A quiet time with no Rams on-field action, but some interesting debate can still be found here!

Message boards aren’t exactly alight at the moment in Ramsfanland and of course much of the discussion centres on the transfer market and the efforts of Messrs Jewell and Pearson to revamp the Rams’ squad.

Departing players can draw different opinions even if most of Derby’s team won’t be missed when they shuffle off to pastures new. Camelogue, on “David Jones” wondered if the lightweight ex-Manchester United midfielder wanted exorbitant terms to move on, hence the breakdown of his transfer to Wolves, though one opinion hoped he would line up again for the Rams in the Championship.

On the other hand, responses to sixmileram’s comments on “Gary Teale” about the blond bombshell’s mooted move to Plymouth left no-one in doubt that Gary won’t be the fans’ choice for the back of replica Derby shirts next season! Further, Craig’s impending departure to Hull for £750k in “Fagan Off?” (by Blackadder) didn’t exactly upset anyone, either!

Then, sixmileram asked where is all the “Transfer Money”? Yes the club is coining it in the short term, though losing money spent by Davies on the likes of Miller and Earnshaw. There was discussion on the level of Derby’s ambition in signing several promising but unknown free agents and low-cost newcomers so far within this thread, to the extent that if serious money were spent on Ferrie Bodde, would he be of required quality to take the Rams forward?

Fans expect further high-profile signings (which the club have hinted at) and are watching to see if GSE can back Jewell with substantial bids for star names when the opportunities arise. This led on to the possibilities of Derby snatching some Euro 2008 stars as Camelogue mentioned “Austrian Targets”. Fans felt Derby weren’t in a position to bid for players from the real Euro contenders but the last two humourous responses in that thread did make me smile!

The new 2008-09 fixtures drew less comment than hemingway’s proposed purchase of a metal garden shed but then Championship fixtures will remain a sobering prospect until Derby finally put a few wins under their belt. However, an extended discussion on the Ferrie Bodde saga is the Thread of the Week this week, camelogue opening the debate on “Better Bodde bid” in hoping that if captured, the Swansea ace could prove to be another Robin van der Laan.

Respondents felt that Derby antagonised Swansea with a low initial bid for saying Paul Jewell really wants this player - and there were some very good contributions from Swansea supporter swansea_jack to add to the understanding of the situation. The attitude and pronouncements of Swansea’s combative chairman Huw Jenkins were debated, as were the apparently daft declarations by his manager that Bodde doesn’t actually want to move to Derby.

Jenkins is stringing out the saga somewhat and says that Bodde could be forced to play on for Swansea though there’s a suspicion among us that all the media attention, posturing and delays might just be aimed at drawing bids in from other clubs.

It’s a cat-and-mouse game, which we all hope Derby will win - and there’s even the suggestion that Duffy could be on her way to Derby, though no one mentions her best position (nominally at the top of the download charts, I’d expect!)

Thanks to camelogue and everyone for their contributions, keep it rolling!

Thread of the Week can be seen here!

Photo: Action Images

Colchester United Polls