Rams to the slaughter
Last updated: 23rd March 2008
Davies: promoted too soon
It was probably two seasons too soon. I think year three would have been better for the club, better for everyone.
Billy Davies
Quotes of the week
11am, Sky Sports 1
Related links
Teams
Also see
Billy Davies believes he paid the price for taking Derby County up too early.
The Scot dropped in on Goals on Sunday to talk about his departure from Pride Park and what he has been up to since losing his job.
Davies lasted just 14 games of the Premier League season before being axed and although he is adamant that the club's finances are far more important than his managerial fortunes, he does believe he had become a victim of his own success.
"Going up so early was always going to be a big negtive against them because of the amount of changes that had to be done," he told Goals on Sunday.
"I'm not surprised (they are struggling) because so much work had to be done. But the most important thing for Derby was that the financial structure of the club has changed because of promotion.
Safer
"It was such a difficult task, but the finances of the club are much, much safer than they've ever been before.
"It was probably two seasons too soon. I think year three would have been better for the club, better for everyone.
"We could have put together European scouts, put in place many things, but it was very early and very difficult."
Davies was replaced by Paul Jewell who has failed to win any of his 17 Premier League games in charge.
The Rams are certainties for relegation but Davies does not feel any resentment towards his successor or the men that made the decision to end his 17-month reign.
"I don't know about a thankless task, but the transfer market was obviously crucial for Paul and he brought in a few players and tried to chance things around, as was absolutely necessary.
"But even so, there were a lot of games in there that he probably feels he should've won, where things went against him - but that's the Premier League.
"At the end of the day I'm very proud of what I left behind at Derby County. We knew what had been achieved in such a short space of time and we knew how difficult it would have been to go in there.
"We needed to spend big money, but as I said, the financial structure of the club was crucial because of when I'd come in and where I'd got to in such a short period of time.
Delighted
"Arsene (Wenger) said to me it's always difficult taking a club up, especially when you take them up early - and we took them up very, very early.
"But you take everything you can get and we knew we weren't quite ready for it. But that's experience and I'm very proud of what I've achieved and I'm delighted now to be looking forward to a new chapter."
That new chapter is likely to be a return to club management next season.
Davies has been continually linked with the Scotland job, but says the closest he has come to the international scene is a series of foreign fact-finding missions.
"You've got to take a break, that's absolutely crucial," he said. "All the experiences managers I've been speaking to have been right; rest is crucial. You've got to reflect, you've got to continue with the education, which I'm planning on doing with all the club visits.
"Over the next month or two I'm planning an Italian trip, a Spanish trip and in between that I'm going over to America and have a look at one or two American clubs and again, gather as much information as I possibly can and then get myself ready for the summer, fresh and very much up for it."
- Video
