Derby players prepared for the Carling Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday with criticism ringing in their ears from both manager Paul Jewell and Director of Football Operations Adam Pearson, saying that the performance at Burnley had been unacceptable.

Nearly five thousand loyal fans had snapped up the tickets for the clash at the Britannia Stadium and were hoping for a better showing by the Rams on the road.

Team changes followed the Burnley show, as Barazite could not play (Arsenal didn’t want him Cup-tied), Luke Varney was ineligible. The other newcomer James Tomkins was available and played alongside Darren Powell in defence, Paul Jewell making only one change to the starting line up that flopped at Burnley as Ellington replaced Varney.

Stoke fielded ex-Rams Andy Griffin, Danny Higginbotham and long-throw maestro Rory Delap. The Potters played their usual attritional, physical game but Derby were not intimidated this time and stood up to the onslaught. The Derby side was transformed from the shambles at Burnley just three days ago.

Their superior height and Delap’s occasional long throw were generally held off successfully by the Rams during the first half and Derby had their fair share of possession and attacking intent, giving as good as they got in the game. Half time at 0-0 was a just reward for a much-improved effort from the Rams.

In the second period Derby started brightly and worried the Stoke defence, with Chris Commons rapping the bar with a header and Hulse nodding the rebound wide. It was a fast and furious game with both teams looking to win the tie; Derby again came closest as an Addison effort grazed the post. Roy Carroll pulled off a magnificent save to deny from Ricardo Fuller.

The Rams fought like tigers, more than matching the Potters as the game came to a tense climax - and then, deep into added time - Derby won a penalty! Andy Griffin, thoroughly useless in a short, forgettable spell at Pride Park Stadium, was adjudged to have handled in the area.

Nathan Ellington was super-cool as he slotted the spot kick precisely home - seconds later, the final whistle blew.

Derby County had qualified for their first League Cup quarterfinal for forty seasons; Paul Jewell claimed his first victory as Derby manager over Premier League opposition. What a performance, what a result! The Rams were now a two-leg semi-final away from a date at Wembley Stadium.

Jewell was circumspect afterwards, no doubt savouring the moment after the grief that the club has been through in the last 12 months but mainly saying how rewarding it was for the fans. Media chief Matt McCann was elated, excited, and almost lost for words! Phone-in fans were crazed and exuberant, milking the moment.

Rory Delap’s throws had failed him - but the Rams took their ‘worst team in history’ tag to a Premiership stadium and threw it in Stoke’s face. Bye, Bye, Bye Delilah, indeed!

In between the surprising progress to the Carling Cup semi-final and Saturday’s game at home to Crystal Palace, it was a busy time at the club. Coupled with the acceleration of activity in ShopDCFC from the Christmas shopping events, Derby County commenced the celebrations for the 125th anniversary of the club’s inception with a flurry of news and media events.

A year of celebration awaits us - all hopefully accompanied by meaningful progress on the field. History was saluted, with Rams’ legends posing for ‘team pics’ to mark this milestone occasion.

Mackay, McFarland, van der Laan, Gabbiadini all donned the black & white strip again and lined up with FA Cup winners Reg Harrison and Jim Bullions, with Addison and Nyatanga representing players starring for Derby County over the last seven decades to record the kick-off to our anniversary events.

The125th anniversary will be celebrated for the entire calendar year, announced the Rams’ Chairman and CEO, with fans participating in polls and features for Derby’s best team, best players and manager and so on.

Commercial partners aren’t usually far away from the scene at such times in football these days and local brewers Marstons (themselves being175 years old), were announced first, with a generally available commemorative pack with beer, glass and ticket out there is the shops for Christmas consumption.

Also and at long last, more than six years since fans commenced the campaign to honour Steve Bloomer - Derby’s greatest player - he will be honoured with the new monument in his honour being scheduled for unveiling at Pride Park Stadium on 17th January 2009, the day of Derby’s home game against Charlton Athletic and three days before the anniversary of Steve Bloomer’s birthday.

For good measure, let me record too that RamsWeek is a year older so there’s another welcome anniversary to record! It is eleven years this week since Einar and Arild Sand dedicated their original website to Derby County from Norway. Here’s to the next successful decade to all out there!

Friday saw the release of a welcome and richly rewarding publication, as “Derby ‘Til I Die” was launched at a packed out Pride Park Stadium launch in the presence of Tom Glick and the Mayor of Derby. It’s a book of recollections written by the fans, for the fans, comprising dozens of entertaining anecdotes from supporters young and old over many decades of Derby County history.

Developed and funded by the National Literacy Trust, Legends Publishing and RamsTrust, the initiative also brings 600 copies to local schools and libraries to support literacy as part of the project’s community commitment - as well as producing a cracking little heritage treasure-trove of memories for Rams fans everywhere to enjoy.

The Football Association found no evidence from the recent match-fixing allegations reported in the press after the Rams’ 2-1 win at Carrow Road in October and have exonerated Norwich City & Derby County.

The away FA Cup tie at non-League Forest Green Rovers on 3rd January will be closely followed by the home clash with Manchester United for the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final; the draw being made shortly before Saturday’s League programme. Burnley face Tottenham in the other semi-final.

There’s a fair bit of League action in between times and Paul Jewell is still searching for consistency and a convincing look to his reformed Derby County side.

Whilst Paul Jewel, his players and Rams fans were savouring the prospect of a huge sell-out semi-final against the Champions of Europe, Fergie was soon whinging about having 8 games in 26 days in the New Year; United must fit in the domestic cups after their showboat overseas junket to the World Club Championship.

Are we supposed to worry that United’s resources and energy will be stretched for their return to English competition?

Crystal Palace came to Derby on Saturday and spoiled the party. Their purposeful and penetrative football was too much for Derby and they took the points in winning 2-1. Derby seldom looked like winning although they had levelled the score just before half time.

Luke Varney made his home debut along with defender James Tomkins, who flicked on Kaz’s free kick for Luke to head the ball over the line.

Derby had gifted Palace an early lead through Paddy McCarthy’s 35-yard strike. Derby players stood off and admired the Eagles’ player as he advanced and elected to drive home his generous invitation. “Wonder goals” struck from huge distances often have an element of slackness and neglect from a lax defence - and this one was no different. Memories of the Petrov strike from last season were evoked.

Varney had a lively home debut and when he equalised for the Rams, Palace boss Neil Warnock and goalkeeper Speroni protested in vain. The Eagles had the better of the second half and Kuqi claimed the winner from close range. Rams players occupied themselves yet again in appealing for offside instead of playing to the whistle. Poor concentration still regularly benefits our opposition.

What a bringdown! The tremendous effort and application to conquer Stoke, the prospect of the United semi-final and the euphoria over the club’s celebratory events to come in 2009 was replaced by a mediocre and unproductive display against Palace.

Saturday was a very disappointing conclusion to what had been a good week for Derby County, in front a healthy crowd for pre-Christmas of 27,200 spectators.

It resulted in the Rams’ first home defeat for over 3 months, with Paul Jewell still scratching his head as to when his side will produce consistently tenacious, competitive and successful football. We’ve had glimpses, in the Stoke game and a handful of other performances, such as against the Sheffield teams, Norwich and QPR away and in some of the other Carling Cup ties.

2009 celebrations notwithstanding, Rams fans will look forward more optimistically more consistency is demonstrated by the players. Supporters will look forward to seeing Green, Albrechtsen, Leacock and Barnes returned to contention and if the loans of Barazite and Tomkins can be renewed in January.

As Dan noted in his match report from Saturday, we’re just not convinced that the squad has enough quality, strength in depth and application to do much more than mark time in 2008-09 ready for a further serious strengthening next close season.

Pre-match, Adam Pearson had declared that Derby County won’t be major players in the January 2009 transfer window because ‘mistakes had been made’ in the last two winter windows and the club - having prepared to spend £1.5m on Luke Varney for a permanent transfer - were not going to risk all on a ‘nearly’ half-season in the run-out of 2008-09, which could leave finances stretched.

Further exciting January signings are therefore not anticipated Darren Powell can give strength in depth if not representing the ultimate quality desired to improve the football team. Supporters can see the sense in Mr Pearson’s caution, though they will want a big push next season if an anti-climactic run-in arrives in May 2009.

It will be the second and final windfall of Premier League ‘parachute payments’ - so that further sum of £12m (this season’s amount already vanishing to pay contracts of the Davies’ deadbeats and the likes of Lily Savage) will be needed to further stabilise finances and fund the manager.

No doubt journalists like Neil Hallam, deemed unpopular when such critical analysis is undertaken, will maintain observation as to how the GSE investment group realise their financial promises to Derby County in hard financial terms.

If exclusion of this lifelong fan and local reporter occur - however occasionally abrasive he has been in having endured similar bans from the likes of Maxwell - then this is (in my opinion) quite undesirable, and has somewhat tarnished the goodwill that the club wished to spread with the advent of the anniversary celebrations.

Great though the 125 celebrations’ programme will no doubt prove, the nitty gritty of the club’s safe deliverance to the top tier of English football is what matters. That’s what will most satiate the Rams’ huge fanbase, subsequent to one and a quarter centuries of the roller-coaster history that our forefathers and we have enjoyed - and sometimes endured!

Derby need to be returned to a berth that more closely aligns with their status in the table of the best-supported teams in the land - that is, 12th position in English football. That will be the ultimate measure of success for the latest incarnation of Derby County.

The Rams have two away matches next week with which to continue that process; away at pacemakers Wolves on Tuesday and then at Charlton next Saturday. We need points and performances to point us optimistically towards then New Year.

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In RamsWeek 49 last year, new manager Paul Jewell recruited Bill Green as a scout and Alan Tomlinson as physio.

The Rams travelled to Old Trafford with fans expecting very little; though Derby were beaten 4-1, a more battling performance was again evident. Derby even scored their first Premier League away goal of the season, and ended their worst scoreless sequence - 776 minutes without a goal - since 1920.

Steve Howard reached a career pinnacle by scoring in the highest tier with Derby's goal at Old Trafford, after all his years battling through with Luton and then helping Derby to promotion late in his career.

Photo: Action Images

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