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RamsWeek 48 - Giving It All Away
RamsWeek 48 - Giving It All Away
Monday, 1st Dec 2008 01:07 by Paul Mortimer

Derby County were regrouping from a disappointing defeat at Ipswich Town and a clutch of new injuries prior to their two Championship games this week.

The Rams faced Preston North End at home on Tuesday and travelled to Burnley on Saturday; Paul Jewell still juggling available players for the Preston game, especially in defence.

Apart from injuries to first-choice central defensive pairing of Martin Albrechtsen and Dean Leacock, Claude Davis had been withdrawn injured at Ipswich and his replacement, newcomer Darren Powell, also suffered a knock in the game. Davis had a scan and missed the Preston game; Kris Commons’ thigh strain saw him sidelined too.

Notwithstanding the defensive problems within his squad, Paul Jewell indicated the disposability of the experienced but unwanted Andy Todd by loaning him out to Division One side Northampton Town until January 3rd 2009. Ironically, he immediately contributed to Town’s welcome victory over DirtyLeeds!

Albrechtsen needs another fortnight for recovery and Leacock was declared a longer-term injury, so Jewell was again forced to chop and change in defence. Darren Powell stepped in for his full debut to partner Nyatanga at the back and in midfield Kazmierczak replaced Commons.

It was a bitterly cold night for the 25,500 in attendance - the Rams’ lowest League gate of the season - but still a crowd that almost everyone else would kill for on a winter Tuesday! On the same evening Sheff Utd, Derby’s nearest rivals in terms of support had 27,100 watching their clash with table-toppers Wolves but Birmingham vs. Ipswich attracted a meagre 15,700.

Derby were certainly caught cold from the kick-off and hardly touched the ball for five minutes, Preston pressing and flitting about the park like busy worker bees. It was therefore a shock to them and everyone else that as soon as Derby mustered an attack, they took the lead with just 8 minutes on the clock. Paul Green headed a Preston clearance back into the mix and Rob Hulse managed to poke the ball home.

Defensive blunders put Preston back on track however. After 20 minutes Emanuel Villa, motoring around everywhere as usual, was mugged in the Derby penalty area, Ross Wallace cascading over Tito’s leg to win the softest of penalties. Calum Davison rapped home the spot kick.

Worse followed nine minutes later, with a goal of comic stupidity, even by Derby’s standards. Jordan Stewart was criminally inattentive in chesting down a ball and stroking it generally towards Roy Carroll…unfortunately, Neil Mellor was in close attendance and he gladly tucked home the gift.

The topsy-turvy first half took another twist a few moments later, as Stewart made amends in rasping another spectacular goal after 32 minutes, to follow up on his Howitzer against Sheffield Wednesday in the previous home game. Jordan watched a ball come out of the Preston penalty area as Derby pressed, and he slapped it venomously across the keeper on the volley from 20 yards to make it 2-2.

Preston’s bright play always made them a danger and the home crowd showed muted relief for equality at the half-time whistle. The Rams were brighter on the restart but Preston, always dangerous, won a rash of corners and finished the game strongly. Nevertheless, Kaz smashed a superb 25-yard free kick goalwards to see Lonergan tip it onto the bar and Rob Hulse went close. For sure, a draw was better than nothing.

Whilst sometimes looking fragile, on the verge of collapse, defenders Powell and Nyatanga got through a lot of work at the back. There wasn’t the creative spark of the forward thrust to further breach Preston and Derby are still seeking the quality and consistency to run with the pack near the top of the Championship.

Last Wednesday saw the anniversary of Billy Davies’ departure from Derby County and Jewell knows he has had some pleasure and plenty of pain in the time since he took over. At least the ship isn’t stuck on the iceberg any more and the engine is working again. Defeats are becoming rarer, and Derby have gone 9 home games without losing. Now the manager has to chart a course to the Premier League.

Steve Davies has had a double hernia operation whilst his facial injury is still healing, so the improving youngster will have hopefully overcome some setbacks in time for the New Year and be able to resume his bright progress up front for the Rams.

Jewell sought to reinforce his squad as well as loan out some of his own players who aren’t figuring in the first team. Charlton striker Luke Varney (26) has come to Pride Park Stadium until the New Year on an initial loan leading to a three-and-a-half year deal, costing Derby up to £1.5m. Varney can add pace and further firepower to the Rams’ front line and hopefully work well with target men Hulse and Ellington.

Derby also took England Under-19 central defender James Tomkins on loan from West Ham United until the end of the year. Tomkins is a highly rated ‘footballing centre half’ and Paul Jewel thinks he can play an important role for Derby County.

Rams’ full-back Jay McEveley, already sent out to Preston for a loan stint this season, has gone to the Addicks on loan until the New Year and striker Liam Dickinson went out for another loan spell. Having served Huddersfield Town well in the autumn, he’s joined Blackpool until January 1st 2009. Rams’ Academy graduate (20) Mitch Hanson has joined Notts County for a month, where Jason Beardsley has been on loan all season.

Derby faced a challenging trip to Turf Moor, Burnley on Saturday. They are quietly getting on with the job of taking residence in the championship top 6. Paul Jewell replaced Barazite with fit-again Kris Commons, Lewin Nyatanga for loanee James Tomkins and Emanuel Villa with newcomer Luke Varney.

Poor defensive work saw the Rams 2-0 down after just 15 minutes and Burnley had their tails up. Derby’s defenders allowed Clarets’ players just too much space to work good positions or take a strike at Carroll’s goal. Burnley accepted Derby’s trademark generosity to take control of the match.

Kevin McDonald invited to shoot from 18 yards by loose defending, thrashed the ball into the net with just 6 minutes gone. Then in 14 minutes, Stewart gave winger Chris Eagles the freedom of the park to cross onto the waiting Martin Patterson’s head: 2-0. A replica goal on 22 minutes - Patterson obligingly ramming home Eagle’s cross with his head - made it 3-0.

Fans and manager wondered why the team was so slack and slow. Giving the opposition space to deliver chances is still a profound Derby weakness.

The Rams have shown strong fitness and work rate statistics this season but they had been steamrollered by Burnley for the first half hour and looked jaded, unable to raise their game enough to compete. Why?

Radio Derby commentators and Derby fans prayed for the invading Lancashire fog to envelope Turf Moor so that the game would be abandoned and some Rams fans no doubt even wished they were back in Derby with the missus doing the Christmas shopping.

The elements got it wrong, the fog inaccurately causing only the abandonment of Chesterfield’s FA Cup 2nd round tie at Saltergate with the Spireites trailing to Droylsden.  The Turf Moor fog lifted, though an orange ball was used in the 2nd half.

Derby offered little in attack in response to Burnley’s first half onslaught; the midfield hadn’t got going and debutant Luke Varney couldn’t make much headway. Green and Kaz mustered efforts without seriously threatening the Burnley goal.

Nathan Ellington came on for Commons at half time, the Rams vainly endeavouring to have more of the game. Addison looked the most threatening; Hulse was a forlorn figure, well off his game. Roy Carroll still had to claw away a Robbie Blake free kick late on.

As with the sloppy goals conceded against Preston and the generosity that Reading received, when the defence is giving it all away in the manner we’ve seen recently, there’s little chance of making serious advances up the Championship table. The away form is becoming a worry with three straight defeats and progress is stuttering unconvincingly. It was an anonymous performance and a deserved defeat.

Debutants James Tomkins and Luke Varney had reasonable games but Derby defended badly when it mattered and failed to impose themselves on the game in midfield and attack. Perversely, young Rams’ £750k striker Liam Dickinson has yet to be seen by Rams fans. Loaned out to Championship rivals Blackpool, he scored twice on his debut.

Dickinson has scored more League goals this term than any other Rams’ striker but the manager feels he lacks experience, adding enigmatically that ‘other factors’ are also present.

It was another Saturday where Paul Jewell replayed his opinion that the performance was embarrassing, saying, “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, to be honest…it’s just not good enough” and that Derby aren’t performing the fundamental basics, the ‘ugly’ part of the game properly. OK, PJ - - just fix it!

Fans and manager want to see more hunger, desire and fight from their team and the lack of consistency is mightily frustrating at the moment. One point from 5 away games and a 3-0 surrender within 23 minutes at Burnley is shocking value for club and supporters. Solidity and consistency are prerequisites for progress. Tenacity, togetherness, teamwork - Derby still lack these qualities. It’s all been said so often.

Jewell’s first anniversary at Derby evoked unwanted parallels with 2007-08 - they give goals and games away alarmingly easily, albeit in a lower division. Whatever words are exchanged between manager and our under-performing, well-rewarded players are fully deserved. We’re now 15th in the Championship table and Burnley stand fourth, as Wolves and Birmingham streak away at the top.

The Rams must regroup promptly for the Carling Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday night. If 11,500 at Turf Moor was like a storm to our genteel players, then a packed Britannia Stadium on Tuesday will seem like a ruddy hurricane.

To be fair, Derby have a good cup record so far this season with away wins at tricky venues included in our progress to the quarterfinal. Just for good measure, the FA Cup 3rd Round draw has presented another tricky one to the Rams, an away tie at Blue Square Premier League side Forest Green Rovers.

Any non-League side have to climb mountains to get as far as the 3rd Round Proper; FGR will relish the tie and Derby will want to avoid a Leeds vs. Histon-like banana-skin. If we fail to beat the Gloucestershire side, we will truly deserve the further humiliation that would bring!

___________________________________________________________

Last season, RamsWeek 48 saw Adam Pearson’s abrupt and decisive Monday morning showdown with Billy Davies after the manager’s outburst during post-match interviews - and Billy was shown the door!

A managerial entourage of 10 staff departed summarily and Davies walked away with the desirable result of a reported £750k contract settlement whilst avoiding the stigma of expected relegation on his hitherto tidy managerial CV.

Pearson moved pretty smartly to redeem the situation and it was ‘shine on, you crazy diamond’ as ex-Wigan boss Paul Jewell accepted the challenge and claimed the Pride Park managerial hot-seat. Jewell invited stalwart buddy Stan Ternent and fitness coach Mark Seagraves to join him at Derby.

They had one hell of a job to rescue Derby’s season and realistically knew they were looking towards the next season to impose their own systems, choose their players and infuse some positivism into the squad.

Members of Sleightholme’s Pride Park regime were put on various fraud charges in the ongoing investigation into Derby County’s finances – Mackay, McKenzie, Keith and associates Waters and Lowe would all face Crown Court charges in February 2008.

There was some football too. Although the Rams slipped to another defeat, this time away at Sunderland. It was a cruel 0-1 reversal, with the Mackems snatching an injury time winner after a more spirited display by Derby.

Next up in the Premier League calendar was Manchester United at Old Trafford, and Derby drew Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup Third Round.

 

Photo: Action Images



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