The players returned to training on Monday with Jewell’s scathing condemnation of their performance at Wigan still ringing in their ears.

The Wigan game tipped the boss over the edge. He was still angry and seething throughout the week and declared that some players “have signed their death warrant” as far as Derby County are concerned!

Fans have seen their season reduced to the very genuine worry that, apart from establishing the Rams’ worst-ever sequence without a win, wondering if their team can avoid the all-time wooden spoon of recording a lowest-ever Premier League points total of fewer than 15 points and remove that thoroughly unwanted tag off Sunderland AFC.

Manager Paul Jewell was allegedly putting his players through a tough training schedule ahead of the next game and was spitting feathers in interviews about the ineptitude and incompetence of his team. As the Rams prepared for the weekend and a home game (coincidentally) against Roy Keane’s Sunderland, supporters had a right to expect much better next time they turn up in huge numbers, as ever, in support.

There are many question marks against Derby players in terms of stamina, application, hunger and honesty to themselves, the club and fans. Jewell’s decided that they must shape up or ship out very soon. I think we’re all tired of the dumb “we’re up for it” pre-match player interviews too, after seeing so many debacles. Message to players: save your breath lads - and let your feet do the talking.

You never know – some of them might realise that we’d sooner be talking about good play, goals and wins rather than hearing another angry interview from their fuming manager….

Dean Leacock picked up Derby’s latest right-back injury at Wigan and was doubtful for the Sunderland game, which by Tuesday was already looking like attracting a sell-out attendance. Andy Todd had replaced Leacock at half time, Dean suffering a hip injury after a typically comic incident where he and Robbie Savage collided going for the same ball, redolent of when Darren Moore piled into Stephen Pearson earlier in the season and put the Scot out of action for weeks. You do it to yourself, you do…!

Savage himself did not escaped implicit or direct criticism from the manager’s barrage and it was mooted that he may even be rested or dropped for the Sunderland match. Whether this was kidology, only the Saturday team news would confirm. The Welshman is still carrying injuries and Jewell also thinks he’s trying too hard. Savage admitted in a DET interview that it was a low time for both himself and the team but vowed to lead Derby to promotion next season.

Most rich footballers are of course like boys with toys and Savage attracted some negative media in acquiring a new £160k Mercedes car. What’s new? Footballers love blingy thingys and most of them are happy to swan around the pitch wearing tiny jewelled studs in their ear lobes that cost more than most fans’ annual salary. They are detached from the real world in which fans must live and can afford to surround themselves with everything that conspicuous consumption can offer. For me, the novelty will come when players under criticism actually give value for money to club and fans for their earnings.

Meanwhile Giles Barnes picked up a knee injury in training and was ruled out for the weekend as Jewell promised changes; fans could only play a guessing game on the team to face the Black Cats. Some sources made capital out of Barnes’ latest injury, suggesting he’d been hurt in ‘boot camp’ training regimes, which Paul Jewell refuted.

Others preferred to resuscitate the ‘Barnes to West Ham’ rumours; there was a cheeky enquiry from Sheffield United to take Barnes on loan. 9 months ago, fans and club had railed against the idea of Barnes’ departure…now, it may seem an attractive way to boost the kitty to help Derby to buy a real football team in the close season.

Newcomer Mile Sterjovski was expected to make his first start against Sunderland and hopefully the experienced Aussie could add some sorely needed thrust and bite into the midfield

The official site carried a note saying that the club still wasn’t certain when the Arsenal away game will take place, so fans are due to be further messed around. Derby’s game at the Emirates Stadium for Saturday 26th April had been moved to the evening of Monday 28th for Setanta TV coverage - but that date may be changed again depending upon Arsenal’s Champions League progress. Hopefully it can revert to a normal Saturday kick-off.

Defender Michael Johnson went on loan to Notts County and is certain to be among the springtime departures from Pride Park Stadium. Jonno has put in 150 appearances in a Rams shirt.

Sunderland came to Derby with an even worse away record than the Rams, having collected just 2 points on the road this season and had suffered 11 consecutive defeats on the road. They’ve spent some £40m million (over 3 times as much as Derby) since promotion - so their perilous position indicates that Roy Keane’s reputation doesn’t exactly go before him.

After a week of hostile press and condemnation from manager and fans, the world was about to find out if this Derby County team was going to come out this weekend as mice or men. Jewell put Sterjovski in midfield/wide and had a pair of regular full backs in Edworthy and McEveley, as Moore & Stubbs held the centre of defence. Robbie Savage was rested or axed or whatever as David Jones returned in midfield alongside the Aussie, Pearson and Lewis. Villa and Miller played together up front.

It was a bitty, disjointed low-quality game but the Rams edged back towards some dignity and pride  - little by little  - with the tangible improvement of a clean sheet and a point. More effort and determination was on show than at Wigan (it would be difficult to do worse), as the Black Cats fought out a ragged 0-0 draw. Stubbs, captain at least temporarily, again starred and Moore and Edworthy battled manfully.

Sunderland were denied a first half goal for an erroneous offside decision and also hit a post; Derby couldn’t string passes together and laboured to muster any football of merit. Sunderland looked a bit more compact and threatening but overall it was poor fare for another 33,000 sell-out crowd.

As celebrity referee Mike Riley likes his spotlight I’ll mention him and say how dreadful he was, along with his motley assistants – utterly inconsistent in how he penalised (and needlessly booked) some of Derby’s halting tackles yet leaving many similar Sunderland offences untended - at least until he’d lost any vestige of crowd and players’ respect, alongside denying Sunderland’s perfectly good goal.

You still shudder to think what Chelsea and Manchester United could do to Derby in the next two fixtures given the cheapness with which the Rams routinely give the ball away and their failure to clear their lines effectively or show any ability to retain meaningful or creative possession.

Entertaining, it wasn’t and it’s clear that, despite the ‘big-up’ that President Tom Glick wants to convey, fans will have to wait a fair while longer for any ‘magical experiences’ at Pride Park Stadium. Jewell must make do with what he has and fight on towards 16-20 points as he aims for a more productive climax to this barren season. Ten games to go and we’ve only just attained 10 points. Shocking!

The Rams next have a midweek trip to Stamford Bridge on 12th March (deferred because of Chelsea’s FA Cup involvement), will be a stern test indeed, though the Pride Park fixture did not see Chelsea getting their own way with everything. Three days after that, it’s Manchester United at home.

In RamsWeek 9 last year, the Rams thrashed Colchester 5-1 to regain top spot in the Championship and put the pressure back onto Brum, West Brom and Sunderland. It was Derby’s first win in four games and over 27,000 watched a Friday night televised game 9 - tremendous support as ever, rewarded with a goal spree.

Giles Barnes followed up his wonder-goal that had stupefied the Sunderland defence the week beforehand with a powerful midfield display, scoring one goal and creating three others. David Jones, running the midfield with Barnes as Colchester were dismantled, slammed in an early goal and Lupoli doubled Derby’s lead on 20 minutes. Barnes scored with an arrogant finish before half an hour had gone.

Though Colchester rallied and scored, Howard stuck home a penalty after Barnes had been felled and then David Jones thumped a cross-shot that became an own goal for Derby’s fifth.

It may be next season until Derby scores five in one game again but a year ago they were on the march in March and still looked odds-on for automatic promotion.

Hopefully in a years’ time we will be repeating the feats of 2007 but can stay the course to gain promotion at the earliest opportunity!

Photo: Action Images

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