Paul Jewell felt there were signs of improvement last week, which gave him encouragement even in defeat at Old Trafford. 

The manager knew too that there were still lapses into sloppy play that caused the Rams more woe in the ‘goals against’ column.

Manchester United have the ability to take several goals off any team but mistakes and poor marking were still in evidence for Derby to allow such as Tevez and Ronaldo all the room they needed to take advantage.

The United game had to be shrugged off in order to prepare for the more important bottom three ‘crunch match’ against fellow-strugglers Middlesbrough at home on Saturday.

Derby appointed a new fitness coach this week in Nigel Ashby-Jones. He is known to Paul Jewell, having worked with him at Wigan and has also worked at Wigan RFC and Saracens RUFC.

Whether the healing process has been at work for some while or the new fitness staff are already working their magic, long-term injury case Andy Todd was declared as nearing fitness and being ready to rejoin training in a few days. Only Marc Edworthy, with a calf strain, is otherwise a treatment case.

The lack of newsworthy stories early in the week no doubt encouraged the official site to wheel out another anecdote about defender Jay McEveley’s various wake-up calls during his short career, as he lost his way somewhere between Everton juniors and Derby County. Paul Jewell’s assistant, Stan Ternent, apparently took Jay on loan at Gillingham and helped him back into first team football. He’s all yours again, Stan!

Both Paul Jewell and fellow Liverpudlian McEveley are no doubt relishing meeting Liverpool at home on Boxing Day (and I’d imagine the ‘Pool were quite okay with meeting us, given the easy towelling we got at Anfield!) and that game has already sold out.

The manager made mention of possible (unidentified) loan targets as well as incoming transfers to strengthen the squad in the New Year and it was stressed that there would not have to be outgoing transfers to facilitate the new faces.

Jewell dismised renewed speculation about interest from other clubs in Giles Barnes, saying no one has been in contact with him and reminded Giles that whilst he ‘has all the tools in his box’ he still has a lot to learn to make it to the top.

The restructure needed at the club was also indicated at junior level, as the Rams’ youth team were eliminated from the FA Youth Cup at the third round stage, beaten 4-1 at Southend.

Bigger news on the horizon in the shape of a major new funding injection came with further talk from the club that Executive Chairman Adam Pearson was working towards a deal with an American investment partner; there will be a Rams’ board meeting next Monday to discuss the proposals from a company with great sports experience in the USA.

Pearson said it would be a positive cash investment and that local people would remain on the board of the football club.

The Rams have moved into further debt during the last year due to the investment in transfers and wages, so the modest sums outstanding upon promotion – variously reported at about £8m plus a smaller amount of ‘parked’ debt to the Co-op Bank – have increased to a current figure of around £25m.

Given the outlay now required in the Premier League, it is a sobering thought that even the immediate cost of running a shallow and insubstantial squad such as Derby County’s is approximately as substantial as was the club’s debt the last time we were relegated.

Notwithstanding this, Pearson has made it clear that there will be money for Paul Jewell to spend on the squad whether he chooses to spend it in January or June 2008. How much cash Derby will splash next month will depend on the team's position in the Premier League in regard to the possibilities of mounting  a genuine survival bid or instead rebuilding the squad for a renewed promotion campaign.

Late in the week, the mysterious SISU hedge fund cropped up to take control of troubled Coventry City, fronted by Ray Ranson. The Sky Blues were in a similar state to the post-Pickering Derby County at £38m in debt and with no immediate prospect of a return to the lucrative top flight, were moments away from administration and the dreaded 10 points’ deduction.

It’s not yet known exactly how Coventry’s re-financing will work and what and when SISU will expect to take out of the club it has rehabilitated.

Derby captain Matt Oakley spoke pre-match in the run-up to the Boro game, citing that it had been a ‘shock’ to the squad with all the recent managerial change but that there had been a good reaction from players and the club were aiming to win points, were working on the basics and determined to eliminate the mistakes.

The Rams certainly need to produce performances and results such as Middlesbrough’s impressive victory over Arsenal. Paul Jewell hoped to produce the type of performance that Boro had given in defeating the League leaders – to play on the front foot and pose problems for the opposition.

With another splendid crowd of 32,700 in attendance, the Rams were unable to turn the tide of their season and Middlesbrough won a tight game 1-0. Derby’s improved vigilance at least prevented an excess of careless play or over-generous defending, though when Downing did escape down the left flank, his hard low cross was met with clinical accuracy by Tuncay to give Boro a first half lead that the Rams failed to claw back.

It was another body blow for the Rams, who seem unable to break their poor run of form, as they stay rooted to bottom position in the Premier League table. For the long-suffering fans hoping that the tide would turn, it was the same old song with their team failing to find the cutting edge to trouble their opponents.

In truth, little has altered since the change of management and the task of beating another team close to the foot of the table remained beyond the beleaguered Rams as this group of players battles away to generate competitive performances.

Jewell now knows more about the size of his task and acknowledged that he needs more quality in all areas. He won’t give in to the prospect of relegation until it is a certainty – and his next task is preventing Derby from equalling their worst-ever results sequence of 8 successive defeats by coming away from St James Park, Newcastle next weekend with something to show for his endeavours.

In RamsWeek 50 last year, the Rams maintained their climb towards the summit of the Championship table with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. The fleet-footed loan Gunner Arturo Lupoli bamboozled the Eagle’s defence and David Jones stuck away the little Italian’s cutting cross sweetly with his accurate left foot.

It was a typically hard-won victory for Billy Davies’ gritty team that had now recorded five consecutive home wins and eight victories from the last nine fixtures as they went into the holiday fixtures with their sights set firmly on a promotion challenge.

Photo: Action Images

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