What chance did they have? I hope lessons are learned from it, if the board do not get the right players in we could get a Man City situation.”Forest have a few decent players. Mark Crossley, who made three excellent saves from Dean Sturridge either side of half-time, is in good form while Andy Johnson could find a place in several Premiership sides. Of the other two Gough’s age (37) is against him, though he would like a valedictory season in the Premiership, while Pierre van Hooijdonk is a risk. On Saturday the moody Dutchman stalked out of the ground before the end after being substituted, but Atkinson’s displeasure at that could be the least of his worries. He also broke Vas Borbokis’s cheekbone with his elbow as they tussled for a bouncing ball after 15 minutes. Though Smith, Atkinson, the players of both sides and the referee, who was five yards away, thought the clash accidental, it looked ugly on television.

The FA may launch an investigation.The Dutchman did little else of note. Forest’s best chances, both just before the break, fell to Alan Rogers, who shot weakly from a good position, and Marlon Harewood, whose shot was cleared off the line by Carbonari.Derby then took control but, just before the hour, Rogers went clear only to be clattered by Russell Hoult. The goalkeeper’s dismissal was as much for the cynical nature of the challenge as for denying a goalscoring opportunity. Rogers was well wide and, said Gough: “I told him `it would have to be a hell of a finish for you to score from there’.”Forest pressed but, after Gough was dismissed, twice booked for fouls on Paulo Wanchope, Derby resumed the assault and, with five minutes left, their centre-half, Carbonari, was allowed to turn both his defensive counterparts before producing a finish which was far better than any of the football that had preceded it.Goal: Carbonari (85) 1-0.Derby County (4-3-1-2): Hoult; Lauresen, Prior, Carbonari, Schnoor; Borbokis (Sturridge, 16), Bohinen, Powell; Baiano (Harper, h-t); Burton (Poom, gk, 60), Wanchope. Substitutes not used: Dorigo, Elliott.Nottingham Forest (4-1-3-2): Crossley; Louis-Jean, Gough, Edwards, Rogers; Bonalair; Freedman, Palmer, Johnson; Harewood (Chettle, 79), Van Hooijdonk (Shipperley, 75).

Substitutes not used: Goodlad (gk), Woan, Allou.Referee: G Barber (Tring). Bookings: Nottingham Forest: Johnson, Rogers, Edwards, Harewood, Gough Sendings off: Derby County: Hoult. Nottingham Forest: Gough.Man of the match: Carbonari.Attendance: 32,217.. DO NOT let the scoreline mislead you: this was not the tedious, nothing-much-to-play-for contest you might imagine. True, there was nothing much to play for, at least in terms of major issues But neither side put their metaphorical feet up. There was action, incident and application and those constituents came packaged with no little quality. And the reality is that those things are about as much as clubs of Leicester and West Ham’s stature can aspire to in the modern Premiership.
This is not meant as a gloomy prognosis.

Unless someone turns up on their doorsteps with substantial amounts of cash, neither club is going to challenge for the title; ever. But while to some this would render their participation effectively meaningless, there are hopeful signs that others are beginning to accept that winning is not everything.Premiership football is not only a competition but a product and, moreover, a product sold at a premium price. As such it has – or, at least, should have – standards to maintain. At the prices spectators are expected to pay, a Premiership match should deliver quality football, even when the participants have only bit parts in the bigger picture.Happily, these are two clubs who appear to have grasped that principle.

A Leicester fan, for example, rarely goes home grumbling that his team had not expended every ounce of energy; nor does a West Ham fan turn for the exits feeling his side had not tried to play with style.They can thank their managers for that. In the art of motivation, Martin O’Neill has no peer, at least among his contemporaries. Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, is as infatuated with the football artist as any of his Upton Park predecessors. Who else would have welcomed the brilliant but vilified Paolo di Canio into his dressing-room?As it happens, the controversial Italian had a quiet time, looking some way removed from the Di Canio who would delight and dismay his masters at Sheffield Wednesday. There was none of the wild gesticulating fury that characterised his relationship with match officials during his Hillsborough days, but neither did he try to feint, dribble and dodge past the entire Leicester defence.