The Tri-nations Wooden Spoon

Don't worry, the Rams aren't the only club in Europe experiencing a catastrophic season. The gap between Derby and other Premier League clubs may be widening but I've found two teams who we can have a fair contest against. As the season progresses I'll keep the mini-league updated.

 

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
	Metz	28	4	6	20	-30	18
	Gretna	28	4	4	20	-38	16
	Derby County	28	1	7	20	-44	10

Updated March 12th

A couple of months since the last update and just like the Premier League, the Rams are becoming marooned at the bottom. Metz are still 11 points adrift in the French League but are beginning to salvage some pride with 3 wins in their last 4 matches.

Gretna are also 11 points adrift but currently have other things to worry about- namely the future existence of the club. An illness to the clubs sugar-daddy Brooks Mileson has left the club's finances in tatters. With a Scottish Premier low crowd of around 500 for their last "home" game (i.e. at Motherwell's ground) there's little cash coming in. The club have gone into administration but even that can't guarantee fulfilling their forthcoming fixtures. On a lighter note, a 10 point deduction for Administration will put the Rams above Gretna in the mini-league.

Latest Results (in reverse order)

Inverness 3 Gretna 0; Gretna 1 Rangers 2; Gretna 2 Falkirk 0; Hearts 2 Gretna 0; Hibernian 4 Gretna 2; Hearts 2 Gretna 0; Gretna 1 Motherwell 3; Rangers 4 Gretna 2; Gretna 4 Kilmarnock 2; Gretna 0 Dundee Utd 3

Lille 1 Metz 1; Metz 1 Monaco 4; Paris SG 3 Metz 0; Metz 1 Rennes 1; Bordeaux 3 Metz 0; Metz 2 Valenciennes 1; Lyon 2 Metz 0; Metz 2 Caen 1; Strasbourg 2 Metz 3

Bolton 1 Derby 0; Derby 0 Wigan 1; Portsmouth 3 Derby 1; Derby 1 Man City 1; Birmingham 1 Derby 1; Derby 0 Tottenham 3; Wigan 2 Derby 0; Derby 0 Sunderland 0

Updated January 3rd

Latest Results:

Celtic 3 Gretna 0; Derby 1 Blackburn 2; Gretna P St Mirren P; Bolton 1 Derby 0

No change in the overall placings as no-one has gained any points. Gretna are currently tenants of Motherwell's Fir Park so the home game against St. Mirren was postponed as a mark of respect after the death of Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell. Metz are on their winter break and the less said about the Rams, the better.

Gretna have got off to a flyer in the transfer window although all the traffic has been one way- out. Six players have left, one of them (Danny Grainger) moved upwards to Dundee Utd., whilst the rest were either released or worked off on lower league clubs.

Updated 27th December 2007

Latest Results:

Dundee Utd. 1 Gretna 2; Lorient 2 Metz 0; Newcastle 2 Derby 2

Gretna 1 Aberdeen 1; Derby 1 Liverpool 2

Gretna storm to the top of the mini-league with two of their best results of the season. Curiously, Gretna's second win of the season was against the same team as the first- Dundee Utd. Something the Rams were within minutes of replicating against Newcastle. Gretna were boosted by the return of Kenny Deuchar from a confidence boosting loan spell at St. Johnstone. Could Jon Macken do the same for the Rams? Metz's poor form continues and as a result sack Head Coach Francis De Taddeo. The French League now begins a winter break giving the Rams every chance to climb off the bottom.

Updated December 16th 2007

All three clubs went into the weekend with a winnable game ahead but collectively gathered only one point. Derby lost 0-1 at home to give Middlesbrough only their fourth win of the season; Gretna drew 3-3 with Kilmarnock after leading 3 times; Metz lost 1-2 at home to second bottom Sochaux.

The Story so far......

	Derby County Derby won promotion to the English Premier League via the play-off's in 2006/7. Despite spending in excess of £12m on new players, the Rams have suffered some heavy beating's and had to wait until December for our fist away goal.
	Gretna Gretna have enjoyed an astonishing rise in the past decade. After a lifetime as an English non-league team, they were finally accepted in the Scottish Third Division in 2002. They were promoted in 2004-5 and followed that with two more successive promotions, reaching the Scottish Cup Final and UEFA Cup along the way. Gretna's tiny ground hasn't kept pace with the clubs success and the club have been forced to play all their "home" matches this season at Motherwell's Fir Park. Gretna also had to contend with a bizarre managerial situation. Rowan Alexander had taken Gretna from the Scottish Third Division to the top of the First. However, during the season he was forced to step down due to "health problems" to be replaced by his assistant Davie Irons. Having taken no part in pre-season, Alexander turned up unannounced at the first game of this season to resume his duties. He was soon judged not to be of sound mind and was permanently replaced by Irons.
	Metz Metz have been a bit of a yo-yo club in recent years and returned to Ligue 1 after winning the 2nd Division last season. Despite bringing in 13 new players since the summer, they have suffered a debacle equalled only by the Rams. The fans recently protested against the clubs shocking form by not only boycotting the game but blocking off one of the entrances!