People who question whether Derby boss Nigel Clough is too mild mannered to manage in the Championship would have done well to watch the man springing in and out of the home dugout at Pride Park on Friday evening.

With the scores locked at 1-1 between the Rams and Coventry, the stress and anxiety was clear to see as Clough bemoaned every decision that went against his team and reacted with fury whenever his players needlessly squandered possession.

It was a Clough I have not seen before. Then again, it has been a difficult few months for the 43-year-old. His team went into Friday's match a perilous 20th in the Championship table on the back of eight defeats in their previous 11 games.

I browsed through a few Derby County message boards this week and sensed that opinion had started to turn against Clough.

Several people were suggesting that he was being "found out" in the Championship after a decade of managing Burton Albion at non-league level.

Others argued that his policy of giving an opportunity to young players from the lower divisions, like Dean Moxey, was misguided. It simply would not work in the notoriously unforgiving and competitive Championship.

Clough's team trailed 1-0 at half-time against Coventry and were booed from the field. Rob Hulse then scored twice after the restart to give the Rams a 2-1 win.

Fans pay their money and have every right to protest against poor form, but I cannot help but think that the dissatisfaction of the Derby fans serves to highlight the gulf between expectation and reality.

When you look at Pride Park, you see a stadium that should be hosting Premier League football. Derby have a sizeable fanbase and all but the very youngest supporters are old enough to remember their team playing top-flight football.

But Derby are a team that is some way from challenging for a return to the elite level - a point that Clough has been at pains to make. It is a time for rebuilding - and it is a process that will take time.

Derby has become a watchword for instability while the club have spent most of this decade shedding managers more often than Jedward hit bum notes.

If Clough is to change that, then patience is required. The same fans who looked so emotional when the son of Brian returned to the family's supposed spiritual home must hold their nerve.

I visited Clough in the summer at the club's Moor Farm training facility and was impressed by his plans for the club. When he took over, he inherited almost 40 professionals and was in the process of trimming down the pool of players with the aim of establishing a tight-knit unit.

He explained that he wanted his players to know exactly what to do and when, and he wanted them to understand each other's roles as well as their respective strengths and weaknesses. Clough's goal was to assemble a blend of young, hungry players alongside seasoned pros. He was trying to build a team in the truest sense of the word.

However, injury and illness have meant Clough has had little opportunity to decide upon his best XI. As a consequence, the cohesion he wants is still lacking, which obviously impacts on confidence and self-belief. Instead of mounting a promotion challenge, his team have found themselves scrapping for points at the other end of the table.

"It has been a real struggle over the last few weeks," remarked Clough on Friday with genuine frankness. "We have not had many selection options."

By my rough calculations - and please do correct me if I'm wrong - Clough has fielded six different centre-half pairings, seven in the centre of midfield, and the same number in attack.

Clough observed in his programme notes prior to the Coventry game that he had 16 registered professionals unavailable for the previous match at Ipswich, with Paul Dickov his only fit striker.

"A high quantity of injuries will adversely affect form and our injury situation is worse than anyone else's in the four divisions," said the boss.

But Hulse, Paul Green and Dean Leacock returned to the starting line-up on Friday evening, and Clough is confident more will be available after the international break.

Significantly, Clough pointed out that the match against Coventry was the first since the opening day win against Peterborough that he had been able to field the midfield trio of Robbie Savage, Paul Green and Stephen Pearson.

Robbie Savage celebrates a rare win for Derby

I asked Clough whether he thought his team had turned a corner after picking up three points for the first time since they defeated Sheffield Wednesday on 3 October.

"I hope so," he said. "Only time will tell if we can press on, but if we get our players back we have the makings of a healthy squad."

Coventry are in a similar position to Derby when it comes to injuries. Manager Chris Coleman, like Clough, has reduced the size of his squad but was missing four established defenders, several key midfielders and his first-choice keeper against the Rams, while Leon Best, who scored Coventry's only goal, has just returned from injury.

The former Fulham and Real Sociedad boss believes his squad will be competitive when fully fit and says there wasn't an awful lot to choose between Coventry and Derby.

"It was a big game for both teams, they got the points and we didn't," he said.

Derby, with the always confrontational Savage emblematic of the home team's desire and commitment, probably just about deserved their win after a spirited comeback, but it was hardly a memorable match.

Still, as Clough noted: "The result sent the supporters home happy, which is something that we have not done for a while."

It is still early days for Clough, who is in his first full season in charge after taking over in early January and keeping the club in the division.

But until he has been in a position to select from a more or less fully-fit for a sustained period of time, it would be folly to pass judgement on a man who left behind the homely security of Burton and followed in his father's footsteps by trying to revive Derby.

You can follow me throughout the season at twitter.com/Paul__Fletcher

Nottingham Forest are currently ninth, but just four points behind the Baggies. Even so, Forest boss Billy is passionately, vehemently, absolutely and totally insistent that his team will not figure in the promotion reckoning this season.

After watching their entertaining and. at times, feisty 1-1 draw at the impressive Cardiff City Stadium on a wet and wintry Sunday evening, I reckon that both teams must be regarded as promotion candidates.

The Bluebirds are the division's highest scorers with 31 goals from their 15 games and watching their attacking threat on Sunday it was easy to see why.

Target man Jay Bothroyd can hold-up the ball if Cardiff choose to go direct but also showed a deft touch and decent pace, at one point winning a straight sprint against Kelvin Wilson and drawing a desperate foul from the Forest defender. He also showed excellent composure for his goal, slotting the ball beyond Lee Camp. The one concern here is that if Bothroyd picks up an injury, I'm not sure they have an adequate replacement for him.

Jay Bothroyd's shot is blocked by Forest defender Kelvin Wilson

Strike partner Michael Chopra is the Championship's leading scorer with 11 goals, but there is more to his game than finishing. He was not scared to drop deep to link play and his movement across the Forest backline unsettled the opposition. Furthermore, with full-time approaching and his team clinging on to a 1-0 lead, he dispossessed a Forest player 25 yards from his own goal. It was a moment that stood out for me because it spoke volumes about his work rate and desire.

Cardiff winger Peter Whittingham had scored in six consecutive games prior to Sunday and both he and Chopra forced several excellent saves from Lee Camp. Cardiff's willingness to shoot was symptomatic of the confidence running through the side. Particularly eye-catching was their goal - a six-pass move that started in the left-back area and ended with the ball in the Forest net. The passing and movement was executed with great skill and speed.

The distribution of central midfielder Stephen McPhail, who unfortunately picked up an injury against Forest, has been impressive this season. His presence has led to a slightly deeper role for the highly-rated Joe Ledley. I thought Ledley had a decent game on Sunday and the midfielder saw a shot cleared off the line.

I wonder whether central defensive duo of skipper Mark Hudson and Anthony Gerrard, cousin of Liverpool's Steven, might lack pace - and Forest striker David McGoldrick certainly troubled them in this department.

But right-back Adam Matthews, 17, has really stood out this season. On Sunday Forest winger Paul Anderson caused him real problems in the opening half but the young defender had the better of their engaging contest after the break.

The presence of Ross McCormack and Gavin Rae on the bench on Sunday also suggests Cardiff have a strength in depth they have previously lacked.

"We have got a long way to go in terms of being stronger as a unit," was manager Jones's assessment as he reflected on his team's start to the season.

"We have got a lot of younger players - particularly in defence. They don't let anybody down in terms of commitment but sometimes there is a lack of knowledge.

"But I am reasonably pleased with the attacking division and our defending."

There is a settled feel to the Cardiff side; a continuity from one season to the next. It was a point Forest boss Davies made when he observed that several Cardiff players remained from his last visit, with Derby County in October 2006.

In stark contrast, Davies spent in the region of £5m in the summer rebuilding his squad, a reflection of the difficulty he had in keeping Forest in the Championship last season after taking over as manager on New Year's Eve 2008.

Davies was frustrated with the attitude of some of his talented younger players last season. You only have to look at Forest boss, blazer and V-neck jumper worn smartly over his shirt and club tie, to understand that he does not tolerate tardiness. He lives in an ordered world of professionalism and high standards - and expects the same from his players.

In March Davies publicly criticised midfielder Lewis McGugan over his lack of fitness but the 21-year-old scored a stunning injury-time equaliser at Cardiff and there are signs that the younger players at Forest are benefitting from the arrival of more experienced professionals.

None fall into this category more than skipper Paul McKenna, who arrived from Preston after 12 years at his home-town club. He is the fulcrum of the side, knitting the play together from central midfield. Davies told me that McKenna's value is was in excess of his ability as a player because his good habits are an example to others.

Forest certainly aren't lacking artillery. Robert Earnshaw, Dexter Blackstock and Nathan Tyson are currently injured but Davies could still call upon McGoldrick, Dele Adebola and Radoslaw Majewski on Sunday. It is a pool of attacking players that I imagine any Championship manager would be happy to have at his disposal.

Wes Morgan holds off the challenge of Cardiff striker Michael Chopra

The visiting team's defence was caught out far too easily at times against Cardiff - particularly distressing was an optimistic header up-field from Gerrard that eluded the Forest backline and gave Bothroyd a run at goal. Davies insists he is working hard with his all of his squad on the training ground and five consecutive victories and two draws from Forest's last seven games suggests his methods are working.

"There is a lot of work and progression needed," reckons Davies, who insists he can see the faults and flaws in his squad every day on the training ground.

"In my humble opinion we are not ready for promotion this season. If we can finish in a mid-table position, it would be a first-class position considering where we have come from."

Davies was sacked months after he took Derby back to the top flight in 2007. It is an experience that clearly hurt. You now frequently read of the manager talking in terms of three-year plans and building an infrastructure that will give Forest a chance of surviving in the Premier League.

But he is an extremely competitive man and has a proven track record at this level having reached the play-off final with Preston before going one better at Derby. The crucial element was that he did it quickly - in his first season at each club.

Despite his protestations I certainly wouldn't discount Forest - not that the Championship is short of promotion contenders.

Almost a third of the season has gone (at frightening speed if you ask me) and just seven points separate the top 12 teams.

Some people think the Championship is the most exciting league in England and the congestion at the top end of the table suggests they might have a point.

But besides Cardiff and Forest, who do you think will figure in the promotion reckoning next April?

You can follow me throughout the season at twitter.com/Paul__Fletcher

The Royals had just played Chelsea in a friendly and Pearce had enjoyed a very solid afternoon trying to snaffle the not inconsiderable threat posed by Terry's club team-mates Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

Pearce and Terry come from very different backgrounds. Terry went to Eastbury Comprehensive in Barking and played for the Senrab club side that also counts the likes of Jermain Defoe, Sol Campbell and Ledley King among its former players.

Pearce attended the esteemed Oratory School in Woodcote in Berkshire. Composers, politicians, soldiers and rugby players are among the famous Old Oratorians. Pearce played fly-half for the rugby team and showed early promise but always preferred the round ball.

There are undoubted comparisons to be made between Pearce and Terry beyond the fact that both wear the number 26.

Both have come through the ranks at their club. Pearce seems to have the same drive and natural leadership that Terry obviously possesses in abundance. They are good in the air, solid all-round defensively and competent in possession. Pearce is candid enough to admit that he is far from quick, though the same might be said of Terry.

"John Terry never seems to get caught," added Pearce. "People say he is not the quickest but he is sharp in the mind.

"I actually try to base my game on him. I watch him all the time on TV and study his play."

Pearce was brought to Reading by current boss Brendan Rodgers as a 12-year-old when the Royals manager worked with the club's Academy,

Rodgers eventually left to take up a similar role at Chelsea before a short spell as manager of Watford ended when he returned to Reading. Knowing Terry from his time at Stamford Bridge, Rodgers gave the defender's mobile phone number to Pearce.

"I texted John and he said I could call him any time. He has since texted me a couple of times before games to wish me luck," added the Reading defender.

Rodgers is obviously in a strong position from which to compare the two players, but I wonder whether Rodgers might have been shrewd to keep his observation to himself. Being compared to the England captain is a hard billing for a young player to live up to, although Pearce describes the comparison as a massive compliment.

Certainly, there are plenty of talented young defenders in the Football League - Sean St Ledger (Middlesbrough), Miles Addison (Derby) and Sean Morrison (Swindon) to name but three. I would be very interested to know who you rate - and who you think can go on to play in the Premier League.

I met Pearce last week and several times during my conversation I had to remind myself that he is only 20. He talks with a calm assurance and maturity way beyond his years. I suppose it is a measure of Pearce's even temperament that he seems to be unfazed by the burden that being compared to Terry can bring with it.

Pearce, with loan spells at Northampton, Bournemouth, Norwich and Southampton under his belt, was made vice-captain over the summer but, with Ivar Ingimarsson injured at the start of the campaign, he started the season as skipper.

The script suggested he would form a key part of the bold new era under Rodgers, who has adopted a new system with a heavy emphasis on ball retention.

But not much has gone to plan at the Royals this season.

The season didn't start all that badly with two clean sheets in their opening three Championship fixtures and a 5-1 win over Burton in the Carling Cup.

But Reading have managed just two goals in their seven home Championship fixtures and have conceded 23 goals from their 15 league games. They have problems at both ends of the pitch and have lost their last four games.

The Royals lost again on Monday, 1-0 to Leicester at the Madejski Stadium. They haven't won at home since January and are currently in the bottom three.

Reading, with Pearce returning to the side as skipper in the absence of the suspended Ingimarsson, were unluck against the Foxes but were punished for failing to convert any of the numerous chances they created.

Clearly, something isn't working and the Rodgers era has yet to get off the ground.

Perhaps the new boss has tried to change too much, too soon. Rodgers changed the system when he took over, with Steve Coppell's attacking 4-4-2 giving way to a more fluid 4-3-3 system with a heavy emphasis on retaining possession.

"It takes time for everyone to get used to new systems," said Pearce diplomatically. "There has been a massive change in the club and it does not gel overnight.

"We do a lot of passing in the new formation on the training field, working hard to get used to our positions and what to do in the shape - that is the idea."

Rodgers revealed the pragmatist within him by switching to a 4-4-2 for the recent game at QPR, acknowledging the need for a temporary return to the old system to get some points on the board and rebuild confidence. The Royals lost 4-1, prompting fans to chant the manager would be sacked in the morning, but he stuck with 4-4-2 against the Foxes.

Rodgers has experimented with changing personnel as well as his formation and Pearce found himself rested after the 3-2 defeat at Peterborough in mid-September.

Determined to show his commitment, the 20-year-old surprised everyone by turning up in the dressing at Preston before kick-off after driving up to support the side for their midweek fixture.

Rodgers is under pressure after a poor start to the season

Pearce is one of several players in and around the first-team squad who have come through the Reading Academy. The likes of Hal Robson-Kanu, Jem Karacan and Simon Church have all figured this season and, although it might not look that way at the moment, Pearce is confident that they can form the basis of a successful future for the Royals.

The central defender, who has played for Scotland Under-21s but remains eligible for England Under-21s, is out of contract at the end of the season but is confident a new deal will be sorted out. He told me that he is happy to let his agent sort it out while he focuses on improving Reading's position.

The club's current predicament must be painful for Reading supporters after the golden era under Coppell but Pearce is adamant that morale remains high within the squad.

"The spirit in the camp is brilliant and all the lads get on well," he said.

"Without a doubt there is an undoubted amount of ability in our group of players - it is just getting the right blend with youth and experience and the manager will get that right."

And when I asked Pearce where he saw himself in five years, he exhaled loudly and thought for a moment before smiling and remarking: "Captaining Reading in the Premier League wouldn't be bad - but I think we need to focus on the short-term first."

You can follow me throughout the season at twitter.com/Paul__Fletcher

They may lie a healthy fifth in the Championship table, have an excellent and highly-coveted manager in Alan Irvine and a well-drilled and committed squad.

But they came a disappointing 19th out of 24 clubs in terms of attendances last season and crowds have slipped worryingly this campaign, with less than 12,000 turning up for their recent home fixture against high-flying West Brom.

It isn't easy for any side in Lancashire to build their fanbase. Preston aren't just competing with Blackpool, Blackburn, Burnley, Bolton and Wigan for supporters, they also exist in the considerable shadows cast by Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton.

Deepdale is a very respectable all-seater stadium with a capacity in excess of 20,000 but the ocean of empty seats every home game is a major part of the reason why North End have to balance the books by selling their most bankable player just about every summer.

Sean St Ledger, Paul McKenna, David Nugent, Ricardo Fuller, David Healy, Eddie Lewis, Jon Macken - make no mistake, North End are a selling club.

Over the last decade central midfielder McKenna, born in nearby Chorley, is the only outfield player to really make the grade at Deepdale. All of the other players listed above were bought in and sold for a profit.

If Preston want to continue to succeed in these recessionary times they need the extremely wealthy Trevor Hemmings, who has a 28% stake in the club, to seriously open his chequebook or start producing their own players.

However, the credit crunch has hit Hemmings hard and, besides, if the lifelong fan was to bankroll a spending spree he would have done so by now.

Unsworth was a popular figure during two spells at Everton

Instead, North End have turned to David Unsworth.

The 35-year-old is best known for his two spells at Everton, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1995, but he started out as a 13-year-old junior at Preston. The defender's career took him to nine clubs before he retired towards the end of last season.

He has recently taken his first coaching role - and I think it is a position of vital importance to Preston's future.

"I am the bridge between the youth and the first team and I am really enjoying it," said Unsworth, who like McKenna hails from nearby Chorley.

In his charge are five first-and-second-year professionals who have outgrown the youth team but are not ready for the step up to the first team.

"These type of lads have previously been a little bit lost in terms of who they train with and have had nobody specifically looking after them; their needs and wants," added Unsworth.

"My role is to give these young pros every opportunity to make the biggest step in football - from the reserve to first-team level."

Manager Irvine himself is in his first managerial role. His previous roles have included stints as Academy director at both Blackburn and Newcastle. It must be frustrating for him that his current club are not producing their own talent, but his experience must also have helped him to identify the weak link in the chain.

But what exactly can Unsworth do to help his charges make the transition?

"Football is a quick, powerful game and some might have the ability but not the strength. We get them in the gym in the afternoon and are working on individual weights and stretching programmes," added Unsworth.

"We are spending hours on the training ground helping the players understand their specific positions, making sure they are tactically aware."

Unsworth has started taping reserve games and training sessions. He is then able to analyse them and work with players on their strengths and weaknesses.

"It is similar to first-team training in terms of thoroughness," he added.

Unsworth currently has two central defenders, a left-back, a central midfielder and a right winger. They have been bombarding Unsworth with questions, soaking up information "like sponges".

Part of the problem is the amount of football available to the young professionals. The main outlet for them is the reserves, with the remaining numbers made up of youth team players and the occasional first teamer. But Preston play in the Central League West - and that is just an 18-game season.

"They need to play matches - at least one a week," said Unsworth.

"There are not as many reserve games as we would like and so the manager wants me to organise more high-profile friendlies so the players can test themselves against the bigger clubs."

Unsworth is still relatively new to his job but believes he has seen enough from his young professionals to believe that they have a chance of making it.

McKenna made more than 400 appearances for North End

He is understandably loath to put a timeframe on when Preston fans can expect to see home-grown players make the breakthrough, nor how often it is likely to happen.

And he is adamant that ultimately a lot depends on the player himself.

"I am trying to give all these lads the tools," said the 35-year-old.

"But they also need to have the drive and desire - and that is something that a coach cannot give to them."

A few players have come close to making the grade at Deepdale in recent years - the likes of Kevin Langmead, Darren Kempson and Alan McCormack - and gone on to enjoy careers at lower divisions clubs.

But since local lad McKenna made his debut for Preston in February 1997 the only player to establish himself in the first team is goalkeeper Andy Lonergan.

McKenna himself went on to skipper the club and made more than 400 appearances for North End before he was bought by Nottingham Forest for £750,000 in the summer.

It might be unrealistic to ask Unsworth to produce another player who gave the club such excellent and successful service but I'm sure that a few more Preston fans might pass through the turnstile if they had the chance to see one of their own wearing the famous white shirt.

Notts County are undoubtedly a club in flux at the moment. Their identity has changed but it is less clear who they now are.

The decision to part company with manager Ian McParland on Monday after 12 games of the League Two season is the latest illustration of a club going through a dramatic and headline-grabbing metamorphosis since their takeover by Munto Finance.

McParland had been in charge for almost two years and presided over more than 100 games in charge.

He was popular with the County fans, who chanted his name during Sunday's match against Torquay, but he belonged to the previous era, when the club laboured at the bottom end of the table.

County's profile has gone through the roof since news of the takeover emerged and they have rarely been out of the headlines.

Mystery has surrounded the identity of the people behind Munto Finance, a private overseas investment trust that took over at the club in June. The Football League still want additional questions answered about the takeover and County are this week expected to supply the required paperwork.

Former England international Sol Campbell arrived in a blaze of publicity and generated even more column inches when he walked out after playing just one game for the club.

But it was the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson in July that really took the breath away. Was it a spectacular coup by County or a measure of the Swede's fall from grace? Perhaps a bit of both.

It has all served to turn the club into something of a soap opera. Rarely a week goes by without the latest rumours about the identity of the new owners, the international stars the club are set to sign or the imminent dismissal of the manager.

McParland dealt with dignity and defiance to the inevitable avalanche of questions about his future that followed the arrival of Eriksson but there was always the suspicion that he was on borrowed time.

Even so, executive chairman Peter Trembling only last week denied McParland's position was under threat. The likes of David Platt and Iain Dowie had been linked with the club.

The fact that County were booed from the field after Sunday's 2-2 draw with struggling Torquay obviously persuaded the decision-makers that it was time to make a change. But they have sacked a manager when his team are fifth in the table - how do you justify that?

The intriguing question now surrounds whether Eriksson will take over as manager. It would be a remarkable appointment for a club with big ambitions but a lowly status.

Eriksson arrived at Notts County to a blizzard of media interest

One of the talking points surrounding Sunday's match was a story in the News of the World suggesting that Eriksson was considering walking out on the club. Eriksson is apparently also wanted to rescue Sweden's ailing bid to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.

One journalist who had covered the Magpies for several years told me that you could tell when the Swede was taking his seat at Meadow Lane because all the fans in the surrounding area turned around to stare at him. Perhaps they still cannot quite believe he is at their club.

The Swede was at Sunday's match and denied that he was about to leave the Magpies. Trembling talked of the plans he has been putting in place with Eriksson, one involving a business trip abroad, and added that was hardly the actions of a man about to quit.

The fans chanted the names of Eriksson and Trembling during the match, with the Swede obligingly acknowledging them with a wave of the arm.

But then, the Magpies are used to a bit of turbulence, it's just that it doesn't normally have this much coverage.

Central defender Mike Edwards is the club's longest-serving player, having been at County since May 2004. The year before his arrival Notts had been on the verge of extinction, saved by a donation of £3m from an anonymous local businessman.

The club's on-field battles since then have largely been restricted to the wrong end of the League Two table and Edwards will soon be on his sixth manager.

"I have re-signed contracts twice now and this investment is what I have been waiting for because I have seen the potential here," Edwards told me in the tunnel after Sunday's match.

I can see what he means. Meadow Lane is a decent all-seater stadium with good facilities and an excellent playing surface. It is a base from which the club can grow.

Last season, apparently, you'd be able to park your car in the road right outside the stadium. Not so on Sunday. County gave away several thousand free tickets in an attempt to boost attendance and 8,812 made their way to Meadow Lane despite the unusual 1715 GMT kick-off time on a Sunday evening.

County's average attendance has been on the wrong side of 5,000 for several seasons but they currently average more than 8,000 across their six home League Two fixtures so far.

But whoever takes over will have to improve on Sunday's second-half showing if they want the fans to keep coming back. County were brilliant in the first half, racing into a 2-0 lead and creating enough chances to ensure lowly Torquay could become the third side to concede five goals at Meadow Lane this season.

Campbell might have gone but County have plenty of quality for League Two. Lee Hughes, Ben Davies, Luke Rodgers, Matt Ritchie, Johnnie Jackson, record signing Kasper Schmeichel - these are all players who should be at a higher level and for a while it showed. The County fans sang that it was just like watching Juve.

But Torquay, second bottom in the table and a world away from County in financial terms, pulled a goal back before the break. The Magpies' free-flowing football disappeared in the second half and the Gulls snatched a well-earned equaliser.

The fans dissatisfaction at the final whistle on Sunday tells you how quickly expectations have grown at the club.

It is a point not lost on Edwards.

"We expect to win every game," said the defender. "We now have got the quality to take County forward. You can see how training has really stepped up and speaking personally it is great to be in amongst it."

It was Edwards who lost his place when Campbell made his only appearance for County. It makes me wonder whether he too might eventually end up a victim of County's ambition.

"We are concentrating on what happens on the pitch, I leave all the other stuff alone that is going in the papers," added Edwards, who was on holiday in the Caribbean when he first heard rumours of the takeover.

"I know it is frustrating for the chairman but we are not involved in that side of it and want to be judged by our football."

In those terms County, four points adrift of top spot, aren't doing too bad and it is difficult to not feel sorry for McParland. Ask any manager and they will tell you it takes time to mould together so many new players and create a team from a set of individuals.

County have been very strong at home, slightly brittle away. It really wouldn't be a big surprise if a squad with County's strength won promotion. Nothing less would be seen as a failure.

But I cannot help but wonder if it is wishful thinking to hope that what happens on the pitch will become the big story anytime soon at a club still coming to terms with its new profile.

And by sacking McParland County have ensured that they will stay in the headlines.

You can follow me throughout the season at twitter.com

The former England international came into the job after a spell as coach of the Jamaica national team and had no experience of League One football.

His only previous job as a manager in club football came at Scottish giants Celtic - and 3,469 days separated his last match in charge there and his first meaningful fixture at Prenton Park.

At Tranmere he inherited a club that had lost several key players from the previous season but which had a lack of available finance to replace them.

It was always asking a lot of Barnes and his assistant Jason McAteer - the Digger and Trigger show - to deliver on what following their high-profile arrival was always going to be unrealistic expectations.

I spoke to Barnes before the season started and I must admit that I was impressed with his unwavering belief in his footballing principle. It's just that I wasn't convinced they would work at a League One club without any money.

He talked of the time he was spending on the training ground, instilling into his players the way he wanted them to play. The argument seemed to be that the level at which you play your football is irrelevant - what matters is how you work with your players.

"My whole philosophy is that it does not matter whether you have the best players or not, as long as you empower them in an organised manner then you can be consistent and competitive - and that is all I am asking," Barnes told me.

When I asked what he knew about the opposing teams in the division he answered that he was concentrating on his group of players, not anyone else's.

Make no mistake, Barnes is an intelligent and engaging man but it seems to me that if you are managing a League One club with a modest budget but high expectations, you need to do absolutely everything possible to give yourself an advantage over your rivals. I would have thought studying the form/personnel/tactics of your rivals would fall under this category.

Barnes came into management in League One and tried to impose his beliefs on the division. I admire him for trying but his team are 22nd in the division with two wins in 11 games. Barnes played some unusual formations, 4-2-2-2 isn't often seen in League One, and his teams leaked far too many goals (26 in 11 league games). The fans also turned against him.

In a way I don't blame Barnes for Tranmere's current predicament. I think that ultimate responsibility lies at the door of chairman Peter Johnson.

It is the chairman who dispensed with Ronnie Moore at the end of last season.

Moore is in many ways everything Barnes is not. He is a gritty, earthy character with an expert knowledge of lower division players and clubs.

Last season he took Tranmere to within minutes of the League One play-offs. Rovers led 1-0 at Scunthorpe on the final day of the season. A late goal from Iron skipper Cliff Byrne meant that Scunthorpe and not Rovers clinched the final play-off spot.

It was a heartbreaking end to the season and Moore deserved better for his efforts.

Moore has just returned to his former club Rotherham and taken charge of a side in an automatic promotion spot in League Two. He could be forgiven musing how it really is a funny old game.

No such laughs for Barnes.

The 45-year-old had been trying to return to club management for several years and in a way you can applaud Johnson for giving him an opportunity. But Barnes has a high media profile and you could also see it as a vanity appointment that was doomed from the moment it started.

Barnes conducted a series of promotional interviews on Thursday for an anti-smoking campaign he is fronting. The former Liverpool winger sounded confident that he could guide Rovers out of trouble and up the table. But his latest attempt to succeed in management has been stubbed out.

He also said that the fact his name is John Barnes counts for nothing. It would seem that Johnson has also arrived at that conclusion.

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"I saw a beautiful samurai sword in there and asked how we had won it," Cortese told me. "I was told it was to commemorate a game. I said we need real trophies."

Given the club's recent history of uncertainty and failure, when survival not silverware was the prime concern, Southampton's battered and bruised fans could be forgiven for wondering just what planet Cortese is from.

After all, when German-born billionaire Markus Liebherr's takeover of the club was completed in July, Saints were days from going out of business and, after an unspectacular start to the current campaign, are still on minus points following a deduction imposed last season.

The takeover had been Cortese's idea. Intelligent, hard working and happy with his career, the 40-year-old was a successful banker in Switzerland and Liebherr was one of his clients.

Southampton had first appeared on Cortese's radar in 2007 when he read stories linking Microsoft's Paul Allen with the club, but it wasn't until he received an e-mail in April that he seriously considered the club as an investment.

He thought it would be an interesting private purchase for somebody looking for something a little bit different. Liebherr came to mind.

Cortese initially floated the idea to Liebherr in late May in his office in Zurich and a day later they were standing in the centre circle of St Mary's.

"Markus is into culture and history and had quickly made himself aware of the background of the club. An hour later we were ready to make an offer," said Cortese.

The purchase proved to be complicated, though, with what Cortese describes as "obstacles" delaying the process. One of these obstacles was the exclusivity agreement signed by the rival Pinnacle consortium fronted by Matt Le Tissier. Their bid subsequently collapsed.

Liebherr eventually completed his takeover on 8 July and continued familiarising himself with the club. Liebherr, a big fan of German football, has enthusiastically been watching DVD after DVD of previous Saints teams in action and I'm told he has derived a lot of pleasure so far from his purchase of the club.

"People who know him from business would not recognise him," added Cortese.

Liebherr may be the owner but it is Cortese who runs the League One club.

After the club's pre-season match against Ajax, Liebherr told his trusted advisor that he wanted him to stay on full-time at the club.

"I was giving up a career that had made me very comfortable in all senses," said Cortese. "But Markus said that he needed somebody he could completely trust and talk with about money."

Cortese discussed the situation with his wife, who understood how much time her husband had put into completing the takeover. The executive chairman dryly observed that his wife was prepared to move the family to England but had previously refused to relocate from Zurich to Geneva.

During my conversation with Cortese it became clear the man is calm and controlled. He looked at ease in the surroundings of his luxury hotel. It was easy to imagine why people trust him with their money.

Yet running a football club is a very different proposition to the world of Swiss banking. Cortese wakes up at 5am on the Saturday of a home match and is so nervous that he cannot eat until half-time. His job as a banker was demanding but at least he had weekends off.

Even so, he appears to be relishing his role.

"There is no more internal politics and the club has no debts - nobody dictates our business anymore, we do that," said the executive chairman.

The watchwords from our conversation were stability and discretion. Southampton used to be something of a leaky ship but Cortese is adamant the holes have been plugged. His surprise appointment of Alan Pardew as manager is a case in point.

A lot of Cortese's time at the moment is spent creating a long-term structure for success. There are plans to rejuvenate an Academy that until recently had a proven track record of producing players, redevelop the training ground and empower the club's non-football staff.

Cortese found a workforce understandably suffering from low morale while many staff had multiple duties and more than one line manager. He is carrying out what he terms a "deep analysis".

"People need guidance - and it cannot be three people giving guidance to one person because it is confusing," he said. "People here can add great value but that has not been recognised."

Cortese is also extremely ambitious. At their recent game against Charlton, Addicks chairman Richard Murray asked Cortese where he hoped Southampton would finish this season.

"I told him we wanted to win the league," replied Cortese. "He was about to take a sip of wine but put his glass down without drinking any."

Cortese's plan is for the club to win promotion from League One in two seasons and reach the Premier League in five years. He does not expect Liebherr to enjoy a return on his investment until the club returns to the top flight but reckons Saints can break even in the Championship. In the meantime, there are funds available for Pardew to mould his squad.

Saints boss Pardew is working hard to make his team competitive

A few hours after interviewing Cortese, I watched Pardew working with his players at the club's training ground. As the late summer sun blazed down, the Saints boss constantly interrupted the game in progress to instil in his players how he wanted them to play. It was fascinating to watch him explain in great detail his ideas for how every attack should unfold - what options his players should take and when.

Cortese appointed Pardew after taking advice from a source whose name he will not reveal. Pardew, who had been out of work since he parted company with Charlton late last year, was unsure at first and had to be convinced that taking over at Saints was the right move.

"They were starting the season on minus 10 and some of the best players had left a team that had been relegated - that worried me," the former Reading, West Ham and Charlton boss told me.

Cortese and chief operations officer Andy Oldknow convinced him he would be given the time to build a new squad. The likes of Dan Harding, Radhi Jaidi, Graeme Murty and Rickie Lambert, who cost £1m, have joined the playing staff, while Pardew has bolstered his coaching team with the arrival of such experienced men as former Brentford boss Wally Downes and ex-Brighton manager Dean Wilkins.

Neverthless, I think Pardew has a tough job at Southampton. Yes, plenty of managers would like to be at a debt-free club with money to spend and playing in a top-class stadium - but with that comes big expectations.

Pardew is under no illusions that Liebherr and Cortese want success, and he reckons his experience of managing expectations could prove vital. He talks with Cortese just about every day and is happy with their working relationship.

"The people here have big plans for this club and I am going to be asked to deliver fairly quickly," said Pardew. "Being debt-free is a nice feeling but my over-riding emotion at the moment is that the team needs to improve."

Pardew has noticed a lack of what he calls "nuts and bolts of football". He is talking about good technical players lacking the work ethic and discipline to succeed.

"Just recently I did a talk to the players, I told them they must play like every game is their last. Potentially it is - one injury, one really bad performance and they may not play for the club again," he said.

He wants the Academy to deliver players with steel as well as skill and is, in the interim, prepared to bring in players with the experience and desire to help Saints win promotion.

There is money to spend but Pardew wants to win promotion in a "fair and honourable way" and, in his words, "not be large". Southampton are unlikely to emerge as the Manchester City of League One.

Saints lost 3-2 at home to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday in what I'm told was a thrilling game. Liebherr came over to watch.

The means Saints have still only won one league match all season and remain bottom of the division. Pardew says promotion is not "off the agenda" this year but admits that his team have a lot more growing to do.

I imagine that many Southampton supporters are just glad that they still have a club to support. As for silverware - the League One trophy would do for starters.

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