above explicitly states that was the aim and I think it's fair to say that Clement hadn't achieved that and wasn't about to anytime soon. You can get away with dull football if you get results, but there's nowhere to hide if your style of play is poor and doesn't pick up points at the same time.

There have been rumblings that Morris was unhappy at the lack of academy players in the match day squad; it was stated in pre-season that the aim was to have three academy graduates in the squad every week and each would be involved, at the very least from the bench. The loss of Will Hughes inevitably set this back, but there has still been a sense that Clement hasn't got much time for youth. The likes of Jamie Hanson would have hoped to be getting more game time, especially with George Thorne's patchy injury record. Indeed Mason Bennett (currently on loan at Burton Albion) seemed to suggest as much in an interview last week after leaving for the League One leaders. 

Perhaps inevitably, there have also been the typical 'lost the dressing room' rumours that swirl around after a sacking.  People claiming to be in the know have suggested that several players went to Morris directly to lay bare their unhappiness. This is just a rumour and should be taken with a pinch of salt, but I know that Clement looked like a lonely man walking back to that dressing room on Saturday. The fact that no players have publicly thanked him for his efforts (as is usually the case after a sacking) is very telling.

Question must be asked of the senior management on the back of this decision. Exactly who has the final say with regards to transfers? Derby's approach over the last two transfer windows appears to have been throw money at whoever has just hit career best form, with only Jacob Butterfield and Scott Carson having really proved their worth. If Morris really wanted more academy players in the squad why did allow Clement to sign the likes of Johnson, Camara and Blackman, pushing those academy graduates back down the pecking order? Or indeed, were any of those signings Clement's? Was he saddled with a bunch of expensive players that he felt obliged to play because of their price?

Paul Clement may rejoin Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich (Andy Clarke)

What next for all parties involved? The smart money would be on Clement rejoining Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich as his assistant. At Derby it has been announced that Director of the Academy Darren Wassall will take charge of the team until the end of the season, but I doubt he'll last that long. The most likely scenario is that he'll take charge for a couple of games and then a replacement will be brought in. There have already been several names floated around; the likes of David Moyes (who has watched some of Derby's recent matches), Gary Rowett and Brendan Rodgers have all been linked. If Morris is being truthful when he says the problem was the style of football then he should go for a Rodgers type manager (not that he'd necessarily get Rodgers) who is more idealistic in his approach. 

My first reaction to Clement's sacking was one of shock, followed immediately by anger. I've cooled down a bit in the process of writing this blog. Clement will be judged based on the remit he was given when he was brought to the club in July. Looking at the terms he agreed to when he signed his contract I think it's fair to say he failed:

• Play attacking, expansive football in the style the fans have become accustomed to over the past couple of seasons. Failed - Clements football was dull, with the buildup being far too slow an the attacking play not intelligent enough to break down defences. It's arguable that performances were getting worse, not better leading up to his sacking.
• Introduce talent from the academy into the first team. Failed (Sort of) - At the start of the season Jamie Hanson was getting regular playing time in midfield, but then the likes of Johnson and Buterfield were brought in for big money, pushing him down the pecking order. This also pushed Hendrick, another academy graduate, out of the team and the January signings of Camara and Blackman got rid of any slim chance Mason Bennett had of playing first team football. Like I said above, everyone is culpable in this. If Clement wanted to sign the new players Rush and Morris should have slammed their feet down and told Clement to use the academy. If Morris and Rush were forcing these signings on Clement then he should have put his foot down and said no, as Clement was supposed to have the final say on transfers. 

Notice that promotion was not a requirement this season, just a broad improvement in terms of style and academy involvement; the idea being that promotion would be a natural result either this season or the next. On those counts Clement was failing and although I probably would have given him more time to show he can turn it around Morris obviously doesn't have that patience. With no obvious signs of improvement - Clement still didn't know his best team over half way through the season - you could say the decision was harsh, but not completely surprising.

I must say however that replacing him with Wassall reeks of a decision made in haste. They should have had a replacement lined up to take over immediately - a promotion push is still a distinct possibility this season. Remember, this team is only five points from the top of the table with 16 games to play, more than enough time for form to pick up. We'll have to wait and see if Morris and Rush have played their cards close to their chests and already have someone lined up. 

One thing I can say with certainty - on the pitch or off it, it's never dull being a Derby fan.