Derby County Barometer – New Season 20/21

As incredible as it may seem, we are now well into pre-season after only 3 weeks or so since the last season finished. The lads are back in, friendlies have started and, I kid you not, we have actually signed someone in the shape of Scotland’s number 1, David Marshall.

Whilst our EFL charge verdict remains outstanding, the whole outlook for the imminent season 20/21 could change immediately at any time. However right here, right now, here’s our traditional new season barometer.

Phillip Cocu – A little more than a year after some major away day thumpings and the realisation that our new signings really weren’t very good, there were more than a few rams fans who thought we had backed a dud in Big Phil. 12 months later, a vague tweet by Rafael Van Der Vaart suggesting him as the new Holland coach sent shivers down everyone’s spine. Cocu has been and remains an island of calm and common sense in the middle of the madness that is Derby County. He’s done the hard yards, let’s see what he does next.

Football images that precede unfortunate events DCFC edition part 2365

Transfer Activity – With the whole football world financially re-adjusting and a deafening silence continuing around our EFL case, the lack of transfer activity was more than a bit worrying. However, with David Marshall in the bag to solve our number one problem position and rumours rife around the return of Matt Clarke, Panzo and Murphy, it seems we aren’t under embargo and are very much active. Amen to that!

Jack Marriott – There was a point in the Lampard season where I honestly thought Jack Marriott was going to be a new Bobby Davison. Old skool, pain in the arse, goal poacher, scoring winners all over the show. It all went wrong with rumoured fall outs, rumoured attitude issues, constant injuries and of course his inexplicable exclusion at Wembley. Last season was a right off, but Jack is looking fit, sharp and most importantly happy. He even growing his pirate hair back. If Cocu gets him firing you can add 20 goals to the plus column straight off.

I will say it for last time on this blog – Biblical. Who’s chopping Onions?

Richard Keogh – Even at the point of joining his new club and sending a personal message to all Derby fans, Keogh continues to divide opinion. It’s such a shame how it ended and that he didn’t managed get us over the line, but what a leader and character he was for our club. Definitely one of my favourite players ever. At best treated harshly, at worst, royally shafted by the club he served so courageously for so long. Listen, all MKD aren’t we, like you say.

Louis and the lads – Whilst Derby’s strong finish to last season owed much to the influence of Wazza, it also owed much to the emergence of Max Bird, Jason Knight and Louis Sibley who all firmly established themselves as first team players. A full season of these boys with a bit more senior quality to support them could be amazing.

 

97 mins, Chris scores off his arse to deny Forest play offs in a game they hammered us in. A beautiful memory for the ages. Go well King.

Chris Martin – The renaissance of CM9 (aka CM19) was one of the stories of last season and his 97^th minute equaliser against Forest, which ultimately cost them the play offs, certainly one of the best moments (as was his 3 assist and one uncalled for GBH performance at Sheff Wed). Derby should have sold Chris for £8m or £9m when they had the chance but his return to the fray as an almost perfect fit for Cocuball was great to see. Surrounded by ‘legs’ for the first time since peak Bryson, Chris flourished and it’s such a shame we couldn’t retain his services.

New Kits – Umbro have been here a while now and if you sniffed them getting complacent and boring in the last few years, this year’s kits really are a token gesture. A bang average basic home kit and a super boring away kit, they really need to pull it out the bag with the 3^rd. Where’s the nods to heritage, where’s the nods to Holland, where’s anyone who can be arsed on the design team?

Hmmm….lets think…Holmes goes to Aldi – lockdown buster? Waghorn gets new decking – adhesives angle? Sibley dates 18 year old? Yes! oh he is 18 too? FFS.

The Daily Mail –  I get Derby are a car crash and don’t help themselves in any way shape or form but these bastards are quite simply out to get us. The run of extrordinary, doomsday stories is relentless and bizarre. I think if they got wind someone was making Mel a cup of tea, you’d have a “Derby in potential Covid breach” before it had even got cold. Honestly, just fuck off.

DCFC Fans online – There is now loads of DCFC content online everyday from various sources. Some of it is mega, some of it not so much. You do get odd days like snowgate and Forests play off debacle, where everyone is united in bantering for the common good which are amazing. But for the rest of the time you get the die hards, the try hards, the snowflakes, the Brexit squad, the young team, the old team, the analysts, the trolls, the Gammon stand, the I’m better than you end and the ITK accounts all banging heads all day every day. It ain’t fun sometimes.

All Derby aren’t we? No we’re not, yes we are, you’re a twat, did you go to Blackburn? This linked Polish winger is mega, I hate Lawrence, Matt Clarke is god etc etc etc  

Season 19/20 – This is an article in its own right if not a book, but as a closing comment there will surely never be a season like this ever again. Even for a batshit club like ours it really was insane from start to finish. If you consider that the season being suspended for 3 months due to a global pandemic was probably only the 3^rd or 4^th most bizarre thing that happened it probably tells you all you need to know. Thanks god that chapter is finally closed.