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Authors Notes; Welocome to another story by me, I'm using the original patch for FM07.
Medium Database, and using English Conference upwards and Scottish 3rd Division upwards
20th June; After only 18 days in the job Billy Davies resigned from his post as Derby County manager
26th June: I sent my CV a few days agao and was preparing for a letter saying thankyou for your application but......
Instead I got a letter saying thankyou for your application, we would like to ask you in for an interview for the vacant managers post
28th June: I turned up for the interview thinking it was some sort of wind up by my mates. I was welcomed into Peter Gadsby's office and my interview lasted for around a hour but I wasn't sure I had done enough to secure the job especially with the names being thrown around for the job
30th June; I got a phone call from Peter Gadsby asking me to come and see him. I thought this was a very nice way to say I'm sorry we can't offer you the job. Instead I was offered the job with Gadsby stating that he loved my enthusiasm and the fact I was from around Derby I would know how passionate the Derby fans are.
1st July; I was revealed to the awaiting press, some were alittle shocked that a nobody in the footballing world had heard of was being giving a managers job of a Champioship club. Others thought it was great that a club of this statue was giving a young English manager a chance but we all knew they were hoping I would fail and get the boot within the first season
2nd July; I walked into my new office and started to look at what I need to do before the forthcoming season.
I've been given a budget of £100,000 and a wage bill of £70,000 per week to keep to.
The club has a bank loan of £11,500,000 and we have a total balance of a mere £30,519
First Team Squad List:
Goalkeepers:
Lee Grant - 24
Stephen Bywater - 25
Lee Camp - 21
Defenders
Richard Jackson - DRL - 26
Dean Leacock - DRC - 22
Lewin Nyatanga - DLC - 17
Darren Moore - DC - 32
Bob Malcolm - DC/DM - 25
Marc Edworthy - D/WBR - 33
Mo Camara - D/WBL - 31
James Meredith - D/WBL - 18
Midfielders:
Seth Johnson - WBL/MLC - 27
Giles Barnes - MRC - 17
Matt Oakley - MRC - 28
Adam Bolder - MC - 25
Morten Bisgaard - AMRC - 32
Ryan Smith - AML/ST - 19
Attackers:
Steve Howard - ST - 30
Arturo Lupoli - ST - 19 (on loan from Arsenal)
Paul Peschisolido - ST - 35
The squad is quite good with a good mixture of young and older players. The only problem I can see is in my attack were I am a little short. Some of my players will be sold this season to try and get me some transfer money.
The fans aren't expecting too much this season and expect us to finish in a mid-table spot, with the squad I have I think thats all we can hope for.
6th July: Ive made my first signing and I have brought veteran striker Duncan Ferguson to the club to act as cover to my first team, plus he will be a good precence for the younger players in my squad with all his experience he can pass onto them. He comes to us on a free transfer
8th July: My next signing is Aliou Cisse who will be joining us on a free transfer
9th July: My first friendly in the pre season is against local side Chesterfield Town, who we brushed aside easily 4-0 with Ferguson making an immediate impact with two goals, the other goals coming from Bisgaard and Lupoli
11th July: Ive made yet another free signing with Danny Cadamarteri joining us to add some more fire power to my team, so that makes three signing and no money spent the Chairman will be happy !!!
13th July; Our next friendly is again against a local team as we travel about 20 miles up the A38. We managed to scrape a 1-0 win with Nyatanga getting the only goal with a cracking freekick. In truth Mansfield did deserve something from this game
17th July; We now faced Burton Albion and gave them a good thrashing as we thumped them roundly 4-0 with Bisgaard netting twice, with Lupoli and Howard getting the other two goals
21st July; We now welcomed German side Werder Bremen to Pride Park and we completely out played them and managed to beat them 2-0 with a double salvo from Howard.
26th July: After our recent good performances in the friendlies I was dissapointed with how we played against Notts.County and more so with the 0-0 scoreline
29th July; Our final friendly see's us face Lincoln City and we managed a 2-0 win with Lupoli and Smith scoring both goals in the first half
Friendly Results:
9/7; Chesterfield - A - 4-0 (Bisgaard, Ferguson 2, Lupoli)
13/7: Mansfield - A - 1-0 (Nyatanga)
17/7: Burton - A - 4-0 (Bisgaard 2, Lupoli, Howard)
21/7: Werder Bremen - H - 2-0 (Howard 2)
26/7: Notts. County - A - 0-0
29/7; Lincoln - A - 2-0 (Lupoli, Smith)
31st July: The bookies have released the odds for the forthcoming Champioship and we have been quoted at 100-0 to win promotion with Leeds United 7-4 favourites
Injury news see's us lose Seth Johnson for around a month with a twisted ankle and Ryan Smith will also be out for between a week and 3 weeks with a gashed leg
2nd August: I've finally got myself an assistant as I've grabbed Luton's Brain Stein who will be joining us on a 3 year contract.
4th August: The League Cup 1st Round draw has taken place and we have been drawn against League 2 team Rochdale away, a potentially tough match
5th August: Derby County v Southampton
We started poorly against Southampton and they punished us with attack after attack. We had Camp to thank for keeping us in the game as his defence was nowhere to be seen. On the 20th minute we went a goal behind as Southanpton fired past Camps outstrecthed arms. We didn't manage a single shot all the first half.
The second half was just as poor as Southampton went two goals up on the 57th minute and it got even worse for us as six minutes later we were 3-0 down and looking like we could get thumped. I was furious with how my whole team were performing, Late in the game we did pull a goal back as Howard fired in but it was nothing more than a consalation goal.
Derby County 1 - 3 Southampton (Howard 87)
7th August: After the training I called the players together and told them in no uncertain terms they were playing for there places and if they think there going to get an easy ride with me they've got another thing coming.
8th August: Derby County v Hull
After the poor performance in the first match I wanted a much improved performance but all I got was Hull dominating us.
Within the first ten minutes we had to thank Camp several times for keeping us in the game. The pressure was constant yet on the 39th minute and totally against the run of play we took the lead as Bisgaard fired in from the edge of the area. Two minutes later though Hull had the chance to equalise but luckily for us they fluffed it.
The second half was much the same as Hull piled forward but we somehow managed to hold on and earn the first three points of our season, even if we didn't deserve them
Derby County 1 - 0 Hull (Bisgaard 39)
After the game I kept the players in the changing room and told them that against Sunderland I wanted to see more passion and for them to stop playing for themselves but to play for the people whio pay there wages, the FANS!!!
Sunderland started well as they started attacking us from the start. Luckily my defence seemed to be actually playing and kept us in the game. On the half hour we went a goal up against the run of play as Cadamarteri headed us into the lead. It got even better for us on the stroke of half time as we went 2-0 up with Cadamarteri again scoring. We went into the break in the lead and feeling very very lucky to be there.
The second half started very poorly for us as Sunderland pulled a goal back within seven minutes, It got even woprse as on the 62nd minute we conceded again as Sunderland capitilised on some poor defending to equalise. I was getting worried with how my team were coping with the onslaught, my worries were confimed as on the 86th minute some slack defending again cost us the three points.
Sunderland 3 - 2 Derby County (Cadamarteri 30, 45)
14th August: We called a press conference with me and Rafa Benitez to announce a link between both clubs, Liverpool will be sending us players on loan. We will also have an annual game against them and we will recieve an annual fee of £107,000.
We got off to a poor start as Southend went a goal up after only seven minutes, my team were just so poor and on the 13th minute Southend doubled there lead. I just couldn't belive this was one of my teams. On the 37th minute it got even worse as we went 3-0 down. At half time I laid into my players for what I saw was a lack of heart and passion.
The second half was alittle better for us as we started to put some effort into the game and on the 68th minute we pulled a goal back as Howard headed in from 18 yards. Un fortunatly my players looked as though they couldn't be bothered to try and late in the game they were punished as Southend fired in a sublime 35 ayrd effort
23rd August: Rochdale v Derby County; League Cup 1st Round
We started ok compared to our previous games and after only ten minutes we had around six shots on goal but most of them didn't trouble the Rochdale keeper. On the 18th minute we went a goal up as Lupoli fired in a cracker. The same player came close to doubling our lead but his effort went just wide. At half time I told my players to keep up the good play and don't lose concentration
The second half was all us as we piled on the pressure, it took us till the 74th minute to score again as Howard headed in a Bisgaard corner, unfortunatly the referee had noticed the foul he did on the Rochdale defender and the goal was ruled out. Rochdale came close to equalising late in the game but young full back Nyatanga came to our rescue and we were through to the next round.
Ramming It Up The League 
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