Derby’s Davies chancing his arm with second-hand stars

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He has gone for players who have failed at other clubs in the top division and reminded them on a relentless daily basis that he is giving them a chance to prove ex-managers wrong.

Scroll down to read more:

The Jones buy: Kenwyne Jones appears to be on his way to the Premiership with Derby

Davies calls it giving them a belief. It worked in the Pride Park sunshine as they began life at the top with credit.

To be fair to Harry Redknapp's Pompey, they set out their stall to win this game playing attacking football with wingers and taking a chance he will not be employing at home to Manchester United on Wednesday.

Tyrone Mears is one of a cluster of "nearly men" picked up by Davies. He was signed this summer after a loan spell in the second half of last season, having failed to make it at West Ham.

Mears explained: "I want to show everyone I can play in the Premier League. Last season was frustrating and the gaffer keeps saying to me that West Ham didn't think I was good enough.

"He says that every day and reminds me they didn't think I could handle it and urges me to go and show them. He uses that technique with a lot of the players because Gary Teale has come from Wigan, Andy Todd and Jay McEveley from Blackburn, Stephen Pearson from Celtic."

Matt Oakley, who scored after five minutes, is the skipper and midfield driving force after leaving Southampton on a free transfer in 2006.

Oakley said: "The manager deliberately got players here who have a point to prove. Portsmouth are full of million-pound players but we gave them problems and feel comfortable against teams like these."

There is an urgency about Derby's football that will unsettle better teams than Portsmouth. Deploying Todd, who scored Derby's equaliser with a flying header, as a defensive midfielder was a masterstroke.

Portsmouth scored through Benjani and new signing John Utaka but Sol Campbell, linked with an England recall, said: "The players who have come in aren't used to not having as much time on the ball against teams like Derby."