Desperate Derby hit new low
Adam Pearson, the outgoing club chairman, must have been thankful that the American investors have already signed the contract agreeing to buy the Rams before this shameful chapter in the club’s history unfolded.
“As long as the deal was signed before kick-off then we should be alright!” joked Paul Jewell, the Derby manager, as he tried to maintain his sense of humour despite admitting this was the lowest point of his career so far.
Despite Jewell’s admirable banter in the face of a darkening crisis, he had a point. The precise identities of the consortium seizing power at the Premier League club will be confirmed this morning, but what they made of the product they are buying into must have left them somewhat perplexed to say the least.
Preston North End could be relegated to League One this season, yet Alan Irvine’s side were in total control before the interval courtesy of a three-goal lead gifted to them by defending akin to a Sunday morning pub team.
Andy Todd was at fault for the first two goals, taken expertly by Karl Hawley and Simon Whaley, while Lewin Nyatanga’s incompetence allowed Hawley to score his second and Preston’s third in the 32nd minute.
Substitute Robert Earnshaw pulled one back for Derby after half- time but their humiliation was complete in stoppage time when Nyatanga tripped Neil Mellor to receive a red card and allow the Preston forward to convert the subsequent penalty.
How a team like this can include the word ‘Pride’ in the name of their home is irony of the strongest kind and while Jewell knows he has inherited a side bereft of class and confidence, he is also painfully aware that afternoon’s like this one leave a stain on his managerial reputation.
In fairness to Jewell, this season is now written off and he will already be planning his complete overhaul of a team destined to be torn apart in the summer. Jewell will be handed a sizeable pot of millions to spend ahead of next season, but even this news failed to mask Jewell’s disgust at the pathetic way his team capitulated.
The home team were booed off at half-time and then booed back on again after the interval, while Davis was even singled out for individual criticism from his own supporters.
Jewell was brutally honest in his assessment of an afternoon which started so brightly yet left everyone connected with Derby feeling as depressed as ever.
He said: “That’s as a bad as it’s been in my opinion. The mistakes we make beggar belief and just seem to lead to goals. The belief of the players just drains in seconds. If we fall behind then that’s it — game over.
“The good teams in any sport can do the basics well. If you can grasp the fundamental things then you can do the difficult things, but we can’t do the simple basics.
“I’d like to think teams I’ve managed before have always been hard to beat and fighters, but I don’t get the impression from some of these players that they are doing the jobs they were brought here to do.
“It would have been great to win this game after the positive news about the investment, but we were nowhere near.
“This was an embarrassment. We need major surgery but hopefully we will have some money to be able to do something about the situation. It’s hard but I won’t run away from it all. You have to take some s***.”
Price 6, Edworthy 4, Todd 5 (Barnes 46, 7), Davis 4, Nyatanga 4, Ghaly 7, Savage 8, Pearson 6, Lewis 6 (Teale 24, 5), Villa 6 (Earnshaw 46, 6), Miller 6.
Hinchliffe, Leacock.
Lonergan 7, St Ledger 7, Mawene 7, Chilvers 7, Davidson 6 (Hill 46, 6), Sedgwick 7, McKenna 7, Carter 7, Whaley 7 (Nicholls 85, 5), Hawley 8 (Mellor 85, 5), Brown 7.
Neal, Ormerod.
Lee Probert (Gloucestershire): 7. Had few controversial decisions to make and did well to try and let the game flow.
*** Preston must have thought they had died and gone to heaven at half-time. The contest was already over.
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