What now for Derby County?

Derby County have sacked manager Colin Todd, just three months after he replaced Jim Smith.

What does the future hold for Derby County Football Club?

Colin Todd took over the managerial reins at Derby in October 2000, having assisted Jim Smith for a year.

During Todd's time in the hot-seat, The Rams lost 11 of their 17 games and slid to second from bottom of the Premiership. And the FA Cup beating by Third Division strugglers Bristol Rovers a week ago was possibly the final straw.

Chief Executive Keith Loring said the club needed a change of direction and new impetus - but denied that any talks had been held with striker Fabrizio Ravanelli regarding the vacant position.

Was the decision to get rid of Todd correct, or should he have been given more time?

And who - if anyone - can save Derby from First Division football?

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Derby, like many other clubs are suffering through a lack of investment in the squad. A new manager will have new ideas and maybe able to turn it around with the same players, which is what has happened to Southampton. I wish Derby all the very best and sincerely hope they stay up.
David Briggs, Scotland

Colin Todd was the wrong man for the job and the board must not only be questioned for the appointment but also the amount of funds made available for him. Why was this money not made available for Jim Smith? Ravanelli is not experienced but may be groomed as a coach. I would like to see the experienced George Graham take over.
Simon Wild, England

Ravanelli: great player, not a manager though

David Manning, UK

Right or wrong, a decision had to be made and made quickly. Derby have had scrapes with relegation for the last few seasons, and maybe the appointment of Colin Todd wasn't thought through. I would like to see a proven manager tackle our problems, the likes of George Graham or Roy Hodgson would be nice, but can we afford it? Probably not I fear.

I sincerely hope the board take note of the other fine suggestions by the voices below. A Clough holding the reins of the Rams again, unlikely, but a great suggestion. Ravanelli: great player, not a manager though. Fingers crossed the board will consider their options very carefully - anything other would seal our fate I'm sure.
David Manning, UK

My view is that Jim Smith was and is the man who can keep Derby in the Premiership. If you want to win games, you have to create chances and score goals. At the moment, The Rams are not capable of doing that! They need creative players and a good striker, FAST!
Hedwig Wyns, Belgium

As a Swindon Town fan, I am absolutely ecstatic that Todd has been binned so soon by Derby - poetic justice. Sorry to the Derby fans but all he did for us was make hollow promises, spend too much money too quickly to get very poor players, moan about how losses were everyone else's fault, then hightail it off at the first hint of being bailed out of the corner he was rapidly backing himself into.

We haven't yet recovered from the mess he left us in, and will probably have to go down this year in order to regroup - same fate awaits Derby I reckon. Again, sorry to Rams fans but they are dancing in the streets of Swindon tonight!
Mike, England

I will wash my mouth out later, but I think that boring George Graham could be the man

John Harrison, England

It saddens me to see Colin Todd sacked. He was one of the greatest defenders I have ever seen. However he was the wrong man at the wrong time. I will wash my mouth out later, but I think that boring George Graham could be the man. He would sort out the defence for a start and stop the leaking of goals.

Perhaps also Graham could attract a player coach such as Paul Merson to work on the field as Gordon Cowans once did, and learn the legitimate managerial ropes from his old boss.
John Harrison, England

While I agree that Colin Todd was never the man to get us out of such a catastrophe, I do not think that a high profile, inexperienced replacement is the way forward for Derby County. George Graham with Ravanelli learning the ropes alongside him would get my vote. One thing is for sure, we cannot allow Rav to go to West Ham, Spurs or anyone else right now if the board want the club to progress.
Richard Rimington, Leicester, England

One man only for the job - George Graham. Losing to Bristol Rovers alone was a sackable offence. It is George or First Division.
Julian Judd, England

George Graham is the one manager available who could turn things around

Gerard Sheehan, Ireland

Colin Todd: the wrong choice? No question. Did he inherit a terrible position from the previous incumbent? Without a doubt. Are the board to blame for this? It would appear so. Collectively a number of individuals must share the blame for our current predicament.

Responsibility cannot (and should not) be apportioned to a single person or party. What matters now is that the board of Derby County make the right appointment and help build a club and a team that the loyal and passionate support of Derby deserve.
David Page, UK

As a lifelong Derby Fan going back 35 yrs, there can be only one option to replace Todd. That man is George Graham. Defence is what is now needed to grind out results in the final games. Who is better to achieve this task? Organisational ability and experience is what he would bring to the club. I hope the club consider Graham, as he is the one manager available who could turn things around.
Gerard Sheehan, Ireland

I have been a keen follower of Derby County for many years and cannot believe our current predicament. Two managers sacked in the same season - is this some kind of joke?
Rosanna De Prospo, UK

One only has to look at Ipswich - who, despite a dreadful run kept faith with George Burley and appear to be turning things around. Teams who constantly chop and change managers as a short-term fix usually end up paying for it in the long term (witness Man City). Three months was nowhere near enough time for Todd to make an impression, and if Derby think Ravanelli is the answer - then they deserve to go down.
Steve, England

How many more managers are the board going to sacrifice to cover their own incompetence?

Denis Foddy, England

The future doesn't very bright for Derby. Three months in a role is not giving anyone a chance to prove themselves. Derby need to give the next manager a decent chance
Mary Smith, England

How many more managers are the board going to sacrifice to cover their own incompetence? They have made too many bad decisions - they delayed Jim Smith's departure by at least 12 months, an error compounded by the appointment of Colin Todd.

Money is the root cause of the club's problems. When Pride Park was built the financial director went public stating the stadium would be paid for in three years if we stayed in the Premiership. Well we have, and up to this season have virtually filled the ground for every game. Where has the money gone? Why have we had to become a selling club over the past four years? Can we expect an honest reply from the financial director?
Denis Foddy, England

Colin Todd's removal was long overdue (he should have gone along with Jim Smith). There are only two choices available now - either Steve McClaran (if he'd come), or Nigel Clough from Burton Albion. He has limited experience, but has done a great job and certainly has the pedigree - are Derby big enough to take the chance?
Bill Mackin, Derby

Whoever is offered the job will have a hard job on their hands. Good luck to them

Brian, Derby

Not a Derby fan but what a mistake getting rid of Todd so soon. I hope for Derby's sake that Ravanelli stays as a player. But as player or manager I don't think we will see him at Derby next year. (Take the money and run.) Manager for Derby, Roy Evans, George Graham?
Dave Broom, North Yorks

As a season ticket holder every season since 1980 I've seen just about everything happen at Derby (with the exception of trophies). This discussion ranks up with those to dispense with Clough's services and later to appoint Docherty.

The only thing that could possible get worse is if the board choose to appoint Ravanelli which will become the fourth biggest gaff in the club's history. I wait with baited breath as from the reports I hear, it is highly likely that this will be the case. I hope to be proven wrong.
Phil Brookes, England

When Jim Smith left Derby, Lionel Pickering should have bit the bullet and got rid of everyone associated with Smith and made a clean start. The future? Personally, I would be looking at someone like George Graham or Harry Redknapp, but whoever is offered the job is going to realise very quickly that they have a hard job on their hands. Good luck to them.
Brian, Derby/UK

Billy McEwan's appointment (even temporary) to the first team coach, is long overdue - he has already overseen the reserves win their league for the last two seasons (and leading this season's teams with a six point gap). I truly hope he is given the opportunity to show what he can do with the first team.
Rory Canavan, UK

If the chairmen carry on like this there will have to be a rotation pool of managers working on a team by team basis

Mark, England

Relegation looms even larger! Ravanelli is not the man for the job, he will head for the door as soon as Derby's fate is sealed. I expect Derby to finish bottom of the table!
Andy, UK

What a diabolical decision this is. If the chairmen or Chief Executives carry on like this there will have to be a rotation pool of managers working on a team by team, match by match basis. I know Ipswich are struggling at the moment but they are more likely to stay up than Derby and they've kept faith with their manager even after relegation. Charlton are also a good example of believing in your manager and their ability.
Mark, England

I think that the decision to get rid of him was right. Giving him more time would just have put us further adrift in the relegation zone then we are now. At least with a fresh approach, there may be a small chance we will escape.

I think that Ravanelli as player manager would be a good choice. It would be risky, but it's a risk worth taking. We have nothing to lose. It would be even better if could get Igor Stimac to come back from Croatia to be our manager though.
Gemma, UK

Derby have been living on borrowed time since breaking up a decent team two years ago. They struggled last season and only staved off relegation thanks to Jim Smith, ably backed up by Colin Todd's good work on their defence. Smith shouldn't have been sacked three months ago.

Hiring Ravanelli would be a dreadful decision, and would surely clinch Derby a relegation spot

Tim Baigent, Canada

The Rams defence and attack are equally bad as they will find out to their cost at home to a resurgent Ipswich this weekend. They are doomed, and need to start planning for next season in Division One - preferably led by a proven manager like George Graham and not Fabrizio Ravanelli for heaven's sake.
Richard Gardiner, New Zealand

Derby are a poor team and if anything have gone backwards under Colin Todd. He wasn't going to save them from the drop. However if Derby are going to stay up they need someone with a bit of experience. Hiring Ravanelli would be a dreadful decision, and would surely clinch Derby a relegation spot.

Every game is like a cup-tie now for Derby (which may not be a good thing looking at their cup record this year) so they need a manager with a never say die attitude. How about John Aldridge. Sure he took Tranmere down last year, but he got his team working for him.
Tim Baigent, Canada

This will only confirm Derby's relegation. Leicester City have already gone down this route this season and they're still sitting proudly at the foot of the table. Only last season Todd was hailed as the man who stopped Derby's slump and only he could have saved them this again season. Bye Bye Derby.
Alan Burton, UK

My view is that Todd was the wrong choice from the start and I said so at the time. This has since been proved correct. I think we are going down for sure, but I would like to see someone like Mark Wright and Ted McMinn brought in. Igor Stimac would be a good choice too. Either way there has got to be funds made available and most of the current squad want to be got rid of.
Andy Fern, UK