A 4-0 away defeat at Tottenham, a 6-0 hiding at Liverpool and a 5-0 reverse at Arsenal did little to suggest that the Rams would be anything other than this season's whipping boys. But Davies claims that his team's current standing is of no real surprise. "I certainly did not expect to have an easy ride," said Davies.
"There is a huge gap between ourselves and the best at the moment, but that was expected from where we came from." Davies knew the moment his team won promotion through the Championship play-offs that the early stages of this campaign would be extremely difficult. When he took over at Pride Park in June 2006 he put in place a plan with the aim of reaching the Premier League in 2009. Winning promotion in his first season was a remarkable achievement for the 43-year-old, who had twice gone close at former club Preston only to endure play-off misery in successive seasons. However, arriving in the Premier League so far ahead of schedule left Davies with little time to construct a squad capable of competing at the highest level. "There was a three-year plan at Derby but we did that in 10 months," Davies told BBC Sport. "It meant we had to start with a blank sheet of paper." Davies went out in the summer and spent �3m on both Claude Davis and Kenny Miller as well as a further �3.5m for Robert Earnshaw in addition to several free-transfer signings. But Davies knew it would take time. It would take time for his squad to recover from their play-off exertions, it would take time for his younger players to adjust to a higher level and for his new signings to find their feet at the club. "We have got to the Premier League very early," he said. "We have young players who will take time to adjust. "It is about time and confidence. Once we have the time to settle into the league and get over the play-off final, and once we have one or two guys firing again, we will certainly get better. "I'm very confident that as time goes on we can get more points and become a side that is difficult to beat." Davies himself has a managerial style that is a fusion of fiery determination and a willingness to embrace modern methods and technology. Watching him on the touchline is to see a glimpse from the old school as he prowls his technical area and barks instructions on to the field of play.
Yet Davies is a thorough and diligent student of the game who built an editing suite at his home to compile personalised DVDs for his players at the start of each week. His attention to detail is such that he chooses different music for different players in an attempt to ensure they keep their focus. Davies is fully aware of the uncertainty that surrounds the manager of a team looking up at the rest of the Premier League. His position has been the subject of rumour and speculation all season, with several managers said to be in line to take over in the event of his dismissal.
"That is the way it is in the Premier League - every manager is under pressure from top to bottom," said Davies. "We all know that when you lose a couple of games speculation starts and agents start to do what they do, which is to get clients tipped for certain jobs. "We just do the best we can and get on with it." After a start to the season that has seen his team play four of the current top six, Davies is looking forward to a series of winnable fixtures. He firmly believes that doing the best he can at Derby will ensure his team remain in the division. Once the season ends, the Scot is confident he will have the material for "another chapter of the book" - and he is not expecting it to be a tale that comes to an abrupt ending.
Source: BBC Sport
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