Luke Turner has his say on the differences between Blues and Derby…
Blues head to the iPro tomorrow to face Paul Clement`s promotion chasing Derby County in what is likely to prove a tough game for Blues.
The Rams currently sit in third place just a point off Hull who occupy the final automatic promotion spot.
However, Blues are just 9 points off the East Midlanders and you would expect it to be more considering the financial backing that Derby have.
Last summer they spent a total of just over £20m on purchasing new signings for the club, which is even more than what some Premier League clubs spent.
The likes of Tom Ince, Bradley Johnson, Jacob Butterfield, Jason Shackell and Andreas Weimann were all brought into the club for big money transfer fees.
They have followed their spending into this current transfer window by bringing in Abdoul Camara and Nick Blackman for a combined £3.75m.
To put that into context, the signing of Andreas Weimann cost more than what Blues have spent on twenty players in the last two seasons.
Gary Rowett spent under £1m bringing in Maikel Kieftenbeld and Nicolai Brock-Madsen to the club in the summer. And, I think it’s fair to say that the former has been just as influential in the Blues team than say the likes of Weimann have in the Derby team.
With so much gulf in class on paper and in transfer fees, why are Rowett`s Blues not too far off the Rams in the league table?
I think it’s fair to say that Rowett has gone about his transfer business very wisely and used his low budget to his advantage.
He has brought in players who are hungry with desire but do also possess quality and add something to the team.
That said, this is nothing against Derby. They have money to spend and they have purchased quality players who in return have pushed the club to the top three.
But the thing about the Blues team is that you know what they are going to give you week in week out. 100% commitment right until the final whistle.
These players with huge price tags on their shoulders have a tendency to sulk and labour about. No doubt they have the quality, but, with some individuals, commitment can be questioned.
These attributes help teams like Blues bridge the gap between the top and bottom sides who may or may not have spent huge transfer sums.
Blues will undoubtedly give Derby a real test tomorrow, but it’s whether or not class will show over grit and determination.
Blues fans, can Rowett`s team of free transfers and low cost players defeat big spending Derby? Comment below!