The Worst Team in History

[DerbyJack]

Three games is all that remains of the season. Following a good run of form we're all but safe this season already but non the less we intend to end the season on a high as we mark an impressive return to the Premier League.

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2nd May 2015
Barclays Premier League

+ Our Premier League status is assured as both Fulham and Sunderland fail to win.

So we're safe. Despite a disappointing result against our now relegated East Midland rivals, Leicester, the rest of the results went our way leaving us to prepare for another season in the top flight. The game itself proved to be a fairly dull derby game but burst into life with five minutes to go as Chris Martin thought he had salvaged a point before the Foxes were awarded a penalty in the dieing minutes of the game.

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12th May 2015
Barclays Premier League
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+ Left back Nobeljas returns to full fitness.
- Young hopefuls Bennett and Gibbons both unavailable as they jet off for Englands U-19s duty.

+ Tom Cairneys bags his 5th of the season
+ Johnny Russells scoops his 10th, with his welcome return to form.
- Having just returned from injury Nobeljas hobbles off with a dead leg and a 4 days of treatment.

Our season might effectively be over but Chelsea certainly have a lot left to play for, with Mourinhio's men topping the table with a resurgent Liverpool hot on their heels but you wouldn't have known it from the way they performed. Having taken the lead through their Ukrainian defender, The Blues quickly threw it away as Tom Cairney continued his impressive recent spell, with Russell capping a remarkable victory as the only player to make it to double figures for goals this season.

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17th May 2015
Barclays Premier League

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- Will Hughes and Islam Feruz are off to represent England and Scotland in a set of U-21s Friendlies.

+ Craig Dawson nets his fifth of an already impressive season.

We end an impressive season for The Rams with a fitting victory. West Ham spent the entire season in the relegation zone and duly ended there as they're sent down to the Championship. Based on their performance against us its not hard to see why as their disjointed team looked frustrated throughout, with even defender Craig Dawson taking advantage to net an end of season brace within just ten minutes.

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May 2015
Barclays Premier League

We end the season on the back of some great form and quickly find ourselves at the highest point weve had all season, winding up in an impressive thirteenth place. We might have spent the season mainly on the back foot but our relentless counter attacking football and young players fully deserved this impressive finish.​

 

[mellosa96]

just opened up my browser to see more new stuff Thank You so much and keep it up!

 

[DerbyJack]

You're very welcome Mellosa, been really enjoying this and to top it off I just watched them destroy Brighton in the playoffs. not a bad day at all.​

So the second season at the helm of the Rams is done and its certainly one we won't soon forget as we bury the memories of our shocking eleven points season, seven years ago with a respectable and solid display in the top flight. Here's how the entire league panned out.

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2014/15
Barclays Premier League

No end of season awards this time around but this has most definitely been a brilliant one for the Rams. Predicted by many to be relegated at the start of the season, we defied the odds and the history books to finish comfortably eight points clear of the relegation zone, with Sunderland capping off their monumental collapse to finish in the drop zone with West Ham and Leicester.

At the other end of the table its a relatively predictable set of teams at the top with Chelsea securing the title ahead of the impressive Liverpool, whilst Arsenal have to settle for the Europa League alongside the impressive Newcastle and Everton despite this their is one large upset however as last seasons runners up end in a lowly eighth place. Not one to savour for the blue side of Manchester.

 

[banger93]

Great achievement to survive relegation! Looking forward to the transfers now

 

[DerbyJack]

Thanks Banger, same here. Although it depends entirely on the wage budget

With Derbyshire relaxing into life in the top flight and the eyes now turning towards potential signings for our second season in the top flight it was easy to forget the rest of the world, however here is how the big competitions panned out.

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2014/15
Capital One League Cup

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They might have narrowly missed out on the title but The Reds still had something celebrate this year as they make it two domestic trophies in two season, with another Capital One trophy added to the cabinet. Liverpool strormed their way to the trophy but credit must go to Championship side Burnley who narrowly missed out on a dream trophy following their impressive run in the competition.

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2014/15
FA Cup

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Chelsea picked up the League title and added to their dominance domestically with the FA Cup trophy. It was a London derby at Wembley in the final, with Arsenal joining them having knocked us out in the Semi-Finals but it was the ever impressive Eden Hazard that would settle the tie, capping a fantastic season for the Belgian.

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2014/15
Europa League

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The Europa League was full of quality this year around with a host of teams that normally would be looking at the Champions League trophy making the most of a Europa League spot but it was French Champions, Paris St Germain that took the spoils sending Real Madrid packing on their way to denying AC Milan a return to glory with an impressive display in the final.

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2014/15
Champions League

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They made it a treble. Mourinhio finally achieves his dream and in some style. The Blues look the real deal at the minute and despite facing the ever impressive Manchester United in the final they cruised their way to victory and a second Champions League title. Could this be the start of a blue era in Europe.

​

 

[DerbyJack]

The dreaded second season is looming ever closer, with a nearly thirty million transfer budget we could certainly make some moves in the window but with our wages proving to be lagging behind our rivals its going to be a tough window as we look to make the most of our money.

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Chris Martin headed ten departures from the team as their contracts drew to a close. The striker served us well in the Championship but fell well short in the top flight struggling his way to five goals. Joining him out of the club was veteran midfielder Barry Ferguson, Spanish defender Derik, left back Craig Forsyth and goalkeeper Lee Grant all four making their way to new clubs for the coming season, with Derik and Grant both staying in the Premier League with Watford and Liverpool respectively.

The rest of our departures mainly came from loanees, with the only one of note being that of Mason Bennett. The striker was touted as a future star but is struggling to meet his potential a season long spell on the front lines with Preston could hopefully rejuvenate his career.

With a massive upheaval in the team, we've witnessed twenty six departures all be it mainly from our promising youth players leaving on loan but non the less there's still plenty of work to be done to fill in the gaps before the season starts.

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Cost: 4,500,000
From: Aston Villa

With Neill departing a month before the end of the season we needed a replacement right back and young Johsua Webb fitted the bill perfectly. At just Twenty years of ago he has plenty of potential to live up to but with his current defensive abilities and nippy turn of speed he could make an instant impact in the coming season down the right flank.

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Cost: 7,000,000
From: Liverpool

We needed a left back to strengthen our defence, with Spaniard, Nobeljas struggling with life in the Premier League, fortunately for us Liverpool had just the man we need. Jack Robinson has struggled to break into a team now packed with foreign talent so when a chance at first team football with Derby came around he happily jumped at the opportunity as we strengthen our ranks with another young player.

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Cost: 3,000,000
From: Pescara

If you haven't guessed by now, defence was very much my priority at the start of the window. Despite performing admirably last season our defence was stretched and a lack of strength in depth left us exposed throughout the season but with additions like Bacchetti we've certainly plugged the gap and with his outstanding technical abilities and impressive fitness he's certainly a ready made young centre back for this level.

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Cost: 2,600,000
From: Inter Milan

With Ignjovski signed last season we've already got a very strong defensive midfielder in our ranks, however the Serbian brute has an all to worrying trait of getting himself sent off, fortunately for us Inter had the perfect back up wanting to escape Italy, as we quickly snapped up Alfred Duncan to put some more strength behind our midfield.

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Cost: Free
From: Out of Contract

An absolute steal. Guidetti was released by Machester City following their disastrous season and we quickly took advantage, signing the Swedish striker to a long term contract. He is blessed with a lethal right foot and solid all round technical and physical abilities that should help him become a formidable force in the Premier League for years to come. I truly think Guidetti is going to be leading my strike force for a long time yet. Very happy with this one.

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Cost: 2,500,000
From: Atlanta

With Lee Grant setting off for pastures new in Liverpool we had an opening for a back up goalkeeper and Italian stopper Colombi certainly fit the bill well. With Rudd already between the sticks, I've got two dependable young goalkeepers vying for the starting position. Hopefully with the added competition we should see some more impressive performances from our keepers this season.

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Cost: 5,000,000
From: Valencia

With Guidetti joining our ranks we've got a ready made Premiership striker in our midst however with Martin departing we still needed some depth to help us keep the goals coming in the top flight. Spaniard striker, Paco Alacer has a deal of developing still to do but alongside his fellow striker partners Islam Feruz and Guidetti we have three of the brightest strikers in the Premier League who will be the ideal cover in the season to come.

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Cost: 2,300,000
From: Stoke City

Truth be told I wanted Robert Huth but couldnt afford his wages, however James Tomkins makes an able bodied replacement who will certainly be able to hold his own at this level from the off. With his strong defensive abilities and stength the oldest arrival in the window will be looking to make an instant impact starting alongside Craig Dawson at the heart of our defence.

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All in all a pretty solid window for the Rams. The budget proved to stop us from signing many of the better players available but non the less we scooped up some quality young talent and more importantly look stronger then the season before as we once again try to beat the drop.​

 

[Bakestar]

Some good business there mate! Tomkins and Bachetti look to be a great partnership, Keep an eye on Guidetti though I signed him in a few saves 1. 20apps 3goals 2. 16apps 0goals I think Alcacer is a solid player always bangs them in on my saves. Also Trippier and Briggs may have been better options for Full Back

Tell your board to stop messing about with a 20.5k max for key player!!!

 

[Rootsey]

That wage budget is really going to hold you back :S

Hopefully stay up this season and the board should notice you have consolidated your premier league status and they should let you push on

 

[brooksey84]

Good story keep it going!

 

[DerbyJack]

Thanks Bakestar, Thanks for the heads up, I'm keen to see how it pans out. Undoubtedly he's got potential but he could easilly go the wrong way. I went for both Trippier and Briggs but that wage cap stopped me pretty quickly. Thanks again!

Yeah it is a bit Rootsey but non the less its just good to survive in the Premier League. Im quietly confident about this one. I think we should still be in the league by this time next year...hopefully.

Cheers Brooksey, will do

The dreaded second season is upon us. With the squad strengthened as best possible and another tough season looming the pre-season is vitally important to get our squad up to speed and guide us to another year of Premier League football.

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11th July 2015
Friendly

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- Gibbons and Bennett both miss the training camp and start of the pre-season due to the UEFA U-19s Championships
- Nobeljas is ruled out with a chest injury for a fortnight.

​

We round off a pre-season training camp with a friendly against MLS side, Chivas. With our new signings unable to meet up with the squad in the states, it was down to our current squad to show the Yanks hows it done but it took young striker Evan Atkins to save our blushes as the Youth team striker netted his first in a Derby shirt and send us back to Britain with our respect still intact.

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18th July 2015
Friendly

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- Benavente makes it two Spaniards in the treatment room as he twists his keen ruling him out for 3 weeks.

Back to England and a real slap in the face. Our East Midland neighbours gave us an almighty wake up call from the depths of league two as we struggled to amass a single shot on goal. Our new striker partnership got a first taste of life with Derby but will happily move on to another game to make their impact upon the Rams.

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25th July 2015
Friendly
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+ Nobeljas returns to fitness and should be up to full fitness for the start of the season.

We start to claw back same pride in the Midlands as we force out a victory over our affiliates Burton Albion, courtesy of an early goal from new Boy Guidetti. The combination of him and Hughes is already looking to be quite promising but its hard to see how it will pan out in the Premier League. Fingers crossed.

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29th July 2015
Friendly

For the second pre-season in a row we become part of French clubs tour of the country, this with Nantes arriving at the I-Pro stadium. The Ligue One club are eager to try and bridge the gap to the giants, PSG and Monaco and following their display it seems they're in with a shout, as only our dynamic duo could save our blushes following a frantic opening.

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1st August 2015
Friendly

Alfreton are another local club, all be it a non league and we suitably sent them a strong message as we took control of the game with a squad made from our most experienced players and our brightest young prospects and it proved to be an effective combination as Bryson opened the scoring and sixteen year old prodigy Barnes-Homer found the net before both teams decided to award each other an own goal.

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5th August 2015
Friendly

Another team on their travels pulls into Derby and this time its the Greeks, PAOK. We give them a harsh arrival into the Midlands as we put on an efficient display with the season drawing ever closer, with two of our fringe players, Noblejas and Russell netting the goals as they look to try and cement their place in the first team come the start of the season.

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9th August 2015
Friendly
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+Benavente returns to fitness meaning we have a fully fit squad for the start of the season.

We round off the preseason with a crushing defeat. Zaragoza are hardly Spanish heavyweights but they certainly punched like it, leaving The I-Pro stadium rocking following a ruthless display. Our young team fell well short of their standard and destroyed any distant dreams we had of European football this season.

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All set now for the Premier League again. Its not been a thrilling Pre-season and there wasn't really much for the Rams fans to get excited about but the real season starts now and we're eager to unleash our young, new and improved team upon the league.​

 

[DerbyJack]

Well its here, no where left to hide for our squad as we emerge into the new season with a potentially tricky opening set of fixtures that could give us a clear opportunity to see how our season is going to pan out this time around.

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15th August 2015
Barclays Premier League

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- Alacers debut is delayed as the Spaniard injures his heel in training and is out for 10 days.

We start the season against the new boys and we give them a real welcome to the Premier League as run our three goal winners. Hughes opens his account with fellow strong performers from the end of last season, Cairney and Russell joining in on the action as they look to continue their form. A fine way to get everything off to a start and we're briefly second place in the table. Champions League here we come!

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22nd August 2015
Barclays Premier League

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+ Alacer returns to fitness however is set for the bench with Russell holding him at bay.

Or maybe not. Despite Guidetti getting us off to a flyer with a goal against his former club, we eventually collapsed in some fashion with city smashing home five goals, with only Will Hughes able to fight back against the rampaging City. Having sacked Pelligrini following their disappointing end to last season, new manager Harry Redknapp has certainly got them raring to go.

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25th August 2015
Capital One League Cup - Second Round

Whilst we struggle to find how the Premier League is going to pan out, one thing is for certain. We're not going to win the League Cup. Yeovil deservedly managed to seal the deal in extra time having seen off our second string side with ease. Theres still certainly a lack of strength in depth at the club and until we get that square away a cup victory is a long way off.

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29th August 2015
Barclays Premier League

Well that was unexpected. Maybe the Champions League isn't such a far flung idea. Our current partnership of Russell and Guidetti have gelled together really well at the start of the season and they showed their credentials perfectly with a superb performance against The Spurs as we picked up all three points to scupper Tottenhams plans of Champions League football.

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August 2015
Barclays Premier League

With Guidetti and Russell pairing up in front of him, the teams talismanic midfielder, Will Hughes has two strikers that are more then ready to fire home his superb through balls and the Twenty year old certainly has an eye for goal himself with two goals already in what appears to be shaping up to be a barn storming season for Hughes.

Despite losing convincingly to Manchester City and being knocked out of the League Cup, I'm very pleased with the signs we've been showing with a flawless display against both Spurs and Ipswich giving me strong feelings that we might actually be clear of the relegation dog fight this season.​

 

[DerbyJack]

The early stages of the season are a fine opportunity to give us an early lead over the rest of the pack and following a solid start, we are keen to build on our progress and leave the relegation zone well behind.

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12th September 2015
Barclays Premier League
​

-Chris Solly injures himself in the weights room and is out for 2 weeks.
- O'Brien suffers groin strain in training and is out of the game for 3 weeks.

- Jack Robinson is suspended for one game following his red card​

​

Well the month continues on early inconsistancy as Hull City demolish us on our own ground. The Referee played a huge part in the proceedings granting Hull no less then two penalties before rubbing salt into the wound by sending summer signing Jack Robinson off with just two minutes remaining. Non the less its a disappointing result and one we'll want to quickly forget.

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19th September 2015
Barclays Premier League​

Southampton are a team we are keen to emulate. The Saints have turned themselves into a strong mid table side with an outside shot at a European spot having only recently arrived back into the league themselves and we certainly matched them today. Guidetti bagged another goal early in the game but it wasnt to be enough as strong striker Rickie Lambert bagged a deserved equaliser.

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26th September 2015
Barclays Premier League​

We welcome another new team to the competition with another comfortable victory. Having been on the wrong end of the referee at the start of the month we end it with one most definitely on our side. Craig Dawson converted the first penalty before the first half came to an end, with Guidetti maintaining his form with a gift of a goal shortly after the break.

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September 2015
Barclays Premier League​

Another three games in the league completed and we're hanging on in there at the top end of the table, mixing it up with the likes of United and City, however we've managed to do it on the back of some very inconsistent form that certainly doesn't suggest we'll be remaining this high in the table for much longer.
​

 

[DerbyJack]

Not going to lie, I've been pleasantly surprised by our start to the season, with us finding ourselves at the top end of the table and well away from the relegation zone. Its shaping up to be a comfortable season for the Rams.

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3rd October 2015
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Right back Chris Solly makes it back to fitness

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- Islam Feruz makes his first start of the season and ends it with a twisted ankle and a month on the sidelines.

We pick up a well earned victory against an Aston Villa side who like us are keen to try and get away from the bottom of the table as soon as possible, however we put an end to their escape attempts with a well worked victory courtesy of last seasons late bloomers, Tom Cairney and Johnny Russell who both pick up a goal as they continue to adjust to life in the top flight in the best way possible.

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17th October 2015
Barclays Premier League
​

+ O'Brien returns to fitness following the international break.
- Rory Gibbons is out for 2 months having suffered a torn hamstring on duty with the England U-19s team

- New central defender Tomkins is out for 2 week as he injures his chest following a robust challenge.

Liverpool are still rampant in their desire to finally reclaim the title under Spaletti and they quickly put us to the sword despite an early fight back with their new signing Negredo starting to erase the memories of former lethal finisher Luis Suarez with a stunning brace that ultimately sent us back to the Midlands with our tails between our legs.

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24th October 2015
Barclays Premier League
​

+ We welcome the return of Islam Feruz to full fitness.

- Bacchetti pulls his hamstring as he comes off from the bench and it will be 1 month till he returns.
+ Guidetti nets his 5th goal of the season. The Swede is leading the way.

Norwich enjoyed last season, with a comfortable finish that allowed them to watch the relegation battle from afar however they might not be so lucky this time around as we forced them closer to the danger zone courtesy of a Guidetti brace. The young Swede was in danger of losing his starting place following a barren run of form but hit back in form to keep Alcacer waiting in the wings.

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31st October 2015
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Tomkins returns to fitness to bolster our defence.
- He misses today's game with an immediate return to the treatment room due to a bruised head picked up the next day.

Well we're consistently inconsistent if nothing else. To be fair thought we really didn't expect anything from a game again a Chelsea team still celebrating their treble last season and the Blues certainly don't show any signs of slowing down as they continue to press their claim to be the greatest team in Europe with the previously out cast Lukaku now leading from the front.

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October 2015
Barclays Premier League

Win , lose, win, lose. We're unable to get a run of form at the minute but in all honesty I'm pleased with the month as we win the games against our nearest potential rivals and suffer defeats at the hands of two teams destined for a battle at the top of the table. We keep this going and mid table is assured and boy will I be happy with that.​

 

[DerbyJack]

Despite our stop start form, the whole of Derbyshire is elated to start the season in the European spots but with a tough set of games to come in November, our time with the big guns might well be up. We're certainly going to be tested.

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7th November 2015
Barclays Premier League

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-Ignjovksi joins an alarming large injury list with groin strain and three weeks out of the game.

- Ignjovksis replacement and debutante Duncan limps off with a torn hamstring that sees him ruled out for 3 months.

Done and dusted within five minutes. Wayne Rooney wasted no time on introducing himself to the Derby crowd as he thundered in two quick fire goals that effectively killed off our hopes before we even had a chance to get into the game. Despite suffering the defeat we didn't let ourselves down with the remaining game certainly not one way traffic as we made United work for their clean sheet.

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22nd November 2015
Barclays Premier League

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+ Ignjovski and Bacchetti make a quick return to fitness to bolster our ranks.

For the second time in two games we lose out to an early goal against one of the leagues bigger teams. Oliver Giroud still leads the Gunners strike force and despite coming under increased pressure the Frenchmen showed he still has an eye for goal with a neat finish from his first touch of the game. Our lofty position is finally under threat as the big guns test our credentials.

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29th November 2015
Barclays Premier League

We end the month with a victory as we once again see off one of our potential relegation rivals with ease. We might not have taken anything against the big hitters in the league but as long as we keep picking up the points when we need them, we cant complain and with another brace to his name Russell certainly won't be.

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November 2015
Barclays Premier League

Our brief taste of life inside the European spots is over as we enter the mid-table. We're still mixing it up with the big guns however with Liverpool and the Gunners only just ahead of us however it appears the league is gradually taking its expected shape. We can only hope we stop our gradual slide down the table.​

 

[DerbyJack]

So far the season has plodded along at a comfortable pace, however December is here and the fesitive period once again threatens to be a busy one for the Derby faithful with seven games crammed in around Christmas.

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1st December 2015
Barclays Premier League

Swansea are flying high in the league at the minute but we put an end to their good fortune as we took all three points away with us from our tie in the valleys. Russell continues to make up for his poor start to the previous season, whilst Craig Dawson carries on making himself a popular figure amongst the fans with a powerful headed goal.

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6th December 2015
Barclays Premier League
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- Joshua Webb is ruled out for the game with food poisoning.

Newcastle are currently holding on to a Champions League spot and The Magpies don't look like their about to give it up any time soon. We took what seemed to be a controlling lead courtesy once again of Dawson and Russell however Newcastle soon had us regretting it as they dominated the second half in style to earn a convincing victory.

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12th December 2015
Barclays Premier League
​

- Nobeljas misses the game with a bruised shin.

- Key midfielder Craig Bryson is out for a month having pulled his hamstring

Having been promoted with us two seasons ago, Reading have certainly made light work of their return to the top flight and The Royals aren't going to return to the second tier any time soon as their summer signing Ravel Morrison put us to the sword and keeps them in with an outside shot of a Europa League spot.

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19th December 2015
Barclays Premier League

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- Jack Robinson is suspended for two matches

West Brom have returned to the Premier league after just one season away but they certainly don't appear to be planning on a long stay here as they suffer their twelfth defeat of the season already courtesy of a strong second half showing and a red card, with Guidetti taking the plaudits with another brace to this name. The only down side of the game was an needed red card for Jack Robinson.

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22nd December 2015
Barclays Premier League

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+ Rory Gibbons makes his return to fitness and the subsitutes bench.

Roberto Martinez has turned Everton into a regular contender for the European spots, however a slow start to their season leaves them having a lot of ground to make up, however The Toffees certainly aren't looking to waste any more time cancelling out Guidettis opener as they run out comfortable winners to return to the top half of the table.

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26th December 2015
Barclays Premier League
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+ Rory Gibbons signs a new contract. The English prodigy is a target for a host of the top teams in Europe.

+ Will Hughes nets his 5th of the season.

Fulham barely survived last season and The Cottagers certainly haven't learned from their mistakes sitting joint bottom of the table. We however are keen to further distance ourselves from the dirty business at the bottom of the table and courtesy of a late Will Hughes goal we don't need to be worrying to much about it as we look to enjoy the new year.

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29th December 2015
Barclays Premier League

Before we can enjoy the new year celebrations we faced another club rooted to the foot of the table, new boys Ipswich. The Tractor boys might have spoiled our celebrations but there where certainly some fireworks at Portman Road as a thrilling game, went from end to end with Nouble and Sordell combining well to pick up a much needed victory as they cling on to the hope of survival.

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December 2015
Barclays Premier League

Three goals, two assists and a multitude of bright attacking moves this month continue to demonstrate that this young midfielder is one of the brightest prospects not just within our team but in the entire continent. Its no wonder my coaches are eager to renew his contract, with only our restrictive wage budget stopping me from following their advice.

We slip one step further down the ladder but we're still holding on to the top half of the table as we enter 2016. Its been an outstanding performance thus far to leave us comfortably out of the danger zone, however with half a season left to play we are not going to take this for granted. We're not safe yet. Anything can and will happen.​

 

[TurboGav]

Great man! No second season syndrome for you, it's all about pushing for that stability in your second season, forget your cup runs and dreams of Europe... I love scraping out a win to help me finish mid table with small club in a big pond. This will definitely boost you financially! (If this wasn't legible, I can only apologies I haven't slept since Sunday)

 

[Bakestar]

Wow Guidetti is scoring goals!!!!!! great story mate

 

[DerbyJack]

Cheers Gav, so far so good! Yeah I'm shelving all plans until I know we are definitely a Premiership outfit. Until then I don't feel safe. I hope so, The finances are looking good just wish the board would realise it. (It made perfect sense to me...then again I should probably be asleep too!)

Yeah, he has hit the ground running so far, him and Hughes make a good combination. Thanks Bakestar!

The January transfer window is upon us. With Three million pounds sitting in the budget, there is still potential to bring someone in the window, with a midfielder and a goalkeeper still very much needed to strengthen the team.

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Yup. No departures. With the pickings in the window being slim to none we opted to stick with the current team and given their form this season, its hard to find reason not to. With some various positions certainly requiring some attention in the near future its a case of hoping for the best with our current young team as we look to hold on to our top half position.

With that said however we were still busy in the window as three of our finest young talents came under the spot light from the top teams in the division however we managed to hold our ground so with no signings to showcase, might as well take this opportunity to highlight the talent...

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Having now over taken Will Hughes as our brightest prospect, Rory Gibbons is quickly developing into a quality player and alongside it comes a large amount of attention. United, City and Chelsea all table bids around the two million mark, however Gibbons is certainly set to be worth a lot more then that. The only trouble we have is that as a natural wide player, he has got no set role in our team, however we're already trying to adapt him to a more central role.

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The biggest name currently in a Derby shirt. Will Hughes is ticking along nicely. Having survived the early hype, he has established himself as a regular within our ranks and since arriving in the top flight has made it clear that he intends to remain in it. A host of Young player of the month awards continue to highlight just how impressive he has been this far and his future is certainly set to be a bright one.

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Our most recent prodigy. Barnes-Homer managed to draw the top four back to Derbyshire as they all took an early bid for our fledgling star, however with the offers only reaching half a million and the sixteen year old being a shoe in for a leading role in our future team, we opted to avoid the quick cash as he continues his development within our youth setup. With Mason Bennett seemingly falling along way short of his potential, the spotlight is now firmly on this future sharp shooter.

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So all in all, The January transfer window was a non issue for the Rams. We survived the potential poaching, browsed the best available players and even took Fernando Torres and David Villa on trial, however with a solid team and more importantly an extremely tight wage budget, nothing happened. Back to business.​

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[CantGetEnoughOfJelavic]

Fantastic couple of seasons.

Wasn't too sure about some of your signings coming into your third season, thought you may have overspent on the fullbacks but it seems as if the season is going well, especially with the awkward wage budget. Didn't have too much of an issue with it when I brought Crawley into the Premier League.

Keep it up!

 

[rocco russo]

Wow really enjoying this story and as a rochdale fan I support Craig Dawson in this game.