| | | |
| Manager: | | Nigel
Clough | | Ground
Name: | | Pride
Park | | Capacity: | | 33,597 |
| Last
Season Prediction: | | 5th
in the Championship | |
Last Season Position | | 18th
in the Championship |
| Official
Web Site: | | www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk |
| Unofficial
Site: | | The
Rams.co.uk | | | | |
| | |
| To Win the League |
25/1 | | To
Get Promoted | 7/1 |
| | |
Ben Pringle (undisclosed,
Ilkeston), Lee Croft (free, Norwich City), Dean Moxey (undisclosed, Exeter City), Jake Buxton
(undisclosed, Burton Albion), Shaun Barker (undisclosed, Blackpool)
Every
season I get one prediction horribly wrong and last year was Derby. I fancied
them to do well under a good manager and with a decent Championship squad but
for them it was a season to forget. They lost their opening game of the season
to Doncaster and that really was a sign of things to come. They
looked like a side with a hue Premiership hangover and they were. Paul Jewell
did manage to turn them around slightly during September as they flirted with
the playoffs but they were soon bang in trouble going on a poor run and by Christmas
they were stuck in a relegation battle A change
had to be made and it was as Nigel Clough followed in his father's footsteps to
take over as manager. He took over the day his side
faced a Carling Cup semi Final against Manchester United, a match hey won 1-0
so not a bad start. The following Saturday they
faced QPR and I have to say they were the worst side we faced all season as we
won 2-0. I think they knew then they had work to do but Clough turned it round
for them and although they lost the second leg of the semi final at Old Trafford
they went out with a bang. Clough quickly got
results on the board and moved clear of relegation to give them hope for the future
but all in all it was a poor season for then. Nigel
Clough has a big job on at Derby. Not only does he have expectations of the fans
to get back to the Premiership but is of course following in his father's footsteps
and they are very big shoes to fill. He's got
off to a decent start though and although they had a poor final league position
last year he certainly seems to be slowly turning things around. When
he joined Derby he spoke of it being a long term job and that's what it is, there
is no real overnight fix and he'll need to slowly build a side capable of not
only going up but having a decent chance of surviving. He
certainly seems to be going that at the moment with some low key signings in the
summer to add to what is already a decent squad. I
wouldn't expect Clough to work a minor miracle and get his side challenging for
promotion but they should fare much better than they did last year and I think
a season of consolidation may be in order for them although they could challenge
for the playoffs if they avoid injuries. PREDICTION:
13th in the Championship I asked Derby
fans on an unofficial message board for their thoughts on the new season and here
is what they had to say. How
do you think Derby will fare this season? Better
than last year, possibly the playoffs
Who are your players to watch out for?
If we keep him then Kris
Commons
Is your Manager the right man for the job? Yes,
it will take him time but he will restore the glory days
Which three teams will be promoted this season? West
Brom, Newcastle abd Shefiled United
Which teams will be relegated? Barnsley,
Blackpool and Plymouth How
do you think QPR will fare this season? mid
tale again
Rangers
had two former Derby stars in the first team squad until recently.
Dexter
Blackstock had a loan spell at Derby from Southampton and even scored against
QPR duyring that spell before he signed for us in 2006. Rangers
signed Lee Camp on loan from Derby in 2004 and he helped us to promotion before
returning on loan in 2007 to help us stay up. he signed for QPR in 2007 for £300,000
and is still fondly remebered at Pride Park. The
man who signed lee Camp was John Gregory who played for and managed both QPR and
Derby with varying succsess. he was relegated with Derby from the Premiership
and srtruggled to get word after being sacked before doing a decent job at QPR
for just over a year. Other players to
have played for both clubs include Mikkel Beck, Idigo, Idiakez, Don Masson, Gary
Micklewhite and Stevie Wicks. Both
sides seem to have done well in the away games between the two teams in recent
years and you have to go back to 1990 and a Sean Saunders goal of the season winner
for the last home win in this fixture. Derby
were the second visitors to Loftus Road after we won promotion in 2004 and the
game saw QPR fans give a great reception to lee Camp who was in goal for them
that day. Derby won 2-0 and left us feeling pretty worrie3d about what lay ahead. The
return game was very one sided with Idiakez tearing us apart but Simon Royce had
a great game and we held on for a 0-0 draw. The
following season was less successful for both sides. Rangers produced a very good
performance up at Derby to claim a 2-1 win. Paul Furlong was sent off early but
Gareth Ainsworth gave us the lead before Idiakez missed a penalty with just ten
minutes left. Rangers broke and Kevin Gallen scored a great goal to put us 2-0
up before Dexter Blackstock made it 2-1 and a very nervy finish, The
return game was less eventful, a 1-1 draw with Nygaard scoring for Rangers as
Scott Donnolly got a rare chance in the first team. Derby
won at Loftus Road in2006. . Jimmy Smith scored a screamer to give us the lead
but Billy Davies side were well organised and fought back to win 2-1. At
pride Park Martin Rowlands gave QPR the lead to win me some cash and we should
have gone on to win the game as we struggled to stay in the division. A late Darren
Moore goal gave Derby a point they didn't really deserve. Last
season both games finished 2-0. At Loftus Road a row over ticket prices over shadowed
the game which Derby won 2-0 thanks to late goals by Emmanuel Villa. At Pride
Park Rangers ran out easy winners with goals from Routledge and Leigterwood in
a very one sided contest. Click on the
match for a report of the game from this web site.
| Previous
Meetings | | | | | |
| | Queen's
Park Rangers wins | draws |
Derby County Wins | | League
Game | 10 |
12 | 14 |
| Cup Games |
1 | 1 |
2 | | Total |
11 | 15 |
17 | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
|