Is this the worst Derby County side in the club's 139 year history?

[Marriot Ram99]

Serious question,  was thinking whilst at the game yesterday relative to the level we are playing at and the standard of football we are playing I think this team is a contender for our worst ever side.

I only started watching in 2008 as I was 9 then and that's when I got into Derby, but this is definitely the worst team since I've been watching,  heard we were bad in the 1980s but I doubt we were ever this bad.  2007 Prem side would beat this team imo and wouldn't struggle vs average League 1 teams.

What do people think who have been watching for decades? Got to be up there at the moment imo.

Edited August 16, 2023 by Marriot Ram99

[dantheram]

In terms of league ranking, yes.

In terms of overall team quality and managerial talent, it's making a solid claim.

[StaffsRam]

The worst prepared side maybe. Man for man it’s not the worst squad of players, but the tactics, shape/formation etc….it’s not good.

The prem side under Davros was bad, but that was at a different level and Davros had thrown in the towel to prove a point, ie playing Big Dave up front when we were losing to send a message that we needed to sign another striker.

As a supporter I started following Derby the year after we’d last escaped this division. In all that time I’ve not seen anything as concerning as what we’ve seen so far this season. Being humiliated in the prem is one thing, being absolutely played off the park in the third tier is something else entirely.

Worrying times.

[WystonRam]

Certainly up there, but probably the team that lost 6-0 to non league Boston in the cup, in the 3rd division north days might be close ?

[Guest]

If you're not factoring in the level we are playing at, then quite possibly yes.

If you are, then the 11-pointers were worse, and I don't remember feeling much different about the football and results under Pearson.

EDIT: Full disclosure: I was born after 1884.

Edited August 16, 2023 by Guest

[Tamworthram]

To answer the question in the title of the thread, we simply don't know. None of us have been watching the Rams for 139 years (I assume 😀).

To rephrase the question, allowing for the effects of selective memory, do any of us think this is the worst Derby team since we've been watching the Rams? It's looking that way at this moment in time but that may be a knee jerk reaction to a shocking start to the season.

[LazloW]

Wouldn’t you logically have to at least see where we are at the end of the season to judge that? Admittedly this has been a terrible start but there’s plenty of time to turn it around and, if he manages it and we finish where we expect to, then the answer would be no. If we finish mid-table or worse then the answer might be yes (taking the level we’re at into account).  Either way, too soon to say.

[Elwood P Dowd]

I thought that Tommy Docherty’s side was awful but looking back perhaps I had gotten so used to caviar Football in the previous years  I just didn’t like Docherty’s jam sandwich Football 😂

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

6 minutes ago, LazloW said:

Wouldn’t you logically have to at least see where we are at the end of the season to judge that? Admittedly this has been a terrible start but there’s plenty of time to turn it around and, if he manages it and we finish where we expect to, then the answer would be no. If we finish mid-table or worse then the answer might be yes (taking the level we’re at into account).  Either way, too soon to say.

This tends to be one of those football oddities to me.  Every point is crucial right from the start to get to the end result.  If Derby get 3 points from the first lets say 6 games they have a mountain to climb to 6th.  Those points are gone regardless.

[Ilsonram12]

Well last season was the worst side as in league positions, so technically this could be the worst if results carry on 

[alram]

YES.

 

i dont know how people can debate it isnt, this side is utterly terrible and devoid of any quality. the context of our opponents needs to be taken into account, the 11 point team would toy with this time however an unorganised mess they were, man for man we are terrible currently

[LazloW]

23 minutes ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

This tends to be one of those football oddities to me.  Every point is crucial right from the start to get to the end result.  If Derby get 3 points from the first lets say 6 games they have a mountain to climb to 6th.  Those points are gone regardless.

The question I was answering was about whether this was the worst team in Derby’s history which I was saying can only be judged at the end of the season - not sure we’re discussing the same thing really.

[CornwallRam]

That's a very good question. 5 other seasons at this level, but 2 were promotions. Going on the first 4 games, we're worse than last season.

So the question is, were we worse in 55-56 or 84-85? I saw some of the latter and I'd we're worse now. So we need someone who was around in the mid 50s to settle this.

 

[Jram]

Oh my lord, I need to stop looking at this forum. Faith in humanity diminishes with each overly dramatic thread 

[Marriot Ram99]

3 minutes ago, Jram said:

Oh my lord, I need to stop looking at this forum. Faith in humanity diminishes with each overly dramatic thread 

It's a fair question as we have not been in the 3rd tier for many years in our history,  and the football so far this season has been truly disgraceful at home. Maybe abit early but continue like this and for sure it will be the worst side , if we finish bottom half in this league they will go down as a disgrace to the shirt and it will be like the 11 point season at the end.

[Henrycav81]

1 hour ago, CornwallRam said:

That's a very good question. 5 other seasons at this level, but 2 were promotions. Going on the first 4 games, we're worse than last season.

So the question is, were we worse in 55-56 or 84-85? I saw some of the latter and I'd we're worse now. So we need someone who was around in the mid 50s to settle this.

 

At least the 84-85 side had Bobby Davison in it so you always thought we might score unfortunately it also had Kenny Burns in it 😀

[G-Ram]

Not the worst side for the division we are in

We have a goalkeeper thats good for this division. Allegedly the best young CB in the division. An ex prem midfielder & young future prem midfielder according to our ex-manager

We arnt too bad out wide with NML 

We lack a CF but Waggy should get goals in this division

We lack depth. But in terms of our best 11 all playing in their proper position then we should be able to beat anyone in this division 

The problem is the coaching, tactics & management 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, WystonRam said:

Certainly up there, but probably the team that lost 6-0 to non league Boston in the cup, in the 3rd division north days might be close ?

No. That side finished second in the Third Division North that season and won it the next, achieving a return to the Second Division at the second attempt with 63 points in each season (91 and then 89 in today's money). Boston had six-players recently transferred from Derby County because Harry Storer didn't want part-time players. Boston were paying them £40 a week while the Derby players were still subject to the EFL £20 a week wage cap. The 6-1 defeat was a national shock because of the goals margin but it was just one bad result in an otherwise good season.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/day-derby-countys-fa-cup-867738

 

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Brailsford Ram

[Geriatram]

1 hour ago, CornwallRam said:

That's a very good question. 5 other seasons at this level, but 2 were promotions. Going on the first 4 games, we're worse than last season.

So the question is, were we worse in 55-56 or 84-85? I saw some of the latter and I'd we're worse now. So we need someone who was around in the mid 50s to settle this.

 

What are you talking about? my first season as a full blown supporter we finished second to Grimsby, It was for a 13 year old a great season followed by an even better one in 57. In the sixty odd years since I think I have seen more poor sides than good ones. We must have had 40 different managers in that time most have left because they were rubbish.

[ThePrisoner]

Can you compare modern players to players from different generations? I don't know. I don't think so. I don't think you can compare a squad from 100 years ago to a much more modern one.