Ugwu arrives at Home Park

Derby CEO Sam Rush insists the club are heading in the right direction, despite announcing a marginally increased loss of almost ?8million for the last financial year.

The club's latest accounts show that their debt now stands at around ?34million, which includes the ?15million mortgage on Pride Park.

The net loss for the year ending June 2012 was ?7.9million, slightly up on the ?7.7million for the previous 12 months.

The club's turnover was ?17.3million, down from ?18.1million the year before, while operating costs were reduced from ?17.6million to ?17.3million.

Despite the figures, Derby remain confident they are on the right course and insist the ownership group will continue to bankroll the club because they believe in the work being done by manager Nigel Clough.

Chief executive Rush said: "Although the figures relate to a time prior to my arrival at the club, they do offer evidence of one of the key factors that attracted me to Derby County.

"We have a strong ownership group who continue to be the single biggest source of finance. The simple truth is that somebody has to cover our working capital needs, as well as make continued investments in our squad and wider infrastructure.

"The ownership group's strength offers the club that much-needed financial stability. We aim to be both successful and sustainable. Increasingly, clubs won't be able to gamble their futures as they have in the past, and this can only be good for the long-term health of the game.

"I and the rest of the board aim for Derby County to be successful and challenging for promotion, and we will do this the right way, through hard work and continued improvement.

"This stability and ethos runs right through the club and this year we have all seen further development on the field. Nigel Clough has created a young and exciting team that people are talking about in a very positive and complementary way."

With 21 goals to his name already - and 10 in his past 10 appearances, Van Persie has made a phenomenal start to life at Old Trafford following his ?24million move from Arsenal.

The Dutchman has earned warm praise from his new boss, who is not just delighted by the contribution Van Persie has made on the field, but also the example he has set with his professionalism off it.

However, Ferguson does not believe that United cannot cope without their star striker.

"I don't go along with the idea we have become a one-man team," Ferguson told United Review. "There was a time in our history when one man did carry us for a while. Eric Cantona kept us in contention with his goals when a few others were off the boil.

"But things are quite different now.

"Javier Hernandez has weighed in with 12 goals while Wayne Rooney is currently on nine.

"Two defenders, Johnny Evans and Patrice Evra, have chipped in with eight between them so it doesn't stand up to see us as a one-man band overly dependent on Van Persie, brilliant as he has been at both making and taking goals."

Yet Ferguson can hardly deny Roberto Mancini's claim that Van Persie is presently making the difference in this season's title battle.

"He is absolutely relishing his new challenge," he said.

"He is the right player, at the right club, at the right time.

"He has a winning mentality, but as he points out, it is one that goes right through the squad and one that will hopefully see us push on in both league and the cups and successfully navigate what is a busy and challenging period."

With Nick Chadwick one match into a six-game ban and Warren Feeney set to be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks with an ankle injury, boss John Sheridan has moved quickly to fill the gap with the former Yeovil loanee.

The 19-year-old will stay at Home Park for an initial month but the loan period can be extended until the end of the season, subject to an agreement between Gozie and the two clubs.

Ugwu made five starts and 13 substitute appearances for the Glovers during his loan spell earlier this season, scoring three goals.