Derby County had a clear week in which to prepare for the big East Midlands Championship  ‘derby’ match at the City Ground, Nothingham.

The first news of the week was welcome indeed, as the scan on Steve Davies’ latest injury showed that no serious damage was present. It is leg and foot jarring, which hopefully will have time to heal over the forthcoming international break.

Steve’s injury left Derby woefully short up front and fans expected manager Nigel Clough to seek reinforcements - though they were somewhat underwhelmed to learn that a loan deal had been struck with the furry foxes of Leicester for their out-of-favour veteran forwards Paul Dickov to come to Derby until the end of the year.

He does have vast experience and is a thorn in the opposition’s side with his persistent niggling style but it’s hardly exciting and - given that Dickinson has been sold and Varney loaned out - concerns were again raised about the restricted wage budget and club ambitions, with a threadbare squad and such unambitious recruitment.

I must admit that I was surprised that younger, quicker, more prolific available candidates such as Rasiak, Saganowski or Stead weren’t in the frame. They all know where the net is and have figured more prominently in their squads than the 36-year-old Dickov. Two of them had successful spells at Derby - especially Rasiak - and would have impressed fans rather more.

There is method in Clough’s actions however; Dickov is a character he knows well, who has over 450 appearances behind him and is a persistent presence around opposing defenders.

It’s a short-term measure, especially to cover the injuries to Davies and Porter. If Dickov deputises successfully in some positions, makes a nuisance of himself to the opposition and scuffs in the odd goal then it will have been a worthwhile undertaking.

Other transfer news ahead of the August 31st deadline was quiet on the Derby front; Rob Hulse had declared his allegiances to Derby and persistent rumours about interest from Middlesbrough have been batted away by The Rams’ management. Young Spur Jake Livermore will stay on loan with the Rams until January 1st.

Out-of-favour defenders Martin Albrechtsen and the awful Clod Davies - both seemingly on the verge of departing for weeks after being out of favour for months on end - have finally left the club. They have had their contracts terminated by mutual consent and will seek new clubs, so that’s two more of the deadweights shipped out of the club.

Also looking to the future is Miles Addison, as his development and impact from Academy beginnings has been rewarded with a call-up to the England Under-21 squad. The young lions have European Championship games in Greece and Macedonia early next month.

Congrats to Miles, a true Ram who is already playing a leading role at Pride Park Stadium and he can go to the very top of the game if he progresses as anticipated. In the absence of an adequate compliment of fit or productive strikers, he’s also the club’s current top scorer.

The Rams’ reserves kicked off their season with a satisfying 4-0 win over Shrewsbury Town, with Shaun Barker and Dean Leacock getting in some useful match practice. Albrechtsen and Stewart also played, and Saul Deeney was in goal. Mendy, Johnson and Ojamaa scored for the Rams, with an own goal completing the rout.

Of course, the main focus of the week was the big match at Nothingham on Saturday as the improving Rams took on the miserable Trees, who were again close to the foot of the Championship table and without a League victory this season or a win over Derby for six and a half years.

The Rams had sold out their original ticket allocation and an extra tranche was snapped up, taking the travelling support to almost 4,400 fans in a 28,143 gate.

The pre-match media sparring saw the clubs take different approaches to the prospect of the latest Trees-Rams clash. Billy Davies was running his ‘it’s just another game’ spiel before the game; “this is not a big occasion”, the irascible miniature Scot droned unconvincingly - though several Rams players asserted that the local ‘derby’ actually was something special.

Miles Addison for his part recalled the robbery by refereeing from the incompetent Stuart Attewell, who deprived Derby of all three points at home to the Trees last season with his erroneous decisions, whilst Kris Commons and Robbie Savage remembered the fine Derby victories in League and Cup in Nothingham last season. Rams fans wanted a repeat!

There were plenty of Derby-Nottingham connections on and off the pitch, with Clough, Gary Crosby, and Johnny Metgod on the Rams’ staff with distinguished Forest careers in their past and Kris Commons in the Derby team. Paul Connolly clocked up his 200th League appearance; ‘Forest Grump’ Billy Davies and his glittering ex-Derby managerial entourage have been supplanted in Nothingham, with ex-Rams including goalie Lee Camp and forwards Rob Earnshaw and Dexter Blackstock among the Trees’ squad.

Clough selected his fit-again forwards Hulse and Commons, saving Green, Croft and newcomer Dickov to the bench. It was a strong Derby bench including defenders Leacock and Barker, although Steve Davies, a scoring super sub last season at the City Ground, was missing.

The banter stopped and the match began - and Forest scored in the first minute. Majewski rammed in a fierce 25-yard shot in a dreadful start for the Rams, with Dean Moxey booked for a foul immediately afterwards as the Trees took the upper hand. The Rams settled but didn’t threaten, Garner was booked for Forest and Buxton was booked for Derby as the busy-body referee - yellow-carding three players in the first ten minutes - failed to apply any licence in a typically frenetic ‘derby’ game.

Teale shot wide when he should have hit the target after 25 minutes; that was a turning point because Forest were losing the initiative and the Rams had failed to capitalise. Forest were being awarded a stream of questionable free kicks and doubled their lead as Rob Hulse appeared to brush a delivery into the wrong net on 30 minutes. Derby needed a miraculous recovery, as in the FA Cup replay in Nothingham last February.

Teale delivered a free kick, which Rob Hulse put into the net off the bar, but the referee disallowed the effort for an imaginary foul. Pearson ran through the Trees defence but Camp pushed away Hulse’s shot as Derby figured more in the match towards the break. Disaster struck however as Tyson scored Forest’s third after Derby’s offside trap was sprung and he rounded Bywater. It was 0-3 at half time after a disjointed showing from the Rams.

Lee Croft replaced the ineffectual ‘wanderer’ Kris Commons, as Clough sought width and penetration. Kris had been culpable in the build-up to Forest’s goals and had not sparkled as expected. Derby won their first corner after 50 minutes as they fought to salvage something - and Miles Addison flicked in an acrobatic kick from 8 yards, which Cohen diverted into the Forest net. The Rams had pulled one back as they sustained their attacks - at last, some fight!

Derby made much more of a contest of it, with Forest flagging and - amazingly - it was suddenly 3-2 as Jake Livermore’s shot was deflected home! Derby’s attack prospered with Croft’s excellent wide play but poor deliveries eluded his teammates. It was a better display from Derby in the 2nd half and it seemed there was a real chance of a Rams recovery, when a drubbing had been on the cards.

The Rams continued to press in the late stages; Paul Dickov came on for Jake Buxton with five minutes remaining. He was clattered immediately but the ‘homer’ referee instead cautioned Rams’ coach Andy Garner for protesting at the lack of a Derby free kick. Savage was then assaulted twice as the Trees sought to halt Derby’s momentum during the tense final minutes.

Despite scoring three goals, Forest had never blitzed the Derby penalty area. After the Rams clambered back into the match, they were the more threatening side with Forest at sea, penned into their own half for much of the second half. A complete comeback was threatened but sadly, not achieved as the game reached a feisty conclusion, with 9 hectic minutes of added time.

Billy Davies had exhorted the home fans to increase the verbal support for his flagging team as they clung on to their advantage, but the referee elected to send Rams’ coach Andy Garner to the stand for making a similar gesture to the Derby fans. Some highly inconsistent officiating!

As well as the Rams had fought in the second period, the pedestrian display in the first half condemned them to defeat. You get no points for a brave but unsuccessful fightback but at least the Trees remain below Derby (who are now 11th) in the Championship table.

Derby’s methodical teamwork deserted them in the first half as Forest attacked every ball, playing with pace and aggression. Derby are regularly knocked over by average but energetic, workmanlike teams that hustle and scrap - as defeats at Scunthorpe, Rotherham - and now Forest - prove.

The lack of cohesion in defence was exposed early on and one could predict that Barker and perhaps Leacock may soon see more action. Croft made a difference in the 2nd half and if he can deliver the ball more accurately, Hulse and his fellow forwards can prosper.

Winning ‘ugly’ remains a Billy Davies specialism, and he managed that to his obvious relief. Given Forest’s poor recent record against the Rams, it was a ‘once in a blue moon’ event for them to enjoy.

At the final whistle, there was an altercation between the players as the idiotic Nathan Tyson taunted the Rams fans by waving a corner flag at them; some Derby players reacted angrily. “Ha Ha, Said The Clown” - but Tyson may well wish that he hadn’t, when the FA are finished with him!

The ugly scenes that ensued as Derby players endeavoured to discourage Tyson and his chums from the blatant provocation were regrettable, after all the hooligan headlines this week in East London. It was incitement of fans as well as provocative and insulting to Derby players - Tyson was well out of order and also roundly condemned by all the commentators.

I suppose it was to be expected from Forest; Tyson was just plain foolish and his manager has, in past victories displayed circus tactics regularly, even when ‘celebrating’ play-off semi or final wins at both Preston and Derby County. To their credit, Rams fans did not rise to the bait, so even worse headlines were averted. Clough and his staff had already disappeared down the tunnel whilst Billy’s merry men continued their inflammatory nonsense.

Rams’ captain Robbie Savage condemned Tyson’s actions as ‘disgraceful’. The Trees’ boss Billy Davies had joined the melee then later conveniently forgot (and intentionally misrepresented) how Robbie Savage had celebrated at the City Ground after Derby won there twice in a month last season. The Welshman’s scarf-twirling exploits were enacted in front of his OWN (Derby) fans - not those of the opposition.

It will be interesting to see the official reaction from the authorities; Tyson might not be celebrating anything else for a good few weeks, but both clubs could be charged with a failure to control their players. Savage acknowledged Forest’s victory but promised them a good game in the return fixture at Derby!

Nigel Clough bit his lip when asked about the officials’ performance during the game, stating only that they were ‘Premier League professional officials’, with the manager also hoping that the referee had noted all the antics of the Forest players after the final whistle. Referee Atkinson booked 8 players, yet still managed to miss much of the Forest niggling.

It all left a bitter taste on top of the defeat, and the Rams would have to wait a fortnight to get the reversal out of their system with a training break in Spain ahead of them during the international interlude.

The Rams’ manager and the captain declared themselves proud of the fightback but for the fans, more pride was lost with the huge disappointment of a rare defeat against their closest rivals than any satisfaction gained from a decent 2nd half performance.

Derby fans will look forward to the Pride Park Stadium return and I still back Derby to finish above the Trees this season.
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RamsWeek 35 last year saw out-of-favour full back Tyrone Mears allegedly crawling out of the window to join French club Marseille on loan, without authorisation from Derby County Football Club.

As he often ‘went missing’ on the few occasions he played for us in the Premier League and was one of the many players that had fallen out with manager Paul Jewell (or vice versa), he was hardly a big loss. Jewell declared he wouldn’t play for the club again, and he didn’t.

Jewell had already ditched Mears and his mediocre full back chum Jay McEveley from the team after the two opening home defeats, bringing in new signing Paul Connolly in his place as another outcast, ex-captain. Robbie Savage wasn’t selected for the League cup-tie at Preston where young Miles Addison played in midfield. Derby won 1-0 via a Paul Green goal.

Despite the “110% backing” for manager Jewell from director of football Adam Pearson and his board colleagues, the team couldn’t sustain their improvement and went down 2-0 in the Championship at Barnsley a few days later.

It was an embarrassing defeat with the pattern of poor performances against unrated scuttling, harrying teams being repeated at Oakwell. Fans anticipated the next League game, at home to Sheffield United, in the fervent hope that the hapless Jewell and his under-achieving charges would not register a dreadful anniversary on that day - one whole year without a League victory.

So much for the defeatist, negative utterances of Mears and Jewell, declaring that the players liked playing away because there was too much pressure on them from massive home crowds!

Photo: Action Images

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