Tribute to Derby County

I'll be honest with you. I've written over 300 posts here on English Soccer Talk since I started this site, and other than in my preseason predictions and my midseason summaries, I can't remember any posts specifically about Derby County or even mentioning that club in another post for more than a sentence or two.

Well, don't accuse me of not being an "equal opportunity" writer. I'm going to use this time to salute the Rams, who were officially relegated back to the Coca-Cola Championship after last weekend's round of games.

Derby County FC:

Just by the "eye test", and I like to think I know a little bit about this game, Derby County has been the worst Premiership team I've ever seen.

Too harsh? Don't agree with me? Ok, that's fine. Let me give you a few stats to prove my point.

1. With six games left to play, Derby needs at least four more points to avoid becoming the team with the fewest points total in Premier League history. Those four points would give Derby 15, which would equal the record held by the 2005-2006 Sunderland squad. Five points, obviously, would propel Derby over the top. Can you see them getting five points from a schedule including games against Everton, Aston Villa, West Ham, Arsenal, Blackburn, and Reading? I can't.

2. Derby has one win in 32 league games. If that figure stands, Derby would have the fewest wins for one team in Premiership history. That 2005-2006 Sunderland team managed to win a whopping three matches, which is the current low.

3. The Rams' -51, yes, you read that right, -51, goal differential is the third-worst in Premiership history behind Swindon Town's -53 in 1993-1994 and Ipswich Town's -57 the following season. Remember, Derby still has six games to eclipse that record, and two or three of their opponents score goals for fun.

4. Their manager, Paul Jewell, was recently rumored to be involved in a sex tape scandal. It's unclear whether there's actually any evidence of this or if it was simply tabloid fodder, but still, this is pretty funny. You would think the manager of a woeful Premiership team would spend his time thinking of ways to improve his side, or be out on the training field with his players, or just something involved with soccer.

Apparently not Paul Jewell, who would rather make a sex tape with, if you believe the reports, a woman who isn't even attractive. If he's that good from behind, if you know what I mean, Derby should've been able to come up with some better results this season.

Alright, I really don't want to bash Derby any more. As soon as they won the playoff final to gain promotion to the Premiership for this season, they basically had their ticket to return to the Championship next season. It's extremely difficult to come from the Championship and compete with the big boys, especially when the money in England's top flight is flying around like it is and there's such a financial and competitive disparity between the two leagues.

They also have two Americans, Benny Feilhaber and Eddie Lewis, on their roster, and I like that. Feilhaber hasn't gotten a chance to play much this season, which I don't understand. One would think Jewell would try and get his youngsters as much experience as he can because some of the veteran players, like Robbie Savage, for one, won't be playing for Derby next year, and surely Feilhaber can't be that much worse than who is playing ahead of him. Lewis has played signficant minutes for the Rams and hasn't looked bad at all, especially considering his age and the position he plays. Ryan Giggs on that left wing, he is not, but he's still serviceable.

The players also clearly haven't given up and packed it in for the season, and that's more than I can say for some players at Spurs and West Ham, for starters. Derby's fans continue to pack Pride Park as well and again, that's more than I can say about fans of teams in a better position than Derby, like Middlesbrough, Blackburn, Wigan, and others.

So long, Derby. You've been one of the worst teams in league history, but it's been nice knowing you, and good luck in the Championship next year.

Jewell Joins Derby, McLeish Matriculates at Birmingham

Well, this news would matter more to me if these teams were any good.

Derby will be going down regardless; they are simply the worst Premiership team I've seen in years and Paul Jewell won't be able to save them this season.

I picked Birmingham to join Derby in the Championship next year as well, and that was with Steve Bruce at the helm, who I believe is a good manager and possibly could've kept the team up. Alex McLeish turned the fortunes of the Scottish national team around and even though they just missed out on qualifying for Euro 2008, whoever is hired as the next manager will inherit a pretty stable, solid situation and team that has a good chance to qualify for World Cup 2010. As far as McLeish goes, however, I don't think Birmingham made the right choice in hiring a guy who hasn't managed in England before, much less the Premiership, in the middle of the season. It's one to manage in Scotland and at Rangers, where success is easier to attain than it is in the Premiership, and it's another to manage a team that doesn't have the same talent level as even other squads in the bottom half of the table. If McLeish keeps Birmingham up, it'll be by the skin of their teeth and nothing more.

Goodbye, Chris Hutchings

Six consecutive losses and just 8 points from 12 league games forced Wigan chairman Dave Whelan to make a managerial change today as Chris Hutchings has been given the axe.

"This has been a very difficult decision for me and the board to make but I felt we had to act in the best interests of the club and its long-term future.

'Chris has worked very hard since becoming manager and I cannot fault either his effort or commitment to the cause. However, it is crucial for the development of Wigan that we maintain our Premier League status this season and following results and performances in recent matches, we feel it is critical to act now.

'My energies will now be fully focused on getting the right man, firstly to stop the decline we have suffered in the last two months or so, and secondly, to take us forward in the future," said Whelan in a statement.

Realistically, Wigan know they're in a fight for their Premiership lives and this move has the markings of one to give the team an immediate, short-term spark in a hope to turn the season around. I picked this team to finish 18th, the last relegation spot, and I stand by my prediction. Wigan don't have the players and don't have the money to go out and acquire much talent in the January transfer window. Their only hope is for teams like Middlesbrough and Bolton to keep struggling, as we all know Derby will finish last.

Former boss Paul Jewell has been linked to reclaim his old position in charge but he's too talented of a manager to be stuck with a team that's probably going to be relegated; Jewell would be idiotic to take this job. He's in a decent position to become England's next manager once Steve McLaren gets fired (and he inevitably will, sooner or later), and there will be more attractive domestic jobs out there than Wigan.