This year v last year

[CornwallRam]

By position:

'Keeper: Same as before - Fielding is good, but Legzdins has really come to the fore just recently - we have two quality keepers with years on their side.

LB: Roberts - Mr Consistent as before last season, but we now have a couple of valid options as backup, O'Connor (not fantastic, but steady) and to some extent Hoganson (looked pretty useful against Sunderland, provided the assist for Tyson's goal)

CB: Loss of Shackell and Barker hurt us, but Keogh has proved to be more than just a replacement for Shackell, and Sir Jake/O'Connor and return of Mark O'Brien from injury give us ample cover.

RB: Brayford looks to be picking some of his first season form again, but with only Freeman as a dedicated cover it may be a weak point should Brayford pick up an injury..

LM: Not Hughes' best position, and Jamie Ward being used more as a striker, I'd much prefer to see Jacobs here, who is looking to be quite the talent, but we definitely have the options.

CM: Bryson has improved this season, Hendrick looks to be recovering some form, and Hughes coming through too. I'd like to see Bailey back here, but that is looking less and less likely.

RM: Coutts is definitely an improvement over Green, bringing a lot of attacking and assists. Although JW and Bris won't be agreeing with me here. Linking up very well with Brayford. Freeman not looking too bad in this position either, and we still have Bavies as a backup too.

Striker: Perhaps the only region that hasn't improved, for me. Theo is still scoring, and Ward was on form before injury, with Tyson chipping in too. Sammon is a hard worker, maybe not suited to our play, but the loss of Savies has hurt, proven finisher, and I think this would have been his season to kick on - he has the same number of goals as Theo in the league.

Overall we have definitely improved, not only in the quality of the players, but the attitude. This looks now to be a team that will fight for each other, and isn't giving up in games either - this point has been made before, but last season with us losing and heading into the closing stages of a game, I would have thought 'that's that then', but now, there's always a maybe.. just maybe.

O'Connor's main position is actually right back. It shows what a good aquisition he was that he has played a big and effective part in our season without featuring in his main position.

Nigel's Burton stormed the Conference because, despite being individually average, as a unit they would walk through fire for their team mates and their manager. I was worried that when we went down to Peterborough we would see another disastrous run like last November. Not this year though. The blip seems to have made them stronger. I'm starting to believe that Nigel might have recreated that Burton mentality here - individually moderate players but a very good team who never give in.

I still think that we're three players short of a promotion winning side but at least we know we won't go down. If Mr Rush can find us a quality left back, a top centre midfield player and a goal scorer (Roberts, Hendrick and Theo fine for midtable, but not for top six although Hendrick has time to improve) we would be in with a chance of automatic promotion.

[BOB BIGGS]

I think Sammon is key to the way we play, and overall is a much better option than Davies.

Davies could get you a goal out of nothing mind, and we miss that. I think Sammon is 90% of the time the better option over Savies, the other 10% where we're looking for a potshot from 25 yards, we're missing but Ward does that from time to time.

...and Tyson 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

[PistoldPete]

...and Tyson 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Now +10 ponts on last year head to head.

If we win one of next 2 (very tough) I will officially be excited

[mcsilks]

Last years results in brackets, and points difference shown.

its official. We are better this year.

Derby 2-0 Barnsley ( 1-1) +2

Derby 4-1 Blackpool (2-1) 0

Peterborough 3-0 Derby (3-2) 0

Ipswich 1-2 Derby (1-0) +3

Derby 1-1 Blackburn

Derby 0-0 Brighton (0-1) +1

Middlesbrough 2-2 Derby (2-0) +1

Nottm Forest 0-1 Derby (1-2) 0

Derby 1-2 Burnley (2-4) 0

Derby 3-2 Charlton

Huddersfield1-0 Derby

Derby 5-1Watford (1-2) +3

Wolves 1-1Derby

Bolton 2-0 Derby

Derby 2-2 Sheff Wed

10 points better off in the 9 directly comparable matches.

I'd draw a graph but thats too hard.

Or our opposition is worse.

No, I agree with you. You can't argue with stats.

[davenportram]

Only lost 4 out of 16 - I like that stat.

[ramesses]

Last years results in brackets, and points difference shown.

its official. We are better this year.

Derby 2-0 Barnsley ( 1-1) +2

Derby 4-1 Blackpool (2-1) 0

Peterborough 3-0 Derby (3-2) 0

Ipswich 1-2 Derby (1-0) +3

Derby 1-1 Blackburn

Derby 0-0 Brighton (0-1) +1

Middlesbrough 2-2 Derby (2-0) +1

Nottm Forest 0-1 Derby (1-2) 0

Derby 1-2 Burnley (2-4) 0

Derby 3-2 Charlton

Huddersfield1-0 Derby

Derby 5-1Watford (1-2) +3

Wolves 1-1Derby

Bolton 2-0 Derby

Derby 2-2 Sheff Wed

10 points better off in the 9 directly comparable matches.

I'd draw a graph but thats too hard.

OCD mode on/

With 11 more goals scored and 6 less conceded in those matches

/off

[davenportram]

http://stats.football365.co.uk/dom/ENG/D1/oform.html

Last 8 form we are 4th behind Cardiff Boro and Palace

Forest are 11th

[davenportram]

Against top half we are 6th

http://stats.football365.co.uk/dom/ENG/D1/vtophalf.html

And bottom half we are 12th

http://stats.football365.co.uk/dom/ENG/D1/vbothalf.html

[PistoldPete]

Now +10 ponts on last year head to head.

If we win one of next 2 (very tough) I will officially be excited

Ok so this is first head to head game where we are worse this year than last year cos we got a point last year at the Den.

Maybe a sign that Millwall are better this year than last . And that we still need to improve especially away from home to get a promotion chance.

Next up Palace also a tricky one.

[Alph]

Every away game is tricky for Derby.

Palace or Crawley or Crewe. It never matters.

[blackNwhites]

Whole Championship has a tricky away day, not just a Derby thing.

[PistoldPete]

Now +10 ponts on last year head to head.

If we win one of next 2 (very tough) I will officially be excited

Well I didnt get officailly excited but we are now ahead of where we were this time last year (pointswise +2 , and we are + 8 points in the head to head comparison).

We did have thats spell just before and after Xmas last year when we won 5 out of 6. Tough games to come , so we will need a better second half than last year.

[PistoldPete]

Now 9 points ahead on head to head comparison. Drawing gainst Cardiff compared to last year when they played us off the park.

No doubt we are playing better at home this year , but difference is this year we are asking how did we not win that one? Last year wed be saying dhow did we win that one.

Still only 12 tho which is where we finished last year.

[Jourdan]

Our away form has to get better if we are going to stand a chance of improving on last year. Our home form can't prop us up forever.

We have only collected 8 points from 9 away games so far, two fewer than at the same stage last season. We have the same number of defeats though.

It's interesting that we went on to collect a total of 27 points from 23 away games last season - 7 wins and 6 draws - which is our best return under Clough by some margin.

So we'd have to pick up another 20 points in 14 away games to better that. I don't know about anyone else, but to me, it looks a tall order. We just seem a completely different animal away from home. We don't have the same confident, positive, attacking approach that we do at home, where we've been refreshing to watch.

[Bris Vegas]

Drawing the comparisons against last season only works against the teams we've played against (which is only 18)..

One thing that always strikes me about DCFC is our record against the bottom teams is generally quite good..

The 3 teams that went down last season were Doncaster, Pompey and Coventry.. We took 15 points from that lot..

Of the teams that have come up (Charlton, Huddlesfield and Sheff Wed) we've only taken 4 so we're already down in that aspect..

Of WHU, Reading and Soton we took 5 points from 18.. From Wolves, Blackburn and Bolton we've already taken 4.. So that looks like it will be an improvement..

[PistoldPete]

Our away form has to get better if we are going to stand a chance of improving on last year. Our home form can't prop us up forever.

We have only collected 8 points from 9 away games so far, two fewer than at the same stage last season. We have the same number of defeats though.

It's interesting that we went on to collect a total of 27 points from 23 away games last season - 7 wins and 6 draws - which is our best return under Clough by some margin.

So we'd have to pick up another 20 points in 14 away games to better that. I don't know about anyone else, but to me, it looks a tall order. We just seem a completely different animal away from home. We don't have the same confident, positive, attacking approach that we do at home, where we've been refreshing to watch.

I dont think we will better last season away form no way.

But at home, we should have won all our games this year , probably deserved to. Four draws and a defeat should all have been home wins on the balance of play. Still only one defeat at home after 10 games and that was a total smash and grab. Last year we lost what 7 times at home?

.

[PistoldPete]

Drawing the comparisons against last season only works against the teams we've played against (which is only 18)..

One thing that always strikes me about DCFC is our record against the bottom teams is generally quite good..

The 3 teams that went down last season were Doncaster, Pompey and Coventry.. We took 15 points from that lot..

Of the teams that have come up (Charlton, Huddlesfield and Sheff Wed) we've only taken 4 so we're already down in that aspect..

Of WHU, Reading and Soton we took 5 points from 18.. From Wolves, Blackburn and Bolton we've already taken 4.. So that looks like it will be an improvement..

I think weve played 19 teams and we only taken 2 points so far off Wolves and Blackburn. But yes we need to do more than plus 9 points to make up for the loss of Donny Pompey and Coventry

[Bris Vegas]

I think weve played 19 teams and we only taken 2 points so far off Wolves and Blackburn. But yes we need to do more than plus 9 points to make up for the loss of Donny Pompey and Coventry

Ah yes that was my mistake.. It was only 2 points from Bolton, Wolves and Blackburn..

Our home form seems a massive improvement.. Away from home, we've always been poor under NC but we actually seem worse than last year.. Last season we beat Pompey, Donny, Hull, Leeds, Watford, Forest, Blackpool away (7 wins).. I don't see us beating that this season the way we're playing

[DCFCfranco]

well nothings going to change about the Leicester results by the looks of things.

[Jourdan]

I dont think we will better last season away form no way.

But at home, we should have won all our games this year , probably deserved to. Four draws and a defeat should all have been home wins on the balance of play. Still only one defeat at home after 10 games and that was a total smash and grab. Last year we lost what 7 times at home?

.

I totally agree. We have been very good at home and like you say, we have deserved more. We lost eight times at home last season and seven of those losses came against teams who finished above us. We've played Brighton, Burnley, Cardiff and Watford at home and we're 5 points better off.

So yes, it's much improved. Teams are finally coming to Pride Park and realising they are really going to have to dig in, work hard and play well just to come away with a point.

What a shame that when teams see Derby (H) on the fixture list, they'll feel the complete opposite.