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Barker's Blog

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randombc

randombc

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http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~2751703,00.html

Shaun Barker writes his first-ever blog for [url=http://www.dcfc.co.uk/]dcfc.co.uk.

I want to start this blog by thanking everyone for their best wishes and kind words since the terrible injury I picked up against Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago.

I knew straight away I had done something pretty serious to my knee and the reaction of all the players confirmed it for me, so I tried to say as calm as possible until medical treatment arrived to me.

I think in situations like this, whatever the rivalry, history or bad blood you see between the two sides, the true nature of football shines through. Marcus Tudgay was the first to help me that night and call for help while the Forest Physio was talking to me all the way through (especially when they had to pop my knee back in place!) I remembered both sets of fans applauding as I left the field on a stretcher as well. Yes, there is always a minority that can't hide their ignorance and stupidity, but it's always a minority. Best wishes have come my way from not only Derby fans but supporters of Forest, Blackpool and Rotherham in the last month or so, who have all wished me a speedy recovery.

The medical staff from both clubs were extremely professional in what was a tough situation and the paramedics on the night were fantastic too - so a big thanks must go to them. They were extremely patient and more than happy to wait around with me in the changing room until I had congratulated Bucko on THE goal and the rest boys for achieving a memorable double over our rivals. All the medical staff have been very supportive since the injury and I feel they were just as devastated with the extent of the injury as I was; although I think it's because they thought they had seen the last of me in the treatment room!

My time at Derby County has been mired by numerous injuries since I arrived three years ago this summer. One thing I foolishly promised when I arrived in July 2009 was a player that would be fit and available for the vast majority of the time in his Derby County career. I had been at two clubs prior to joining Derby - Rotherham and Blackpool - and had missed no more than 15-20 games since my debut many years ago and only four in the three years I enjoyed at Blackpool, of which two were suspensions. Nobody can fully appreciate my own disappointment of missing so many matches for Derby, especially since being named as Club Captain last summer.I thrive on being out on the pitch through both the good and bad times, so to hear the extent of my latest injury was soul destroying.

As you all should know by now, I won't let this affect me or the status I strive to achieve at such a fantastic club. I'm determined to show the best of what a fully-fit Shaun Barker can do in a Derby shirt and I will do everything in my power over the next year, and beyond, to do just that.

The support shown by all the Derby fans is extremely touching and I would like you to know I appreciate it so much. I mentioned on Radio Derby a few weeks ago that, as a team, we have in excess of 25,000 fans turning up each week to show their support, but when you get individual support in so many different forms, you realise just what the Club and players mean to you all.

As I sit back and evaluate this season the word progress keeps popping into my head. However, I feel that this season has been about so much more than progress. As a fan it's slightly more difficult to appreciate the kind of turnaround that I've seen at the Club over the course of the last three seasons but I can assure you it's been substantial. It's been another season on balancing the wages, bringing down the playing age and promoting young players from the Academy into the first-team squad. For me progress doesn't justify the extent of how far we have come in these last 12 months.......success does.

Success means to achieve a goal. For Derby fans, we all know the goal is to reach the heights of the Premier League once again, and let's be honest it's all of ours. The last few years have been used to build a foundation and with that you can build a team, and a Club, ready to compete with the best teams in this division - and then the Premier League.We have fallen short of that this season, but throughout different stages of the campaign we have provided proof that the gap is continually closing. Yes, it's extremely frustrating to have to be patient in the building process, but in the long run it's a necessity. Many clubs have had to drop a division to achieve this, and Manchester City and Norwich City serve as a good example. They have had to endure a season in League One before their rise to the top flight again. Our goal is no different although we are extremely pleased that the heartache of relegation to the third tier has never occurred.

Remaining in the Championship is not as easy as you think when you have to change the whole mentality and structure to a club this size. The job the Gaffer faced three years ago when he arrived was massive and probably larger than he may have expected himself. The reason the owners have always been behind him through the difficult times is because of the magnitude of the task he faced. Having a great Club with outstanding facilities, unquestionable history and a huge fanbase doesn't give us the god-given right to be playing in the Premier League each season. What it does give us is the reason to have the passion, desire and ambition to do everything in our power to try and get this magnificent Club there once again.

Thanks for all of your support - for myself, the team and the Club once again this season.

There are not many clubs that boast the loyal fan base like Derby County and that in turn can be a huge difference to the team on the pitch.

I truly hope you can see the change that's occurred this season and believe like I do, it's been a successful 12 months.

Barks

Really does come across as an intellegent bloke and that does have a real passion for football. Can understand why Clough and all the other players for that matter talk about how he's such a great player to have in the dressing room and all around the complex, and why Ben Davies got all teary-eyed.

Get well soon Shaun x

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RotherhamRam

RotherhamRam

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Probably one of the most honest blogs I have read in a long time. It talks about his injury(ies) and frustration. Talks and hints at the level of the problems within Derby over the last 3 seasons and more of an insight of the task at hand and the amount of work that has gone on behind the scenes which we do not see as fans. I hope he continues on this vein over the coming months and lets us know what is happening. I also hope they consider getting him on the radio on match days as he is honest on the radio as well and enjoyed the commentary against Burton last season. He can give an insight on players during the game which normal commentators could not.

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RotherhamRam

RotherhamRam

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No doubt some people will say the board have put him up to that.

Reading that has made me feel that Clough deserves so much more credit for actually keeping us in the championship while cutting costs.

No doubt but what it does tell us is that Derby were in a right mess and if fans are honest everyone could see this.

Jewell this week hinted that up to 13 championship clubs are on the brink administration (half the league) if the club has been run as financially secure as the owners say we should not be one of these clubs. Can also see from this comment why financial fair play is being pushed

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randombc

randombc

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[url=http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7779596/]http://www1.skysport.../11095/7779596/

I was really hoping he'd be able to get the last few games in... 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' /> On the bright side, he seems upbeat and there's been no setback.

He was saying on his twitter a week or so again, his leg was at 120 degrees, so not that far off a straight leg again, if he could get back to a fully straight leg by the end of june, and get rid of the crutches in august time, it could be a possibility that he may be back jogging come march time, so could get a few games, but i'd prefer him to sit at those, have an even longer recovery, and get back to pre-season 2013/2014, ready for our automatic push 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ph34r' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':ph34r:' />

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