Is it déjà vu for Derby County?
February 28, 2015; a date some Rams fans will not be able to forget in a hurry. Steve McClaren’s men were sitting pretty at the top of the table as they travelled to Craven Cottage, with over 4,000 Rams fans making the journey that day. I was there in west London with family and friends as part of my eldest daughter’s birthday celebrations, and little did we know that game would be the beginning of the end of Derby’s...
Derby County could do without the ‘magic’ of the FA Cup this season
The FA Cup; there’s nothing like it in world football. Every season all teams from around the country from all levels of the game have their own little dream. For some clubs, the dreams are whether they can make it through the preliminary stages to play a conference team or get into the first round proper. For others, getting as far as the coveted third round and a chance to rub shoulders with the big clubs is their goal. Right...
Derby County: A mid-season review
As we have just passed the half-way mark, I thought it was time to analyse Derby’s progress so far this season. I’m writing this piece on the back of an unusual defeat at the weekend. Although personally I have very few complaints with the loss to Boro, I did find it incredible that social media became an utter meltdown after the match. In the midst of all of the unsavoury comments some (so-called) Rams fans came out with over...
Tom Ince: The Force Re-awakens
All in all it’s been a trio of good results for the Rams this week. A solid draw against a very good Brighton team, an excellent performance against a very ordinary Bristol City side and a gutsy, battling away win at Ipswich to round it off. The most significant, and maybe surprising, thing to come out of the last three games is the reawakening of Tom Ince. When he arrived at the club on loan almost a year ago, he made such an...
Derby can end Brighton’s unbeaten run
The Rams entertain Brighton this Saturday in what promises to be a mouth-watering game at the iPro. Although many people within football would have predicted Derby to be in their current high flying position, I’m betting very few outside of the Sussex seaside resort imagined Brighton would be topping the league as Christmas approached. The Seagulls not only will arrive to the iPro at the weekend top of the table, and the first side to...
A tribute to Derby’s outstanding defensive duo, Keogh and Christie
With the Republic of Ireland finally securing a place in the European Championship’s in France next year, I wanted to pay tribute to two of Derby’s outstanding players so far this season; Richard Keogh and Cyrus Christie. Keogh came to the club at the start of the 2012/13 season and quickly became a fixture at the centre of the Rams’ defence. He was immediately given the captain’s armband and won all three of the...