Sack for Mac

One year after losing in the Play Off final, Steve McClaren finds himself unemployed again.

If anyone had suggested that I would be writing this back in the beginning of March I would have laughed in their face too!

Top of the division and five points clear and a squad strengthened by the aditions of Tom Ince, Jesse Lingard and Darren Bent. 

Then it all went wrong. The team looked awful on the pitch. A far cry from the football that they had played up to that point which was some of the finest I'd seen in years.

Why did it go wrong? Well, we all have our own theories and it's not a perfect science in coming to a conclusion, but in my own opinion McClaren brought about his own downfall.

Being linked to other jobs is no surprise. In fact most managers would be disappointed not to be head hunted after the way in which he turned our club round. However, not to give a simple and clear yes or no when asked about the Newcstle job to me showed a lack of respect.

It showed a lack of respect to Sam Rush who took the gamble and gave him a chance to be a number one again when other clubs were taking a wide berth. 

It showed a lack of respect to the players who had put the graft in and took his team to the top of the championship table.

It showed a lack of respect to the 30,000 fans who were packing out the iPro Stadium.

"Pure speculation" is not a definitive answer to a simple question and for that he has paid the price. His team, our team, went into free fall and he has lost his job.

I agree entirely with the decision to sack him. Once you have people doubting your commitment you are in a no win situation. 

I thank Steve for giving us some attractive football to watch, but curse his lack of judgement and respect. 

Should He Stay or Should He Go

Steve McClaren yesterday stated that he is to remain as Derby Head Coach and that the position at Newcastle never interested him. 

Now wasn't that painless! After months of speculation the rumour linking him with the Tyneside club has finally been put to bed. 

Why he couldn't have been as clear as this earlier heaven knows. Of course there are still many fans who still gave a suspicion that he was tempted to move north. 

Ever since he was answering the questions or in fact not giving a definitive answer, speculation has been rife that he would be making his way through the exit door. 

His inability to kill the rumours earlier has seen many Rams supporters lose trust in the gaffer. It's now up to him to regain that trust. Obviously he will be linked to vacant positions following his success up to March, but greater clarification sooner on his position should any other club show interest. 

What McClaren has to do now is to carefully strengthen the team in various position with defence being a priority. 

He brought in Ryan Shotton, Cyrus Chrustie, Raul Albentosa and Stephen Warnock during the season and none have proven to be up to the job thus far. 

Grant has looked awful in goal recently and we either need Eric Steele to work some magic or look elsewhere. 

There is a big job ahead! So many gaps to fill and players to offload baring in mind that financial fair play has to be complied with yet again. 

Squad Assessment

.And deservedly So at the end of a frustrating season the first job the manager will need to do is to decide who stays and who leaves. 

Here I give my own thoughts on the squad. I've done them in numerical order. 

1 Lee Grant - started the season where he left off in May. A great shot stopper, but does he command his box effectively? Dropped more than a couple of clangers during the run in. He would escape my axe, but some serious competition is needed to deflect any comfort zone that he might have enjoyed. 

2 Cyrus Christie began the season well and linked up nicely with whoever was playing in the wide right attacking role. His defensive play needs some serious work though. Errors made have cost us goals. He is young and stepped up a division. Maybe a squad player whilst still getting to grips with the game at this level. 

3 Craig Forsyth as much as it may surprise some fans, statistically is up there with the best in the division as a left back. He hasn't performed as well as last season but I believe he will escape the chop. 

4 Craig Bryson in contrast to last season where he was one of the best players in the Championship has gone backwards this season. Injuries have not helped, but if he's not fit he shouldn't be playing. It'd be unreasonable to expect sixteen goals again from the midfielder, but he needs to justify the improved new contract. I could see him being sold for the right offer. He ended the season behind Jeff Hendrick in the pecking order. 

5 Jake Buxton you can say what you want about him. He's not the most gifted of players, but he's a true warrior. Gives his all every time he's on the pitch. Other pro's would do well to adopt his attitude. I can see him as a squad player. Bucko Time anyone? 

6 Richard Keogh for me has had a very mixed season. In some games he's put in a great shift whilst in others he has looked like a player struggling. He made the Championship team of the year which suggest that he is respected by fellow professionals. If we could see the Captain Keogh of two seasons ago I've no doubt that we would have a safe pair of hands in the middle of defence. One does wonder how much of any loss of form is down to him having extra work to do in order to cover the shortfall of his colleagues in the back four. 

7 Simon Dawkins is a frustrating player. His ball retention is good, but often after making some nice plays he wastes opportunities. Fitness is a question too!

8 Jeff Hendrick has been hit and miss. He can look quality and poor within the space of a few minutes. It's now time for him to become a dependable player and move on from the promising youngster. 

9 Chris Martin is the most important player in the squad for me. His hold up play and his twenty plus goals have again been the highlights of the season for me. Such a shame he got injured at such an important time. 

10 Jamie Ward I can see moving on. He was once one of very few bright lights when we were struggling. His opportunities to start are becoming rarer too. 

11 Johnny Russell overall had a very good season. His work rate was good and let's not forget he is really a striker in s 442 formation. He's not a lone striker or winger though he's done remarkably well in the latter role. 

12 Lee Naylor hardly featured. 

14 John Eustace was again key in several matches. It's just a shame that our Head Coach took so long to realise it. We looked far stronger in defence when Eustace was playing in front of it. His season ending injury couldn't have come at a worse time. He could probably do another year in the squad. 

16 The original wearer of the shirt was moved on to Sheffield United. Paul Coutts never looked like being in McClarens plans and the second player to get the number sixteen was Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard. I was initially excited by his signing, but apart from a few flashes, he didn't do enough in my opinion. I hope we don't look to bring him in again. He wasn't a good replacement for Jordon Ibe whom Liverpool recalled in January. 

17 I was unsure about offering Zak Whitbread a place at the start of the season. He's injury prone and can flap under pressure. An American who has Premier League experience yet hasn't made the national side says not good enough to me. 

18 Conor Sammon spent nearly the whole season out on loan. First at Ipswich and then Rotherham. He failed to impress those clubs and he is surely heading for the exit door. A million pound flop albeit a Nigel Clough one. 

19 Will Hughes had a fantastic time in midfield. He looked tougher, stronger and more mature. Despite being put in a holding role earlier in the campaign he has gone about the task in hand professionally. He has deservedly won player of the season and made his 100th appearance before his 20th Birthday which is an achievement in itself. Let's hope we can hold on to our most prized asset. 

20 Mason Bennett has had very limited chances this season. Injury has hampered his progress. He needs to be in the Matchday squad or loaned out again to gain experience. 

21 Kelle Roos has spent the season on the bench apart from a few cup games. He hasn't looked out of place when given the opportunity, but when Grant got injured Jack Butland was brought in on loan rather than give Roos a chance. I ask the question 'If he's not good enough to play when the need arises then why have him in the squad?'

22 Alban Bunjaku former Arsenal youngster wasn't given any chances so it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on him. 

23 Tom Ince came in on loan from Hull and to be perfectly honest I was unsure about signing him. He failed to impress at Forest, however he made an immediate impact at Derby. Can frustrate you at times but I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at him joining us full time. 

25 Shaun Barker finally got himself on the pitch in under-21 games. Great to see him back playing even if not for the first team. 

26 Jamie Hanson played a few games towards the end of the schedule and didn't look out of place. He is a work in progress, but another promising youngster who graduated through the academy. Could have a big future. 

27 Ivan Calero had a couple of cameos and is a fringe player. Haven't seen enough of him. 

28 Farrend Rawson had a succesful loan spell at Rotherham. 

30 Isak Ssewankambo we never saw.

31 Alefe Santos one appearance only.

32 Ryan Shotton is a player whom I don't know what his natural position is. He has played right back and centre half. He's yet to convince me he is a long term investment. 

33 Omar Mascarell played the holding role, but not as effectively as Eustace. A little lightweight and I wouldn't be looking at brining him back for a second season from Real Madrid. 

34 George Thorne was reduced to minutes rather than matches due to injury and I believe he was rushed back too early. Hopefully he will have an injury free 2015/16. 

35 Jonathan Mitchell third choice keeper, no appearances. 

36 Raul Albentosa signed in January and spent most of his time on the bench. Doesn't look to have settled and is slow. Certainly no Igor Stimac!

37 Stephen Warnock was a strange signing. Got sent off on his debut and what little part he has played since has not been up to scratch. 

39 Darren Bent has done well to score a dozen goals since he arrived in January. Not really suited to our style of play, but has done well nevertheless.

Over and Out

So the final match day of the season came and went. We completed our campaign disappointed to say the very least. 

When all you need is a draw against a struggling side like Reading, fans have every right to at the very least see their team fight for the play off birth that was there for the taking. 

Up until a dozen games ago, we were playing some of the nicest football seen in many years. We were in an automatic promotion place and feared no one. 

Fast forward to yesterday and we saw a team that looked like a side that had been condemned to relegation. 

In over 45 years as a fan I have never seen such a gutless end to a season. 

The players and coaching staff need to take a good look at themselves. Yesterday I heard many fans calling for the head of Steve McClaren. He is perilously close to tarnishing himself as a hero of the club. 

Derby took him on when many other clubs were giving him a wide berth. Up to March he had restored many people's beliefs in him as a Head Coach. 

His inability to be straight with the Derby fans lacks respect for the 30,000 fans who have supported him. 

Linked with Newcastle he has done his best to evade answering the question of whether he is interested in the job. He sounds like one of the politicians running for office on Thursday. 

I don't believe for a minute that he will be around come August, therefore I hope that his exit is quick. We can't afford to wait. We need to move on and get the new man in place asap. 

Whoever is in charge has a big job on their hands too. The squad is a mess! A complete new back five is probably needed. McClarens additions have come up short. 

Cyrus Christie, Ryan Shotton, Raul Albentosa and Stephen Warnock are simply not good enough. 

The defence will surely be a priority over the summer months. 

Fans will have an anxious wait to see if we can hold on to the stars of this season too. Will Hughes and Chris Martin will surely be on the shopping lists of a few clubs. 

All in all a big job for any manager looking for a challenge. 

All or Nothing

The final league game of the season is fast approaching and this time around it could define Derby's season. 

We host Reading knowing that just a single point will mean that for the second season running, we are in the play offs for the big prize of premier league football. 

It will be a far from easy task and I'm sure that our visitors will do their very best to throw the proverbial 'Spanner in the Works'. They themselves experienced final day agony last season when they missed out on a top six placing on the final day. 

Of course I like many other Rams fans will be a bag of nerves from kick off to the final whistle. 

An added twist to the game is the fact that The Royals have three players formerly employed by our rivals across Brian Clough Way. Chris Gunther, Garath McCleary, Jamie Mackie and Simon Cox will need no encouragement to put one over on their old rivals. 

For us it is essential to focus on the game and not have any careless lapses of concentration. Our defence must show far better composure and resilience than in recent games. 

Not only the back four, but Lee Grant in goal has also made some serious errors lately. 

Whether Chris Martin or Darren Bent will make the starting line up is anyone's guess at this stage, but it's important that one of them is leading the line. 

The last dozen games has seen a real dip in form so now is an ideal time to get back into top gear and show the league that we mean business. 

The fans have turned out in great numbers this season and they are long overdue a good display from the players on the pitch! 

Colin Bloomfield

Today I didn't go to the away game at Millwall. Instead I decided to attend a charity fundraiser hosted by my sons team.

It was whilst watching a charity match that my wife messaged me to inform me that Colin Bloomfield had passed away earlier in the morning. 

Words cannot describe how people feel when they hear news like this. Unfortunately I didn't know Colin on a personal level, but he was the sort of person that you felt like you knew. 

The first I heard of Colin or Bloomers as he was nicknamed was when he took over BBC Radio Derby's matchday commentary from Ross Fletcher. He took over the duties and quickly adapted like he had been in the role for years. 

Giving a good description of the on field events and added a little excitement when the Rams were on an attack. 

His most memorable contribution for me was when we won away at Nottingham Forest with ten men. I was at the game, but as I often do, I had the radio commentary on. 

It's no secret that his biggest love was Shrewsbury Town. I recall a few seasons ago when he had a free night. He was supporting The Shrews at their away game in Lincoln. I live in Lincoln and my brother has a season ticket at Sincil Bank. 

I exchanged a few messages with him as he settled in to watch his team. I was tempted to go say hello, but thought that Colin deserved his night off away from moaning Derby fans. 

Shrewsbury thrashed Lincoln that night! By the evidence of his message when the final whistle blew, he was absolutely delighted. 

Colin also took Derby to his heart. The last time I actually saw him was at Wembley last season. As I sat in the coach awaiting our drive back to Derby, I saw Colin walking away from the stadium with a couple of his mates. He looked dejected like all of Derby's fans. 

It was known by the public at that time that he was fighting skin cancer. The site of Colin walking away kind of reminded me that we had lost a football match and there was a young man with a far more important fight on his hands. 

He fought his illness with such bravery and courage. He often put it to one side to carry on his media work. A few weeks ago he presented Sportscene whilst Ed Dawes was away. 

Alas he passed away this morning but not before he raised thousands of pounds for his melonoma appeal. The Shrews also got promoted today! I'm sure many Rams fans will keep one eye on them thinking of Colin. 

God Bless Bloomers! One of the good guys.

What will the Future Hold?

We are very close to the conclusion of the season and barring a disaster Derby appear to be play offs bound again. 

I'm no fan of this end of season mini tournament as it often deprives the third best team of progressing to the big time and Premier League riches. To me it defeats the object of a league system. 

It is though unlikely to be axed as it brings in a lot of revenue. The winners often waive their share of the spoils for making it and the losers gain around £5m. 

If we were able to negotiate our way through the semi finals and clinch victory, it would mean a return to the top flight and a chance to re-establish the club amongst the nations elite. 

It's a chance that needs grasping and will require good planning and skilful management. If done right we could become another Swansea or Southampton rather than enduring another season of gloom like our last spell. 

On the other side of the coin, failure to even advance in post season could bring its own problems as surely the likes of Will Hughes and Chris Martin will be getting impatient for a taste of the Premier League. 

I know that they would move for fairly hefty fees and could finance the purchase of several new players, but success in this division isn't easy and it's been a graveyard to the careers of many capable boss men. 

We must now make sure that we are fully focused on the job in hand and pass go and collect £200.