Derby County: The Journey Back to the Summit

[Jamesveekay]

Johannes Kirchovski Appointed as The Rams Manager

After a disappointing eighth-placed finish in the 2014/15 season, Steve McClaren was sacked by the Derby County board. The Rams' newly-appointed chairman, Mel Morris, stated that the team's poor run of form towards the end of the season was a big factor in deciding McClaren's future.

"The decision was what we thought was best for the club. Our latest performances were not reflective of the club's goals and ambitions, which is currently to battle for promotion. Therefore, we thought a change is needed to keep the club moving forward," a statement from the club said. "We express our gratitude to Steve McClaren for everything he has done for us in the past two seasons, and we wish him all the best for his future endeavours."

To replace the former England manager, Derby has made a shocking move by appointing an unknown manager in Johannes Kirchovski. The 39 years old Englishman has no previous management experience, but the Derby board have expressed their belief in Kirchovski, saying that he "shares similar ambitions with the club."

When he was asked if Derby can achieve success under his reign, Kirchovski replied, "Derby County isn't all about me. Yes, I run the club, but it takes the effort of everybody associated with the club. From what I've seen, Derby definitely have the potential to reach greater heights, and it's my job to help the players realise it. I know what I can do and I know what the staff and players can do, so as long as everyone puts the effort to improve the club, we will."

On Derby's bid for promotion, he answered, "Derby was really unfortunate last season. They had a great run until the last few games, even going top of the table in the process. I can't say for sure where we stand among the other teams in the Championship, but I know that we have the quality to compete with the league's best. If you're saying that our target is to get promoted, then a playoff spot would suffice, but if we can surpass it, why not go the extra mile?"

In terms of the quality of players, Derby is certainly a contender for automatic promotion, but whether they can achieve that under the inexperienced Kirchovski, only time will tell.

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[Jamesveekay]

Hey guys, this is my second Derby run, with the first one being in FM 2015. That save file got corrupted, so it came to an abrupt ending. You can check the story out here: http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...mong-best-tale-rejuvenation-derby-county.html

I also decided not to include Paul Clement, Derby's current actual manager, in the introductory story, because it's just ridiculous to remove a manager you just hired. So for the sake of the story, Kirchovski is McClaren's direct successor. I just want to acknowledge Clement's work because Derby's been in great form under him so far, placing 3rd at the time this is written, and I hope they continue to improve.

Other than that, enjoy the story! I'll be posting the first update within the next couple of days or so. Just don't expect too much in terms of transfer, because Derby had been really active during the last transfer window.

 

[Jamesveekay]

Pre-Season

As I said, there isn't much to look forward to in terms of transfers. In real life, Derby have brought in several good players to improve the team, including the likes of Bradley Johnson, Jacob Butterfield, Jason Shackell, Tom Ince, and Andreas Weimann, so I'm not bringing any more in as I think the squad is good enough. If I encounter some problems, there is always the winter transfer window to loan in some players. Why loan, you ask? I have 0 transfer budget, mind you.

Jamie Hanson and Mason Bennett are loaned out to let them continue their development by playing first-team football. To be honest, I don't currently see Bennett being part of the first team in the long run, but who knows. Hanson looks like a good prospect, so I will keep an eye on his development.

Overall, a good run in the pre-season. The only blip was just the loss against Chesterfield, which was disappointing. Johnny Russell is being clinical right now, so he's definitely one of my key players at the moment. I think I have found the tactics that fit my team in 4-4-2 and 4-1-2-3 Wide, but I have 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow as a backup tactic just in case something happens to my wingers, which I don't have many options in.

I had to change the captain and vice-captain. I don't see Chris Baird as a first-team regular, so the position is better given to a player who is going to feature in the starting XI at least every other game. Chris Martin has a low leadership rating of 6, so I can't really have him as a vice-captain. Jason Shackell and Richard Keogh are going to be my first-choice central defence pairing and they are the two best leaders in the team, hence my choice. I probably should have gone with Keogh as a captain as he has stayed in the team longer and Shackell had just been bought this transfer window, but I don't want to risk angering him and causing problems. He's an experienced footballer, anyway, so I can live with that.



The Squad


GOALKEEPERS

L-R: Lee Grant, Scott Carson, Mats Morch

Grant and Carson are two more than capable English goalkeepers and I really think that they are equally good. However, I might prioritise Grant a little bit more because he has slightly higher points in positioning, reflexes, and command of area, which are three of the most important traits as a goalkeeper. However, Carson is slightly better at one-on-ones and he has a bit of international experience, so that gives me something to think about. Morch is currently nowhere near the level of Grant and Carson, and I will look to ship him out on loan. He's still 21, so there might still be time for him to develop, although I doubt he will reach their level.


FULL-BACKS

L-R: Stephen Warnock, Craig Forsyth, Cyrus Christie, Chris Baird

The arrival of Warnock and Baird adds experience to my backline, but as I have stated before, I don't see Baird as a regular, which is why I will play Christie more often at right-back. Baird can also play at central defence and in midfield, so he's more of a utility man than a key player. I'm still torn between Warnock and Forsyth for the left-back spot, as they have both impressed me during the pre-season. They might end up having similar amount of playing time.


CENTRE-BACKS

Clockwise from top left: Richard Keogh, Jason Shackell, Jake Buxton, Ryan Shotton, Alex Pearce

As mentioned, Keogh and Shackell are my first-choice pairing. The other three will get their chances as I rotate, but I will prioritise the Keogh-Shackell partnership.


CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS

Clockwise from top left: George Thorne, Will Hughes, Craig Bryson, Jacob Butterfield, Bradley Johnson, Jeff Hendrick

Hughes and Bryson are currently out injured for 7-8 months and 2-4 months respectively. In 4-1-2-3, my preferred tactic would be for Thorne to sit at the bottom of the midfield trio with Hendrick and either one of Johnson and Butterfield completing the triangle. In a midfield two, however, I will rotate the four available midfielders according to the situation. I'm pretty happy with the quality of my options in midfield as for now.


WINGERS

L-R: Tom Ince, Simon Dawkins, Andreas Weimann

Dawkins is actually an attacking central midfielder, but my tactics don't utilise that position, so he'll be playing at left-wing most of the time since he's almost as adept there. Ince and Weimann can play on either flanks, so that's neat. Johnny Russell, a striker, can also play on the wings, so there's another option for me.


FORWARDS

L-R: Johnny Russell, Chris Martin, Darren Bent

Russell had been the most lethal out of the three in pre-season, but he seemed most dangerous on the right wing with the Raumdeuter role, so that leaves the central striker position open for the other two. Bent has Premier League experience, so I'll be expecting some good performances from him. Weimann can also play up front, so I have sufficient options.



Next Month...

With six games in a month, I have a storm to start my career. It's not going to be easy and I would have to rotate to keep my players fresh, but I'll do what I can. We are actually predicted to finish third by the media, which is a big jump from FM 2015 where we were only touted to finish ninth, so there is a little more pressure, but nothing I can't handle. I don't know the level of the competition in this league too much, but I know Middlesbrough is one to look out for. All in all, I'm ready to make the first step and I'll start Ramming ahead!

Get it? Derby's nickname is The Rams.. and uh.. to ram means to charge forward.. no? Okay.

Until next time, see ya!​

 

[Jamesveekay]

AUGUST

As a whole, it's been a great month, with many convincing victories. Two 0-1 defeats stained what would be an incredible run of games, but that's football; much is needed to sustain a good form. Also, it's great to see my strikers firing on all cylinders; they scored 3 hattricks this month! Many of my victories have seen us came back from behind, which showed our resilience in games. Only one clean sheet so far, though, so that's something to work on.


Sky Bet Championship
Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Derby County

Team (4-3-3 DM Wide): Grant; Christie, Keogh, Shackell, Warnock; Hendrick (Johnson 72'), Thorne (Ince 72'), Butterfield; Weimann, Martin, Russell (Bent 83')

Not a great result to start the season with. Bolton dominated the match and severely limited our chances. Once they took the lead in the 64th minute, it was hard for us to get back into the game.

Man of the match: David Wheater (Bolton)

Capital One Cup First Round
Derby County 6-2 Barnet

Team (4-4-2): Carson; Baird, Shotton (Keogh 66'), Pearce, Forsyth; Ince, Johnson (Thorne 53'), Hendrick (Warnock 88'), Dawkins; Bent, Martin

I got an early scare when going behind just 6 minutes into the match, but we managed to equalise just before half-time. Chris Martin's four goals and Bent's second in the second half sealed our victory. I was ecstatic seeing Martin's great goalscoring form in this match. I hope he can do this for the duration of the season. Bradley Johnson had a knock in this match, suffering from a back strain, and had to be substituted. He will be out for 3 to 4 weeks.

Man of the match: Chris Martin

Sky Bet Championship
Derby County 4-1 Charlton Athletic

Team (4-4-2): Carson; Christie, Keogh, Shackell, Forsyth; Ince, Hendrick (Butterfield 68'), Thorne, Russell; Bent (Baird 84'), Martin

Again, we fell behind first, and I was quite worried. However, Martin's hattrick and a goal from Tom Ince showed our superior attacking capabilities. After this match, Chris Martin has scored an incredible SEVEN goals in just two matches. Clinical.

Man of the match: Chris Martin

Sky Bet Championship
Derby County 3-1 Middlesbrough

Team (4-4-2): Grant; Christie, Shackell, Pearce, Warnock (Red card 36'); Ince (Forsyth 36'), Hendrick (Thorne 77'), Butterfield, Dawkins; Russell (Bent 4'), Martin

A pretty stressful match, to say the least. Russell was injured before anything else, and that left me with just two recognised striker (three including Weimann) in a team that is most comfortable in a two-striker system. I was happy we scored first, but Boro immediately equalised through Fabbrini, and that made me anxious. Warnock getting sent off didn't help either. However, I was immensely proud as everybody gave their all even with a man down. They scored two well-deserved goals in 8 minutes and we brought home all 3 points.

Man of the match: Chris Martin

Sky Bet Championship
Birmingham City 0-2 Derby County

Team (4-4-2): Grant; Christie, Keogh, Shackell, Forsyth; Ince, Thorne, Butterfield (Hendrick 55'), Dawkins; Bent (Weimann 65'), Martin

A routine win for us; nothing else to add, really. Martin continued his goalscoring form, scoring his ninth goal in 4 matches here, and this was the only match in which we recorded a clean sheet.

Man of the match: Jason Shackell

Capital One Cup Second Round
Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 Derby County

Team (4-4-2): Carson; Baird, Shotton, Shackell, Forsyth; Weimann, Hendrick, Thorne (Christie 45'), Bunjaku (Dawkins 68'); Riis (Bent 68'), Martin

Not happy. I'm definitely not happy. I gave Alban Bunjaku and Emil Riis partly because I want to rest some of the first-team players, but apparently they weren't ready for first-team actions. Shotton didn't play well either, frequently losing possession in dangerous areas. We struggled to bring the ball to the front, which was why we couldn't score. A match to forget and I just want to move on.

Man of the match: Paul Hayes (Wycombe)

In other news, I snapped up Giorgos Samaras on a free transfer! The Greek winger/striker adds to my options in this injury crisis. I can't really rely on my youth players currently, so I need to bring someone in.

Big, big blow. I'm left with only Thorne and Hendrick, although Johnson is closing in on a return. His season is pretty much over, and I really pity him since this is the second time he's suffering from this exact injury. He even considers quitting the game due to his recurring injury, which I will do everything in my power to prevent. He's only 25 and I don't want to have an early retirement.

Sky Bet Championship
Derby County 3-1 Leeds United

Team (4-4-2): Grant; Christie, Keogh, Shackell (Pearce 81'), Warnock; Ince, Hendrick (Dawkins 81'), Thorne, Samaras (Weimann 81'); Bent, Martin

Another win from behind, Bent was clinical in this match. This was our third hattrick this month, and I'm so glad my strikers are showing what they're made of. Chris Martin didn't perform as expected, though, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Samaras made his debut this match, but he really lacked match fitness. Will ease him into the team in the next few matches.

Man of the match: Darren Bent


Awards

Chris Martin placed 3rd in the Goal of the Month award! His long-range strike is just 1 metre shorter from Wildschut's, so I wonder if that mattered.

I won the Manager of the Month award! With 4 games out of 5, I had the best win ratio this month. I hope to keep our good run of form going, now that we have one less competition to think about.


Current Standings

Five games in, and we're top of the table! This is just the beginning, though, and I expect my players to keep their form up to maintain our position. For some reason, though, real-life leaders Brighton and Hove Albion is rock bottom. Oh, and for your information, Brighton's match against Derby last night (it was night where I am) ended 2-2. Great match.


Derby County
Player of the Month

CHRISTOPHER HUGH MARTIN
Average Rating: 7.67

Martin has been sensational this month as he starts the season with a phenomenal 9 goals in 7 games. He's currently a key player for the club, and despite his incredible goalscoring run, I don't want to overwork him, and I'll try to bring backup(s) very soon. Hopefully he can keep this up throughout the season.


Next Month...

We can finally have a breather, with only 4 games next month, starting 2 weeks after our last game in August. Those aren't easy opponents, though, notably Shackell's old club, Burnley. Three of them will be played away from home, and we hope we can salvage something out of them. A realistic target would probably be 7 or 8 points, but we will approach each match with a positive mindset.

Until next time, see ya!
​

 

[Jamesveekay]

SEPTEMBER

Not a bad month, since we managed to go unbeaten. Chris Martin scored in every single one of the matches, so I'm happy that he's consistent. Also, new loan signing from Norwich, Jamar Loza, is being clinical at the moment. Our problem now is trying to keep clean sheets, and we need to learn to see out matches without conceding.


Sky Bet Championship
Preston North End 1-3 Derby County

Team (4-4-2): Grant; Christie, Keogh, Shackell, Warnock; Ince (Weimann 59'), Hendrick (Johnson 72'), Thorne (Pereira 59'), Dawkins; Bent, Martin

I'm happy with our attacking display in the first half, but we weren't as clinical in the second half. A good win, but we could have won by a larger margin. By the way, that Pereira who was subbed on for Thorne, that's Manchester United's Andreas Pereira, who we just signed on loan.

Man of the match: George Thorne

Sky Bet Championship
Reading 1-4 Derby County

Team (4-4-2): Carson; Baird, Shackell, Pearce, Warnock; Weimann (Ince 72'), Hendrick, Thorne (Dawkins 61'), Samaras (Pereira 29')

Two goals for each striker? Yes, please. We're in great attacking form but our victory cost us Samaras. The number of injured players is concerning, but fortunately some of them are returning.

Man of the match: Chris Martin

Sky Bet Championship
Derby County 3-3 Burnley

Team (4-4-2): Grant (Carson 19'); Christie, Keogh, Shackell (Pearce 73'), Warnock; Ince, Hendrick (Johnson 58'), Pereira, Dawkins; Loza, Martin

That was really disappointing. We were 3-0 up in the 66th minute and we conceded 3 goals in the last 24 minutes? We really need to work on our defending. Grant suffered from a potential neck injury, so I will be starting Carson in the next few matches. More people in the treatment room. Hooray.

Man of the match: David Jones (Burnley)

Sky Bet Championship
MK Dons 1-1 Derby County

Team (4-4-2): Carson; Baird (Christie 64'), Keogh (Pearce 10'), Shackell, Warnock; Ince, Hendrick (Pereira 74'), Thorne, Dawkins; Loza, Martin

We weren't as threatening as we usually are up front. An unfortunate own goal put us behind, but Martin pulled us through. A key defender, Keogh, is injured, so that's a big blow, but I have faith in Alex Pearce.

Man of the match: Chris Martin


AWARDS

Jamar Loza! He's certainly impressed in this early stage of his loan spell with us, with 3 goals in as many matches. He's also third in the player of the month award, behind Middlesbrough's Albert Adomah and our own Chris Martin, who placed first and second respectively.


Derby County
Player of the Month

CHRISTOPHER HUGH MARTIN
Average Rating: 7.93

Again, he's been our best player this month. Shout-out to Jamar Loza, who also impressed alongside Martin. The Scottish striker scored 5 goals in 4 matches this month, improving his tally this season to 14 goals in 11 appearances, which is incredible.


Current Standings

We're still on top of the table, but our lead has been cut to just one point due to our back-to-back draws. We'll still fight to keep our position and try to finish the season as champions.

Next Month...

Five league matches await us, and I think a realistic target would be 9 points. Hopefully our offence will continue to be clinical, but above all I'd like our defence to concede less goals.

Until next time, see ya!


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