Manager Nigel Clough completed his first pre-season programme with Derby County but injury issues obstructed his team selection for the first game of the 2009-10 Championship season.

On top of the knowledge that Rob Hulse and Shaun Barker would not start the game, yet another interminable injury has afflicted midfielder Giles Barnes with him ruled out until 2010. He has a serious Achilles tendon rupture and faces another operation to repair the damage, then a long recovery lay-off.

Barnes took a kick from an enthusiastic, unfriendly Stoke defender in last week’s friendly. Given Giles’ regular tendency to crumple into a heap and then disappear to the treatment room for months on end, that’s him sidelined for the rest of 2009. He has quality but not consistency; he has power but not resilience. Whatever will become of him?

Giles had been one of the hottest prospects in football over recent years; he courted moves to Premier League clubs (whilst managing only a handful of games to help dire Derby’s plight in 2007-08) and fans now wonder if he will ever realise his potential.

As he’s in the last year of his contract at Derby it’s debatable if he can be of any value on the field; his transfer value has also diminished correspondingly.

Fortunately, other young Academy prospects such as Pringle, Mendy and Prijovic are stepping into the breach and catching the manager’s attention. I’d expect them to eclipse Giles soon enough.

Added to Barnes’ perpetual injury woes, Chris Porter’s hip injury remains problematical and he now needs surgery, sidelining him for several months. Derby’s striker situation was worrying before a ball was kicked in he League; only Steve Davies was fit and Hulse, Varney & Commons were recovering from minor injuries.

A frustratingly late diagnosis on Porter’s hip has ruled him out for half a season.

With a smaller squad, Derby certainly need to ensure that core players stay fit and contribute 30 - 40 games or more so that we get some understanding and teamwork going this season. At least Kris Commons appeared to have shrugged off his pre-season niggles and featured well in a 1-1 draw at Solihull Manor last Monday evening, looking lively and slotting home Derby’s first half-penalty.

The Rams included a young French striker, David Toukam, a product of the Juventus academy in their line-up and there are a number of trialists being looked over at the moment. A young Rams side took on Mickleover Sports to continue their build-up programme and lost 4-2, Derby being 0-3 down before Edna Mavorma scored twice for them to reduce the arrears.

Kick-off week was really a bit of an anti-climax with that lack of further transfer activity and the double blow of Giles Barnes and Chris Porter being ruled out again. All this, alongside defensive shortages with Dean Leacock and Shaun Barker still unavailable left us feeling that the squad was a bit thin going into the new campaign.

The Premier League loan signings that Clough hoped to finalise early in the week didn’t materialise either, as there was no further mention of them during the daily updates. Clough merely said ‘we’re still trying’ - but on Saturday he was more forthcoming, declaring that the loans would certainly materialise next week. We’re still waiting too, on the possibility of Blackburn goalie Frank Fielding joining the club

No further departures were announced, so some of the dead wood remains. That leaves such as Clod Davis, Jordan Stewart, Roy Carroll and Martin Albrechtsen still apparently in no-man’s land - unwanted by DCFC, not signed up elsewhere - and hence a considerable drain on Clough’s wages budget.

We learned on Saturday that Crystal Palace does want to sign Clod (hooray!) but the Eagles have yet to obtain a licence for acquiring overseas players, Clod being a Jamaican international. The responsible football official has apparently cleared off on holiday - so that absence has shut down the ruddy transfer system as far as Clod’s move goes.

Derby County has linked up with betting giants Littlewoods Casino & Poker, calling the agreement their “Season Presenting Sponsorship”. Ughh! Sponsorship comes from all quarters these days and an (undisclosed) percentage of the betting placed is apparently being given to the Rams’ community efforts.

Mind you, I’m not enamoured with the need for a ‘commemorative mark’, which sees stadium, matchday events and club announcements emblazoned with a Littlewoods gambling logo alongside the proud Derby Ram crest. I wonder what’s wrong with the club promoting their own (Academy-supporting) lottery, The Rams Club, more visibly? Members get to hear precious little of any developments resulting from the use of funds gained by supporters’ long-term contributions.

The Rams’ squad declared that they are gambling with their own potential earnings during season 2009-10 - they agreed to waive their results bonus of £300 per League point won by the team, should they fail to finish in the top six. That’s cool, lads; maybe if you do attain the bonus in May 2010, would you agree anyway to give it back to the club & fans for supporter projects (like the mooted Clough & Taylor statue), or donate it to the Academy, or the children’s hospice that DCFC supports?

I’m a bit queasy knowing that our under-performing squad copped about £16,000 apiece last season just to escape relegation after crawling past the 50-points mark. Not many players deserved it, I’m afraid. Easy to say, but I’d reckon that points bonuses should only kick in when the ‘survival mark’ of 50 points has been attained. It’s money for rope if players receive the equivalent of many folks’ annual salary, just for avoiding relegation in the first place!

Alan “Noddy” Hinton was voted into the Rams’ ‘all-time greatest team’ in the latest Derby Evening Telegraph poll. The left winger, whom Brian Clough poached from Nothingham Forest and turned into a consistent match-winner, was one of the most accurate crossers of the ball I’ve ever seen, with the hardest shot from free kicks and penalties of anyone save for Bruce Rioch and (allegedly) Steve Bloomer.
 
Friday saw the unveiling of The Lionel Pickering Entrance - the Pride Park Stadium tribute to our former Chairman and benefactor. It’s positioned near the ticket office and constructed from original Baseball Ground brickwork.

It will be a fitting addition to the Rams’ heritage and is an acknowledgement of Lionel’s contribution to the club and their increasing commitment to recognising the heritage during the 125th anniversary celebrations.

After all though, everything comes down to the quality of the football product. The club has recently made great strides commercially and now appears stable and well run. The ‘coming of Clough’ has brought some purpose and belief back to players and fanbase. Now the club is primed for progress again and it must add into that promising mix a competitive, successful team.

Those boys who pull on the shirts have got to be the real deal in the final analysis. It’s down to you now, boys. It’s your club.

Season 2009-10 kicked off with Derby County at home to a resurgent Peterborough United. Posh had achieved back-to-back promotions and are justly optimistic about sustaining their momentum. Clough declared during the week that Derby now needed stability and a settled team; he’s aiming to grow the side together to make tangible progress without the perpetual change of previous management regimes.

Nursing more injuries to his squad than anticipated, Clough’s selection pitched in debutants Jake Buxton and Dean Moxey in defence and Lee Croft debuted on the right wing. Kris Commons was reserved alongside youngsters Mendy, Pringle and O’Brien on the bench in Derby’s first League game to allow seven substitutes. The midfield of Green, Savage and Pearson - which showed much promise in pre-season - started the game, with Steve Davies being the lone forager up front.

It was a throbbing atmosphere with 33,000 inside the stadium. A loud, long minutes’ applause was dedicated to Lionel Pickering and Sir Bobby Robson as the kick-ff approached. Derby started briskly, almost sweeping Posh away in dominating possession to take a lead within 5 minutes. Miles Addison - a gigantic presence in defence all afternoon – struck the goal, bravely converting Jake Buxton’s header across goal from Paul Green’s cross. Derby had scored the first Football League goal of the season.

We were being treated to ‘real’ Derby football, Clough style - with Nigel’s team beginning to echo the hallmarks of the sides produced by his legendary father. Careful – I could get addicted to this! Players combining well and the team keeping a shape, passes flitting around crisply, forwards penetrating dangerously; defenders in position, playing forwards and accurately to their own players rather than retreating raggedly. They were winning their headers and tackles, not playing loosely or panicking under pressure. Delightful!

Whilst not a target man, Steve Davies was combative, persistent and tricky in his central role; Lee Croft was a prominent threat on his debut even if Teale was rather hit-and-miss on the other flank. And at last - a left back that defends calmly and consistently in Dean Moxey, a no-nonsense stopper in Jake Buxton!

The midfield trio were a good blend of abilities with energy, steel and skill, Pearson prodigious, Savage tenacious but measured, Green busy as ever (until a bruised foot ended his day) and they all sped through to support Davies to get on the end of the good work of the wide men.

We were wasteful and a tad hasty in squandering much good possession in the last third however and should certainly have capitalised more on our early dominance. Posh are made of solid stuff though; they are a compact side and do not look destined for a bottom six residence. They weathered the storm and created danger themselves, even if they were fortunate to go into the break only one goal down.

The second half was exciting too, breathless! Posh gave it a go and there were good periods of blood and thunder end-to-end play. Kris Commons replaced the injured Paul Green and teased and twisted the Posh defence. The Rams, on the edge of routing ‘Borough through their enterprise and possession in the danger areas, never quite pushed their opponents over - and we found out that Posh do not lie down.

It seemed that all the good work was undone as Connolly and Bywater contrived an annoyingly lax moment to present Posh with a penalty with only 6 minutes to go. The full back dithered under pressure and the goalie dashed out too far and became exposed, and so he battered Batt down in the area. Dohh.

Boyd rammed the spot kick home with glee to equalise and seemingly snatch a point but Derby garnered themselves and pressed again. A Commons corner caused havoc and Teale was there to prod it home. Commons could and should have added a third but the keeper saw enough of his shot to parry it away.

All’s well that ends well and Derby “got off on the good foot”, as the great James Brown would say, to collect a worthy home victory. It sent the huge crowd home happy and full of optimism.

It’s meaningless after one game but Derby are 2nd in the Championship table. Better than being 2nd bottom, I’d say. It was Derby’s first opening day home League win since 2003. Pity that the new BBC TV Football League coverage is a bit naff with the gormless and fidgety Steve Claridge and the dungeonesque echo-chamber studio effects - what’s all that about?

Maybe it’s an attempt to make the infamous inmates of a jail somewhere in the Midlands feel at home when watching their ‘beloved’ Derby County? I wonder if they are allowed to have a train set running under and around their cell’s bunk beds?

Now it is onwards for Derby, with challenging visits to Rotherham in the Carling Cup and Scunthorpe next Saturday in the Championship. Derby fans are smiling, and daring to consider the prospect of a good season ahead. Now let’s keep it rolling!
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RamsWeek 32 last year saw the big kick-off as the Rams commenced what they hoped would be their instantaneous Championship revival after the horrendous all-time lows of the previous Premier League Campaign.

Derby played Doncaster Rovers at home in the curtain raiser; they lost 1-0 in a miserable display that petered out aimlessly. Fans left the stadium on a dull and drizzly day wondering ‘why does it always rain on me?’ Jewell’s side looked as enfeebled as the one relegated three months earlier.

Seven players made their Derby debuts. Centre-half Alan Stubbs was a crock early on and then the manager decided to give Jay McEveley the captain’s armband. His significant contribution, after inviting Donny to play themselves in to score, was to lead a whingeing player’s charge at the officials to complain, because Derby weren’t professional enough to play to the referee’s whistle.

What a total letdown! Donny played Derby off the park and there was little fight, spirit or cohesion. It looked like a long hard season ahead but of course all patience was being given to Jewell and his two-dozen blitz on new squad signings that had the bed in. A few of the managed it!

Jewell had spent the week drawing battle lines with Robbie Savage, publicly accusing the flaxen-haired Welshman of not trying his best in training. The confrontation cost Savage the captaincy and Jewell relegated him to the bench.

Sav was dire when finally coming on as a substitute and though the manager was flexing his muscles and trying to show ruthlessness, he also failed to successfully motivate and deploy a very experienced, expensive playing asset that fans and club needed a good return from.

There was even talk of Savage moving on immediately; I commented: “Time will tell if Savage shows his usual fighting spirit to knuckle down and become a regular name on Jewell’s team sheet or if he drifts off into comfortable oblivion in his Rams-customised Bentley”.

Well, he did knuckle down and is poised to show his worth in 2009-10, we all hope - but not before he had been totally cast out for months by Jewell. It took the quiet but firm and fair approach of Nigel Clough to rehabiliate and re-energise Savage, who recently confessed that he thought his career was all washed up. He is now raring to go for 2009-10, paying tribute to Clough for rescuing him from despair.

Do see Martin Broadhurst’s splendid recent “RamBalls” interview with Robbie; it’s a treat.

Derby signed 18-year-old Swiss-born Serbian striker Aleksander Prijovic and took out a season-long loan on Skonto FC forward Andrey Pereplotkins. Jewell kept collecting players, but the team collected few points in a thoroughly disappointing start to the season.

Photo: Action Images

Derby County Polls