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RamsWeek 14 - Remake/Remodel!
RamsWeek 14 - Remake/Remodel!
Sunday, 6th Apr 2008 20:43 by Paul Mortimer

The entertaining draw with Fulham had still resulted in the inevitable conclusion of relegation as club and fans tried to look to the future.

The Rams are only writing footnotes upon the 2007-08 season and can now merely aim to deflect a clutch of unwanted records regarding so few points won, so many defeats suffered, such a dreadfully huge goal difference and so little achieved at home or away.

The club themselves needed to talk up the future and reiterate statements about their current activities towards summer rebuilding. Adam Pearson, Paul Jewell and the backroom staff were all busy, out looking over players and talking to agents.

Then, a near-announcement about one player already being signed and another deal almost concluded left the fans grasping fruitlessly for further news about the impending Jewell Revolution. The manager is desperate to set about making his changes and the fans want to see how he will remake/remodel Derby County to start winning games at long last.

The season’s conclusion is flat, with Derby relegated earlier than any club in preceding seasons and just running out time despite the upcoming visit of Arsenal and the prospect of selling out all remaining home games. There is a news and interest vacuum to fill in the space between the Fulham game and the season ticket renewal deadline next weekend and then from Sunday May 11th right up until early August.

Tom & Co excitedly talk up next season as if it’s a new adventure; OK we will start to win games again (I ruddy hope!) and this inadequate squad will be overhauled - but it’s still a Championship repeat and we flunked the Prem test horribly. It’s unlikely that such deep disappointment can be healed instantly when we’re still going through deflated, hopeless and angry reflections about the last 9 months.

Do rest assured, fellas - the bulk of fans will get on board even as you plug the season tickets day after day. However, it’s a bit OTT in my book when half of a community video on the official site turns into yet another oily ‘buy, buy, buy’ season ticket advertisement! Roll on August, when we get all the spin out of the way so we can judge it all for ourselves….

Jewell again made encouraging noises towards stylish (and hardworking!) Egyptian midfielder Hossam Ghaly, one of his January successes, and bade farewell to the irrelevant and unproductive contract-hopper Laurent Robert. He was an inconsequential January loanee released by Derby County this week. He’s promptly made off to Canada hoping to secure a Major Soccer League deal over in Toronto. ‘Bye, then!

Dean Leacock mumbled on about hoping he was part of the future, only half convincing himself, the manager and fans after a patchy season in which he’s looked distinctly average in his normal berth in central defence and sometimes adequate in a more forward shielding role. Must do better.

One recent ‘improver’ in Jewell’s eyes is midfielder David Jones, who has allegedly now come through some serious hernia trouble and may yet shine in the Championship as he often did when Billy Davies took him on loan from Manchester United and then paid £1m to secure his services in January 2007.

Giles Barnes was back amongst the lads at Moor Farm though the healing process would dictate of a second operation would be required He may miss the start of next season - but should the vultures swoop with a substantial cheque to lure him away it would be irrelevant to the Rams’ revival, anyway.

The Rams anticipated their visit to Goodison as relegated also-rans as their play-off final victims from 10 month ago, West Bromwich Albion, suffered another Wembley defeat in the glamour of an FA Cup Semi-Final.

The Cup has been a breath of fresh air with the big guns rolled over and underdogs to cheer on  - but it wasn’t to be Albion’s day. They went down 0-1 to Pompey, of course, again playing quite well but ineffectually; now, Tony Mowbray and Baggies fans will be secretly dreading the very real prospect (via the Championship Play-Offs) of a hat trick of Wembley defeats in the space of just a year!

It does give WBA fans more reason to waffle about how attractively they play and how they would hold their own in the Premier League…time will tell, if indeed they make it as far as Derby! Last May, we thought the Rams were a tough, gritty, organised side that could grind out results and would give it a go - only to find we were a disorganised, slow, dispirited, non-athletic rabble, easily beaten and dispatched!

There was compensation of sorts for the Rams via Saturday’s Premier League results because Fulham and Bolton took beatings. They both look like accompanying Derby back into the Championship. With respect to those clubs, the Rams’ task for 2008-09 looks less daunting as bigger clubs like Sunderland and Newcastle pull clear of relegation.

Birmingham’s defeat at Wigan helped the Latics to evade the bottom three too, whilst Reading lost at Newcastle so the Royals and Wigan are still far from safe!

Everton were smarting from their European exit and one of their regular Anfield Merseyside ‘derby’ defeats. They had only remote hopes of snatching the coveted fourth Champions League place from their biggest rivals. The Toffees - in 5th place - were six points behind the Reds on Saturday but had their game in hand against Derby. Again, we faced a team lacking no motivation for the prizes at hand!

Alan Stubbs missed his return to Goodison, as did Marc Edworthy with injuries so Paul Jewell kept the same side that drew with Fulham. Rams fans expected little from the game but hoped that Emanuel Villa could maintain his scoring form and that Savage, Ghaly and Jones could give them something to enjoy.

Everton’s early attacks forced corners and they hit the post within 3 minutes; Derby played with more spirit than usual on the road and mounted counter attacks. The Rams succeeded in stifling the Goodison crowd in the early stages of the game as they kept Everton at bay. Sadly the Rams again could not capitalise on opponents who were putting in a mediocre display to seize the chance of a rare victory.

As the whistle went on a goalless first half, the ‘boos’ from the crowd - directed by the Everton faithful towards the Toffees - were sweet sounds to Rams fans though their team needed to make some good possession count and produce something from a promising performance.

Derby continued as they left off on the restart and David Jones slashed in a shot that Tim Howard dived to save. Leon Osman, however, broke Derby’s resistance on 55 minutes as the absence of challenges from Derby’s central defenders invited him to strike and put Everton ahead.

The Rams plugged away, with Miller and Villa combining to carve out a good chance but the Rams couldn’t break through. They finished the game on the front foot, forcing corners and pegging Everton back - though the Toffees held on for the 1-0 victory. There was at least more spirit in Derby’s display than in many matches this term.

Attractive approach play has to be matched by incisiveness - and that’s not in Derby’s repertoire on the road. In both penalty areas, Derby’s familiar frailties were evident once more; they failed to score and also allowed Osman to pick him moment to secure the points for the home side.

At 27 games without a win, Derby County have set another unwanted record for the Premier League’s longest winless sequence.

The Rams looked more substantial than when Everton cake-walked past them to collect the points in a 2-0 win at Pride Park Stadium in October. Let’s hope that the same will be true when Aston Villa visit Derby next Saturday, as the 0-2 reverse at Villa Park last November was a typically feeble early-season display.


RamsWeek 14 last year saw the Easter fixture glut and the Rams had to battle for a 1-1 draw at Leicester’s Crisp Bowl, courtesy of Craig Fagan’s first goal for the club. Derby were 3 points clear at the top of the CCC with Brum having two games in hand.

Three days later, the Rams had to work hard again to earn a 1-1 draw, this time at home to Coventry City, with Matt Oakley levelling with just 10 minutes to go. More precious promotion points were lost...

Photo: Action Images



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