In today’s bite size helpings of Rams news — Conor Doyle could be heading for the door permanently, Macca wants to keep us coming back and the DCFC Academy continues to impress with more youth success.

Farewell Conor?

It seems Conor Doyle could be about to make a permanent switch back to his homeland as U.S club D.C United want to make his loan move permanent.

United General Manager Dave Kasper has reported on the clubs website that he is; “optimistic the club will reach a deal with English club Derby County to permanently acquire forward Conor Doyle, who joined United on loan for the last half of the 2013 season. An agreement is probably five to seven days away”.

Conor never really made a fist of it at the Rams, showing some decent skills but the lack of polish to make the step up to regular first team football at Championship level.

After seasons of just being lucky if he warmed the bench, Doyle joined MLS club D.C. United in July this year, on a loan deal to the end of their 2013 season. Reports suggest that the loan deal included an option to buy Doyle on its completion.

Doyle’s form was one of few highlights for United this season as they only managed 3 wins for the entire season, setting a new record for the fewest wins in MLS history (hmmm that sounds familiar…). Doyle scored the match winner in one of those victories and went on to make 14 appearances, scoring two goals.

Doyle and United did have some success by lifting the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which is the MLS equivalent of the FA Cup, after a 1-0 win over Real Lake City.

If Conor does make the move permanent, he leaves behind a Rams career that included 23 appearances (21 League, 2 Cup), but unfortunately never fulfilled the promise that was heralded by the club on his arrival.

We wish you all the best Conor, may your best football still be ahead of you.

FA Youth Cup Triumph

The Rams progressed to the 4th round of the FA Youth Cup by defeating Wigan 4-3.

A Derby side that included Mason Bennett, dominated for much of the match played at the iPro stadium with second-year scholar Kurtis Revan scoring twice, while Kwame Thomas and Callum Guy netted the other two goals.

The Rams were cruising with the scoreline at 4-1 late in the match but complacency may have snuck in as Wigan scored twice to cause some heart flutters before the final whistle.

Academy manager Darren Wassall spoke to the media after the victory:

“At half-time, we told the lads not to let their heads drop. When you concede just before half-time the opposition is on a high and you are on a low, and particularly after we had dominated the first half. So we were delighted with the way the team went out in the second half and created the chances they did and scored the goals they did to go 4-1 up.”

“That put a little bit of a dampener on the game but overall it was a thoroughly deserved victory.”

Macca Brings Them Back

Steve McClaren has spoken to the media about bringing more of the supporters lost to the club in recent years, back to the iPro stadium. He suggests the type of football his team are delivering to fans, is the best way to make that happen:

“That was our goal when we came in — we want the fans to come back here,” McClaren said. We want them to fill the stadium and we have to produce the kind of football that attracts them. The players have done that.”

“For me, the most important thing is the Derby public. They’ve got to keep coming back and fill this stadium. That was our goal at the beginning and we are starting to build up momentum to achieve that but we also have to keep our feet on the ground in the dressing room, because there is a long way to go.”

Agreed we need to keep our feet on the ground Steve but when you have delivered a maximum 15 points from the last 5 matches, excuse me if we float just a little bit.

There is no doubt that the crowds will grow and soon be packing in, should the Rams make a genuine play-off impact or even better, make a run for the top 2.

The entertainment is definitely there being the highest scoring team in the League, having only lost 1 in their last 10 under Macca. It has been a long time since you could say that the money spent watching the Rams, is worth every cent and maybe more!

The DET reported that the Ram’s average attendance is 23,910 which is 3rd in the Championship, only bettered by Brighton & Hove Albion (26,767) and Leeds United (25,511). The home gate average last season was 23,228, which would suggest that the crowd is steadily improving, especially since attendances at the start of the season were not the best.

If McClaren and his men can keep this run of form up then you would think by the end of the season we will see high 20’s packing into the iPro, as local fans clamour to see their team chase promotion.

Now that’s something we all want to see!

Till next time RamZoner’s — keep biting!

Photo: Action Images

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