The Rams wrapped up their pre-season preparations during the week - and then the first matchday of the new Championship football season was set fair on the launch pad!

Although the first-team squad was due to conclude their training games at home to Aston Villa on Wednesday night, a Rams XI played at Belper Town on Monday night. Legzdins, Robinson, Leacock, Cywka and Ball were included among a large contingent of Derby Academy scholars.

Derby won 4-1 and one of the plus points of Derby’s pre-season has been the performances of young Irish striker Callum Ball. He netted again at the end of first half to give Derby an interval lead; the Evo-Stik League (Division One South) side had equalised Theo Robinson’s opening goal midway through the first period.

Youngsters Adam Wixted and Andy Dales added the goals to ease Derby to nail a win in the second period. Callum and promising young Irish defender Mark O’Brien, who has battled back from the discovery of a serious heart condition to be in contention for a first-team place, were awarded squad numbers this week. Mark will wear No. 24 and Callum Ball is 25.

Young ‘keeper Ross Atkins has joined Burton Albion on a season-long loan after a pre-season trial period. Derby had poached Burton’s impressive young goalkeeping find, Adam Legzdins from the Brewers - and he will now understudy ex-England Under-21 goalkeeper Frank Fielding at Pride Park Stadium.

The loan of Atkins has solved a problem for Burton boss Paul Peschisolido. The only other goalkeeper on their books was 48-year old Kevin Poole, another ex-Ram and the Brewers’ goalkeeping coach. If Pesch is not careful, Poole would be clattering his Zimmer frame on the uprights in trying to make saves!

Derby manager Nigel Clough’s squad has had to negotiate plenty of injury niggles during training since reporting back over a month ago. This week, Jamie Ward and Stephen Pearson were doubtful for the opening game of the Championship season against Birmingham City.

Clough would already be without captain Shaun Barker, whilst midfielder James Bailey was recovering from a groin injury. Like a fair few others, Bailey was in a fitness race to be ready for the big kick-off on Saturday.

One boost was that defender Chris Riggott, not involved in the Villa game, was set to sign provisionally for the Rams after his promising pre-season spell. He has niggling injuries after his long lay-off and back surgery but could still be a great asset to the Rams this season.

Left-back Gareth Roberts was also ruled out of the Aston Villa match having suffered a dead-leg in the Exeter City game. It was reported that he was only 50/50 to be fit for the Birmingham City match.

Tuesday therefore brought the curious but not entirely surprising news that 34-year old Republic of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane had signed for Derby, albeit on loan from Hull City for 6 months. It’s a sensible rather than a scintillating signing and Kilbane will be a solid recruit.

He’s a left-sided player that had successful spells at Everton, WBA and Wigan but was rather out of favour latterly at Hull City. Manager Clough labelled the signing as ‘exciting’, so we await the levitation of the stadium roof when Kevin struts his stuff in a white shirt.

Kilbane looks set to cover the left-back position, so the two incumbents for that role have a combined age of 67. With over 500 club appearances and 110 R o I caps, Kevin does bring welcome experience to the squad.

Some supporters will voice suspicions that the Rams still look to sign whoever is available rather than capturing imaginative or daring (and more costly) players, who would signal that Derby aim to build a developing side around top talent - but Kilbane could prove an excellent short-term loan.

Apart from more excitement and entertainment on the field from proven players, clubs have to provide value-for-money in overall terms for supporters in these economically challenging times. A recent study of football pricing does not by any means show the Rams in the highest VFM stakes amongst Championship clubs.

With adult ‘walk-up’ match tickets costing between £25 and £39 at Pride Park Stadium, Derby is among the most costly clubs in the League to watch. Watford provide the best overall value (but who would want to swap places with their fans?) and West Ham proved the most costly. They can blow bubbles up themselves at those prices, as I won’t be going to the Boleyn Ground!

You can see the pricing reports here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14367357.stm

The mercurial ex-Ram Giles Barnes, still only 23, has signed a six-month contract with Championship club Doncaster Rovers. Barnes was released by West Bromwich Albion this summer having failed to establish himself there during an 18-month contract. Derby fans might suspect that a rejuvenated Chris Riggott with give Derby County better service than Rovers will get from young Giles over the next few months.

The Rams wrapped up their pre-season preparations against Premier League Aston Villa. The West Midlands team had a disappointing season in 2010-11 in a campaign hampered by the serious illness of manager Gerard Houllier.

He left the job on medical grounds at the end of the season and Villa fans have very mixed views about his successor Alex McLeish, recruited from the turmoil of relegated neighbours Birmingham City, the Rams’ first opponents of the new Championship season on Saturday.

McLeish wasn’t able to field Stewart Downing’s replacement, Charles N’Zogbia; his new ‘keeper, the excellent Shay Given, wasn’t on duty either but ex-Ram (loanee) Barry Bannan was, plus other stars like Darren Bent, Marc Albrighton and Stephen Ireland.

Nigel Clough intended to mix and match his players during the game so that very few of them endured 90 minutes ahead of the Birmingham game.

He started with new loanee Kilbane at left-back, Brayford in his proper berth at right back; O’Brien and Shackell were paired in central defence. With Cywka, Hendrick, and Ben Davies in midfield, James Bailey took the ‘sitting’ role and was effective. Tyson and Maguire were paired up front and almost 9,000 attended the game.

One further injury worry for Clough was the withdrawal of Nathan Tyson after only half an hour or so on the pitch, with a groin strain; Theo Robinson took over. The Rams had a bright first period with Villa eventually coming more into the game. Despite Villa looking the better side in the second period it was the Rams that came out on top in the end.

The manager swapped it around after the break with 9 substitutes being used, and the Rams broke through to win 2-0 with second-half goals from Steve Davies and Ben Davies. Steve netted a penalty after a Villa handball offence and then Ben bashed in a splendid right-foot drive.

Young defender Mark O’Brien showed up well, as did his partner Shackell and Kevin Kilbane at left-back during their first-half stints. Villa proved over-aggressive at times in the match and had players warned and booked in the “friendly”. Derby finished the game with several knocks, including an injury to Conor Doyle after a clogging tackle.

Clough’s Class of 2011 hasn’t exactly blasted a hole in the space-time continuum with their pre-season performances to burn off the opposition convincingly. The victory over Villa was a welcome tonic for Derby’s hopeful supporters, however, with a hint of promise for the new campaign.

Now it was time to “set the controls for the heart of the sun” and plunge into the white-hot competitiveness of the npower Championship!

It’s a critical season for Nigel Clough and his men and they know they have to turn up the heat at the business end of the league table for once.

Dithering in the lower reaches of the table is not an option in supporters’ minds after the promises made by DCFC, following a third successive dismal season in the Championship. It is a tough league - but the Rams must now step up to the plate.

The club’s message turned decidedly downbeat, however, ahead of the big kick-off on Saturday, as manager Clough played down fans’ aspirations of their team being among the front-runners: "We want to finish as high as we can but there will certainly be no unrealistic promises.” Clough suggested that the team might be off the pace initially due to the crop of early injuries.

Clough earmarked West Ham, Leicester, Birmingham and Ipswich as clubs he expected to do well this season; he even cited promoted Brighton & Hove Albion as a ‘strong’ team - though they have done what Derby only said they would do: they actually signed a prolific striker in £3m Craig Makail-Smith. Rams fans still expect their club to sign a goalscorer, centre-forward and midfielder.

“That’s what we’re trying to do, for the future - build a squad that is capable of challenging”, the manager said, in an observation hardly brimming with innovative footballing insight. Derby really does need to get on and do just that - keep building to add those still-missing pieces of the jigsaw.

The manager’s musings have attenuated Tom Glick’s declarations last April (when season tickets needed to be sold) that a top-six finish was his bold promise. Pre-season hasn’t been great, as Clough said; we have commenced 2011-12, despite a rash of signings with key players unavailable or still lacking fitness, including Ward, Bryson, Shackell, Tyson, Barker, and Bailey.

Relegated Birmingham City, beset by financial worries all summer, posed the first obstacle to Derby’s progress in the season opener at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday. The Bluenoses have lost more than a dozen players, seen a managerial turn-around and had their major shareholder Carson Yeung arrested on alleged money-laundering charges in Hong Kong.

Brum have undergone many squad changes too but have a strong side. New manager Chris Hughton has triumphed in a similarly unstable and expectant atmosphere in reviving Newcastle United’s fortunes two seasons ago - and they haven’t been installed as promotion favourites for nothing.

Nigel Clough had to make do without Tyson, Barker, Riggott, Green, Pearson and Roberts, whilst Shackell, Kilbane and Bryson made their League debuts. Derby put on a resilient and industrious performance not without entertainment on a fresh, sunny afternoon to overcome the West Midlanders 2-1, in front of a 27,200 crowd, the biggest football League gate of the weekend.

Derby started purposefully but City were threatening when they ventured forward - and defender Curtis Davies stole in to thump a free header past Fielding to give his side a 1-0 lead after 18 minutes. Derby weren’t to be denied and man-mountain Jason Shackell, sure to be a nuisance in the air at set pieces this season, ignored the attentions of defenders from a dead ball to steer the ball with his forehead past Myhill in the City goal.

Whilst City had plenty of possession, their cutting edge was missing and on balance Derby carved out fewer but more incisive opportunities during the game. Steve Davies epitomised that fact as he latched onto Bryson’s pass outside the box as the game edged towards the interval. As the Blues’ defenders allowed him generous space to shape himself, he unleashed a swerving left-foot drive from 25 yards, which eluded keeper Boaz Myhill to rifle the Birmingham net satisfyingly.

Derby’s zest, cohesion and commitment stood them in good stead for the rest of the game. The second half was entertaining and tense but the way Derby saw out the game in the late stages, with substitute Theo Robinson putting in a brilliant cameo performance to force throw-ins  and corners to prevent a late Birmingham comeback, will hearten the manager.

The frustrating slackness and careless play seen at the end of countless games which surrendered goals and points last season has been eliminated, on this evidence. The lads now need to sustain this level of determination, focus and professionalism all season long.

There were good performances all over the park, and man-of-the-match Jason Shackell towered like a totem pole in central defence with a commanding performance (not to say notching Derby’s crucial opening goal of the season, to boot!) Kevin Kilbane was calm and consistent, using his experience at left-back.

Bailey was measured and consistent despite his lack of fitness and young Mark O’Brien, coming on after only 36 minutes for the traditionally-crocked Russell Anderson was tremendous, too. The front pairing of Steve Davies and Jamie Ward beavered away; let’s hope Jamie’s finishing touch gets better, as he should have scored a couple. Derby still lack the focal point of a centre-forward but had enough variety and invention to carve out several other good chances during the game.

We had been led to believe that Lee Croft had gotten his head and his waistline sorted out and that he wants to reinvigorate his fading career - and he proved it on Saturday, with an all-action display. He was industrious and sharp and lent a good presence in midfield. Written off last season, he looks to be a great bonus.

Nigel Clough had high hopes for him when he was captured from Norwich City 2 years ago and if he applies himself and puts in these performances, will add depth and experience in the middle or in wide positions.

Manager Clough was pleased with the spirit showed by his side; the togetherness and teamwork was a vast improvement on the many faltering displays from previous seasons.

Prior to the game and in The Ram matchday programme the players, management & staff voiced support for the staff of Derby rail-makers Bombardier, due to be displaced by the atrocious government decision to award the Thameslink contract to overseas manufacturers. Derby players then did their part to keep the workers’ spirits up, as they kept the Rams firmly on track to beat Brum.

The Rams emulated their successful opening days of the previous two seasons, when they had beaten Peterborough United and Leeds United. Derby County has lift-off and made a good start to the 2011-12 mission! Now fans will expect Derby to motor on after Saturday’s pleasing performance to voyage onwards into a successful season.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Ipswich got off to a flying start with a comprehensive win at Bristol City, the Trees had a scoreless draw with Barnsley, Leeds were stuffed by the Saints and West Ham lost at home to a last-minute Kenny Miller goal. Both Posh and Brighton celebrated their promotion with victories. The league is already looking as competitive as ever!

Next up for the Rams is the visit of Shrewsbury Town in the first round of the Carling Cup. Young international Jeff Hendrick has been promoted to the Republic of Ireland U-21 squad to play Austria next week and will miss the game, as will Jamie Ward, who is hoping for a full cap as Northern Ireland tackles the Faroe Islands on 10th August in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

Can Derby finally vanquish lower league opposition by taming the Shrews, to make progress in the Carling Cup this season? Then the Rams must go to Watford in the Championship.

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In RamsWeek 32 last year, The Rams had finished their pre-season when a Derby XI drew 1-1 at Belper Town whilst Robbie Savage hogged the media attention as he launched his autobiography. He was due to commence his Radio 5 Live ‘606’ football phone-in with presenter Mark Chapman as Sav stalked the airwaves to build upon his burgeoning media career.

Saturday brought the televised Championship curtain-raiser for Derby County at Elland Road, Leeds - and the team put on a magnificent performance to win 2-1 and give their fans 'the sweetest feeling!'

Leeds had taken an early lead but Derby hit back through a Commons penalty and then a Rob Hulse strike as the first half provided a see-saw spectacle.

New full-backs Brayford and Roberts had steady debuts and Derby’s impressive victory temporarily punctured the hype and expectations of the media and the bookies’ predictions.

American striker Conor Doyle signed a two-year contract with the Rams and the club announced a benefit game for ex-Rams’ flying winger Nigel Callaghan, now a bowel cancer sufferer.

Forest and Leicester both lost their opening games and eventual champions QPR thumped Barnsley 4-0.

The Rams had the chance to take on their good start in the Carling Cup at Crewe the following Tuesday…uh ohh!

Photo: Action Images

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