After the glorious win, came the abject defeat to the Tractor Boys. But for me, what was more significant was the potential signing of James O'Shea from Galway.

From the clips shown by an obliging poster on the DET message board, Galway seem to play along the floor as you might expect from their manager Jeff Kenna (pictured). Rams fans will remember that he was an integral part of Burley's team that played so much pleasing football and surged up the table. Whenever Idiakez found himself closed down, he nearly always found Kenna available for a pass.

So if O'Shea is good enough, and I hope he is, I'm expecting that he will be one for the future. Last May I suggested that if PJ had anything about him he would not only re-build the devastated first team but also start building a squad with young fringe players ready to compete for first team places.

I see the following players as squad players being built up for the future: Bywater, McEveley, Zadkovich, Prijovic, Hanson, Dickinson, Pereplotikins. Nyatanga would have come into that category but injuries to Albrechtsen and Leacock forced PJ to draft him in even though he is still not physically bulky enough.

The important issue for any manager is to manage for today and for tomorrow. Many years ago, after Dave Mackay had been sacked, I was struck by the then DET sports-writer commenting that he – Mackay – managed for today and not for tomorrow. By contrast, Cloughie – until drink overtook him – always managed with one eye on the horizon and one eye firmly focused on the here and now.

The latest Powell recruit shows that Jewell is capable of managing for the immediate needs of the team, and it seems that PJ is also looking to the future. He needs to. If through some lucky goals and some kind refereeing decisions we surge up the table and win the Play-off final again, we need a squad big enough to weather the storms facing us.

And this needs to be built now – not in the summer transfer window when the only bargains to be had are left-overs from other clubs that we can't offload later on.

I suspect that Adam Pearson and PJ are too shrewd for that to happen too often. They know that mistakes will be made and will need to be moved on and it is a poor return on investment if no-hopers eke out their time in training sessions with no tangible evidence that they will ever contribute again to the first team. So the business with D. P. represents a hard headed investment of two months – if he performs, he gets a longer contract but not before.

Meanwhile, let's hope O'Shea becomes part of a continuing conveyor belt of young talented players who in time will compete in the Premiership for Derby County.

Photo: Action Images

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