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A new low, now a new dawn.

This miserable Derby County season is littered with games where the ever optimistic fans have genuinely thought we could pull off a win, only to be let down by our hapless team.

Yesterday was such a game. Everyone thought we could turn a very poor Reading side over and at least end the season on a positive. Perhaps a bit of good old end of season madness 3-3 or a 4-3? However to say the team let the Rams fans down yesterday would be like saying the invasion of Iraq has dragged on a bit.

Every Cloud (or Two Worlds Collide Part 2)

A week or so ago, the poster of the month awards for the last three months were posted on this Blog/Forum/Website. Once again there was no mention of us, with the awards going to people who address the general football issues of the day and thus (most importantly it seems) get loads of comments.

Being pretty proud of the stuff we post online and generally being a competitive sort of chap, its fair to say I was (pathetically?) a bit disgruntled by yet another snub by the 'award givers' of the Fanzone. 

Two World's Collide

Another Saturday another Premier League defeat for Derby County. Still, only 3 games to go now so this season from hell is nearly finished.

One thing that was a bit strange about Saturday's defeat, apart from the fact that we didn't actually deserve to lose, was the comparative attitude and mood of the two sets of fans.

The Second Goal Was Offside!

Around half past two on Saturday afternoon, I was sat in the pub with a few friends having a good time. I had mentioned calling a taxi a couple of times but we'd put it off. One of the party then suggested that we forget about the game altogether. Almost every match-day has run a similar course this season; great pre-match banter and general chat, abruptly ended by going to the stadium. The afternoon generally goes downhill from there. As my Dad likes to say "we had a great day apart from the ninety minutes in the middle". We caved in though phoned a taxi to the ground.

A lesson for Stoke and Hull

A few of the teams Derby have signed players from since January: Blackburn, Rangers, Man City, Tottenham, Everton. A few of the teams that players have left The Rams first team to join: Plymouth, Leicester, Stoke, Ipswich, Barnsley. When Craig Fagan left his right wing slot to become Hull's fourth choice striker it said everything, although I'd started to get the hint when our captain and centre forward both made a smooth transition to a club 5 places from League 1.

Record Breaking Rams

Over the past few weeks, the media have increasingly speculated about which particular "worst ever" records Derby will break. Saturday saw an impressive hat-trick of: joint longest Premier League run without a win; first team to be relegated during March; the clubs longest winless streak.

The clubs new American owners General Sports Entertainment are quite big on "the match day experience" so I was disappointed not to see a hologram of Roy Castle appear at the final whistle, in the style of the absent Robbie Williams at a Take That concert. I can only think that the trumpet blast of "Dedication's what you need" put them off.

You couldn't make it up!

At the end of last season, Sky TV axed long running footy drama/soap Dream team. Reasons for this were unconfirmed, but the general consensus was that it was too far fetched.

If anyone's interested we've got hold of the synopsis for this season's rejected series. Rumour has it that this was based on real life events, but that's just madness. 

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.       

Rams take 'Easy' route at last

All season, Derby's ongoing debacle has been held up as a prime example of how tough it is to survive in the Premier league. Sure, we've had a bit of bad luck along the way but what chance did we have?

The hype surrounding the, self styled, greatest league in the world is relentless and as Derby miserably fail to compete, you begin to believe it yourself. How can a team like Derby possibly live with the likes of Torres, Ronaldo or Fabregas or for that matter Benjani, De La Cruz or Robbie Keane? It might not be as complicated as Rams fans had been led to believe. 

Shocking Rams hit new depths

On Saturday we decided to make a day of it and left Derby at 7.30 and headed for Blackpool. Whilst you were eating your cornflakes, we were playing beach football in force 5 gales.

As the incoming tide forced a premature conclusion to our game, we spent an enjoyable hour on the various amusements followed by one of the best seaside fish and chip dinners I've had for ages. We then set off for the JJB stadium and the day went downhill from there.   

Time to big up the Rams

After our frankly pathetic tilt at the Premier league this season, Derby County have been laughed at, lambasted and humiliated by anyone and everyone in the football world. We will be relegated in a couple of weeks and our primary focus now is Sunderland's worst ever premier league points tally (15) and getting the bones of a team together ready for a full on promotion tilt next season.

Can someone explain then why we have the 12th best average attendance in the Premier league, why every away game is sold out weeks in advance and why the general mood amongst Rams fans is one of positivity? 

    

Derby joy is Blues Tragedy

In this modern age when sports psychologists are part of the furniture and "positive thinking" is more advice-down-the-pub than psychobabble, should a team who take the field to "Tragedy" really feel aggrieved at conceding a last minute equaliser? (Alternatively, "should a team who take the field to Steps etc..."). As Birmingham's self-fulfilling prophecy came true, it was Derby fans who had a rare occasion to dance.

Jewell's Quiet Revolution

Billy Davies signed in excess of 20 players during his spell as Rams manager. The team that faced Portsmouth on Saturday, less than three weeks after trading began in January, contained only four of them. It would probably have been two, had we completed other deals on the table. It is safe to say that Jewell did not like what he saw when he took over at Pride Park.

Same As Ever, it's All Change at Derby

As the January window opens, most teams are looking for those killer signings to make or break their season. However, having as much chance of staying up as Britney has of winning mum of the year, Derby are effectively starting pre-season for next season's promotion campaign.

Being that our short pre-season was everyone's favourite excuse for our dismal Premiership performance, six months should do nicely for Paul Jewell this time around.

So Near, But Now a Million Miles Away

I have deliberately not posted here during the Christmas matches, so as to do a summary of all of them together. As the games panned out, this ended up being a great call as they all pretty much went the same way.

We played well in patches of all of the games, could easily have had between 7-9 points but a combination of bad luck, low self esteem and rank bad defending means we ended up with a solitary point for our efforts. I don't suppose anyone will give me a cigar for suggesting this is not our season!

Deja vu at Derby

2 months ago, Derby had just put in a promising away performance at Fulham. We were bottom of the league but there appeared to be a glimmer of hope. A new chairman was about to buy into the club and the words "the season starts here" could be heard muttered around Pride Park. This was followed by the dampist of damp squib home performances- a 2-0 defeat to Everton.

Last weekend, Derby put in a credible performance at Old Trafford (forget the scoreline), we had a new manager and are on the verge of a takeover by an American consortium. The words "the season starts here" could be heard muttered around Pride Park. This was followed by a completely demoralising 1-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough. Deja vu? Absolutely, week after week.

The Rams will rise

Another weekend, another heavy away defeat for Derby. Reading pull off a shock win against Liverpool and then Middlesborough inexplicably beat Arsenal to also pull away from the bottom three. As Rams fans have to jealously look at prospering smaller clubs like Blackburn and Portsmouth, you may wonder if things can get any worse?

However, whisper it quietly, but the green shoots of recovery are sprouting at Pride Park. Is this blind faith gone mad? Read on.

It's Grim Up North (east)

At about 10 to 5 on Saturday afternoon, I was sat in a now half empty Stadium of Light. Robert Earnshaw was hesitating over the ball and a Sunderland defender nipped in to kick the ball into touch. The corner would see out the match and although a point wasn't great for Derby, it was an improvement on recent form. Inexplicably, the linesman awarded a goal kick. A minute later, Sunderland had scored and the Rams had lost yet again.

Five minutes later a group of young teenage Mackems were swarming around a lone Rams fan making his way home. Another five minutes later and a reversal of age's, a Mackem "man" was punching a teenage Rams fan, forcing the latter to flee across a busy road. As a mate said "I wonder what they're like when they lose?". An hour later, we were still stuck in traffic on the outskirts of Sunderland. Not a good end to the day.

Good Work Billy, Good Work Adam Pearson

From the outside looking in, Billy Davies departure from Derby today seems a typically harsh, knee jerk sacking, typical of the short term nature of modern football.

How can a club sack a manager after only 12 games, who took them from  staring into the abyss of division 1 to the Premiership in his first season? It's definitely a big call by new Rams supremo Adam Pearson so lets look at a few facts.

Rams regain dignity as Chelsea prove they have none

Most weeks when I write this piece, I have a set subject matter in mind. This weekend though I'm spoilt for choice. A bit on England's debacle? A lot on Roy Keane's debacle? A vaguely positive, keep the faith type piece on Derby's unlucky defeat? Or perhaps discussing the possible ramifications of Billy Davies various post match rants against our new Chairman?

Maybe a bit of everything, but let's start with Chelsea. If you see them on the TV you get the impression this is not a likable team. When you see them in the flesh, you realise they are a class one example of everything you hate about modern football.

Billy's Kitchen Nightmares

We've always had a thing amongst our lot, normally in times when the Rams are doing well, of fondly recalling what we term 'the dark days'. All the lads like nothing better than recalling a particularly hapless Rams side, a long haul away trip hammering or a useless signing. These events are often held up as a kind of badge of honour with the always unsaid punchline that you were still there even in the dark days.

After yesterdays humiliation, I can't currently see how anyone (except maybe our bank manager) is ever going to look back on this season with anything other than acute embarrassment.

Chairman 2 Away Goals 0

The history of Football is full of bizarre facts, stats and records. To many fans, facts around high scoring matches, obscure trialists or even most games gone without drawing 0-0 are the spice of life.

However I would like to know if any club has ever ended a season having had more Chairman in office that the number of away goals they managed to score! Step forward Derby County.

Do the bad thing

A few months ago one of my closest mates asked me to be the god father of his daughter. I am already the godfather of his son, but this was still an honour and generally just a nice thing to do.

The christening, and subsequent party, was booked well in advance for Sunday 28th October and all was well. That was until Everton qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Cup and our game got moved to Sunday with a 2pm kick off.   

Derby are relegated & it suits us fine

Derby are relegated. Paddy Power says so, The Sun's fixed odds columnist said so yesterday and most fans on any forum you visit (including ours!) say so.

We got promoted too early, we haven't spent any money and the team is embarrassingly short of the standard required for the Premier league. We've been mullered everywhere on the road & there's even a text gag flying around which spoofs the current ITV situation, saying the Premier league are being investigated for letting Derby enter a competition they cant possibly win in.

No goals, no points...Part 5

In a weekend dominated by my two least favourite sports- driving and egg chasing, Derby v. Reading was unlikely to grab any headlines. However, for Rams fans it was quite a significant game. After a few high profile hammerings, this was finally a chance to do something, anything, away from home. Reading was also a good benchmark. Essentially a team of good Championship players when promoted, Reading proved that it might not take a Sunderland style £35m trolley dash to cope with the Premierhip...

It's just like watching..... Burnley.

Having spent 5 years in the Championship, we're well used to to horrible teams coming to Pride Park, stringing 5 men across midfield, happily conceding possession, looking to steal a goal from a set piece and time wasting from the word go.

Step forward Bolton Wanderers. With the notable exception of Nicholas Anelka, a Championship club in every way you can imagine. Thus making it even more frustrating that we weren't able to beat the blighters!

Football from another planet.

As I walked out the Highbury tube station yesterday I was immediately greeted by a street full of Arsenal Shirts, Hot Dog stands and Street traders punting all manner of bootleg Gooner memorabilia. To be honest, not too different to last time I was there.

Walk around the corner and over the new bridge to the ground and it was immediately apparent that we were not visiting  an Oakwell, Deepdale or Selhurst Park today. Yet if the Emirates stadium seemed somewhat space age, Arsenals current team seem like they are from a different galaxy.

1-0 to the Blind Faith Army

Last nights sensational win over the (Car)toon army (more on that and them in a moment) was not only a first Premiership win for Derby. It was also a massive victory for the so called Blind Faith Army (BFA) group of Derby fans who refused to accept we were relegated after 5 games.   

Since our 0-6 drubbing at Liverpool and the subsequent low key closure of the transfer window, civil war has raged between Rams fans. On the one hand you have the negative critics who proclaim, amongst many gems, that the Rams are already down,  Billy Davies is not up to the job, the board have lied to us over the transfer budget and have never intended to compete in the current ludicrous financial climate.

Down, but not out of it yet.

I'm going to start this weeks write up with a phrase I never thought I'd ever say - "I'm really glad there's an international break next weekend".

Yes that's right, a whole week at work with nothing to anticipate at the end of it, no worthwhile club news or gossip for the best part of 10 days, 2 weeks of derisory football betting with low odds and high risks, but I'm lapping it up. The reason for this apparent madness it because it's exactly what the, currently not so, Super Rams need.      

Don't Panic, It's Early Days !!?!?!

Aside from the fact that we lost at home to one of our so called 'mini league' rivals, there were plenty more reasons for Rams fans to be concerned after Saturdays match.

However before I get into the detail, I must comment on the inexplicable decision to allow Brum to wear their new home kit which is 80% white on the front. I don't think I've ever seen such a colour clash at a professional match. Equally inexplicable was Steve Bruce's decision, on a sweltering hot afternoon, to swap his staple tracksuit for a formal dark blue shirt (with white collars and cuffs!). Luckily I was too far away to see what must have been some nasty sweat patches. 

Welcome to the real world

If you'd have offered any Derby fan that after 3 games we'd be 1 point behind Man Utd, we'd have bitten your hand off. However the fact that United are having the mother of all bad starts (in context of it being United) hides the truth.

Last week when writing about the Pompey game, I said of both Derby and Portsmouth - "if they play this open all season, you can't help thinking they could be on the end of one or two hammerings". Additionally I said to someone last week, that it was worrying we'd played so well in the opening two games and only got a point. What happens when we play badly?

Unfortunately both these statements came home to roost big time on Saturday as Derby were routed by Spurs.

The strange thing about this game is that we all know Derby lack Premiership quality firepower and creativity. What we don't normally lack is organisation, 120% commitment and generally being very hard to beat. Whether we got it wrong tactically, got a bit of stage fright or just generally had a bad day, we need to get it out of our system quickly.

Ridiculously after just 3 games, next Saturdays home game against Birmingham is an absolute must win. If you consider that our next 3 games after that are Liverpool A, Newcastle H and Arsenal A, to not beat Birmingham would leave us in a pickle to say the least.

Off the pitch, these last two weeks of the transfer window are also now pivotal to our immediate chances of competing in the Premier league. Our behind the scences transfer activity has been talked up for weeks now. But with little or no end product, the natives are becoming restless (33 year old Eddie Lewis Anyone? Thought not.).

The Kenwyne Jones deal has dragged on forever and, with Sunderland now seemingly in the hunt, the Rams need to either pay what they need to or move on. As much as the football world's love affair with Niall Quinn and Roy Keane winds me up, if they want a player they go in hard (Chopra & Gordon) and if its not happening they move on equally fast (Nugent,Baines).

If you believe everything you read from the club, we have "many irons in the fire". Well if anyone needed convinving that more money was required, then Saturdays game may have had one positive affect at least.   

Super Rams up and running

So here we go, after what seems not a lot more than 10 minutes since we beat WBA at Wembley, Derby have kicked off their first season back in the Premiership for 5 years.

Although it's only the first game, I though pre-match Pompey would be a good indicator for us of the general standard we're likely to come up against this year. To my mind, there's a top 10% and a bottom 10% in the Premiership and not a lot to pick between the remaining 80% of teams. Pompey are definitely well encamped in this middle group.

Being used to teams in the Championship coming to Pride Park, sticking 5 across midfield and putting the emphasis on us to break them down, the wide open nature of yesterdays game was a pleasant change. However I can't help thinking that if either team plays that open on a regular basis, they may be on the receiving end of some serious hammering's.

Whilst Pompey were technically superior to Derby, we were equally superior in terms of fitness and will to win. Oakley & Todd in particular were superb in midfield and easily won their battle against Mendez and Davis. Andy Griffin was effective if unspectacular at left back but was infinitely better than his replacement at Pompey, Herman Heriederson (a relegation player if ever there was one), who was ran ragged by Craig Fagan.   

If there was any doubt that Steve Howard would be as effective this year (and there was quite a bit), this was put to bed by a sterling performance by the big man. Distin and Campbell are not the worst centre halves he'll play this year and he won everything in the air, even setting up the first goal with a trademark flick.

The main concern for us was the manner of the goals we conceded. Although Pompey had a lot of the ball they didn't create many if any clear openings. Unfortunately when they did, firstly the normally solid Steve Bywater chose the wrong day to make his first major howler in a Derby shirt and then Big Darren Moore must have been talking to God when Utaka strolled into the box unmarked to poke home the second. 

However, like Sunderland, Derby scored more than their fair share of late goals last year and Andy Todd's Keith Houchenesque diving headed equaliser was the least we deserved.

Overall it was a good performance by Derby and gives us something to build on. With two new faces already arriving next week (and possibly 4 if our double swoop for Kenwyne Jones and John Viafara from Southampton comes off) Derby will certainly be competing this year.

Reports of our relegation may have been premature.

Chris Smith
www.ramspace.co.uk