Season Preview - Derby County

Last season: Championship third, 84 points, play-off winners; FA Cup fifth round; Carling Cup second round

Transfers:

In: Robert Earnshaw (Norwich, £3.5m), Claude Davis (Sheff Utd, £3m), Tyrone Mears (West Ham, £1m), Andy Todd (Blackburn, free); Ben Hinchcliffe (Preston, undisc)

Out: Paul Peschisolido (Luton, free), Lee Grant (Sheff Wed, free), Ryan Smith (Millwall, £150,000), Paul Boertien, Steven Cann, Morten Bisgaard, Lionel Ainsworth, Seth Johnson (all released)

Official Website: http://www.dcfc.co.uk/

Official Kit: To be Updated Soon

Favourites to be relegated this season – Derby surprised quite a few by gaining promotion to the Premiership. Since relegation in 2002, their finishes in the Championship have been 18th, 20th, fourth, 20th - then 3rd and promotion! A 20th in the Premiership definitely beckons this season.

Derby youngster Giles Barnes would be the one to watch out far and I’m sure he’ll make a move to a bigger club next season. Robert Earnshaw has been a decent buy and the Rams can look to him to score a few this season.

Schedule via English Soccer Talk:

Derby grabbed a draw against Portsmouth on the opening day of the season and went down to Manchester City in their second game. Things getting tougher in September with trips to Liverpool and Arsenal, which definitely won't help the Rams get off to a much-needed good start, and they also play Tottenham on the road this coming weekend as well as Reading the first week of October. Everton, Newcastle, Bolton, and Portsmouth (Drew 2-2) make up 4 of the first 5 home games.

The run-in towards the end isn't much easier, as Derby plays Manchester United and Chelsea on consecutive weekends in March and finish up with Blackburn and Reading (Blackburn away, Reading home). It looks fairly certain that Derby won't get off to a good start, and with a pretty tough schedule towards the end of the season, they'll have to make hay during the winter months to have any chance of staying in the Premiership.

EPL08.com prediction:
League Position – 20
In 12 months, Derby County went from third last in the Championship to promotion to the Premiership. The roller-coaster ride should be complete in another 12 months when the Rams find themselves back in the Championship.