Derby avoided the clutches of the relegation zone last week with a hard-earned home win over Reading. Next time out, they faced Championship front-runners West Bromwich Albion at Pride Park Stadium.

Whilst the 2009 Championship loan deadline has now passed, stories about transfer movement in the January 2010 window was as active as ever with Rams’ centre forward Rob Hulse again at the centre of speculation.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now apparently interested but Derby County reported that whilst no bids had been received, they anticipated weeks of similar speculation.

Media stories cited a £3m valuation, which falls very short of the alleged £4.5m that Middlesbrough offered a few months ago; quite how a good centre forward who is still scoring regularly falls so far in value in just three months is beyond me and most others!

Several other current Derby players - all of whom have had mixed careers at Pride Park Stadium - are in the throes of discussing contract renewal as their contracts expire next summer. For three of them - Pearson, McEveley and Barnes, it often seems that the terms ‘mercurial’ or ‘enigmatic’ were invented for them. They could almost be adjudged either essential or superfluous by turns!

Stephen Pearson can be an effective component of the midfield, though can flatter to deceive, doing one good thing then losing his way next time he has the ball. He has had major fitness problems too and Clough needs resilient, productive players to run with a lean squad.

Scottish international Pearson says he wants to stay at Derby whilst his agent says ‘he is weighing up his options’. The player has been wanted by Stoke City and Birmingham City in the recent past, a move to Brum broke down when Pearson’s medical reports caused them to have doubts. It is a long time now since the glory of that Wembley play-off final winner and club and fans want to see Pearson have a good run in the team and exploit his abilities more consistently.

Giles Barnes has consummate skill and is exciting to watch. He’s been a match winner but lacks the essentials of fitness and consistency. He is still young but to compare his progress with that of former Rams starlet Tom Huddlestone (with his now very considerable experience at Championship, Premier League and international level) puts Giles’ career to date into stark perspective.

Barnes was worth millions a couple of seasons ago (notably to West Ham United) though for now continues the long road back to recapture his fitness and force his way into Clough’s selection plans. Premier League Fulham took him on loan last season but had a good run-in to the season to qualify for Europe.

Giles didn’t get a look-in and Cottagers’ manager Roy Hodgson then looked elsewhere in the transfer market to strengthen his squad last summer. If Barnes can regain fitness and put in some appearances he may yet be of value on the pitch or in the transfer market.

Jay McEveley has been the proverbial curate’s egg. He delivered some horrendously poor Premier League showings as everything collapsed around him week after week, and then mediocre Championship performances under Paul Jewell in 2008-09. Paul Jewell replaced him with Jordan Stewart and Jay seemed a liability of near-Claude the Clown proportions.

From eventually being treated as a loan outcast and then becoming one of Derby’s many injury-plagued misfits, he has battled back. Under Clough’s guidance he has put in some imposing recent performances, especially at centre half in emergency circumstances and is now showing the right attitude and application to remain part of Clough’s plans.

McEveley is finally using his defender’s physique to good effect and showing signs of fighting hard for team and manager. It’s about time, Jay - now keep it up!

I have been ambivalent about all three players; Barnes and Pearson sometimes exhibit the talent to be among the best in their positions in the Championship - and they can exasperate management and fans to send them into total frustration over another lengthy injury absences or some decidedly hot-and-cold performances. McEveley is only now showing his ability.

Well, such decisions are why Nigel Clough gets paid well to manage the club and I wouldn’t bet against our Nigel wanting to keep all three players - and getting much more from them than the two previous incumbents in his job.

One player whose days at Derby are numbered and his place in the fans’ collective memory just as short-lived is Reuben Zadkovich. He’s another one of Paul Jewell’s under-used curios and is now apparently in negotiations to have his contract cancelled. Cheerio and err, thanks Rueben.

In contrast, Gordon Guthrie’s splendid 50 years at the club were celebrated at a special event this week. He was presented with a Merit Award by the club’s Former Players’ Association. Gordon has worked with 19 managers at Derby at the Baseball Ground and Pride Park Stadium and has been player, coach, physio and kit man as one of the greatest servants in the history of Derby County.

If ever there was a Guthrie autobiography it would be one football book, for a change, that would be well worth reading! For now, there are some great recollections in the pages of the recent ‘Derby ‘Til I Die’ book, with Gordy sharing recollections about Clough & Taylor, Dave Mackay, Roy Mac & Toddy and Charlie George!

I received a response this week from signing up to help the DCFC Clough & Taylor statue project. Unlike traditional supporter fund-raising methods, the club is currently only encouraging an expenditure of £1,000s on corporate inscriptions or a costly miniature replica of the statue for a mere £1,972.

Nowt much there for your average season-ticket holder, so good luck with that, Tom! I assume that if there ever was a Dave Mackay statue as well, then his replica would cost £1,976 - which would also match the year of Derby’s League Championship under his management...

The match against in-form West Bromwich Albion was anticipated with some trepidation by Derby fans; Albion were defeated at Wembley by the Rams last time the clubs met in that memorable Championship play-off final when Albion thought they would cake-walk it into the Premier League.

Derby were catapulted out of the EPL at the end of the following season in an embarrassing relegation; WBA then resumed their own yo-yo existence by gaining promotion and then suffering immediate relegation.

This season, there’s no doubt that Albion are the stronger Championship side, currently in 2nd spot and scoring freely, as Derby scrap to stay clear of the bottom six.

Manager Clough had some late injury surprises as Paul Green and Shaun Barker were ruled out. Jay McEveley partnered Dean Leacock in defence and Lee Croft was recalled in midfield. There were over 30,100 fans in attendance again at Pride Park Stadium and what Derby fans saw was a revelation compared to most other games this season.

The Rams disregarded Albion’s reputation from the first whistle, setting about them at a high tempo. Players ran and worked for each other, they were crisp in the tackle, quick to cover - Derby made a great start and the Baggies knew they were in a contest. Croft and Stoor worked well together, Leacock and McEveley mastered Albion’s forwards and Savage was prodigious in the centre - and almost everywhere else on the pitch.

Derby fans dared to dream that their team would not ultimately fold as they had previously against the better footballing sides like QPR and Cardiff. The Rams looked the more dangerous in attack and Baggies’ goalkeeper Carson made several last-ditch saves with his legs and fingertips as Derby went close several times. Albion struck the post as Cox shot when they threatened.

Things are never simple at Derby however; yet more poor officials were inflicted upon us as referee Mr Deadman (so apt!) and his zombie assistants confounded us with inaccurate decisions all afternoon. 

The temperature rose along with the crowd’s frustration level as tempers frayed; Graham Dorrans reacted to a midfield clash with Robbie Savage and clearly lashed out at Savage. For some reason, the zombie official ignored the rules about violent conduct and merely booked the Baggies man, as well as Dickov who had reacted to Dorran’s retaliation in the melee.

Regardless of those regular frustrations, Derby’s determined, enterprising play generated a great atmosphere from a responsive crowd as we hoped it was a sign of things to come now that Clough’s problems with player injuries was easing and he could set out his stall properly.

Man-of the-Match Paul Dickov - again in storming form and a relentless worry to Albion’s defence - slammed Derby into the lead close to the interval with a fierce shot on the turn past a flailing Carson. Pride Park Stadium treated their team to a rare standing ovation at the half-time whistle; the crowd was buzzing with expectation and the second period was even more frenetic.

Again the Rams matched Albion and looked headed for an unexpected victory. Yet more drama came at the end of the match as the Rams were denied the three points their spirited performance had merited.

Albion scored after 81 minutes when Cox converted a Brunt cross with the help of his hand, for a hotly-disputed leveller. Derby felt badly treated once again by the officials.

They pressed again and sought a winner but were dealt a low blow when Albion snatched a late lead. Dorrans - who should have been showered and dressed as a spectator after his attack on Savage in the first half - gave the Baggies what looked like a cruel winning 2-1 advantage in added time. It was a goal that met with strong protests of offside from the Rams’ players and management.

The Rams were not to be denied but fought on to the wire - they gave the game a final twist to take the excitement level to the limit! Albion’s lead was short-lived as substitute Lee Hendrie for once got hold of the ball, ran free and crossed for another substitute, debutant DJ Campbell to ram home the equaliser.

The stadium exploded with relief as justice was done; Derby’s excellent performance was rightly rewarded with a point. Derby matched the Baggies and might well have won had the officials done their jobs properly.

The Rams turned in their best team performance of the season despite not taking all three points. The players have set themselves a benchmark which they need to repeat regularly, especially away from home. They battled for everything and the fans responded. It had been an absorbing game - 95 minutes of drama and fine entertainment, and the Rams’ first home draw of the season.

The Rams dropped a place to 17th in the table, 4 points and 4 places from the relegation zone but more performances like this one will surely see them prosper and climb the table. Two away league games now confront the Rams. Fans will be comforted by Clough’s declaration that he will probably play 4-4-2 away from home now that he has more striker options.

Derby certainly need to give the opposition something to worry about as they cannot expect to sit deep and form up against more positive opposition, hoping to merely absorb or repel all attacks. You can’t surrender possession all night and come away with anything very often, if at all. Let’s hope Derby can break that sorry pattern on their travels at Preston on Tuesday and Watford next Saturday.

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RamsWeek 49 last season gave fans the pleasure and pain of being Derby supporters. A great midweek display in the Carling Cup was followed by a colourless home defeat in the league - what a bringdown!

A brilliant, gritty performance in the League Cup at Premier League Stoke City saw the Rams spring a surprise 1-0 win at the Britannia Stadium. A tenacious display was rewarded in injury time when Stoke defender (and one-time useless Rams’ loanee) Andy Griffin handled in the area - and Nathan ‘Duke’ Ellington slotted home the penalty to give Derby a tantalising two-leg semi-final against Manchester United.

Crystal Palace visited Pride Park Stadium and won 2-1. Derby’s dozy defence had allowed Paddy McCarthy to score with a long-range speculative drive before debutant Luke Varney equalised close to the break from Kaz’s cross. Palace had the better of thing in the second half and Shefki Kuqi claimed the winner. It was a flat end to a week that had started with such a great away win.

The club announced a year of celebrations during 2010 to commemorate the club’s 125th anniversary, commencing with the unveiling of the long-awaited Steve Bloomer tribute in January.

Speaking of anniversaries, I can’t finish this week without noting that RamZone is now 12 years old! Here’s to all the readers - and of course to the team behind the features, articles, reports and messageboard. Long may we all continue to catalogue and comment upon the life and times of Derby County FC.

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