 |  All the ingredients are here but there is quite a lot of work to be done |
Derby County manager George Burley knows he may soon have to sell more of his side's talented youngsters to ease the financial problems at Pride Park. Rams defender Tom Huddlestone, 18, has agreed to join Tottenham for �2.5m in the summer, while goalkeeper Lee Camp, 20, has also attracted much attention.
Burley told BBC Sport: "Naturally as a manager I want to try and keep hold of them but that's not always possible.
"We've got to try to wheel and deal and balance the books in whatever way."
The Rams boss has already been busy in the transfer market reassembling his squad since taking permanent charge in the summer of 2003.
As well as bringing young players through, Burley has turned to older heads from home and abroad to provide the backbone of his side.
Premiership veterans like Ian Taylor and Jeff Kenna have been joined by more exotic names such as Inigo Idiakez, Gregor Rasiak and Marco Reich.
The blend of youth and experience has come good, with the Rams swapping their perennial relegation fight for a play-off challenge this term despite still being around �30m in debt.
"We started out thinking if we could get in the top half of the table it would be a cracking season," Burley said.
"Compare it to last year, where we were in the bottom-three for most of the time and managed to survive by one point.
"So we're very pleased with the position we are in at the moment.
 Kenna, Rasiak and Taylor have plenty of experience |
"The players have really worked hard, stuck together and performed well. We've got a small squad but everybody has pulled their weight.
"It's important that your more experienced players help the youngsters and teach them the right way to do things. It certainly rubs off."
But although the Rams have risen to fifth in the Championship, Burley insists talk of the club returning to the top-flight after a three-year absence is premature.
"We're not thinking about promotion at the moment," he added. "We're just trying to stabilise things.
"It's been a very difficult time for the club on and off the field for the last four or five years - I think they've been fighting relegation for five years on the trot now.
"When I took over 18 months ago I said it was virtually a rebuilding job we had to do.
"We've let over 20 players go and had to get new ones in on free transfers.
| I still know we have a long way to go before we are anywhere near getting in the Premiership |
"Now we've got to be patient. We haven't got the money to go and buy players or keep a big squad and it's amazing how far we've come in a year-and-a-half."
While Burley feels his side are some way off the finished article he is well-satisfied with the club's set-up off the pitch.
"Our facilities are tremendous." he said.
"We've got a smashing training ground which is virtually second to none, everybody knows we've got a tremendous stadium - and of course there are the fans who have stuck through us thin and thin. We've a very good support here.
"All the ingredients are here but there is quite a lot of work to be done.
"Saturday's FA Cup game against Fulham showed how far we've progressed playing-wise. They have spent millions on their squad and their wage bill and we competed.
"That was a one-off though. All we can do is just try and keep improving which I think we have.
"But I still know we have a long way to go before we are anywhere near getting in the Premiership."
MMIX
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