retired_tonytranbg79

Yeah good going :thup:

retired_bbcarr

now that would be nice, bartley

it'd be a shame if such a season came to nothing in the end, brian. and the say my fixture list was congested would be a slight understatement.

cheers, tyrone nice to have you along

==========================================

April/May 2008

April began with a monumental task for Derby. They were faced with a UEFA Cup semi final, not in some glamorous, far flung location, but against English giants Manchester United. The first leg was at Pride Park, and Rob knew that if they were to have any chance of achieving his objective of a European final appearence, they would have to win and keep a clean sheet. In the end, one out of two wasn't bad, but the two goals Man Utd scoredlooked set to prove vital in taking them to the final at Wembley. Scott Parker had given Derby the lead before a Wayne Rooney double fired United ahead, but Claudio Pizzaro ensured that Derby would at least begin the second leg ahead on aggregate with goals in the 75th and 82nd minutes.

Cup duty remained the focus for Derby as they faced Arsenal at Villa Park in the FA Cup semi final. The Londoners were clear favourites with the bookies, but Derby put in a quite fantastic performance, limiting Chris Coleman's Arsenal to a solitary shot on target in the entire ninety minutes, and that was easily saved by Stephen O'Connor. At the other end, shots rained in on Sebastien Frey, and three managed to find their way past the French 'keeper. Carl Medjani opened the scoring with an excellent header, and Scott Parker volleyed a second half double, ensuring that Derby would make at least one Wembley appearence in the campaign.

The good league form continued with a tight game against WBA at Pride Park which was won by a solitary goal in the 63rd minute. Thankfully for Rob, that goal came Derby's way, and was netted by French centre back Medjani, who wa beginning to find form after a mostly shaky season. Derby's fourth game in nine days was against Newcastle, again at Pride Park, and again it resulted in a win. Parker netted early on against his old club before fellow midfielders Andy Ferrell and Youssouf Hersi got in on the act to seal a 3-0 success.

All was set now for the return leg against Man Utd in the UEFA Cup. Within sixty seconds of kick-off, United had stoled the advantage on away goals as Michael Owen fired a volley past O'Connor in the Derby goal. But if anyone thought that that was it, they were in for a huge surprise. Aiden McGeady reclaimed Derby's aggregate advantage in the tenth minute, before Claudio Pizzaro made it 2-1 on the night for Rob's men. A goal on the stroke of half time from Rooney, however, seemed to knock some of the spirit out of Derby, and after the break, United rushed into a 4-2 lead on the night with goals from Lucas Neill and Rafael Van Der Vaart. Derby pulled it back to 4-3 (and 6-6 on aggregate) with Pizzaro's second of the night, but a goal from Man Utd's star Brazilian Kaka in the 67th minute looked to have tied things up. In a desperate attempt to salvage the game, Rob changed to a four man front line, throwing on Italian striker Arturo Lupoli and Finnish defender Petri Pasanen, the latter to be employed as a target man. And how it worked. Within three minutes, Derby had pulled it back to 5-4 on the night through McGeady's stunning 20 yard curler, and then with fifteen minutes left they pulled into an aggregate lead as Dean Ashton headed home Hersi's cross. The tie looked sealed eight minutes from time when Pasanen headed home from a corner, and it was with six minutes left when Pizzaro completed his hat-trick to seal a 7-5 win on the night, and a 10-7 success on aggregate. Serie A leaders Lecce awaited in the final.

Three days after the marathon UEFA Cup match in Manchester, derby were on the road again, this time to face Sheffield United. And any thoughts that a European hangover might effect them were blown away just like the Blades who found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline. Pizzaro and Ferrell had made it 2-0 before half time, and Ashton and Hersi completed the rout in the second period. Their winning run finally came to a close as they could only manage a 0-0 draw at home against Arsenal, but four days after that they cruised to another 4-0 away win, this time over Southampton with Pizzaro, Hersi and Parker (2) doing the damage.

Six days before the FA Cup Final, Derby went into their penultimate league game still with a chance of Champions League football, but a crushing 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge meant that Liverpool were four points clear in 4th with just one more game to go. UEFA Cup football would have to suffice for another year at Pride Park.

retired_bbcarr

FA CUP FINAL

Liverpool vs. Derby - Wembley Stadium, London
Saturday 10th May 2008
Attendance: 89,974


It was a measure of just how far Derby had come under Rob Watson that bookies could barely separate the two sides as kick-off neared. A late surge of betting put Liverpool as slight favourites, but none were too confident about any results they had predicted. Both sides craved, the same as any other team in such a position, a good start. The first twenty minutes of a cup final can often be the most nervy any player ever competes in, and in one so closely balanced it would be even more important to begin well.

So, as the clock ticked over to twenty minutes, Rob must have been verging on tears. All the early breaks had gone the way of Liverpool. Not a single thing had gone in Derby's favour, and the mountain they faced climbing to get back into the game was getting bigger all the time.

In just the second minute of the match, disaster struck when Craig Bellamy played a ball through the Derby defence, and his Welsh teammate Jason Koumas raced onto it and clipped a cheeky shot over the onrushing Stephen O'Connor. It was a big blow to Derby, and one that was compounded when they realised that in the build up to the goal, left back Gareth Barry had suffered a dead leg which forced him off the pitch. Italian centre back and Derby captain Valerio Di Cesare move over to fill the left back slot, and Petri Pasanen came onto the field into the vacant centre back position.

But just fourteen minutes after coming onto the field, Pasanen was forced back off it with a nasty gash to his head which would require hospital treatment. The cut had been suffered in a sickening clash of heads with Liverpool striker Milan Baros, but just to rub salt into the wounds, Baros got up seemingly fine after the collision. With no more defenders on his bench, Rob was forced to move right back Anton Ferdinand into the centre, and midfielder Kasey Wehrman to right back to form a very make-shift back line.

Liverpool were now very much in control, and had two good opportunities to extend their lead before they actually did. In the 22nd minute, Baros may have still been feeling the effects of his clash with Pasanen, certainly that would be the only excuse as to why he blazed a shot over the bar from four yards out with the goal at his mercy. And six minutes later, his captain Steven Gerrard contrived to head left winger Craig Bellamy's cross three feet over the bar from six yards out with an open goal in front of him after O'Connor had come for, and missed, the Welshman's cross.

But, with six minutes to go before half time, Liverpool did increase their lead, and leave Derby with little chance of making a come back. Bellamy, who was causing Wehrman all kinds of problems down Liverpool's left flank, made yet another run to the by-line, and swung in yet another perfectly delivered cross, and this time it was made the most of as Jamie Taylor slid in at the back post, prodding the ball past O'Connor's despairing dive to give Liverpool a 2-0 half time lead.

The second half was little more than a keep-ball training exercise for Liverpool as they further frustrated Derby. Rob's men couldn't get hold of the ball, and on the rare occasion they did, over-eagerness saw them gift it back to the Anfield boys within thirty seconds.

The final nail in Derby's coffin came nineteen minutes into the second period. Bellamy won a corner on the left, and Gerrard went over to take it. The long time Liverpool captain swung in a great delivery, and former England Under-21 defender Stuart Hunter was on hand to power a header past O'Connor from eight yards. Having already lost the Champions League spot to Liverpool, it left a seriously sour taste in Rob's mouth to whimper out of the FA Cup to them as well.

Final Score: Liverpool 3 - 0 Derby Koumas 2"; Taylor 39"; Hunter 64"

retired_tonytranbg79

Bad luck

retired_mika318

Good stuff :thup:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>and Scott Parker volleyed a second half double <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That must've been a hell of a shot to be given two goals for it :eek:

A 7-5 win in the UEFA Cup Semi Final 2nd leg at the Theatre of Dreams. Holy hell :eek: I take it that the defenders didn't bother turning up for that one?

That's some tough luck losing to Liverpool. You see Terk they're a vile, horrible team. Wouldn't waste my time supporting them to be honest

Hopefully you'll have something nice and shiny to put in Derby's trophy cabinet once you overcome Lecce (It'll look nice next to the two Anglo-Italian Cup runners up plates )

KUTGW

shannon2007

Well done Terk bring home the UEFA!

oops I called you Terk, change your name :p

retired_bbcarr

safe to say I was a wee bit surprised as the uefa cup semi unfolded. must say, at 5-3 i thought it was over (hence why i put petri pasanen up front). but man utd basically suck so it's not to big an achievement :p

and staurt, i e-mailed the dumb dutchman about a name chance not long after the awards but he never responded. might have to ask again

=====================================


UEFA CUP FINAL

Lecce vs. Derby - Wembley Stadium, London
Wednesday 14th May 2008
Attendance: 89,978


After the crushing blows that the two defeats in the previous ten days had landed, Rob was determined to get a good result out of his first European final and stave off an overwhelming feeling of disappointment about a season which a club like Derby would normally only be able to dream of. Italian side Lecce were all that stood between Rob and his first silverware at Pride Park, but the fact that they were heading the Serie A table by a whopping thirteen points over second placed AC Milan proved that they were going to be anything but a walk over.

Thankfully for Rob's nerves, there was no early goal conceded, nor any team breaking injuries to contend with, so it already had an upper hand on the FA Cup final. In their last visit to Wembley, the writing had all but been on the wall after a mere three minutes, so to survive to twenty with the situation as it was at kick-off was a big plus for Rob.

But in the twenty second minute, all hell borke loose. A period of eight minutes in whihc four goals were scored swung the match fiercely in the favour of one side. And the mayhem started with a Lecce mistake. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon fired a goalkick striaght at Dean Ashton who was standing on the edge of the penalty area, and the ball looped over to the right side of the eighteen yard box. Scott Parker rected quickest, and rushed onto the ball before firing a first time effort which flew past Buffon and into the net as the Italian 'keeper tried desperately to get back across his goal.

The lead lasted only 120 seconds, however, as Lecce fought back impressively. Left winger Franco Tosi made his jinking way to the by-line and cut a pass back to the edge of the box where striker Sergio GarcÃ*a was waiting. The former Barcelona hitman powered a drive at goal, and Derby 'keeper Stephen O'Connor could only parry it back out to where Massimo Donati was waiting, and the midfielder poked it into the net, levelling the scores.

That, you would have thought, would be a sign for both sides to concetrate more on the defensive side of their game, and make sure they kept things tight at least until half time so as to protect what they had. But Rob's reputation for not giving a flying **** about how many his team conceded as long as they scored more struck once more as he instructed Aiden McGeady to get further forward in support of his frontmen, Dean Ashton and Claudio Pizzaro. And within three minutes, it had worked to such an effect that Derby were back in front.

A long goal kick from England #1 O'Connor was flicked on by the small frame of 'Irishman' McGeady, and Ashton latched onto the ball, holding off Lecce defender Sami Hyypiä as he thumped the ball goalbound with his right boot. Buffon got fingertips to the shot, but was unable to divert its path enough to keep it from nestling in the back of the Lecce net and seeing Derby in front for the second time in the game. And another three minutes later, derby were firmly in the driving seat.

McGeady was again heavily involved in the move which brought Parker his second goal of the game, and his 19th of the season. The 'Irish' forward grabbed the ball forty yards from goal, and proceeded to showcase the talents that Rob had brought him into the club for as his fancy footwork took him round three would-be Lecce tacklers before a neat little pass found Youssouf Hersi in space. The Dutch winger swung a first time cross towards the back post, and Parker arrived late to bullet a header past a flat-footed Buffon.

The Italians were forced into elven men defence until the break as they desperately tried to keep themselves from falling any further behind. They almost did when Gareth Barry, upon whose fitness Rob had taken a bit of a gamble, crashed a twenty five yard shot off the cross bar with Buffon beaten again. But it was merely 3-1 to the English side as referee Dragutin Vuk sounded the half time whistle, ad Rob was certainly the happier of the two managers.

But his counterpart Paolo Maldini managed to fire up his troops for the beginning of the second period. Derby, inevitably, took their foot off the gas somewhat, and Lecce were determined to take advantage of that and force their way back into the game. And, had it not been for the heroics of the goalkeeper who had, two years earlier, inspired England to World Cup glory, then they may well have found themselves at least level.

Twice Stephen O'Connor fingetipped shots from Sergio GarcÃ*a over the bar, and a save from point blank range to deny GarcÃ*a's strike partner Louis Saha rated in the world class category of goalkeeping stops. And when, in the 63rd minute, he pushed Tosi's free kick onto the post from where it rebounded to safety, it was clearly visable that the Italian side's spirits had been broken.

In an attempt to freshen up his own side with twenty minutes remaining, Rob made a triple substitution, throwing on Arturo Lupoli for Pizzaro, Romeo Castelan for two-goal hero Parker and Kasey Wehrman for impressive young Englishman Andy Ferrell. And within two minutes it had paid dividends with two of the subs combining to, once and for all, put the destination of the trophy beyond doubt. McGeady found Wehrman in space, and the Aussie international slid a perfect pass through the Lecce defence for Italian striker Lupoli to race onto, which he did before firing a low shot underneath Buffon.

The final fifteen minutes was played in front of a huge party atmosphere as Derby fans cheered every touch that their side made, and various songs extolling the virtues of Rob Watson rang out from the stands. But the scoring wasn't finished. With a minute left on the clock, Derby won a free kick twenty five yards from goal, and Dutch winger Castelan hammered his effort past a well beaten Buffon who must have been wondering quite where his defense had gone on holiday to during the ninety minutes.

Final Score: Lecce 1 - 5 Derby Parker 22", 30"; Donati 24"; Ashton 27"; Lupoli 72"; Castelan 89"

retired_bbcarr

There was still the small matter of the league season to be finished off, however, as Derby faced off against Everton at Pride Park. Liverpool had drawn their game in hand to put them five points clear of Derby, just further reminding them that Champions League football would be heading to Anfield and not Derby. But Rob's men overcame that disappointment, and managed to end a wonderful season on a high note as Scott Parker scored twice before Claudio Pizzaro closed the season out with a strike from twelve yards out.



<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * English Premier Division - Sunday 18th May 2008********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2007/8 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st C Man Utd 38 14 4 1 40 11 13 3 3 36 12 88 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Chelsea 38 16 2 1 38 8 11 4 4 32 14 87 3rd Arsenal 38 12 5 2 33 9 9 6 4 27 17 74 4th Liverpool 38 11 5 3 22 11 10 4 5 23 19 72 5th DERBY 38 9 4 6 31 20 11 5 3 42 23 69 6th Blackburn 38 11 5 3 35 20 4 9 6 29 38 59 7th Aston Villa 38 12 3 4 33 25 4 7 8 24 30 58 8th Man City 38 12 4 3 39 17 4 3 12 17 28 55 9th Tottenham 38 5 8 6 31 25 6 6 7 25 23 47 10th Bolton 38 7 8 4 26 17 5 2 12 27 42 46 11th Fulham 38 10 3 6 30 28 2 7 10 18 30 46 12th Southampton 38 6 4 9 20 31 4 9 6 21 22 43 13th Newcastle 38 7 5 7 25 25 4 5 10 15 30 43 14th W.B.A. 38 6 5 8 19 22 4 5 10 16 32 40 15th Birmingham 38 8 6 5 33 24 2 4 13 14 43 40 16th Everton 38 7 5 7 24 28 2 5 12 10 26 37 17th Sheff Utd 38 6 6 7 29 32 3 4 12 10 28 37 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th R West Ham 38 5 8 6 19 19 3 4 12 14 36 36 19th R Middlesbrough 38 6 5 8 19 22 2 6 11 10 26 35 20th R Crystal Palace 38 3 6 10 20 31 3 3 13 15 47 27 </pre>



<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * Derby County - Sunday 18th May 2008********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2007/8 Senior Club Stats============================================= ================================================== =No Name Apps Gls Con Pens Asts Yel Red MoM Av R--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------24 Ashton, Dean 47 (3) 22 0 3 (3) 19 3 0 13 8.22 23 Bakke, Eirik 8 (1) 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 7.11 9 Baldvinsson, Marel Johann 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---- 4 Barry, Gareth 42 (1) 2 0 0 4 3 1 0 7.21 18 Castelen, Romeo 21 (13) 2 0 1 (0) 5 2 0 0 6.94 12 Di Cesare, Valerio 44 (1) 0 0 0 2 6 1 0 7.27 20 Ferdinand, Anton 43 (1) 1 0 0 7 4 0 2 7.30 14 Ferrell, Andy 19 (2) 4 0 0 3 2 0 0 7.52 11 Foy, Robbie 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.17 43 Gallacher, Paul 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---- 3 Gardner, Ricardo 19 (1) 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 7.20 50 Hall, Iain - - - - - - - - ---- 27 Hersi, Youssouf 49 12 0 1 (1) 7 7 0 1 7.57 48 Hunter, Robert - - - - - - - - ---- 49 Jackson, Simon - - - - - - - - ---- 13 Lewis, Joe 3 (1) 0 7 0 0 0 1 0 6.75 10 Lupoli, Arturo 9 (19) 3 0 0 4 0 0 3 7.25 2 Mario 16 (1) 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 6.82 8 McGeady, Aidan 43 (2) 16 0 0 9 3 0 2 7.29 5 Medjani, Carl 54 3 0 0 3 5 0 1 6.81 46 Middleton, Sean 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---- 19 Naysmith, Gary 10 (2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.83 1 O'Connor, Stephen 55 0 60 0 0 0 1 2 7.25 6 Parker, Scott 51 21 0 0 7 9 0 3 7.47 16 Pasanen, Petri 14 (5) 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 6.95 15 Pizarro, Claudio 43 (6) 19 0 0 11 0 0 4 7.73 17 Tate, Alan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---- 7 Wehrman, Kasey 19 (9) 5 0 0 6 3 0 0 7.36 47 Wilkins, Jamie 7 (14) 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 6.90 31 Wood, Neil 4 (2) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 6.83 </pre>

retired_tonytranbg79

Outstanding result, well done :thup:

retired_embartl

Congratulations on the UEFA Cup success - a goal fest both there and in the semi final :eek: :thup: Made up for the FA Cup loss in manyt ways. Good luck next season.