The international break continued, as Derby County prepared to resume Championship business with three games in eight days.

Manager Nigel Clough’s plans were rocked by an injury to Stephen Bywater, who had broken his wrist, though any assumption that it was because he had been admiring his saucy ‘garden art’ in ‘a special way’ proved wholly inaccurate.

It was a serious situation however and as it happened, reserve Saul Deeney had to be called back home to Ireland because of a family illness.

Clough was delighted to obtain Blackburn’s England Under-21 goalkeeper Frank Fielding on loan for a month and junior keeper Ross Atkins was recalled from his loan with Tamworth for ‘bench duty’ at Pride Park Stadium.

Fielding has plenty of experience despite his youth and understudy status at Ewood Park and had a busy week after helping the young England side to qualify for the European Under-21 Championships.

Derby’s ‘medical card’ (for some reason given some priority and column space in the matchday programme) still looks well-worn with further setbacks for Chris Porter, whose hip problems are verging on the incurable, and defender Jake Buxton needing to undergo a back operation despite his lengthy absence.

Defender Dean Leacock, however, made unexpectedly rapid progress from his latest injury and was able to return to the squad for the Saturday home game with Preston North End. Scottish Defender Russell Anderson was also close to fitness and returned to first team squad duty.

The rehabilitated defenders, including Gareth Roberts, had a run out for the reserves against Rotherham United in midweek; though Callum Ball gave the Rams the lead, they eventually went down 3-1. A 22-year old Scottish trialist, Euan Holden, partnered Russell Anderson in Derby’s defence.

Kris Commons has been vocal recently in aspiring to a new Derby County contract when his existing one expires next summer. There’s no doubt that his sparkling recent form in a continued run in the team has enhanced his value to the Rams, both on the field and in the transfer market.

He cost Derby nothing, having arrived on a free transfer from Nothingham Forest but his match-winning skills would certainly be costly to replace. Nigel Clough hasn’t always appeared to be Kris’s biggest fan because of the player’s dubious fitness and inconsistent form.

The club is benefitting from the patience displayed to bring him back to fitness and improve his motivation; no doubt Paul Jewell, who signed the player, would have rushed him off out on loan long ago to a Division Two team.

Derby chief Tom Glick acknowledges the speculation about Commons’ future but has quite rightly declared that contract negotiations will not be conducted in the public domain.

If Kris can sustain his form and stay injury free he will be very valuable to Clough’s squad and will help attract those sceptical fans back to the stadium that had become disillusioned with the lack of entertainment on show, and have voted with their feet so far this season.

Media speculation about another Derby striker with increasing value makes interesting reading. Luke Varney, enjoying life in the Premier League on loan at Blackpool, is allegedly available to the Seasiders subject to a £500k fee - but that is subject to no better offers being made to Derby.

Hopefully, Varney will make more headlines with Blackpool so that Derby can cash in on the misfit. With football being so competitive, Derby need funds to build their own team - so why not capitalise whilst his value is escalating?

Rather than relying on loan deals to strengthen their own team, (or let our assets help the success of other clubs) I’d say that if Derby are offered £1m or more for Varney (who cost at least that much plus a very large wage) then that would represent good business. Maybe then we can sign a centre forward of our very own?

Pride Park Stadium hosted the full international friendly game between Brazil and Ukraine on Monday evening. Despite a disappointing attendance of just over 13,000 it was an enjoyable game with Brazilian skills in evidence from the new breed of Samba stars.

They cruised to a 2-0 win and played well within themselves, though Ukraine did have their moments. The Ukraine is a young, emergent nation since reorgaization of the region but has over 50m inhabitants. Their players can can take credit for giving Brazil a good game.

The noisy and enthusiastic knot of Brazilian fans gathered near the south-east corner showed the usual exuberant style, with incessant singing, Sambas around the stadium seating and the trademark atmospheric Batucada drumming.

Derby County emerged with credit having organised the game at very short notice and again confirmed their willingness and competence to stage international events.

With money being tight these days, the £30 price-tag for a ticket discouraged many fans from going to the game; with the organisers failing to grant DCFC discounts to pass on to Rams’ season ticket holders for a week or so, there was an error that also depressed the gate - from which I hope they will take note.

On the international front, Paul Green earned another Republic of Ireland cap but was withdrawn in the first half during their 1-1 draw with Slovakia. A leg injury ruled him out of Derby’s squad for the weekend.

England trudged to a flat 0-0 draw in their Wembley European qualifying game against Montenegro. Superstar striker Wayne Rooney looked lacklustre and the team failed to capitalise on much good possession.

Scotland looked like being buried by Spain but made a spirited recovery from 0-3 down to finish 3-2 -they can still aspire to a Euro qualifying place. Northern Ireland’s hopes suffered a blow, however, as they were held 1-1 by the Faroe Islands.

Wales - without any assistance from Robbie Savage - crashed to a 4-1 defeat in Switzerland to leave the Welsh FA still pondering the merits of temporary coach Bryan Flynn or the other candidates, who all want to revive their nation’s football fortunes.

The big football story of the week was the Liverpool ownership tussle, with the proposed new regime putting in better performances in the High court than Roy Hodgson’s players are on the pitch.

The disruptive and destructive Hicks-Gillette era has ended at Anfield in acrimony and their debt-loading regime has been hounded out of the city. Their subsequent £1bn claim against NESV’s so-called ‘swindle’ has no doubt put a wry smile on the faces of joyous Liverpool fans. On the field, it might not be as easy a task for the team to pull away from the relegation zone as some pundits have declared.

The departing duo might care to reflect on the damage they have wrought at Anfield during their inept and unpopular custodianship.

The F. A., Richard Scudamore and his Premier League chums will however breathe a sigh of relief as NESV emerge from the carnage with the keys to Anfield, and another bullish corporate overseas consortium chases a discredited one out of a big club.

The cycle repeats itself, it is business as usual in the top flight as the greedy and dysfunctional global, remote ownership procession of major English clubs was sustained.

Another American-led consortium has taken over and wiped out over £200m of debts, and have made the same promises to the Anfield faithful that Hicks and Gillette had done when they arrived.

Time will tell if the new owners can revive the club, whose party was spoiled when Everton won the Merseyside ‘derby’ 2-0 on Sunday afternoon; only West Ham United are below Liverpool in the Premier League table.

Saturday came around with a return to League action, and Derby fans were keen to see if the momentum could be maintained. They hoped for more of the brisk attacking play that had destroyed Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough in the previous home matches.

They didn’t have to wait long for such evidence. Derby bossed the game from the start and could have taken the lead well before full back Dean Moxey rapped in a surprisingly vicious cross-shot that caught out Preston keeper Andy Lonergan at his near post.

The snap, crackle and pop of Tomasz Cywka, man-of-the-match Alberto Bueno and Kris Commons was too much for the Preston back line to handle; Shefki Kuqi also battled away as in his other performances in a Derby shirt, soaking up the punishment and bothering opposing centre halves as the leader of the pack.

Bueno showed his range of skills, vision and passing ability and is beginning to stand up to the physical challenge of the Championship. He was on the spot when Derby doubled their lead just after half an hour, heading a cross decisively down and across the Preston keeper into the net, as Derby established control.

Behind the three musketeers, Robbie Savage had an authoritative game and his protégé James Bailey continues to impress. His work rate is prodigious and he is tidy on the ball. The midfield linkage was excellent and even the busy and effervescent Paul Green wasn’t missed.

Derby’s football could and should have brought more goals before the break; as Preston had been second best all through the first period, it was not a surprise that they improved after the break and enjoyed more of the play.

Loan keeper Fielding showed his ability and sharpness on several occasions, though, and made important save to ensure that North End’s recovery was not underlined with a goal.

Derby weathered Preston’s better moments and once again gained the ascendancy as the game reached the closing stages. The cream on the cake was presented to Robbie Savage during stoppage time, the captain celebrating his 600th League appearance with a penalty strike to enhance Derby’s improving goal difference.

Substitute Russell Anderson loped into the penalty area on a sortie into the attack and was hauled down. Defender Treacy was shown a red card for his second offence, and four of his colleagues also collected yellow cards during the afternoon as Preston had struggled to cope with the verve of Derby’s display.

With spot-kick specialist Kris Commons having been substituted, skipper Savage took the kick and stroked it calmly into the far corner of Lonergan’s net.

Derby’s defence looked sound with Dean Leacock quick and decisive on his unexpectedly rapid recovery from injury, Sean Barker his usual imperious presence. Moxey had an excellent game and the enterprising John Brayford was again a threat on the flank as well as executing his defensive duties successfully.

Robbie Savage and James Bailey enjoyed midfield control for much of the game and a sound defence and brisk attack gave Derby the platform to express themselves and enjoy their football.

It was a very refreshing sight after so much dross for so long from recent inconsistent Derby teams on show, who busied themselves making mistakes at both ends of the park, only producing ineffectual, frustratingly mediocre football.

Derby are puttin’ on the style with champagne football and Rams fans are pinching themselves after the dross that has gone before. The Rams have now won their last three home games in a row, with an impressive goal count of 11-1. It’s been a dramatic turnaround from the sterile, ponderous displays of early season.

The players have found the key to home success - quick, snappy football, teamwork, close attention and conscientious defending all over the pitch, and more accuracy and ruthlessness in attack.

The home win was well-deserved and moved Derby into the heady position of 12th in the Championship table - almost unimaginable for coach Johnny Metgod but not yet good enough for Tom Glick!

Five games undefeated represents progress for Clough’s men and fans want to see the recent improvement maintained.

The away form has also been stabilised after the draws at Barnsley and Swansea - and some more points from the two upcoming away games at Doncaster and Millwall will keep club and fans looking up the table, instead of over their shoulders.

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In RamsWeek 42 last year it was ‘a question of balance’ as manager Nigel Clough pondered how to field an effective side from the remnants of his injury-strewn squad.

The latest blow was a muscle tear that was expected to keep top defender Shaun Barker on the sidelines for several weeks. It might have been kidology though, to out-fox the Foxes on Saturday, as Shaun recovered to take his place in the team the next Saturday!

Loan striker James Vaughan, having made only fleeting appearances for Derby in his loan spell from Everton, went back to Goodison with a cartilage injury; that was the last we ever saw of him.

The manager was still spending half his time assessing which of the fit players he inherited were of long-term use to him, the other half of his time on the phone desperately seeking more emergency loans to cover for the injury casualties.

Clough’s patched-up side went to Leicester City’s Stadium of Crisps and took a useful point in a 0-0 draw. It was an undistinguished game and (of course) Derby collected a couple more injuries as loan full back Fredrick Stoor and midfielder Lee Hendrie were substituted after receiving knocks.

Photo: Action Images

ASHRAM added 02:47 - Oct 18 Ukraine has the same population as England. Not the stated 1 million
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pkay_brum added 14:09 - Oct 19 Ukraine's population is of the order of 51m people, so not quite as many as England but a darn sight more than stated! Thanks for pointing out the error - an amendment is in hand!
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