OPPONENTS GUIDE #21:DERBY COUNTY(A)

Derby have had a brilliant tenure so far under new boss Steve McClaren.Since his appointment,he has won 10,drawn 1 and lost 1;this has resulted in a rapid rise up the table for the Rams and they sit 4th in the Championship table at the time of writing.

This rise is a little bit unexpected to painfully remind the Derby fans of the 2007/08 Premier League season,which saw Derby end the season with only 11 points,including only one win all season and the likes of Roy Carroll playing.They then coincidentally lost their first game back in the second tier to Doncaster.Since then,it has been the case that Doncaster have won more times away then in the reverse fixture.

Derby have risen up the table,and the new goal is undoubtedly promotion to the top flight once again,just like the times under John Gregory and Billy Davies.Could McClaren be Mourinho to Derby should they go up?

THE STADIUM-IPRO STADIUM

Formerly Pride Park.The stadium holds the record of having the highest attendances in the league of last season,which shows the importance of football in the city.Fans have places to drink and eat before the game.There is a Starbucks in the ground and a KFC nearby.

THE GAFFER STEVE McCLAREN

Steve returned to Derby as manager following the sacking of Nigel Clough.It was a controversial appointment to say he had held a managerial position at Nottingham Forest.

Steve left school in 1979 and signed a deal with Hull City.He spent six years at Boothferry Park as a promising midfielder.He left the club in 1985 for Derby where he was at for three years.The last years of his playing career were at Bristol City and Oxford Unitex before retiring in 1992 after a knee injury.

He was made a youth coach at Oxford in 1993,and then became Jim Smith's assistant manager at Derby where the duo guided the Rams to the top flight.Steve was hired by Manchester United as their assistant manager and shortly after became England's coach.

His first job as a manager was at Middlesbrough in June 2001.He had a steady start but success came when Boro won the League Cup in 2004.He went on to take the team to Europe,with Mark Viduka in fine form following a move.

His next stop was a risky appointment as England manager.It was here he would develop two different nicknames.The first one was 'Second Choice Steve' by Alan Shearer due to the criticism behind the new appointment.He didn't guide England to Euro 2008 after a 3-2 loss to Croatia.The iconic image showed him with an umbrella in the rain-hence the name 'Wolly with a brolly.'He was sacked soon after.

After the sacking,he moved to Dutch club FC Twente in 2008 and won the title I his first season in charge.He left in 2010 for Wolfsburg in Germany,but was sacked six months later due to bad form.Steve moved back to England as manager of Nottingham Forest in May 2011,aiming for Champioship promotion.It was not to be-after 122 days and a poor position in the table,Steve was sacked.

He moved back to Twente a month later but lasted 13 months before being sacked.Derby risky made him their manager two months ago after he admitted to failing Forest and had better views of Derby's achievements.

SIX OF THE BEST

LEE GRANT-GOALKEEPER

Lee is back at Derby,the club he started his career at as a youngster.

He joined Derby in 2000 as a teenager.Over seven years of loan spells and awards,he made a big move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2007.He made over 100 appearances and was tipped as an England future goalkeeper.His deal expired in 2010 and moved to Burnley,and then rejoined Derby in the summer of 2013 on a free.

ANDRE WISDOM-DEFENDER

Liverpool loanee Andre was a brilliant product of the youth system on Merseyside and was pleased to make his full professional debut against rivals Everton in October 2012.

Derby secured a loan deal for him in September to aid their defensive unit and he's now a regular starter.

JEFF HENDRICK-MIDFIELDER

Described as 'hungry' by Nigel Clough,21-year-old Jeff has won Young Player of the Season twice,Best Young Player of 2011 and Fans' Player of the Year 2013.He has scored 9 goals in th white colours of Derby so far and has an influence in the middle of the pitch.

CRAIG BRYSON-MIDFIELDER

Scottish international midfielder Craig has so far embraced the challenges English football has brought to him.

Kilmarnock have developed the 27-year-old to be skillful and pacy when he exploits the middle of the pitch.He was important for Killie in his final season as a SPL member as well.He moved for a fee of £450,000 in 2011,scoring 29 times since.

JAMIE WARD-STRIKER

Jamie has been a vital part of the team this season.As the current top scorer in the Championship and having picked up a Player of the Month award  along the way,Ward has been leading the team to wins.He has scored a few screamers already this season.

JOHNNY RUSELL-STRIKER

Since he moved across the UK border to join Derby,Johnny has been in fine form.Now aged 23,he has represented Scotland at U21 level and won Dundee United's Player of the Year award for 2012.He hopes to countinue success into the Premier League.