Having secured Championship safety, Derby County could approach the last game of the season away to Watford in a more relaxed frame of mind and look to the future.

Manager Nigel Clough first of all turned the clocks back by appearing for both Burton Albion and Derby County in the testimonial game for Brewers’ stalwart Aaron Webster at Burton Albion. There was a celebratory atmosphere, with Albion having just ascended to the Football League, their long-serving defender receiving his well-deserved testimonial match.

It’s been a case of ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ this week, quite apart from bidding farewell to a disappointing season in the season's final match at Watford. There were important arrivals on the Academy front and the beginnings of the summertime squad changes being announced. Two Rams’ Academy graduates also had an introduction to Championship football, with substitute roles in the game at Watford.

Darren Wassall and Michael Forsyth, with previous supporting roles under Nigel Clough and many hundreds of games for Derby County under their belt, joined the Rams’ Academy staff to look after the Under 16s.

Like Clough’s other backroom recruits, they have many miles between them travelling the same football destinations on the Brian Clough Way and A38 through Derby, Nottingham and Burton to share playing and coaching careers together! Derby also pinched John Perkins off Wolves to further bolster their youth development staff. It’s now “Nigel Clough’s Way” as Clough Junior builds his trusted staff team.

Speculation regarding players’ futures increased, with Tito Villa possibly on his way back home to South America; Andy Todd and Parris Simmons won’t be offered new contracts.

Though the Rams squad will be trimmed by about a dozen players this summer, manager Nigel Clough will reinstate a proper reserve side next season. The reserves will centre on the under-21players graduating from the Academy, sprinkled with recovering injury cases from the main squad.

Burton Albion defender Jake Buxton and 21-year-old centre-half John Brayford, relegated with Crewe Alexandra, are on Nigel Clough’s shopping list. Interesting as this is regarding players taking the leap up to much higher Leagues, we have to ‘trust in Clough’ to also find us a Robbie van der Laan or Igor Stimac figure, so that some strength and leadership can be introduced to the ranks during the summer.

David Nish joined the Rams fans’ ‘Greatest Ever’ eleven, winning the April poll as Derby County’s finest left back. On to central defence next, no doubt a certain Mr McFarland will capture the centre-half slot!

Derby County rounded off their 2008-09 Championship campaign away to Watford at Vicarage Road. With consolidation finally achieved, manager Clough could experiment with his team selections. He made two changes to the side that beat Charlton Athletic, dropping Albrechtsen and former Hornet Jordan Stewart, including Stephen Pearson  (at full back) and John Eustace, who is on loan from Watford.

He shuffled his side around, putting top scorer and Player of the Season Rob Hulse at centre-half; dropping unfit or unreliable centre-half Albrechtsen for a striker was perhaps a sign of Clough’s disappointment with his fragile central defence. Maybe it was an experiment to see if referees would be any more generous to Hulse as a centre half…

Youngsters Jason Beardsley, Mark Dudley, and Academy Player of the Year (and Republic of Ireland Under-16 Player of the Year) Mark O’Brien were on the Rams’ substitute’s bench. Watford fielded ex-Rams Tommy Smith and Grzegorz Rasiak.

The Rams started the brighter side and kept on the front foot, Bannan clipping the bar with a shot after several positive early moves. Straight after, Nyatanga slipped over and made a hash of a clearance, his error gifting McAnuff an easy chance to put Watford 1-0 ahead on 15 minutes.

Rasiak doubled their lead in 27 mins after Derby allowed Watford a couple of attempts and the crossbar saved them too before the Pole tapped the ball home. Derby tried to make more impact but Watford created the chances and helped themselves to the goals. Former Rams’ winger Tommy Smith was then invited by Derby’s casual defence to set up Rasiak for another goal (his 21st of the season) and it was 3-0 to Watford well before the break.

At least the Rams needed nothing from the game; perish the thought that points were needed from another ineffectual display. Pretty but ineffectual forward play, and trademark lax defending was once more the standard fayre dished up for the brightly garbed 2,000+ travelling Rams’ fans, presumably celebrating the blessed end of a mediocre season. Some continued to play with the beach balls, some left at half time.

Tito Villa replaced Varney and Mark O’Brien, not yet 17 years of age replaced Nyatanga as the game reached 65 minutes. He looked comfortable and did well on his debut. The Rams played some attractive football and finally made a breakthrough to strengthen their recovery, John Eustace heading in Teale’s cross. Another Rams’ debutant, full back Mark Dudley, replaced Stephen Pearson with around 20 minutes remaining.

The season ended on a downbeat note with the 3-1 defeat; when Derby hand the opposition a 3-0-interval lead then there isn’t much comfort for Derby supporters to take into the close season. Derby finished a poor 18th and a summer of rebuilding again beckons.

The manager thought that Derby attacked well without much reward - but that the “three daft goals” conceded in the first half were symptomatic of Derby’s current ills. Survival alongside successful diversions in the Cup competitions, are what the Rams can take from this season. 

Derby gained almost five times as many points this season as they did in 2007-08 but it was still barely enough to guarantee Championship consolidation. The last 8 fixtures rendered just 8 out of 24 points, with 7 goals scored and 14 conceded. Given the injury-ridden anti-climax, it’s to be hoped that better fitness, resilience and good luck with injuries - alongside more quality and consistency - are far more evident from the smaller 2009-10 Derby squad

At least we finished (just) above the Tricky Trees. Wolves clambered into the Premier League as Champions, Brum scraped back up to the top flight at the first attempt with a last-day win at Reading.

Charlton, Southampton and Norwich were relegated – quite surprisingly, given the pre-season predictions - and a warning was thus loudly sounded to big clubs failing to recover their impetus after recent relegation from the Premier League.

Derby will hope to leave any such fears behind them in 2009-10 and must plan for another tough and competitive season. The Championship could contain big guns from Tyneside, Wearside or Teeside as well as the 3 clubs falling out of the play-offs, and improving ambitious outfits like Swansea, QPR, Bristol City and Ipswich. A vast improvement is required if Derby are to be in any sort of contention.

The Rams hand over their own Stadium to the F.A on Bank Holiday Monday, which sees Derby hosting the Women’s F.A. Cup Final between Arsenal and Sunderland. For those taking a look, enjoy your day!

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RamsWeek 18 in 2008 saw a ‘Funeral for a Friend’ as our team was ejected from the Premier League on the back of two more defeats. Arsenal visited Pride Park Stadium and rattled another 6 past the Rams; Derby had actually pushed the Gunners to only a 3-2 advantage briefly, after McEveley and Rob Earnshaw netted rare goals, before Adebayor helped himself to a 2nd half hat trick.

The club didn’t hand out a fans’ Player of the Year Award, the Jack Stamps Trophy being rested after a debacle of a season; there were certainly no candidates in my book. Young Welsh goalie Lewis Price took the Young PoTY Award.

The final away game of the season saw the Rams succumb again, 3-1 at Blackburn Rovers. Derby actually stole the lead as Kenny Miller broke Rovers’ offside trap. Jason Roberts was soon presented with an equaliser, when Andy Todd put him through (!) and Roque Santa Cruz later sliced the Rams defence open twice more, so that was that; a season without a League away win was duly recorded.

4,000 hardy away fans dressed up for the occasion at Ewood Park in party gear, though the team played fittingly in all black for another funereal performance, waving goodbye to their Premier League sightseeing tour in record-breaking ignominy.

Photo: Action Images

Derby County Polls