Pre Season gets back on track

After drawing three games in five, the Rams new team was starting to take shape nicely. A new spine was emerging and the general feeling was that a new team was being built in the right manner. We would never have to watch Fagan or Teale again and all was good.

All this relative feel good factor was blown apart by our pathetic display in the 1-6 hammering at Chelsea. Now we even had people questioning Paul Jewell. "He's no better than Billy", "they're mostly Jewell's players" etc. With this back drop of unrest (and Alan Stubbs injured), bring on next opponents Man Utd, one of the best football teams in the world.       

Astonishingly, after surviving a torrid first 10 minutes, Derby turned in arguably their best performance of the season and ran United all the way in a tight game. Indeed if Kenny  Miller had scored a guilt edged chance just before half time, we may have stolen a draw.

Again the talk turns to next season. Roy Carrol is  a superb keeper and could be our number 1 for the next 5 years plus. As I mentioned, Alan Stubbs was injured but he's done more than enough in his short time at Derby to show what a good player he'll be for us. The interesting one and key difference on Saturday was our midfield two of Robbie Savage and Dave Jones.

At last Savage put in a Savagesque display, snapping around the pitch, forcing errors, running himself into the ground and constantly cajoling and encouraging teammates. Alongside him Dave Jones at last put in the sort of display in the Premiership that made him one of our best players last season. He's worth 15 goals in the Championship for definite. The snapper and the creator, the right foot and the left foot,
has a partnership been born?

Overall it was a tremendous display when a outright mullering seemed the only probable outcome. Ok we lost but at least our pride is temporarily restored. The ironic chant of "can we play you every week" on 65 minutes left even the mouth mancs unable to respond!

With just eight games of this horrendous season left, a few more performances like this one will make it go all the more quicker. You never know we might even win another game!

Chris Smith
www.ramspace.co.uk