Derby County Fanspotting

If you were looking for a set of UK football supporters that have been through the mill more than Derby County fans in the last five years you would do well.

Yes, we’ve not been relegated, been in financial difficulty or been rinsed by foreign owners like several clubs, but, as the saying goes, it’s the hope that kills you. After the horror of Wembley, it seems the Rams capacity to emotionally destroy their fans knows no bounds with the rollercoaster results this year doing little to halt the trend.

Any Derby County online group or feed and often the away end at any given game is currently not a nice place to be, with the word “toxic” regularly being used. Civil war is raging between fans at levels not seen since the Clough days but its maybe not as straight forward as happy clappers v wrist slashers.

Here’s how we break down the factions.

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Derby County Translate

As another crushingly disappointing season for Derby County comes to a close, we at least have the glimmer of hope that, in Gary Rowett, we may have a manager who understands what the Championship is all about.

With promises of much change in the summer and the football largely irrelevant for the last few weeks, there’s been no shortage of comments in the local press from all levels of DCFC as Directors, Staff and Players try to explain another failure and talk up the future of the club and themselves.

Using our handy Derby County Translate tool, you can read here what these statements really mean.

Derby County – Our Plan For Progress

Last year Mel Morris spoke about re-writing his plan for Derby County and publishing as much of this as possible to the public domain. To date this plan has never materialised.

When Steve McClaren was first appointed and the Rams were winning regularly, nobody cared about Mel’s plan. However, with the team & the club once again rudderless, the topic of “the plan” has started to be raised again.

Whilst Mel gathers his thoughts, we’ve put together our own plan, which the club can have on us, with our compliments.  Some are big issues, some minor, some serious, some not so much. Let us know your thoughts.

Rinse, No Repeat – Part 2

It wasn’t too long ago that a Derby midfield three made up of Hendrick Hughes and Bryson, in his pomp, was widely regarded as one of the best in the division. When Steve McClaren added George Thorne to the mix it seemed like the final piece of the jigsaw.

A few years, a few managers, some awful injuries and some even more awful recruitment later, our midfield is simply a mess and the number one area for refresh over the close season.

In part 2 of this short series, we pick the bones out of the Rams Midfield and what needs done this summer.

Rinse, No Repeat – Part 1

Following the back to back disasters of the Bristol City and Cardiff games, Steve McClaren appealed to Rams fans not to over react and pointed to the great turnaround in form since his arrival.

Whilst Steve has undoubtedly pulled up trees to even get the Rams in the mix at all, this same group of players are again having the same collapse in form at the same time of year.

At the time of writing, Derby sit 11 points outside the play offs (which looks a lot of ground to make up when you consider the teams above them) so thoughts are inevitably turning to next season.

I think most Derby fans would agree that something now must give with this group of players who on their day are great, but simply do not have the X factor required to get us out this league. Thus in the first of a series of articles this week, we consider who stays and who goes, starting with the goalkeepers and defenders.

24th – Mel Morris

So here it is, window 24. The double doors when you were a kid, the extra large chocolate now. Thanks to everyone has tweeted, re-tweeted, commented or just read the articles, it is all appreciated. Thanks also to Stew, Joel, Jon and Olly for their cracking contributions.

To conclude this campaign there is only one person it can be – Derby County owner, chief investor and all round local hero, Mr Mel Morris.

16th – The January Transfer Window

I trust everyone is suitably beaming from last nights destruction of Bristol City? However behind todays window is the infamous January transfer window.

Recent Rams history is littered with January window disasters where we have gone big or not gone at all, much to everyone’s frustration. So what’s in store this time?

13th – Brighton Post Match Bullets

As its exactly half way through this campaign of articles, I thought today was a good day to take a breather from the advent stuff and do a post match review of yesterday’s highly entertaining 2-2 draw against Brighton.

Here’s my thoughts.

11th – Craig Bryson

Behind the window today is DCFC hero midfielder Craig Bryson.

With this week’s news of further injury troubles and the transfer window about to re-open, this season is starting to look like another one of frustration for Bryso. Thus we thought it only right to remind everyone what an absolute legend he is.

10th – Chris Evans

Behind todays window is probably one of the most debated characters in the recent history of Derby County.

No, not Mel Morris, Steve McClaren, Sam Rush, Keogh or any other player. It’s ex head of recruitment Chris Evans!