yankee_ram

Derby County Crest

Derby County, founded in 1884 and located in the East Midlands, were once at the top of English football. In the last decade, The Ram have fallen from England's top flight, to the second tier, with mixed results from season-to-season.

With a new board having taken over the club last summer, and the Rams winning promotion back to the Premership after a 5 year absence, are you the manager to repeat Brian "Big Ears" Clough and lead the Rams to Domestic glory?
Are you the one to bring them back to success?

Team Details

Nation: England
Year Founded: 1884
Status: Professional
Reputation: National
Chairman Status: Loves the club
Favoured Personnel: Stephen Pearson, Paul Peschelido, Darren Moore, David Jones, Matt Oakley, Eric Steele
Fierce Rivals: Leicester, Nottm Forest, Leeds
Other Rivals:
Finances: Secure
Estimated Value: $ 55 Million
Stadium: Pride Park, Derby
Stadium Capacity: 33597 (33400 seated) with under-soil heating
Training Facilities: Top training facilities
Youth Facilities: Average youth facilities + Youth Academy
Continental Competition: None
Media Prediction: 19th
Squad Average Age: 26
Squad Personality: Ambitious
Feeder Clubs: Burton, Mansfield, Notts Co., Chesterfield

Needs:
Defensive Back and Goalkeeper

Strengths:
Strikers

Updates:
These updates should be along the lines of:

Pre-season update
Transfers In
Transfers Out
Formation
Squad
Expectations for the season
Pre-season odds
Remaining transfer budget
Remaining wage budget

January transfer window update
Transfers In
Transfers Out
Squad
League table
Cup competitions
Revised expectations
Player and Manager Awards

End of season update
End of season league table
Cup competitions

yankee_ram

As September 2007 dawns at Pride Park, Derby sit rather comfortable in 8th position with a + 2 Goal Difference in the EPL table.

Transfers In: Johnathan Evans (Man United) Loan
Harry Kewell (Liverpool) Loan
Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow) Free
Onyewu (Standard Liege) 1 M + Clauses
Zeefuik (PSV) 950K + Clauses
Anita (Ajax) Loan

Tansfers Out: Holmes, Malcom, Fagan, Johnson, Macken, Edworthy, Leacock, and Hanson worth $1.5 Million

I use a 4-1-4-1 Formation:
----------Bywater-------------
McEveley--Evans--Onyewu--Ignashevich--
-----------Todd---------------------
Kewell--Pearson---Jones----Feilhaber/Oakley
----------Miller/Earnshaw------------

Expectations:
League Cup: At minimum 4th Round
FA Cup: At minimum 5th Round
League: Avoid Relegation
Preseason Odds: A mere 1000-1 of winning
Remaining Transfer Budget: 3.1 mIllion
Remaining Wage Budget: 3K

BlackofSic

Hired as Derby Manager 29/06 for season 07/08


Pre-season update
Transfers In James Mcarthy (Hamilton 16yrs), Juhasz (Anderlecht), Arshavin (Zenit), Paul Dixon (Dundee), K Doyle (Reading), Felipe (udinese), Sirl (Zenit)

Transfers Out C. Fagan (Bristol City), Macken (Luton), Edworthy (Sheff Wed), Feilhaber (Rangers), Bywater (Cardiff), Malcolm (Hearts), Moore (Dundee), M. Johnson (Swindon)

Formation 5-3-2

Squad
5-3-2

GK - Price

RB Griffin
LB Mcevely
DC Felipe
DC Todd (c)
DC Juhasz

MC Jones (vc)
AMR Arshavin / Barnes
AML Pearson / Sirl

ST Doyle
ST Miller

Miller and Arshavin swap positions.

Expectations for the season - Challenge For Title (wanted extra Xfer Funds)

Pre-season odds 1000-1

Remaining transfer budget £0

Remaining wage budget £37k p/w

January transfer window update
Transfers In None
Transfers Out None

Squad

5-3-2

GK Price

RB Griffin
LB Mcevely
DC Felipe
DC Todd (c)
DC Juhasz

MC Jones (vc)
AMR Arshavin / Barnes
AML Pearson / Sirl

ST Doyle
ST Miller

Miller and Arshavin swap positions.


End of season update

End of season league table

Chelsea 86
Man Utd 85
Derby 72
Man City 70
Everton 70
Liverpool 69
Arsenal 63
Mewcastle 61
Portsmouth 60
Tottenham 49
Aston Villa 48
Middlesbrough 46
Sunderland 44
Reading 44
Blackburn 40
Fulham 39
West Ham 35
Bolton 30
Wigan 23
Birmingham 17

Cup competitions 3rd Round Carling, 3rd Round FA Cup (dismal!)

yankee_ram

How much did you pay for Doyle? Other then that, nice job. Im about to hit the Jan window in my first season.

BlackofSic

£9m, but not all at once, thankfully - £5.5 upfront, rest over 18 months. 20% of next sale.

had to adjust the budget to sign him, didnt have the funds until the 31st august lol

yankee_ram

January 2008 Update

Players In:
Eric Bicfalvi-Steaua 1 Million
Alessandro Potenza-Fiortentina 6m + Clauses
Michal Papadopoulos-Leverkusen Loan
Hossan Ghaly-Spurs 3 Million

Players Out:
Tyrone Mears- Ipswich 425K
Andy Griffin- Doncaster 700K
David Jones- Villa 5M + Clauses
Benny Feilhaber- FC Metz 1M

Out of the League Cup in the 3rd Round to Chelski 2-0, into the 5th Round of the FA Cup after beating Villa 2-1 and will be facing Wolves so I am confident of getting to the 6th round. Sitting in 14th Postion with 27 points and am 13 points away from the Relegation zone. Gooch has been a great buy for 1M up front and 700K after 30 league appearences. Fans are happy with my dealings, Board is happy with me other then the League Cup blip.

Johnathan Evans won the August Young Player of the Month. I am fairly certain we can finish in the top 13 and will be well clear of the drop zone when the season ends.

BlackofSic

you sold Jones?!!!

If you play him in CM for one season, he will almost always score between 8-15 goals and have between 10-15 assists. then if you do need cash, you can usually sell him for 12.5 mil!

aarrrgh!! lol

lewissticky1

i tried and tried to keep jones, but when newcastle came in for a £10,500,000 bid, the board came in and said yes, i was gutted !!

yankee_ram

The reason I sold Jones was due to the fact that he just wasn't performing for me. He was out for two months then he came back and I had a mid-field that was clicking. The kid I got from Steua has stepped in and done great. I did get $5 Million up front, a 15% sell on and after 20 league games I get another $4 Million so I am happy with the transaction. I just need to find a decent GK.

yankee_ram

End of Season One Report

SO my first season at the helm of Derby County has come to a close and we managed to finish 17th with 38 points, 10 points away from the relegation zone. We had a dreadful last 10 games, 0 wins, 3 draws, and 7 losses not to mention the injury list from hell. I almost thought I was Newcastle there.

Man United won the Premership with Chelsea in 2nd, with Arsenal, citEH, Everton and Bolton rounding out the top 6. Liverpool finished 10th. Relegated were Fulahm, Wigan and Sunderland. Man United also won the FA Cup of which I got knocked out of in a 2-1 defeat to Pompey in the Semi-finals, Newcastle won the League Cup also. I managed to get 2 touchline bans in a span of two months and my board was ****ed. Everyone is on holiday now and I am following suite.