Derby chairman of football Adam Pearson insists his future at Pride Park is "inextricably linked" to that of Paul Jewell and has reiterated the club's long-term commitment to their manager.

Jewell is yet to preside over a victory in the Premier League since taking over the Rams reins in November - his sole success remains a penalty shoot-out victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup.

And with his team bottom of the league and 16 points adrift of safety with 10 games remaining, Jewell has long given up hope of County retaining their top-flight status.

Their chances of picking up points from their next two games look equally remote, with Wednesday's trip to Stamford Bridge - where Chelsea are unbeaten in two years - followed by the visit of Manchester United at the weekend.

County's prospects appear more positive off the field after they became the fourth club to come under American ownership in January when they were bought by General Sports and Entertainment (GSE).

And Pearson, who has retained a 7% stake in the club, revealed it is "absolutely clear" Rams president and chief executive Tom Glick and club chairman Andy Appleby remain fully behind Jewell despite their woeful form.

"I certainly wouldn't have brought them in as investors if I thought there was any question mark over their commitment to Paul and it's absolutely clear that there is a long-term commitment to him," said Pearson.

"Certainly my future is inextricably linked to that of Paul's as well so they are well aware of that commitment."

Despite his side's shortcomings, Jewell still finds himself in a more secure position than Blues boss Avram Grant - who has come under increasing pressure following the Carling Cup final defeat by Tottenham and shock FA Cup exit at the hands of Barnsley.

In fact, Pearson admits clubs have still been "sniffing around" his manager but insisted any potential suitors would find it difficult get the Rams boss out of his contract at Pride Park.

Pearson rates the former Wigan boss so highly he is confident he could manage Liverpool - if only he did not have a Scouse accent.

"He is a good man-manager, canny, street-wise, a tough cookie, incredibly hard working and has had a lot of success over the last few years in a lot of hard jobs," Pearson added.

"But he is still in touch with what supporters want. He has his feet on the ground and he has picked a backroom team of which I can't find any yes men among them, which is great.

"I think that makes him secure and confident in his ability. It's ironic but if he hadn't got a Scouse accent then I'm sure he'd make a good manager of Liverpool or someone of that nature.

"He obviously wants to make Derby into a top-10 Premier League club and hopefully he will be around for a long time."

He added: "I thought it was fantastic at Wigan, where we were pretty poor, and yet both sets of supporters were singing 'there's only one Paul Jewell', which is a pretty unheard of scenario.

"I think that is a measure of his status in the game. But here I can say that and we could be in the bottom three in August next season in the Championship and we are both under pressure."

More news from SportingLife.com