2007–08 Derby County F.C. season
| 2007–08 season | |||
| Chairman |  Peter Gadsby (until October) Adam Pearson (until January) Andrew Appleby |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Manager |  Billy Davies (until 26 November) Paul Jewell |
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| Premier League | 20th (relegated) | ||
| FA Cup | Fourth round | ||
| League Cup | Second round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Kenny Miller (4) All: Kenny Miller (6) |
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| Highest home attendance | 33,087 (vs. Reading, 11 May) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 30,048 (vs. Blackburn Rovers, 30 December 2007) | ||
| Average home attendance | 32,432 | ||
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The 2007–08 season was Derby County's 109th season in the Football League, their 65th season in the top division of English football and their first season in the top flight since the 2001-02 season. They were promoted after beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in the 2007 Championship play-off final.
After a very poor start to the season, manager Billy Davies left the club on 26 November to be replaced by former Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell. Jewell failed to turn things around for Derby and the club spent most of the season at the foot of the table, recording a club and top-flight record run of 32 league games without a win.
Derby were officially relegated on 29 March after their 2-2 home draw with fellow strugglers Fulham and Birmingham City's 3-1 victory over Manchester City left them 19 points away from safety with only 6 games left. This made Derby the first club in Premiership history to be relegated in March and only the second in post-war English Football league history.[1] They also accumulated the league's lowest points total since the introduction of 3 points for a win.
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[edit] Review
Despite producing a reasonably good performance in a 2-2 draw against Portsmouth on the opening day of the season, followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Sven Goran Eriksson's Manchester City (the only two games which Derby spent outside the bottom three), Derby made an overall disastrous start to the Premier League season. Following their 6-0 defeat to Liverpool on 1 September, Irish bookmakers Paddy Power decided to pay out on the club to be relegated after just five games of the new season.[2] The poor start saw fans accuse Gadsby and the board of failing to invest properly in players for the club. The repercussions of this saw Trevor Birch leave his position as Chief Executive on October 19[3] and, on October 29, Gadsby stepped down as chairman to be replaced by former Hull City owner Adam Pearson.[4] Meanwhile, results on the pitch weren't improving, with another poor performance away to Aston Villa followed up by a 5-0 home defeat against a West Ham United side ravaged by injuries. After taking just 6 points from 14 matches, with their only win being a 1-0 victory over future strugglers Newcastle United, Davies left by mutual consent after a meeting with Adam Pearson, taking nearly all of his newly assembled backroom staff with him.[5] Within two days of Davies's dismissal, on November 26, Derby appointed highly-rated former Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell.[6] He initially appointed Stan Ternent as his assistant but, when Ternant left to become Huddersfield Town manager in April, Jewell moved to appoint Chris Hutchings[7] who had been his assistant at both Bradford City and Wigan.
Jewell was busy in the January transfer window, selling several players and bringing eight new players in, namely Everton defender Alan Stubbs,[8] Argentine striker Emanuel Villa,[9] ex-England international defender Danny Mills on loan from Manchester City, Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage,[10] French winger Laurent Robert, Tottenham's Egyptian midfielder Hossam Ghaly on loan,[11] Genclerbirligi's Mile Sterjovski[12] and Rangers goalkeeper Roy Carroll.[13] Although performances improved, results didn't, with many at the club already accepting relegation by the end of December.
On January 28, it was announced that Derby had been purchased by American group General Sports and Entertainment, with Tom Glick taking the role of new President and Chief Executive.[14] Derby's relegation was confirmed on March 29, the first time a club had been relegated from the division before April[1] and sealing the club's first immediate relegation following promotion in its history. Poor results continued: a 6-0 home defeat at the hands of Aston Villa on 12 April is the biggest defeat at Pride Park and, by the season's end, Derby had recorded the Premier League's lowest points total[15] and equalled Loughborough's 108-year Football League record of going through an entire season with only one win.
[edit] Playing squad
- Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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[edit] Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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[edit] Starting 11
- Considering Premiership starts in all competitions
- Considering a 4-4-2 formation
- GK: #43,
Stephen Bywater, 19 - RB: #24, Tyrone Mears, 23
- CB: #23,
Darren Moore, 31 - CB: #5, Dean Leacock, 24
- LB: #4,
Jay McEveley, 22 - RM: #25, Stephen Pearson, 25
- CM: #8, Matt Oakley, 20
- CM: #17, Andy Todd, 17
- LM: #15,
Eddie Lewis, 24 - CF: #14, Kenny Miller, 33
- CF: #11, Craig Fagan, 20
[edit] Transfers
[edit] In
- Danny Mills - on loan from Manchester City
- Laurent Robert - free transfer
- Robbie Savage - £1.5m, from Blackburn Rovers
- Emanuel Villa - £2m, from Tecos UAG
- Hossam Ghaly - on loan from Tottenham Hotspur
- Mile Sterjovski - undisclosed, from Genclerbirligi
- Roy Carroll - free transfer from Rangers
- Alan Stubbs - free transfer from Everton
- Ruben Zadkovich - free transfer from Sydney FC
[edit] Out
- Steve Howard - £1.25m, to Leicester City
- Matt Oakley - £500k, to Leicester City
- Andy Griffin - £300k, to Stoke City
- Jon Macken - £200k, to Barnsley
- Michael Johnson - loan to Notts County
- Bob Malcolm - free transfer, to Motherwell
- Laurent Robert - free transfer, to Toronto
[edit] Results
[edit] Premier League
| Date | Opponents | Home/
Away |
Result
F - A |
Scorers | Attendance | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 August 2007 | Portsmouth | H | 2 - 2 | Oakley [5], Todd [84] | 32,176 | 7th |
| 15 August 2007 | Manchester City | A | 0 - 1 | 43,620 | 14th | |
| 18 August 2007 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0 - 4 | 35,600 | 19th | |
| 25 August 2007 | Birmingham City | H | 1 - 2 | Oakley [51] | 31,117 | 20th |
| 1 September 2007 | Liverpool | A | 0 - 6 | 44,076 | 20th | |
| 17 September 2007 | Newcastle United | H | 1 - 0 | Miller [39] | 33,016 | 19th |
| 22 September 2007 | Arsenal | A | 0 - 5 | 60,122 | 19th | |
| 29 September 2007 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1 - 1 | Miller [19] | 31,503 | 20th |
| 7 October 2007 | Reading | A | 0 - 1 | 23,091 | 20th | |
| 20 October 2007 | Fulham | A | 0 - 0 | 22,576 | 19th | |
| 28 October 2007 | Everton | H | 0 - 2 | 33,048 | 20th | |
| 3 November 2007 | Aston Villa | A | 0 - 2 | 40,938 | 20th | |
| 10 November 2007 | West Ham United | H | 0 - 5 | 32,440 | 20th | |
| 24 November 2007 | Chelsea | H | 0 - 2 | 32,789 | 20th | |
| 1 December 2007 | Sunderland | A | 0 - 1 | 42,380 | 20th | |
| 8 December 2007 | Manchester United | A | 1 - 4 | Howard [76] | 75,725 | 20th |
| 15 December 2007 | Middlesbrough | H | 0 - 1 | 32,676 | 20th | |
| 23 December 2007 | Newcastle United | A | 2 - 2 | Barnes [6], Miller [52] | 51,386 | 20th |
| 26 December 2007 | Liverpool | H | 1 - 2 | McEveley [67] | 33,029 | 20th |
| 30 December 2007 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 1 - 2 | Oakley [27] | 30,048 | 20th |
| 2 January 2008 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0 - 1 | 17,014 | 20th | |
| 12 January 2008 | Wigan Athletic | H | 0-1 | 31,658 | 20th | |
| 19 January 2008 | Portsmouth | A | 1-3 | Nyatanga [4] | 19,401 | 20th |
| 30 January 2008 | Manchester City | H | 1-1 | Sun Jihai (OG) [46] | 31,368 | 20th |
| 2 February 2008 | Birmingham City | A | 1-1 | Villa [89] | 25,924 | 20th |
| 9 February 2008 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0-3 | 33,058 | 20th | |
| 23 February 2008 | Wigan Athletic | A | 0-2 | 20,176 | 20th | |
| 1 March 2008 | Sunderland | H | 0-0 | 33,058 | 20th | |
| 12 March 2008 | Chelsea | A | 1-6 | Jones [72] | 39,447 | 20th |
| 15 March 2008 | Manchester United | H | 0-1 | 33,072 | 20th | |
| 22 March 2008 | Middlesbrough | A | 0-1 | 25,649 | 20th | |
| 29 March 2008 | Fulham | H | 2-2 | Villa [10], [80] | 33,034 | 20th [R] |
| 6 April 2008 | Everton | A | 0-1 | 36,017 | 20th | |
| 12 April 2008 | Aston Villa | H | 0-6 | 33,036 | 20th | |
| 19 April 2008 | West Ham United | A | 1-2 | Mears [65] | 34,612 | 20th |
| 28 April 2008 | Arsenal | H | 2-6 | McEveley [31], Earnshaw [77] | 33,003 | 20th |
| 3 May 2008 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1-3 | Miller [18] | 26,110 | 20th |
| 11 May 2008 | Reading | H | 0-4 | 33,087 | 20th |
[edit] FA Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | Home/
Away |
Result
F - A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 January 2008 | Round 3 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2 - 2 | Miller [38], Barnes [45] | 20,612 |
| 22 January 2008 | Round 3 Replay | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1-1 [aet, pen 4-2] | Miller [47] | 18,020 |
| 26 January 2008 | Round 4 | Preston North End | H | 1-4 | Earnshaw [55] | 17,344 |
[edit] Football League Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | Home/
Away |
Result
F - A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 August 2007 | Round 2 | Blackpool | H | 2 - 2 [aet, pen 6-7] | Camara [63], Fagan [101] | 8,658 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b McNulty, Phil (2008-03-29). "Derby 2-2 Fulham". BBC Sport. http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7309363.stm. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ^ "Paddy Power pays out on Derby relegation". Teamtalk.co.uk. 2007-08-31. http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,3015_2697302,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ Birch leaves Derby chief exec job BBC Sport Online
- ^ New Derby chairman backs Davies BBC Sport Online
- ^ Bily Davies leaves Derby by mutual consent Times online
- ^ Paul Jewell appointed Derby manager Telegraph
- ^ "Hutchings set to take Derby role". BBC Sport. 2008-04-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7364460.stm. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
- ^ "Stubbs Brings Steel". dcfc.co.uk. 2008-01-31. http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1230028,00.html.
- ^ "Rams sign Argentine striker Villa". BBC Sport. 2008-01-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7166848.stm.
- ^ "Savage completes switch to Derby". BBC Sport. January 9, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/7166114.stm.
- ^ Jacob, Gary; Lansley, Peter; Szczepanik, Nick (2007-11-01). "Hossam Ghaly recruited for Derby’s rescue effort". London: Timesonline.co.uk. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3168714.ece.
- ^ "Derby complete Sterjovski signing". BBC Sport. January 24, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7180692.stm.
- ^ "Carroll Extends Derby Stay". BBC Sport. 22 February 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7258258.stm.
- ^ General Sports and Entertainment Takeover - BBC Sport
- ^ "Dismal Derby take Cats' sad place in the record books". Sunderland Echo. 2008-03-29. http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/Dismal-Derby-take-Cats39-sad.4095005.jp. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ^ Price was born in Bournemouth, England, but qualifies to represent Wales internationally and made his international debut for Wales in November 2005.
- ^ McEveley was born in Liverpool, England, but qualifies to represent Scotland internationally and made his international debut for Scotland in August 2007, having previously represented England at U-20 and U-21 level and the Scotland B team.
- ^ Johnson was born in Nottingham, England, but qualifies to represent Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1999.
- ^ Jones was born in Southport, England and has represented them at U-21 level, but qualifies to represent Wales internationally through a parent.
- ^ Earnshaw was born in Mufulira, Zambia, but moved to Wales at the age of nine and made his international debut for Wales in May 2002.
- ^ Fagan was born in Birmingham, England, but also qualifies to represent Jamaica internationally through his grandparents.
- ^ Feilhaber was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but moved to the United States at the age of six; he was also eligible to represent Austria internationally, qualifying through his paternal grandfather. Having been called up to the United States squad twice before and declining a call-up from Austria, he made his international debut for the United States in March 2007.
- ^ Moore was born in Birmingham, England, but qualifies to represent Jamaica internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Jamaica in 2006.
- ^ Moore was born in Chadderton, England, but represented Jamaica in February 2009, apparently qualifying through his father; it was later discovered his father was in fact from Sierra Leone and Mears was ineligible to represent Jamaica.
- ^ Nyatanga was born in Burton upon Trent, England, but qualifies to represent both Wales (through his mother) and Zimbabwe (through his father) internationally; he made his international debut for Wales in March 2006.
- ^ Howard was born in Durham, England, but qualifies to represent Scotland internationally and made his international debut for the Scotland B team in November 2007.
- ^ Macken was born in Blackley, England, but qualifies to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Ireland in 2004, having previously represented England at U-20 level.
[edit] External links
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