New boss Paul Jewell was devastated by the last-gasp defeat at Roy Keane’s Sunderland.

He felt encouraged by the players’ efforts and their hurt reaction upon defeat though. He felt it shows the players do care about the task in hand. 

Jewell introduced further backroom additions as he improved his Moor Farm staff complement. Bill Green and David Hamilton joined from Wigan as scouts. The new head physio is Alan Tomlinson who also worked at Wigan. Apparently, his first major task is to cure Andy Todd’s niggling back problem.

The Rams’ home FA Cup Third Round tie was switched to Sunday, January 6th due to the huge demands upon police resources (sic) for a Chesterfield home game on the traditional Third Round day, the first Saturday in January. Derby’s Boxing Day Premier League game with Liverpool is already sold out.

The boss will be dusting off his portfolio of players ready for the January transfer window and Derby have already been linked with Wigan striker Jason Roberts and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Glenn Whelan. Reports elsewhere tell us that Wolves are interested in Steve Howard and that Aston Villa want Giles Barnes for £5m.

The Rams Reserves lost 1-2 at home (well, at Burton’s Pirelli Stadium) to Arsenal stiffs, who included such as Senderos and Traore. It was a creditable, battling performance by Derby’s young second string.

In the build-up to the big game at Old Trafford, Jay McEveley had given this week’s promo on the official site tells us how he was in the same Everton youth team as Wayne Rooney, but ‘lost his way’. The chasm between their performance levels is vast and Jay is still a player that Everton discarded, before Blackburn managed to offload him after more disappointments – but he’s young enough to make it.

There was a flu bug among the Rams players with Claude Davies and Gary Teale under the weather for several days but injury worries were light with only Todd and Edworthy under treatment.

Sir Alex Ferguson paid tribute to Paul Jewell’s qualities as a manger and the United boss had sent PJ a case of wine when Jewell left Wigan, and says he will make a difference at Derby. Former Rams bosses Arthur Cox and George Burley have also recently sent Jewell their good wishes on his appointment at Derby and both still hold the club in very high regard.

So it was off to the Theatre of Dreams for a daunting game in front of 75,000. Derby do have renewed hope of making a survival bid with the improvements being wrought by Paul Jewell even if an away Trip at Old Trafford was not the most vital fixture in expectations for reward.

The Rams lost 4-1 at Old Trafford but gave some heart to fans with a battling performance. Goals were conceded (again) to what Jewell called ‘elementary, basic errors’ as such as Tevez and Ronaldo – who hardly need such encouragement - were given space and time to execute their skills when they could see the whites of Bywater’s eyes.

The fourth United goal was a scandalous piece of simulation by Ronaldo, who conned the referee all ends up as soon as he could feel a defender’s body brush him. United are better than Derby and hardly required the bonus of such cheating but Ronaldo is obviously no better than his reputation and I hope Derby get some similar soft fortune from referees soon.

Derby finally broke their duck at last having failed to score away all season. Substitutes Teale & Mears combined on the right and Steve Howard bundled the ball over the line. It was a fitting reward that Steve’s efforts brought a reward and now the team can move on, surely without a similar scoreless sequence to endure.

It had been 776 minutes without a goal – the worst sequence since 1920 and Derby hadn’t scored away for almost 4 months of the current season.

Yes, it was a regulation defeat for the relegation favourites but the manner of Derby’s performance will give manager and fans belief that we can match lesser teams and soon make better progress than we have done to date. Jewell is still assessing his choices and wants more zip when going forward. He tried out Mears and Fagan together as second half substitutes and the Boro game next Saturday should see more emphasis on attack that Rams fans have witnessed for a few months.

Middlesbrough beating Arsenal put a fly in our ointment in the same way that Bolton beating Manchester United had last week The Teesiders will have been boosted by that ahead of the vital clash at Pride Park next week. Bolton beat Wigan this weekend and Reading defeating Liverpool hardly helped Derby either.

Fulham, Roy Keane’s Sunderland and Birmingham all lost this weekend. The Rams do need a win or two to bridge the gap; then, victory over Liverpool on Boxing Day would set the New Year up just right!

RamsWeek 49 last year saw “32 years of hurt” banished, as the Rams, relentlessly consistent on the road, won at relegation-bound Leeds United for the first time since 1974.

The Yorkshire tripe managed to qualify for relegation twice last season - once via their useless team on the field and again via the dubious actions of their duck-diving chief, Ken Bates. Way to go, Leeds! Hot property Giles Barnes scored Derby’s winner, with ex-Leeds hero Seth Johnson the man of the match. He would have enjoyed sticking Bates’ insults back down his barbed throat.

Dean Leacock was now starring in defence as Billy’s mean machine hit great form – results were often better than performances but the team was tough, resilient and determined. Billy Davies secured the Championship Manager of the Month Award and Derby were now serious promotion contenders.

Another welcome anniversary occurred that week in 2006, namely the tenth anniversary of RamZone itself. All credit to Arild & Einar for their skill and dedication over the decade, and to all of you guys and gals as regulars on the website, as the RZ team notches up another year dedicated to the news and views surrounding our club - and what a year it was!

Photo: Action Images

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