The 2008–09 season was Derby County's 110th season in the Football League. It is their 41st season in the second division of English football and their first season in the second tier since the 2006–07 season. They were relegated from the FA Premier League in the 2007–08 season.
Despite relegation from the Premier League the previous season hopes had been high of an immediate return, especially after manager Paul Jewell's summer reconstruction of the squad seeing 16 players come in and 12 leave. However, things did not go to plan and the club spent the majority of the season in the lower reaches of the table. They were bottom of the league going into the August international break, after a 2–0 defeat away to Barnsley left the club with a single point from the first four games of the season. A 2–1 win over Sheffield United was the club's first league win in almost a year, bringing to an end of a 38-game winless sequence, and a run of just one defeat in 11, with 5 wins, lifted the club to the season high of ninth. Form soon dipped again and, after a run of just two wins in 11 matches which left the club 18th in the table, Jewell quit as manager on 28 December 2008 after just over a year in the job. He left with a record of just 13 wins in 58 matches, though he did take the club to their first major cup semi-final in over 30 years when the club reached the League Cup semi-final, where they lost 4–3 on aggregate to eventual winners Manchester United.
His replacement was Nigel Clough, manager of non-league Burton Albion and son of the club's former manager Brian. Despite overseeing two defeats in his first two games, Clough soon turned the club's form around, taking them to the 5th round of the FA Cup and just three defeats in 13 matches, a run which included four consecutive wins. A run of three consecutive defeats in mid April meant that survival was not guaranteed until the penultimate game of the season when Player of the Year Rob Hulse scored the winner in a 1–0 win over Charlton Athletic at Pride Park.
Review
Pre-season Following the final day of the 2007–08 season, Jewell publicly announced his displeasure with the current squad, promising drastic changes. Within four weeks of the close of the season Derby confirmed five new signings, namely Plymouth defender Paul Connolly, Doncaster midfielder Paul Green,"Rovers' Green set to join Derby", BBC Sport, 29 May 2008 Watford F.C. defender Jordan Stewart and Nottingham Forest winger Kris Commons on frees. Watford's Nathan Ellington joined on a season-long loan (with a view to a permanent deal)."Trio Make A Famous Five", dcfc.co.uk, 30 May 2008 In addition to these, the club signed out of contract Tranmere youngster Steve Davies on 12 June 2008 on a Bosman (although as he is under 24, a tribunal fee was set at £275k, with an additional £450k based on appearances and promotion). West Bromwich Albion's Martin Albrechtsen joined for free on 30 June 2008, and Stockport striker Liam Dickinson signed for £750k on 1 July 2008. Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse followed for £1.75m on 21 July 2008, the same day a season long loan deal for FC Porto and Poland international midfielder Przemyslaw Kazmierczak was finalised. On 7 August, just two days before the start of the new season, the club completed its eleventh and twelfth signings of pre-season, in the shape of Swiss-born Serbian U-19 international Aleksandar Prijović, who rejected a new deal with Parma to join the club, for free and Latvian international midfielder Andrejs Perepļotkins on a season long loan from Skonto FC Rīga after impressing on trial at the club. Finally, on 19 August the club signed Dutch attacking midfielder Nacer Barazite on loan until 31 December 2008 from Arsenal.
These thirteen signings all came in addition to Australian midfielder Ruben Zadkovich, who was signed in March. There were also unsuccessful attempts to sign Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde and Wigan's Marlon King on a season-long loan. Trials were also given to former Reading winger John Oster (who rejected the offer of a contract), Nigerian midfielder Richard Eromoigbe (whom the club decided not to sign), Australian defender Daniel Piorkowski (who eventually joined Walsall) and French midfielder Julien Sablé. (who, as with Eromoigbe, the club declined to sign)
Four players were initially allowed to leave the club, with the contracts of Michael Johnson, Lee Holmes and Marc Edworthy not being renewed following their completion,"Derby Will Let Four Go" , dcfc.co.uk, 13 May 2008. and Ben Hinchcliffe's contract being terminated. Andy Todd was told he could leave on a free transfer but is still currently with the club. Players moving out for fees were Kenny Miller, who rejoined Rangers for £2m; club record signing Rob Earnshaw for £2.65m to rivals Nottingham Forest less than a year after joining the club; David Jones, who joined Wolves for £1.2m; Craig Fagan, who returned to Hull City for £750k and Darren Moore, who signed for Barnsley on a free. Stephen Pearson was expected to move to Birmingham but the move fell through due to Birmingham's unwillingness to sign the player while injured and Pearson rejecting a loan move. Stephen Bywater was the subject of an accepted £200k bid from Tottenham. However, despite taking a medical, Tottenham decided not to sign Bywater. Shortly after the start of the season, these players were joined by Eddie Lewis, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent and Benny Feilhaber who joined Danish side AGF Aarhus on a free. Another, unwanted, departure came with the news of club captain Alan Stubbs' retirement through injury on 20 August.
August The first game of the new Championship season saw nine of Jewell's summer signings make their debuts (seven starting and two as substitutes), but lost 1–0 to Doncaster. This stretched the club's winless run to 33 matches and saw Jewell express disappointment with his players failing to cope with the pressure. Jewell finally got his first win as Derby manager (not counting an FA Cup third round penalties victory against Sheff Wednesday in January 2008) three days later as Derby beat Lincoln 3–1 in the League Cup first round, with Nathan Ellington getting his first goals for the club with a hattrick. A 1–1 draw with Bristol City four days later saw the club break the league record for longest winless streak, stretching it to 34 matches.
On 14 August 2008 the club finally announced the extent of the club's debt after several months of speculation. The club's new chairman, Andrew Appleby, announced that upon arrival at the club in January 2008, Derby were £31m in debt. This had been reduced by £6m to £25m in the first six months of the new boards tenure, with the aim to reduce it by a further £10m by August 2009, leaving Derby with only the £15m mortgage on the Pride Park Stadium to repay. It was also announced that £10.4m of the 2008–09 season's £11.5m parachute payment has already been spent on players bought the previous summer. These players (such as Kenny Miller and Claude Davis) had still not completely been paid for, with Chairman of Football Adam Pearson stating that "We’ve (Derby County) still got to find £3m this month for Claude Davis, Kenny Miller, David Jones and Benny Feilhaber – so that's another significant investment." He added that "At the minute, the wages are circa £2.5m more than where I’d like them to be on an annual basis, so that needs taking care of." This was followed by a mixed series of results, with two more league defeats (1–0 at home to Southampton and 2–0 away to Barnsley, both clubs previously without a win) leaving the club bottom of the table going into the two-week international break, sandwiching a 1–0 win away to in-form Preston North End in the League Cup second round.
On 29 August 2008 Mears caused controversy when he flew to France to go on trial with Olympique Marseille without the express permission of Derby manager Paul Jewell. Jewell responded, saying that Mears will never play for the club again whilst he is in charge. Following the trial, the clubs agreed that Mears would go on loan to Marseille for the duration of the 2008–09 season, for a loan fee of £160,000, with the French club having the option to buy him for £1.5m at the end of the loan.
September
Following the two-week break for international fixtures, Derby's next match was against Sheffield United. The game generated much media coverage as it was approaching a year since Derby's last league win, a run which saw the club break the English league record for most matches without a win. On 13 September 2008, four days short of the anniversary of the 1–0 win over Newcastle, Rob Hulse scored against his former club as Derby ran out 2–1 winners, earning Paul Jewell his first league win as Derby boss at his 27th attempt. The win sparked an upturn in the club's fortunes and Derby went the whole of September undefeated, including the club's first away win in 18 months with a 2–0 success away to Q.P.R. and a draw at home to league leaders Birmingham City. The form of defender Martin Albrechtsen saw him nominated for the Championship Player of the Month award, though he lost out to Reading's Kevin Doyle., BBCSport. Retrieved 15 October 2008
October
Derby's undefeated run was stretched to six games after a 2–1 win away to Norwich City, which saw Nathan Ellington get his first league goal for the club with an 85th-minute winner. The win meant that Derby had earned more points in six matches than in the whole of the previous season and put them within two points of a play-off place going into the international break. Returning from the international break, The Rams continued their run, taking it to seven games, by beating Plymouth Argyle 2–1 at home. A 3–2 defeat away to Blackpool ended the club's unbeaten streak, but the Rams recovered to earn a point at Coventry City and beat Norwich for the second time in a month, winning 3–1 at home with a performance Paul Jewell described as "Our best yet". Rob Hulse's form during October saw him awarded the Championship Player of the Month award, after he scored four goals in five games, while Paul Jewell earned his first Championship Manager of the Month nomination as Derby boss, though he eventually lost out to Cardiff City's Dave Jones.
November