retired_bbcarr

page three \o/

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<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * English Premier Division - Monday 26th November 2007********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2007/8 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Chelsea 14 6 0 1 15 3 7 0 0 19 2 39 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Man Utd 15 5 3 0 18 4 5 1 1 13 4 34 3rd Arsenal 14 7 0 1 19 3 4 0 2 9 6 33 4th Blackburn 15 5 1 2 12 6 2 3 2 10 12 25 5th Man City 14 5 0 2 16 8 2 1 4 9 10 22 6th Liverpool 14 4 2 1 11 6 2 2 3 5 10 22 7th W.B.A. 15 4 3 1 13 7 2 1 4 7 14 22 8th Tottenham 14 2 3 1 11 8 3 3 2 16 11 21 9th DERBY 15 1 1 5 6 13 5 2 1 16 11 21 10th Birmingham 15 3 3 2 15 11 2 1 4 9 16 19 11th Aston Villa 15 4 1 2 13 9 1 3 4 10 17 19 12th Bolton 15 3 3 2 11 8 2 1 4 10 16 19 13th Newcastle 15 3 2 2 8 8 2 2 4 7 12 19 14th Southampton 15 3 0 4 10 11 2 3 3 8 9 18 15th West Ham 15 3 2 3 7 9 2 1 4 8 15 18 16th Sheff Utd 15 1 4 3 13 18 2 1 4 6 8 14 17th Middlesbrough 15 3 1 3 10 10 1 1 6 5 12 14 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th Everton 15 4 1 3 11 12 0 1 6 3 10 14 19th Fulham 15 2 1 4 6 14 1 3 4 7 13 13 20th Crystal Palace 14 1 0 5 4 12 0 1 7 3 21 4 </pre>

retired_confal2

Going a bit better after an awful start (I mean the season, of course ). That's a truly abominable home record, spoiling the excellent away results. Hope the fans don't string you up just yet

retired_jgirl87

I love seeing these tables once the game is five or six seasons old. However in your case it doesn't look like there are many teams who have risen up from the depths and into the Prem.

KUTGW :thup:

retired_mika318

Terk get some new defenders ffs

Quite enjoying reading your exploits as the challenge progresses. :thup:

Hopefully Europe won't pose too much of a problem to your side and you'll stay injury free (although knowing FM a couple of nasty suprises will be thrown your way!)

Hopefully your dire home for will be surmountable and that'll be the only problem you need to resolve for the season.

KUTVGW

(Three pages :eek: )

retired_bbcarr

if we had a decent home record, we might be in the reckoning for the champions league places, so that's something we desperately need to improve. spav, there are a few who have come up and gone straight back down, but i don't know of any team (save hartlepool under me) who have jumped two divisions, which is unusual. by this time in the game grimsby are often a premiership team :eek:

glad to hear you're enjoying it, timbo on the subject of defenders, i'm more from the kevin keegan "we'll score more than you so what's the point of defenders" school of management. doesn't seem to be working out this season, though i'm playing this on CM01/02 and i always seem to get injuries to key players at the business end of the season, but hopefully it won't impact on the european run

cheers for the support and now let's see if i can reach the miracle of four pages

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December 2007 - January 2008

With a mid-week return leg against Salernitana awaiting them, Rob thought about playing a weakened side in the home game vs. Chelsea, but then realised that that would be both suicide and pointless as they held a virtually insurmountable 4-0 aggregate lead over the Italian side, and bar a major ****-up were into round four. So a first choice XI were sent out to greet Chelsea, but felt like going into hiding when Mateja Kezman gave the Blues the lead. Thankfully, they didn't and came back fighting. A goal from Pizzaro levelled matters at half time, and then a second half dominated by Derby saw McGeady hit a double and Ashton weigh in with one to record a famous victory.

Against Salernitana, there were a few of the more pessimistic crowd who began to worry when Eder Bau gave the home side the lead on the night fifteen minutes in, but the Derby players failed to panic, and won themselves a 6-1 aggregate success thanks to on the night goals from McGeady and Wehrman. A visit to Arsenal halted the good run they had built up, as a Thierry Henry double without reply forced defeat upon Derby for the first time in a month.

And that defeat was closely followed by a far more embarrassing one. Robbie Foy had put Derby ahead agaisnt Sheffield United at Pride Park, and that should have been that. But a quite terrible defensive performance from the home side let the visitors score three times and win a match which they should never have been allowed to. Rob knew that to put those defeat quickly out of the mind, they must win in their next game, which was against Everton at Goodison Park. And win they did. Goals from McGeady, who was in quite incredible form of late, Pizzaro and Eirik Bakke coupled with the fact that Everton couldn't breach the Derby defence even once meant that the points headed home with Rob's men, and they were back on track.

Their boxing day encounter was a visit to the Reebok Stadium, and it took a 90th minute Aiden McGeady goal to salvage a point from a game in which they deserved absolutely nothing, having been played off the park for the vast majority of it. A trip to Old Trafford on New Year's Day came hot on the heels of another draw 1-1, this time time at home against a poor Birmingham outfit with Scott Parker grabbing the only Derby goal. Few expected Derby to claim anything from the trip to Manchester, and to be honest, Rob would have been delighted with a point. So he was unquestionably ecstatic when they claimed all three. They started well with McGeady netting on seven minutes, and the anticipated Utd fight back never materialised, leaving Derby able to grab the win with another goal from McGeady and one from Ashton.

Their first forray into the FA Cup for the season saw Aston Villa visit Pride Park, and the game was sitting tightly balanced at half time with only a lucky Pizzaro goal separating the two. But a second half masterclass from Dean Ashton in which the England international netted himself a hugely impressive hat-trick made sure that, despite a Juan Pablo Angel double, Derby progressed to a round four meeting with Bolton.

A visit from West Ham saw Derby try to extend their unbeaten run to six games, and try also to keep improving their horrible home record. And they did just that with both a clean sheet and an impressive win. McGeady continued his rich vein of goals to get matters underway, and second half effort from midfielders Andy Ferrell and Scott Parker made sure of an easy success. Tottenham had been a team against whom Rob had had little success in his time at Derby, but goals from Ashton and Bakke at White Hart Lane appeared to be changing that. However, more defensive sleepiness allowed the home side to grab two second half goals and claim a draw, much to Rob's annoyance.

January ended with a trip to the Reebok Stadium for the fourth round FA Cup tie. Shane Tolley put the home side in front, and they held onto their lead until the hour mark when Ashton forced in an effort following a goal mouth scramble to equalise. And, with the game apparantly heading for the replay that nobody wanted, Eirik Bakke popped up to hit a screaming twenty yard drive in the closing seconds and reward Derby with a place in the fifth round.

retired_bbcarr

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * English Premier Division - Monday 4th February 2008********************************************** ************************************************** *================================================= =============================================== 2007/8 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Chelsea 25 10 1 1 23 3 9 2 2 24 10 60 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Man Utd 25 9 3 1 28 10 8 3 1 21 7 57 3rd Arsenal 25 9 2 1 23 4 6 3 4 18 13 50 4th Liverpool 25 9 3 1 17 6 5 3 4 12 14 48 5th Man City 25 9 1 2 28 12 3 2 8 13 20 39 6th Blackburn 25 7 5 2 24 14 3 4 4 17 21 39 7th DERBY 25 3 2 6 15 18 7 5 2 28 19 37 8th Aston Villa 25 6 3 2 19 12 3 4 7 17 24 34 9th W.B.A. 25 5 3 3 14 10 4 4 6 14 22 34 10th Bolton 25 4 6 4 16 14 4 1 6 17 22 31 11th Southampton 25 5 1 5 14 14 3 5 6 14 17 30 12th Tottenham 25 2 7 4 17 18 4 4 4 20 16 29 13th Birmingham 25 6 3 5 24 18 2 2 7 11 24 29 14th Newcastle 25 5 3 6 17 20 2 5 4 8 13 29 15th Fulham 25 6 2 5 16 21 1 6 5 10 17 29 16th West Ham 25 3 7 4 9 12 3 2 6 11 22 27 17th Sheff Utd 25 3 5 3 19 19 3 2 9 10 21 25 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th Everton 25 5 2 5 15 20 1 3 9 7 17 23 19th Middlesbrough 25 3 2 6 12 15 2 3 9 8 20 20 20th Crystal Palace 25 2 4 8 16 26 1 2 8 6 27 15 </pre>

*this table includes the first round of games played in February

retired_bbcarr

February/March 2008

After securing their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup, a round which placed them in an away tie at Preston, Derby returned to league action with a trip to face Blackburn. In a hugely entertaining game for the neutral, neither side really managed to stamp control on the match, and they matched each other punch for punch as they flew towards a 3-3 draw. Derby's goals came via a Youssef Hersi double, which was added to in the final moments by Dean Ashton, whilst Blackburn matched that with a double strike from their own Morten Gamst Pedersen, coming after Zoltan Gera had given them the lead for the first time.

Frenchman Ted Lavie gave Derby the perfect start in their next game, a home tie against relegation threatened Crystal Palace. The Palace left back was attempting to clear Ashton's cross over his own bar, but managed only to put it into the roof of the net, immediately putting his side on the back foot. And that was where they continued the match as Aiden McGeady scored a second for Derby, wrapping up the points in the process.

The visit of Fulham was another game which Rob expected to win, and one which would take his side's unbeaten record to eleven games in all competitions. And they lead in the twentieth minute through an Ashton penalty, which was added to before half time by Kasey Wehrman's rasping strike. Fulham pulled one back just after the break, but Ashton's second of the game was enough to seal the tie in Derby's favour. The trip to Preston in the FA Cup 5th round was one that could most certainly have proven tricky for Derby, so Rob never hesitated in putting out a full strength side. Even then, the division one outfit took the lead through David Healy, but it was only a temporary one as goals from Ashton, Hersi and Parker saw Derby comfortably through into the quarter finals of the competition where they would play Newcastle at Pride Park.

A third consecutive 3-1 win was achieved when they paid Aston Villa a visit, seven days after having disposed of Preston in the FA Cup, and five days before they would return to UEFA Cup action against Livingston. Ashton gave Derby the lead, but Villa were level within minutes through Dennis Rommedahl. However, that wasn't enough to deter Derby in their search for a fourth consecutive win, and late goals from Scott Parker and Kasey Wehrman made sure that they got it. The home leg against Livingston was one that the press had as a foregone conclusion in Derby's favour, but Rob knew that the side sitting top of a tight SPL table would present some real problems. But his defence functioned perfectly on the night, reducing Livi to a mere 1 shot on target (form the boot of Shaun Maloney) whilst they grabbed two goals for themselves, both inthe second half. Parker's great form continued as he bagged the opener, and the night was rounded off when Ashton for the fourth consecutive game.

A 1-1 home draw against Manchester City separated the two games against Livingston, and that draw was only possible thanks to an 87th minute equaliser from the boot of Wehrman. Shaun Wright-Phillips had given City the lead, and Peter Crouch had missed countless chances before Wehrman sprang to give Derby an undeserved point. But it was the return leg against Livi which Rob had his eye focused on, and they had a big scare twenty minutes in as a quick-fire double from Maloney levelled the tie on aggregate. Rob really began to panic when Livi were awarded a penalty, but breathed a sigh of relief when Colin Nelson fired said spot kick wide of the post. That was all the chance Derby needed, and Youssouf Hersi had brought the on-the-night score back to 2-2 before the break. A solitary Scott Parker srike in the second period made sure that Derby walked into the quarter finals with a 5-2 aggregate success.

Just two days later, Derby faced Newcastle in the FA Cup quarter final. The Derby side was weakened by tiredness after the Livi success, but they got off to a cracking start with Andy Ferrell blasting a goal within sixty seconds of kick-off. After that, it was backs to the wall time as Newcastle threw everything and the kitchen sink at Derby, but in front of their home fans, they held on to the final whistle and won through to a semi final against Arsenal.

Their third consecutive cup game saw them involved in the UEFA Cup quarter final against Paris Saint-Germain, with the first leg being played at Pride Park. Everything appeared to be going fine at half time, with the home side 2-0 up having scored through Hersi and Pizzaro. And when Hersi bagged his second of the night on the hour mark, it looked like the perfect tie. But two goals in the last five minutes from Olivier Bernard threw the whole game into a different light, and though Derby led 3-2 into the away leg, PSG were seen as the side most likely to progress.

The penultimate league game of March saw Derby travel to Liverpool in a game which many pundits thought would bring to an end their fantastic unbeaten run which now stood at eighteen games. And when Craig Bellamy put the Reds in front, it seemed that would be right. But a red card to Jamie Carragher and a Aiden McGeady free kick into the corner of the net later, and Derby were looking good. They pressed home their numerical advantage and grabbed an incredible three points when Scott Parker fired home from the edge of the area with ten minutes left.

The return leg against PSG looked like it would be very very tricky, but within twelve minutes, Derby had cancelled out both of the away goals that the Parisians had grabbed in England. McGeady had opened the scoring in just the third minute, and nine minutes later he was joined on the scoresheet by Dean Ashton. A goal from Florent Sinama-Pongolle brought the game closer, and PSG looked mightily like they would score a second and third which would take the tie into extra time, but instead it was Parker who wrapped up Derby's place in the semi final against Manchester United with his well placed free kick in the 65th minute.

To round off March, Derby returned to league action and a visit from Middlesbrough. Many expected a European hangover, but goals from Claudio Pizzaro, Arturo Lupoli and Neil Wood went without reply from 'Boro as Derby strolled to a win which put them into 5th in the table, and kept them in with an outside chance of finishing in the Champions League qualification spots.

retired_bbcarr

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * English Premier Division - Sunday 6th April 2008********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2007/8 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Chelsea 31 13 1 1 31 4 10 3 3 30 12 73 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Man Utd 31 12 3 1 37 10 10 3 2 26 10 72 3rd Arsenal 31 10 4 2 27 8 7 4 4 22 15 59 4th Liverpool 31 9 4 2 18 8 8 3 5 18 16 58 5th DERBY 31 6 3 6 24 20 9 5 2 33 21 53 6th Man City 31 11 2 2 34 13 4 3 9 15 22 50 7th Aston Villa 32 9 3 4 27 24 4 5 7 22 26 47 8th Blackburn 31 8 5 3 27 18 3 7 5 23 29 45 9th Bolton 32 6 6 4 21 14 5 2 9 25 34 41 10th Fulham 31 8 3 5 24 25 2 6 7 14 22 39 11th Tottenham 32 3 8 5 23 22 5 6 5 24 20 38 12th Southampton 32 6 4 6 19 20 3 7 6 16 19 38 13th Newcastle 31 6 4 6 19 21 3 5 7 13 21 36 14th W.B.A. 31 5 4 6 17 18 4 4 8 15 27 35 15th Everton 31 7 3 6 20 23 2 4 9 9 18 34 16th Birmingham 32 7 4 5 30 22 2 3 11 12 37 34 17th Sheff Utd 32 5 5 5 25 25 3 4 10 10 24 33 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th West Ham 32 4 7 5 13 14 3 2 11 11 31 30 19th Middlesbrough 31 4 3 8 15 21 2 3 11 9 25 24 20th Crystal Palace 32 3 5 9 18 28 2 2 11 11 40 22 </pre>

mrsevans7177

Derby for the CL next season \o/

KUTgw

retired_embartl

Wow- this is going well and what a busy couple of months :eek: Congratulations on having survived so far and good luck on competing on all three fronts in Europe, the Cup and the league - another month or two like that should send you some success :thup: