The Worst Team in History

[DerbyJack]

Thanks Jelavic. To be honest, I agree. I think I did too. The Full backs haven't really developed into the players I hoped they would and hindsight I probably would have been better putting the money back into the wage budget. Ah well, you live and you learn.

Thanks Rocco, I can see why, he has been an absolute rock at the back of our defence since hes arrived.

The new year is here, we are fortunate enough to find ourselves in a surprisingly lofty position in the league as we look to continue our run of good fortune throughout the remainder of the season to make sure we deserve our top half status.

____________________


2nd January 2016
FA Cup - Third Round

- Fringe Attacking midfielder Benavente tears his calf muscle for a four month spell in the treatment room.

Our Cup adventures this year once again fall at the first hurdle as we crash out of the competition to Championship outfit, Sheffield Wednesday. Once again I opted to give our second string team a run out and again it ended in our early failure. The lack of depth is certainly an issue I need to address soon.

____________________


10th January 2016
Barclays Premier League​

+ Craig Bryson returns to full fitness.

Late arrivals to the title race, Manchester City are quickly making up lost ground. Harry Redknapp has taken a while to adjust to life with a huge budget but slowly and surely he's bringing them back up to speed. Their steady and creative midfielder, Yaya Toure still appears to be the lynch pin to their team and with an efficient victory on our own ground eh appears to be determined to take them back to the top.

____________________


13th January 2016
Barclays Premier League

- Midfielder Tom Cairney pulls his hamstring ending his run of form with three weeks out of the game.

Tottenham are having an absolutely terrible season. Having finished in the Champions League spots last year it appeared that Spurs where finally becoming the force they have long threatened to become however the added pressure of top level football in Europe has apparently left them in ruin. With them now out of the competition, Tottenham find themselves trying to salvage their Premier League season and an efficient performance at the I-Pro suggests there back with a vengeance.

____________________


16th January 2016
Barclays Premier League

+ Russell reaches double figures for goals this season. 3 months earlier then last year.

Having started the year in fairly appalling style we return to winning ways in style. Johnny Russell continues to impress this season and with a well taken brace he almost single handedly took apart Southampton. The Saints are performing admirably and despite being crushed in the East Midlands look set for another season in the top flight.

____________________


26th January 2016
Barclays Premier League​

- Back up striker Islam Feruz is out for a month as he breaks his wrist in a training match.
- Mark O'Brien joins him in the ward with a strained wrist following a mishap in the weights room.
+ Unhappy midfielder Alfred Duncan makes a return to fitness and to a spot on the bench.

+ Guidetti makes it 10 goals for the season so far.

Hull are in trouble this time around and we certainly gave them no favours as our two young starlets, Will Hughes and Guidetti combined to slay the Tigers with only a late goal from former Ram, Tom Huddlestone doing anything to give the home fans something to take from the game. For us its a welcome return to the top half of the league following back to back victories.

____________________


30th January 2016
Barclays Premier League

Fellow mid table side, Aston Villa welcome us to the West Midlands and knowing they too are well clear of the relegation battle we played out a lifeless affair that quite frankly did nothing to highlight the young quality players both teams possess. A second half goal for Westwood proved to be the only highlight of a dull game as our weary fans travelled home with little to show for their efforts.

____________________


January 2016
Barclays Premier League

Despite a month of mixed fortunes, Will Hughes again did enough to scoop his third award of the season. With a young and gifted striker ahead of him in the form of Guidetti, its started to bring out the best in our wonder kid with the Youth product making the most of their time in the top flight.

We maintain our position in the middle of the table. With mid table obscurity seeming set for the Rams, its certainly a comfortable time to be a Derby fan. With no real target for the season and the team performing way beyond expectations we can enjoy the rest of the season trying to see just how good these young talents really are.​

 

[DerbyJack]

With only a few games remaining in the season our fate for another year in the league is effectively set, however with a potentially record high position within reach and a team proving to be more then able to upset the odds in the league, we still have plenty to play for.

____________________


6th February 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

- Goalkeeper, Rudd suffers a hernia following training and is set to miss a month of football.
- Summer signing, Alfred Duncan requests a transfer having made just 3 appearances.
+ Midfielder, Tom Cairney is declared fully fit.
- Striker Paco Alacer misses the game due to food poisoning.

+ Defender, Craig Dawson nets his fifth header of the season.

Having arrived in the Premier League, Watford have made clear they intend to stay here, however a first half collapse did little to show they can achieve it. Guidetti and Russell continue to show that they are an effective partnership at this level, whilst reliable defender Craig Dawson made a strong impression at the other end of the field with a rare goal.

____________________


9th February 2016
Barclays Premier League

​

Constantly waiting in the wings, Liverpool once again remain hot on the heels of the leading teams, however Spalletti's honeymoon period seems to have long since ended, with the club having to pull out all the stops to pick up much needed results and The Reds nearly missed out with only a late goal and the woodwork gifting them with an undeserved three points.

____________________


20th February 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Former Blue, Feruz is declared fully fit prior to kick off.

+ Right back, Chris Solly is ruled out for 3 weeks having twisted his knee.

Chelsea where by far and awaythe most dominant force in European football last season, with a treble to their names and with another strong season under way they seem set to again take some silverware, however we certainly gave them a large wake up call as we humbled them on they're own ground with Mourinhio's golden boy doing the damage with an unfortunate own goal.

____________________


27th February 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Barnes-Homer ends links with Chelsea and Manchester City signing his first pro-contract with the Rams.

​

-Guidetti suffers a dead-leg and is ruled out for 4 days.

Watching Guidetti and Hughes develop into a lethal duo has been one of the highlights of a very successful season and the dynamic duo struck again scoring a goal each either side of the break to finish off the ten men in green and yellow. We're certainly proving to be a top half team with out performances over the lower ranked teams this season.

____________________


February 2016
Barclays Premier League

Two in two months and fourth of the season, Will Hughes has certainly come of age in the Premiership this season. The creativity and attacking abilities he possesses have led us to the majority of our points this year and he is certainly showing no signs of slowing down.

We've moved up a position! We are now pushing our way dangerously close to the fierce fight developing above us for the remaining European spots but just the fact that with nine games remaining we're neighboured to Arsenal speaks volumes of our success this season.​

 

[DerbyJack]

The season is coming down to its eventual conclusion. The league is still wide open, with the European, Title and Relegation spots all wide open for the taking. However with the Rams eyeing a safe mid table finish we might be here simply to watch it all unfold.

____________________


2nd March 2016
Barclays Premier League

- Robinson caps a disappointing day with his 10th yellow card and a 2 game ban.

We've punched well above our weight for the majority of the season however United where in no such mood to let the Rams leave Old Trafford with anything as they ruthlessly took us apart. With Ben Arfa in their midst, United have created a superb attacking midfield group and with Van Persie spear heading the way they genuinely look unstoppable on their day.

____________________


13th March 2016
Barclays Premier League

​

+ Stopper, Declan Rudd returns to fitness and an immediate return between the sticks.
+ Chris Solly joins him returning to the first team.
- Burton Albions new board cut the link with our club.

​

+ The increasingly impressive Guidetti bags his 15th of his debut season.

Having been humbled by United we returned to tearing up the form book as we laid into The Gunners. Will Hughes netted an early brace before Oliver Giroud returned to form with one of his own but our striker partnership then roared into life with a goal a piece as we killed off Arsenals Champions League hopes and gave strength to our own unlikely Europa League challenge.

____________________


19th March 2016
Barclays Premier League

​

+ Club icon, Will Hughes makes it ten goals this season.

Cardiff continually defy expectation and once again look set for another comfortable season in the Premier League and its fair to see why. Craig Dawson made a rare error to gift them the lead before a midfield master class eventually turned the tables with Cairney and Hughes combining to deny the ever resilient Bluebirds.

____________________


March 2016
Barclays Premier League

Three in a row. Hughes is in sensational form this year. Having usually been the creative force behind the goals, our midfield wizard took it upon himself to find the net this month, showcasing his keen eye for a goal with three goals that helped guide us towards three victories.​

Another position further up the table as we leap-frog the mighty Arsenal into Eight place in the league. With the spots around us now certainly up for grabs, we can look up the table with not only dreams of European football but actual genuine belief. This season isn't over yet.​

 

[DerbyJack]

The penultimate game of the season is jammed full of fixtures with a host of places in the league still to be decided and for The Rams a potential dream spot in Europe still up for the taking, however with us facing the majority of our Europa League competitors this month its certainly do or die.

____________________


3rd April 2016
Barclays Premier League

Having joked about Europa League, it now seems that we genuinely might be onto something here as we narrowly edge past fellow chasers, Newcastle United. The damage was done in the first half as Guidetti punished some sloppy Toon defending with a quick fire brace but it took the ever impressive Will Hughes to claim the points as he netted against the second half run of play to fend off an impressive but futile comeback from the Geordies.

____________________


9th April 2016
Barclays Premier League​

- Rory Gibbons injures his shoulder and is sidelined for 3 weeks.

Swansea continue to flirt with relegation having narrowly avoided relegation last season and another defeated pushed them closer to be dragged into the real fighting to avoid the drop. Hughes and Guidetti once again proved their worth to claim another goal each and the victory to go with it. Signing these two up to new contracts just became the main goal of the pre-season.

____________________


16th April 2016
Barclays Premier League​

- Left back, Jack Robinson twists his knee in training resulting in 3 weeks on the sidelines.
+ With just two appearances this season, Attacking midfielder Benavente returns to fitness.

+ We reach 5 games unbeaten.
- Ignjovski banned for one game subject to a review.

Reading have joined us in the lofty positions near the top of the table with the both of us enjoying an incredible second season in the top flight and having shared our success we saw fit to share the spoils as we played out an eventful draw. Ignjovski made an unwelcome return to the referees book with a straight red card that helped The Royals control the first half but a spirited second half showing saw us reclaim an impressive point.

____________________


23rd April 2016
Barclays Premier League​

+ Rory Gibbons makes a fast return to fitness.
- Ignjovksi's ban is increased by two further games.

Europa League? You're having a laugh. The Toffees welcomed us to Goodison Park with their own hopes of Thursday night European football hanging in the balance and they certainly showed they wanted it more as they ran out three goal winners following an efficient and impressive display, with Englands impressive midfield general, Ross Barkley dominating the show.

____________________


30th April 2016
Barclays Premier League​

+ Robinson makes it back to fitness but isn't risked for today's game.

+ Will Hughes makes his 150th appearance for the club.

West Broms return to the top flight is all but over and another defeat, all but sent the Baggies back down to the Championship. Will Hughes again found the back of the net, with the only goal of a sloppy game, whilst Luke Moore added to his clubs woes with a late red card that pretty much summed up the frustration of his struggling team.

____________________


April 2016
Barclays Premier League

Four in a row. Will Hughes is dominating the award. Having just turned Twenty One, he won't qualify for the award soon but the Blonde bombshell has certainly left his mark. Making sure we keep a hold of him in the summer has become key to our strategy in the transfer window the only thing holding us back is the ever frustrating wage budget.

We hold on to our Eighth position in the league with Everton and Newcastle trying desperately to keep us at bay, however with one game remaining for the Rams it will take a giant slice of luck to see us wind up with a Europa League spot this season but we're certainly going to try.

​

 

[DerbyJack]

Just one game remains. With a Europe League spot teasingly close to us we can only do our best in our attempts to clinch the final spot, as we look to cap off an impressive season with yet more success.

____________________


8th May 2016
Barclays Premier League​

- Chris Solly caps an injury filled season with back strain that rules him out for another 3 weeks.

The tale of two clubs as the already relegated Fulham clash with The Rams attempting to gatecrash into Europe and the match threw up no surprises. Fulham looked every bit like a Championship club as Russell and Hughes ran rampant over a confused and beleaguered looking defence with only a late goal giving the travelling Cottagers some brief joy as they bid farewell to the top flight.

____________________


May 2016
Barclays Premier League

Well despite getting the result the rest of them didn't go our way as we narrowly miss out on a Europa League spot, with Newcastle and Arsenal managing to clinch the results that secured their place in the competition, with both us and Reading missing out on a potential sensational European spot in our second season of Premier League football.​

 

[DerbyJack]

Another season done and dusted and one that took most of the people of Derby completely by surprise. We narrowly missed out on Europe with a record high seven finish leaving us just shy of the Europa League spots but with plenty of pride and here is how the rest of the league faired.

___________________


2015/16
Barclays Premier League

​

This season has been nothing short of sensational for our influential attacking midfielder. Having picked up each monthly award going since the turning of the year it is not surprising to see him scoop the Young Player of the Year award. Despite being under contract until 2018, we are certainly going to try our best to keep the golden boy with us for as long as possible, even if it does mean smashing our strict wage budget to pieces in the coming transfer window.

​

Chelsea make it back to back titles as they hold on to the top spot holding the two Manchester clubs at bay with ease, with Liverpools rapid return to form rewarding them with the final Champions League spot for the season. For us however its a near miss for the Europa League, with Newcastle and Arsenal taking the spots in the league, whilst the Leagues biggest flops, Tottenham joining them courtesy of their cup success.

Despite narrowly avoiding the relegation dog fight, Spurs can at least look forward to another season in the Premier League, however Fulham join West Brom and Ipswich in their immediate return to the Championship, with only Watford surviving for another season in the league.

 

[DerbyJack]

We can relax knowing that we are no longer considered one of the relegation candidates having stunned many this season however the season was a complete failure in the cups, with us failing to pass the first rounds, despite that here is how the rest of the competitions shaped up.

___________________


2015/16
Capital One League Cup

They might have picked up the league title but United made sure they stopped Chelsea from dominating the entire Country as they narrowly saw off Mourinhios men, with their Belgian prodigy, Januzaj picking up the only goal to return United to glory.

___________________


2015/16
FA Cup

United make it a double in the domestic cups as they pick up the FA Cup trophy. David Moyes remains at the helm of the club and with three successful seasons behind him and 3 major trophies to show for it, he's certainly making the start of a strong dynasty, whilst Tottenham might have flopped in the league but saw their FA Cup efforts rewarded with a Europa League spot.

___________________


2015/16
Europa League

Having secured their Europa League spot in the league for the next season, Newcastle saw fit to claim the title following a stunning run in the competition. Gary Bowyer has return the Toon to a dominant force and having knocked out both Stuttgart and United on their way to the title, they certainly look set for more glory.

___________________


2015/16
Champions League

Dortmund finally topple their rivals Munich as the dominant force in Germany and they top it off with a Champions League title. Having scraped their way past Napoli and Barcelona the club put on another thrilling display in the final as they needed extra time to secure the trophy from fellow Bundesliga outfit Schalke.

___________________


2016
UEFA European Championship

A great tournament results in the dawning of a new age as the up and coming Belgians appear to have reached their peak with a victory over former dominant force Spain in the final, with ironically Barcelona's striker Batshuayi netting the winner to make him public enemy number one back at Camp Nou.

Once again for those curious England didn't pass the second round being knocked out by the Ukraine.

 

[DerbyJack]

Having established ourselves in the league within just two seasons, we enter the third aiming for another top half position and for the first time it appears the board is finally believing in our top flight status giving me a thirty million transfer budget and smashing the ever troublesome wage cap to pieces. This should be more fun.

___________________

​

Before I can set about using our new found funds we have to clear some space for our new arrivals. We wasted no time with frustrated defender Mark O'Brien joining Stoke City for their return to the Premier League.

Following him out the door was the once bright star Mason Bennett, the youngest ever Derby scorer, failed to reach his potential and is a long way short of the Premier League and will hope for better luck with a new team. Left back Javier Nobeljas also saw his contract come to an end having been pushed out the team by Jack Robinson.

Our final departures saw former midfielders Craig Bryson and Benavente both leave to join Roberto Di Matteo as he tries to rejuvenate Crystal Palace in the Championship, whilst former Captain Richard Keogh joins rivals Leeds United

Not a huge change this time around, with only five departures coming from members of the first team but non the less we have some crucial work to do in the transfer market to replace some key positions within our team and most importantly add some much needed depth to our team.

___________________

​

Cost: 2,500,000
From: Boca Juniors

With Hughes having a firm grip on the attacking midfielder spot, any arrival will have to have some special talent to eventual push him out of the spot, however Argentinian youngster Guido Vadala certainly will give him a run for his money. Blessed with a superb control of the ball and having already appeared on the bench for the Argentinian first team he will certainly have a bright future ahead of him but for now he will mainly be used from our own sidelines as we look to integrate him to English football.

___________________

Cost: 10,000,000
From: Cardiff City

Our biggest ever transfer fee is used to bring in former United trainee and Norways brightest midfield talent, Mats Moller Daehli. The bright central playmaker was being wasted at Cardiff and needed some new injection to help him reach his potential and a place amongst our own young talents will hopefully see him too develop as we look to create a dominant future force. With Cairney providing the muscle for our midfield pairing, we will be look for Daehli to help drive the game forward with his wizard like dribbling.

___________________

Cost: 6,000,000
From: Estudiantes de la Plata

Our scout in South America once again came up trumps as he unearthed Jonathan Silva. With Robinson having fallen short of our hopes following his transfer from Liverpool, we turn to another Argentinian to fill the gap and Silva certainly does that. The Twenty Two year old is already way beyond our former left backs abilities and easily has the potential to dominate down the left for years to come. We made a real steal in bringing him into the club, however it certainly came at a cost with our new wage budget being stretched to the limits.

___________________

Cost: 3,800,000
From: Feyenoord

The final arrival of our transfer window sees Japans brightest young star arrive at the I-Pro stadium brining a wave of Japanese fans with him. With our central defenders Tomkins and Dawson both being solid and dependable last season it is debatable if Nakatani will see alot of first team football but we are keen to see him develop and with him having the work rate and stamina to be a tireless defender at this level he could prove to be a key defender in the future.​

___________________


Four arrivals saw our transfer budget quickly disappear with us brining in a host of bright young foreign talent to the team however it left us with the wage budget relatively unscathed however new contracts for some of our brightest talents soon had it vanish as we used all of our resources to ensure another season in the top half of the table.
​

 

[DerbyJack]

Another season in the Premier League awaits. Having comfortably survived in our first season and narrowly missing out on a Europe League spot last year, The Derby fans are excited to see if we can continue our fine progress up the rankings.

____________________


5th July 2016
Friendly
​

+ Chris Solly returns to full fitness following his end of season injury.
+ Will Hughes picks up his first England Cup in the EUROs

We get our pre-season under way with a victory in Russia. Paco Alcacer spent last season in the shadows as Russell and Guidetti stole the spotlight but he appears to have taken it upon himself to make a big impact with the season drawing ever closer and a goal to see off Lokomotiv certainly showed signs of the Spaniards potential.

____________________


9th July 2016
Friendly

- Benavente sprains his wrist and is ruled out for 2 weeks before his departure from the team.

Alacer strikers again as he continues to push Russell for the starting spot come the season opener but the biggest buzz around the I-Pro Stadium was the last minute goal from new signing Guido Vadala picking up the winner in his first appearance in a Derby shirt. Will Hughes should be worried.

____________________


12th July 2016
Friendly
​

+ Will Hughes signs a new contract for 40k p/week but ending links with the top four.

With Alcacer making it the early moves for a spot in the starting two frontmen, Guidetti asserted himself as the lead man with a clinical brace against German side Frankfurt as we sent them back to the Budesliga having been given a strong run out by our usual first team. A good warm up for the season to come.

____________________


16th July 2016
Friendly
​

+ Guidetti and Ignjovksi both sign new contracts matching Hughe's wages but keeping them in Derbyshire.

A trip to the coast saw us run out comfortable winners, with our own home grown wonder kid Harry Barnes-Homer picking up a goal with an own goal coming in between another goal from our ever reliable players, Craig Dawson and Guidetti as his new contract appears to have brought with it his eye for the goal.

____________________


19th July 2016
Friendly

- New record signing, Mats Moller Daehli tears his hamstring and is ruled out for three months.

As is tradition we welcome another French team to our ground as part of their pre-season tour however for the first time it ended in our own defeat as we struggled to keep up with their rampant pace with only a fortunate own-goal and another Guidetti goal doing enough to at least make it look competitive.

____________________


22nd July 2016
Friendly

- A brusied shin rules Jonathan Webb our for a week of the pre-season.

Having shied away for a week Alcacer struck back at the next available opportunity wasting no time in picking up the winning goal as we continued to raid the coast with another victory over a lower league side. As we draw ever closer to the start of the season, it appears Russell is certainly going to be viewing the first games from the bench.

____________________


25th July 2016
Friendly
​

- New arrival Silva leaves for the Argentinian Olympic team and will not return until after the competition in late August.

- Hendrick suffers a bruised shin and will be out for a week making him a doubt for the season opener.

Our final game of the Pre-season has us welcome Turkish giants Galatasaray to the East-Midlands and we soon sent them packing with an efficient victory. Alcacer ensured his place on my team-sheet with yet another well taken goal and our newly formed defence proved to be more then a match for the Champions-League regulars as we picked up an encouraging victory with the season just days away.

____________________


A strong pre-season for the Rams but despite the results we end it missing two of our new arrivals for a good chunk of the start of the season and with a change around in the order of our front men, as Alcacer forces his way to the forefront nudging out fan favourite Johnny Russell.​

 

[xJamieWilliams]

Great story, keep it up man!

 

[DerbyJack]

Thanks Jamie, will do my best!​

​

Right we're ready to go. Following our success of last season, we start this one full of optimism and with a strengthened team we're realisticly looking at clinching a spot in the Europa League for the coming season.

____________________


15th August 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

- Rory Gibbons pulls his hamstring ruling our young prodigy out for a month.
- Jeff Hendrick and Joshua Webb both return to fitness in time for the start of the season.

- Substitue Bacchetti hobbles off with a torn hamstring ruling him out for 3 months.

We get our season under way in dramatic fashion. Demba Ba having swapped places with Lukaku continues to impress for the Toffees and wasted no time in getting his account open with a goal within two minutes and we struggled to keep with the European chasing blues, however Alcacer carried his pre-season form into the start of the season rewarding my faith in him with an equaliser just four minutes from time.

____________________


20th August 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Left back and new arrival, Jonathan Silva returns from the Olympics.

And where off. Having struggled to a point in the first game of the season, we follow it up with a four goal thrashing of Swansea. The Swans are looking extremely ropey this season having failed to strengthen their team in the transfer window and with our ruthless forward players showing no mercy we certainly gave them cause for concern just two games into the season.

____________________


23rd August 2016
Capital One League Cup - Second Round
​

- Alcacer's long awaited first team run comes to an end with a brusied rub ruling him out for a week.

​

Having dropped out of the Capital One League Cup at the second round last season, we just about make it into the next round, with our second string side needing extra time to see off the Championship outfit. New signing Nakatani made the difference as he rose highest from the floated corner to power home the winner to the relief of the entire team.

____________________


27th August 2016
Barclays Premier League

Reading still continue to keep up their rampant pace since returning to the league and like us are optimistic for a shot at an early European spot, however with our teams both keen to continue their rise up the footballing pyramid they ended up cancelling each other out, with neither team willing to take the risks at this early stage of the season.

____________________


August 2016
Barclays Premier League

Well we're unbeaten. Its not exactly been a storming start to the season, given what was potentially an easy start, however with a comfortable victory and a place already amongst the top dogs in the league we're certainly well on course for the remainder of the season at this rate.​

 

[DerbyJack]

​

Just one month in to the season and we're already settling nicely into things, however a bid landed on our table that sound had us quickly returning our attention back to the transfer window with just hours to go

____________________

​

Having seemingly survived the transfer window unscathed we had got into the season expecting that our current squad was set for the rest of it, however a late bid from fellow Premiership outfit Watford for our striker Johnny Russell soon changed all that.

Having featured heavily in every season since I joined, I was sad to see him leave but with his ability in the Premiership being truly pushed to the limit and The Hornets willing to spend a whopping seven and a half million pounds, I took the sensible option, however it left us with a gaping hole to fill...

____________________

Cost: 3,200,000
From: Dnipro

A transfer deadline dealing see's us eventually bring in Brazilian striker Junior Moraes. Having spent the majority of his career slugging it out in the Ukraine, the lethal finisher is more then ready for a step up the top flight of English football. With his tireless work rate, eye for a goal and of course Brazilian flair, Moraes could certainly make a huge impact for the rest of the season.

____________________


With that our dealings are done. With Russells departure the first team now includes just two of the original team I took over four years ago. With another South American arrival, the team now certainly has a Latin American flair to it.​

 

[Dean Wilkes]

Some great signings to start your 3rd campaign in the prem...Vadala is a beast was superb for me on my arsenal save as was Silva....imo probably overspent a tad on Daehli but then again stats are pretty good, only problem is his stats are more directed towards the CAM role in which you have Hughes and Vadala (just my opinion) ....keep up the great work and I will continue to follow

 

[DerbyJack]

Couldn't agree more then you Dean, think you summed it up well. In hindsight I certainly feel that Daehli was over priced. The Attacking midfield position has certainly become a competitive one. I want to base this team around Hughes but I cant help but feel I'm letting Vadala waste. Need to make a formation that suits the both of them soon.​

With Moraes now partnering Guidetti at the front of our attack, we're keen to see how the neat finishers work together as we set off into a month full of potential points having once again avoided any of the big teams in the fixture list.

____________________


11th September 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

- Rarely featured midfielder Alfred Duncan injures his back in training and is out for a month
- Will Hughes suffers whiplash from a robust challenge on duty with England and is out for a week.
+ Gibbons swells our dwindling ranks recovering in time for kick off

- Cairney too suffers from a rough Villa side with a broken rib that has him set for a month out of the game.
- A stubbed toe has Nakatani joining our growing patient list with the Japanese starlet ruled out for a week.

​

Four games in and three draws already. Aston Villa aren't going to be causing any problems in the top end of the table, with a team that is based almost entirely around Fabian Delph and Agbonlahor having lost their young starlets over the seasons, however they still managed to pack a punch leading the way at the I-Pro with only our own young stars doing enough to hang on to their coat tails.

____________________


17th September 2016
Barclays Premier League

​

+ 5 Games undefeated.
- Left back Silva suffers a dead leg and is out for four days.

Southampton suffered a minor wobble last season however their meteoric rise up the table looks set to continue this time around and the Saints certainly look set for business. Jordan Rhodes has become a real force for the Premier League and certainly made sure we regretted missing out on him three seasons ago, picking up a brace that took Hughes and Moraes's best efforts to cancel out late in to the game.

____________________


20th September 2016
Capital One League Cup - Third Round
​

+ Hughes and Nakatanai return to the fold following their minor injuries.

- Islam Feruzs poor luck continues as he tears his calf muscle with him set for four months on the sidelines.

Having thrashed them in the league we continued Swanseas sorry start to the season as we sent them packing out of the League Cup, with our young midfield doing the damage in the second half. With a host of teams concentrating on trying to qualify for the Europa League via the league, it might be a more sensible option to finally concentrate on the cup competitions.

____________________


24th September 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Alfred Duncan and Silva both make it to full fitness in time for kick off.

The Canaries look set for a season fighting against relegation, having taken an early seat in the relegation zone, however Norwich did at least put up some fight but once again our strong midfield, the ever reliable Craig Dawson and an own goal was more then enough to kill off the most spirited of teams as we continue our unbeaten run in the league.

____________________


September 2016
Barclays Premier League

Despite being unbeaten, I cant help but feel slightly deflated by our start to the season. We had the luck of a draw with a relatively straight forward start to the season, however a worrying number of draws has us sitting outside of the European spots. However their is still more then enough points to play for, we just need to start finishing off the teams below us.​

 

[DerbyJack]

Our good fortune in the fixtures is about to come to a very abrupt halt. October see's us facing off against three of the title contenders it what is certain to be a challenging but revealing month for our young side.

____________________


1st October 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

- Injury prone right back, Chris Solly tears his knee ligament for another 3 months with the Physios.
+ Tom Cairney returns to the match team after his injury.
- Jeff Hendricks run of games comes to an end with a sports hernia and a month of treatment.
+ I sign a new contract for another three seasons with the Rams.

- Our brightest talent, Rory Gibbons suffers his second injury of the season already with a twisted knee.

Cardiff continue to defy the odds by surviving season after season but with Javi Garcia and Podolski in their ranks its not hard to see why, Sam Allardyce has turned them into a stubborn team to break down but we managed to edge past the Welsh outfit courtesy of Guidetti's goal and a red card that helped us towards a well earned three points.

____________________


17th October 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Record signing, Daehli finally returns to fitness ready to make his debut for the Rams.
- He immediately returns to the sidelines with a torn groin muscle and another six weeks out of the game.
+ Will Hughes nets his first goals for England in a series of friendlies.
+ Rory Gibbons wastes no time making a quick return to fitness.

Our first outing against one of the big team ends in defeat. Despite us racing into the lead with a Moraes penalty and another Hughes goal it looked to be all be going to plan, however the Gunners had other ideas hitting back with style from the half hour mark to run out deserved and clear winners. The European spots suddenly don't look so close.

____________________


22nd October 2016
Barclays Premier League

- Hot headed Argentinian, Jon Silva is banned for 1 game.

Having avoided the top teams in the season openers we now have them coming thick and fast, with a resurgent United keen to close the gap on dominant Chelsea arriving at the I-Pro stadium. Having raced into the lead against Arsenal we took a different approach against the Red Devils, conceding and early goal and having Silva sent off as we limped through the entire first half. A brief fight back in the second gave us a glimmer of hope but in reality only served to soften the blow as Ben Arfa steered them to the victory.

____________________


25th October 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Bacchetti returns to fitness to add depth to our flagging defence.
- Paco Alcacer grows frustrated from his lack of first team football following injury and requests a transfer.
+ Guidetti nets his 5th goal of the season

- Central defender, Tomkins twists his ankle making a challenge and is out for a month.

Leicester have returned to the Premier League but we still asserted our place as the pride of the East Midlands with a well earned victory over the Foxes in the League Cup, with Guidetti sending them back on the short journey home having been knocked out of the competition early. For the Rams, we're now edging ever closer to a Wembley showing and a route into the Europa League.

____________________


29th October 2016
Barclays Premier League

Back to the league and back to facing off against one of the leagues finest as Liverpool welcome us to Anfield. The Reds showed no mercy upon our arrival racing into the lead but a spirited come back had us clinging on to the points around the hour mark, however Spalletti's men weren't done yet as we traded blows all the way to the final whistle, narrowly missing out on a point, with Liverpool's new signing Negredo taking the plaudits with a well taken hat-trick.

____________________


October 2016
Barclays Premier League

Well we finally ran into the big-guns and they spared no mercy. We picked up a few goals and atleast held on to our dignity but make no mistake we were simply outclassed by the best in the country. We might not have showed our European credentials but at least we're able to hold on to the top half of the table as we look to regroup for the month ahead.​

 

[Bakestar]

Great story mate. Bit confused about the January window selling johnny russell but your only 10 games in.... well confused lol

could you post a SS of guidetti just interested in how his progressed

 

[DerbyJack]

Ah yeah, my bad. copied the format of the January window and forget to edit it properly. Sure thing I've got a post coming that includes how some of our arrivals have progressed I'll make sure Guidetti is included.

A set of international fixtures means we have a rather relaxing November with just three games in the month, however with the league standings beginning to take there true shape, its still an important time for the Rams to ensure their in the mix for the rest of the season.

____________________


5th November 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

+ Jeff Hendrick returns to fitness.

+ Junior Moraes scores his 5th goal of the season.

We return to winning ways courtesy of a late showing against the Hammers. Club legend Di Canio has been given control of the club as they look to finally make a push away from the relegation zone but the former Sunderland managers poor fortune in the top flight appears to be lingering with a comfortable victory for the Rams pushing the Hammers closer to the relegation scrap.

____________________


21st November 2016
Barclays Premier League
​

- Hendricks return to the first team lasts just one game as he suffers groin strain and 3 weeks with the physio.
+ Daehli finally looks set for a run in the first team, having been injured since his summer arrival.
+ Our defence is reinforced by the return of Tomkins from injury.

​

+ Tom Cairney nets his 5th of the season.
+ Will Hughes joins his midfield partner with his 5th goal.

Newcastle have a Europa League title under their belts following their impressive run last season, and they look set to continue their revival as they sit top of the table however the Geordies brief glimpse at European glory already seems a world away and with Will Hughes and hat-trick hero Tom Cairney on the warpath we sent The Toon Army packing on the end of a five goal thrashing.

____________________


26th November 2016
Barclays Premier League

Hull, like Cardiff have survived beyond expectations over the last few seasons and with The Tigers grinding out a gritty draw its not hard to see why. Steve Bruce has made them into a very hard team to beat with only an early goal from latest arrival Moraes proving to be enough to make sure we left Humberside with at least a point.

____________________


December 2016
Barclays Premier League

Our golden boy turns Twenty Two later in the season, so his dominance of the award is nearly at an end, however after a short absence from the spot light, Hughes picks up his first award of the season as we completes the month with a brace and some more quality performances for the newly capped England star.

We're climbing back into it as we nervously edge ourselves closer to the European spots. Theres still a host of teams ahead of us all determined to keep us at bay but with a busy set of fixtures to come over the festive period we are keen to show them last season was not a complete fluke.

​

 

[Conn]

Great story!

Looking forward to the next update

Alcacer now ure 3rd choice striker btw?

 

[banger93]

Great work as usual mate! What position do you play Hughes in

 

[taro1982]

great history!!!