dan_ram1

Surely that match doesn't count! That was the last game of a season and I'm sure Clough played Hulse at the back. Derby: Bywater, Connolly, Nyatanga (O'Brien 64), Bannan, Pearson (Dudley 84), Commons, Savage, Varney (Villa 64), Teale, Eustace, Hulse. Subs Not Used: Price, Beardsley

Rams 0 - 0 Brentford

I think that just shows ignoring the top 6 in the Premier League, there is not much difference between teams in the Premier League and Championship.

In regards to experience in the same positions

I like this signing. I think it just adds extra insurance in case we do get a few injuries. No it's not a long term fix but is that what we need? I believe it takes a completely different side to get out of this league to staying in the premier league. You could argue that the team that lost in the playoff final was more suited to the top flight than our current team. However we lost to a QPR team not that different from our current team. Green - Carson Dunne - Davies Barton - Huddleston Zamora - Nugent/Jermone The spine of the team has very similar characteristics to our current team. If we do get promoted then I'm sure a younger forward will be high on the list

I agree with what most have said with regards to injuries in previous seasons and my major concern is a couple of injuries to the defence as soaking up large amounts of pressure is key to the way we play. I guess all we can do is enjoy the ride and I'm sure being Derby, it will be very bumpy. I promise all my posts wont contain charts but below just in case anyone is interested, the top 2 teams each year.

First time poster but long time reader. Apologies if this has been posted before but I thought it was an interesting topic. I have read a lot recently regarding how Derby fall away in the second half of the season, so I decided to look into the points, goals for and goals against for the past 6 1/2 years (to include Clough). Points gained Goals For Goals Against The above tells me that it is clear for the past few years we have fallen away in the 2nd half of the year (13/14 wasn't that bad?). What I didn't think about until I saw the above is just the number of goals we seem to give away in the 2nd half of the year. If our defence can stay as strong as it has been since the Bristol game then I think we stand a really good chance.