Play Offs -Away from the Action

We have made for appearances in the championship play offs with mixed success.

When I look back to them games it always brings up a memory or too!

When our George Burley managed Rams met Preston in the end of season knockout for a place in the final, I couldn't make the away leg. I was working at Scunthorpe Speedway at the time and had to rely on watching the match in a local pub.

I did have tickets for the return at Pride Park, however that week we wee holidaying in Fleetwood, which is just up the road from Preston.

On the Monday of the holiday we actually visited Deepdale and saw the players in practice.

Back then, the National Footballl museum was also located at the ground. There's a great statue of Tom Finney outside too.

The home leg took place on the Wednesday night. Myself and my son Aron drove down from Fleetwood to Derby in the early afternoon. We got there about an hour before kick off.

The match itself is history, but our journey back up North was quite a laugh. Preston fans travelling back blowing the horns in their cars as they passed us on the journey back.

Billy v Burley part two in 2007 was memorable for something else other than the great result.

Just towards the end of the game the heavens opened and my walk back to the car with my son and daughter saw us all get soaked to the skin. We park near my nephews house in Chaddesdon. 

We all had to remove our jeans and ride home in our underwear whilst our clothes dried out on the car heaters. Fortunately I had a travel rug to spare the blushes of the son and daughter, however I hate to think what the police would have made of me driving home in my boxers! 

From Mid-Table to Play Offs.

There has been a little debate recently amongst tweeters as to would we have finished in third place had Steve McClaren not been appointed as Head Coach.

I myself was engaged in quite a long debate with a fellow Rams fan a few weeks ago that opposed the sacking of Nigel Clough and believes the season would have ended pretty much the same had he not been removed.

Don't get me wrong! I like Nigel Clough! I think he did an excellent job in clearing up the mess he inherited from Billy Davies and Paul Jewell. His team played far better football than theirs and cost a fraction of them too.

However, I feel the time was right for him to move on to a new challenge.

When Steve McClaren was initially appointed I was to be honest a little underwhelmed. I wasn't judging him on his tenure as England boss as only one man has won any silverware whilst in charge of the National team. Nor was I basing it on his short stay at our rivals Nottingham Forest where he took over from Billy Davies who has the knack of getting teams to over perform.

When he was dismissed by Twente I thought that his time as a number one had come to an end. Twente sacked him despite being only six points off the top.

He had been coaching QPR prior to his return to Derby and when he was appointed both Harry Redknapp and Joey Barton stated quite clearly that they were sad to see him go.

I decided after listening to a special phone in on Radio Derby, that maybe just maybe it might work.

The rest is history, but just how did he turn things around?

He brought in Derby people to start with! Paul Simpson was brought in as first team coach and was a fans favourite as a player.

Former goalkeeper Eric Steele joined the line up after finding himself surplus to David Moyes requirements at Manchester United. It's clear for all to see the improvement in Lee Grant since Steele came back as goalkeeping coach.

The Right Back position had been giving us problems. Keiron Freeman had been dropped and publicly lambasted by Nigel Clough after one game and replaced by Adam Smith on loan from Spurs.

Smith looked useful in attack, but lacked a bit in defensive qualities.

Andre Wisdom, a centre half by trade was brought in on a season loan from Liverpool and made the jib his own.

Simon Dawkins was brought in initially on loan from Spurs, but was signed full time in January and has had many good games and brings something different to the table. 

Patrick Bamford has been a useful loanee from Chelsea and George Thorne has impressed Rams fans with his displays.

Craig Forsyth has looked a different player since the return of the Mac too!

All in all a good job has been done!

Obviously time will tell if the positives will remain and if we can move forward from here, but the indications so far are very good.

Play Off Lottery Ahead!

Derby brought the curtain down on the 2013/14 season with a point at Leeds and finished with. Club record points tally of 85 points.

Despite Steve McClaren making six changes to the side we came away with a point and are in good form going into the end of season play offs.

I've never been a fan of the play offs. I enjoy watching them, however they are one of the things I'd scrap from the game.

We finished 13 points ahead of Brighton and Hove Albion who we face on Thursday and 5 ahead of QPR who finished in fourth place and one below us. In my opinion third place teams who miss out in this end of season lottery suffer a travesty of justice!

Of course it's a good way to go up. Winning at Wembley in front of a live TV audience, but there's only one winner! 

We have a mixed record in the play offs too.

Arthur Cox's Derby went out to Blackburn many years ago. We went to Ewood Park and despite getting a two goal lead we lost 4-2 and could a Only manage a 2-1 in the return at the Baseball Ground.

Roy McFarland took us to Wembley where despite dominating a game, we went down 2-1 to Leicester in controversial circumstances.

George Burley managed to get us into them during the reign of the 'Three Amigos' but we went down to a Billy Davies led Preston.

It was Billy Davies leading us to glory seven years ago. First a dramatic semi final against George Burley's Southampton and then on to Wembley where despite being outplayed we snatched a win against West Bromich. 

It was a great feeling to win that final and Derby finished third in the Division too!  However I feel that the play off system defeats the object of a league. 

The League Table doesn't lie and we were the third best side in the Championship and it would be a tragedy if we were denied promotion due to this lottery.

Whatever happens, all Rams fans will, I'm sure, salute Steve McClaren, Paul Simpson and Eric Steele on a job well done and treating us to some of the most exciting football we have seen in years.