Derby County

Derby swoop for defender Edworthy
Derby County have signed experienced defender Marc Edworthy from Norwich City on a free transfer. Edworthy has penned a three-year deal at Pride Park having been released by Canaries boss Nigel Worthington after two seasons at Carrow Road. "Derby have given me a three-year contract and they would not have done that if they did not think I was up to the job," said Edworthy. "The game has changed so much and you can play until you are 36 or 37 now."

Midfielder Johnson back with Rams
Former Leeds midfielder Seth Johnson has rejoined Derby on a one-year deal. The 26-year-old has spent the past week training with the Rams and proved his fitness to boss Phil Brown on Tuesday in a behind-closed-doors friendly. Johnson joined Derby from Crewe for £3m in May 1999 and played 80 games before joining Leeds for £7m in October 2001. But his Elland Road career was dogged by knee injuries, and his contract was terminated by mutual consent two weeks ago, leaving him free to join the Rams.

Derby 0-1 Grimsby
Derby's unbeaten start to the season came hideously unstuck in the first round of the Carling Cup against League Two Grimsby. Gary Jones hit the game's only goal - a neat volley in the 11th minute. Derby, who had gone out of the Cup at the same stage for the last two years against League Two rivals, had no answer to Jones' strike. Grzegorz Rasiak was brought off the bench to add firepower to the Rams but to no avail. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derby: Grant, Jackson, Kenna (Edworthy 72), Konjic, Nyatanga, Smith, Bolder, Seth Johnson, Holmes (Rasiak 45), Tudgay, Peschisolido (Barnes 84). Subs Not Used: Poole, Doyle. Booked: Seth Johnson, Peschisolido. Grimsby: Mildenhall, Ramsden, Robert Jones (Downey 45), Whittle, McDermott, Parkinson, Kamudimba Kalala, Bolland, Cohen (Barwick 69), Gary Jones, Reddy. Subs Not Used: Lukic, Gritton, Hegarty. Booked: Ramsden. Goals: Gary Jones 11. Att: 11,756 Ref: D Drysdale (Lincolnshire).

Spurs agree Rasiak deal with Rams
Tottenham have agreed terms with Derby to sign 26-year-old Polish international striker Grzegorz Rasiak. Capped 20 times, Rasiak, who had also interested Wolves, scored 17 goals for Derby last season as the Rams reached the play-offs last season. Spurs coach Martin Jol told the club's website: "Rasiak is a tall target man, a hard working, honest player with a good goal scoring record. "He is a regular in the Polish side and I believe he will do well for us." Wolves had been keen to sign Rasiak and the Rams had agreed a fee, thought to be £2.25m, but the Polish striker was unable to agree personal terms. Sunderland also expressed an interest in Rasiak earlier in the summer.

Derby 1-1 Coventry
Coventry defender Richard Shaw suffered a worrying injury during his side's draw with Derby. Morten Bisgaard had given the home side the lead when he scored his second goal in as many matches with a 25-yard shot. Shaw was then forced off for Coventry after a worrying clash of heads with Marcus Tudgay. But striker Dele Adebola hauled the visitors level when he latched onto a Gary McSheffrey pass and shot home from the edge of the area. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derby boss Phil Brown: "We had Andrew Davies out suspended and so with a makeshift defence I thought we defended very well for 99% of the game. "But we had one lapse in concentration which has proved so costly. "After the Coventry goal I thought we looked more composed when we were pushing for a winner." Coventry manager Micky Adams: "Richard Shaw was unconscious on the pitch and has been taken to hospital. I'm led to believe he's regained consciousness. "Matt Heath's got a groin problem which means I'm running out of centre-backs because Ady Williams is out on loan at Millwall and we haven't got a recall." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derby: Camp, Edworthy (Peschisolido 90), Kenna, Michael Johnson, Seth Johnson, Bisgaard, Bolder, Idiakez, Thirlwell (Fadiga 67), Tudgay (Holdsworth 73), Smith. Subs Not Used: Poole, Nyatanga. Booked: Thirlwell, Michael Johnson. Goals: Bisgaard 14. Coventry: Bywater, Duffy, Heath (Wood 59), Shaw (Whing 37), Hall, Flood (Morrell 45), Doyle, Jorgensen, McSheffrey, Scowcroft, Adebola. Subs Not Used: Ince, Hughes. Booked: McSheffrey. Goals: Adebola 57. Att: 21,840 Ref: P Walton (Northamptonshire).

Whittingham completes Derby move
Derby boss Phil Brown has signed Aston Villa midfielder Peter Whittingham on a three-month loan deal. The 21-year-old becomes Brown's second signing in as many days after Bolton's Khalilou Fadiga also joined on loan. Whittingham, who recently scored twice in a 4-0 win against Wales with England Under-21s, broke into the Villa first team in the 2003/2004 season. But he has struggled to hold down a place and went on loan to Championship side Burnley last February. Whittingham watched Derby's 1-1 draw against Coventry City on Wednesday night from the sidelines. He scored twice for Villa in his time at the club.

Keith defends Rams' Rasiak sale
Derby chief executive Jeremy Keith has denied that the club's bankers had forced the Rams to sell Polish international striker Grzegorz Rasiak. The 26-year-old joined Tottenham on 31 August for an undisclosed fee. Keith told Derby's website that the club needed money - but said it was "nonsense" that the bankers had nominated Rasiak as the player to go. "We desperately wanted Premiership football. Having borrowed, however, we were obliged to repay," he added. Keith said Rasiak had made it clear he wanted to leave Derby for Spurs, and said the club did not want to keep an unhappy player. He said the club wanted to raise £1m during the summer, but insisted this information had been kept under wraps to ensure the best deal. "It made no business sense for the board of Derby to tell the world before 31 August that we needed to raise £1m," he said. "That information would have put us on the back foot in negotiations with other clubs."

Rams complete loan deal for John
Derby have completed the three-month loan signing of striker Stern John from Championship rivals Coventry with a view to a permanent transfer. The 28-year-old is the Rams' third loan signing in as many days after Khalilou Fadiga and Peter Whittingham. The Trinidad & Tobago international has failed to find the back of the net so far this season for the Sky Blues. The 28-year-old joined Coventry from Birmingham in September 2004, scoring 12 goals last season.

Derby sign Tottenham duo on loan
Derby manager Phil Brown has further strengthened his squad by signing Tottenham pair Mounir El Hamdaoui and Johnnie Jackson on three-month loans. El Hamdaoui, 21, and fellow new signing Stern John, who joined on loan from Coventry earlier on Friday, will compete for places in attack. Jackson, 23, hopes to make an impact in midfield after failing to win a place at Spurs since Martin Jol took over. Brown also brought in Peter Whittingham and Khalilou Fadiga on loan this week. Jackson was loaned out to Watford last season, having previously spent time at Coventry, Colchester and Swindon. "I am really pleased this has been agreed," he told the website of his representatives, The Stellar Group. "Everyone knows the size of the squad at Spurs is now enormous and the competition for places in midfield is intense. It would have been very difficult for me to break into the team with everyone fit. "I am under no illusions, though. Derby are looking to have another good season and I will need to show what I can do. "Hopefully I can have the same kind of impact I had at Watford last season when I played some of the best football of my career."

Derby 2-2 Southampton
Ricardo Fuller's superbly-taken lobbed volley earned Southampton an unlikely point in a frantic second-half. Derby appeared to have won it as they came from behind to lead thanks to Inigo Idiakez's twice-taken penalty and a point-blank Andrew Davies header. Brett Ormerod put Saints ahead after the break, coolly sidefooting home. Idiakez inspired the Rams comeback but Saints, who had seven players booked and Tomasz Hajto sent off, levelled through Fuller's late 40-yard effort. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derby boss Phil Brown: "We've only ourselves to blame. We got into a winning situation with five minutes left. "It's a learning curve. We will get it right but if we keep shooting ourselves in the foot we'll be playing catch-up. "We want to be winning games at Pride Park and I think we played well enough, we've come away with a point but I look at it as two dropped." Southampton coach Dave Bassett (on referee Nigel Miller): "He's not on my Christmas card list. "There were a couple of incidents we'd say were bookings, but they (referees) are under pressure from assessors and everyone else and they go card mad. "Idiakez has taken advantage (checking his run the first time he took the penalty). It's gamesmanship - it's not in the spirit of the game." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Derby: Camp, Edworthy (Kenna 45), Davies, Michael Johnson, Seth Johnson, Bisgaard, Fadiga (El Hamdaoui 55), Idiakez, Whittingham, Smith, John (Peschisolido 76). Subs Not Used: Poole, Bolder. Booked: Idiakez, Davies, Seth Johnson. Goals: Idiakez 80 pen, Davies 85. Southampton: Niemi, Hajto, Lundekvam, Powell, Higginbotham, Kosowski (McCann 90), Wise, Oakley, Quashie, Ormerod (Jones 81), Fuller (Delap 90). Subs Not Used: Smith, Cranie. Sent Off: Hajto (86). Booked: Fuller, Ormerod, Higginbotham, Kosowski, Lundekvam, Hajto, Wise. Goals: Ormerod 58, Fuller 90. Att: 22,348 Ref: N Miller (Co Durham).

Brown lets trialists leave Derby
Manager Phil Brown has let trialists Hassan Kachloul, Jordan Fowler and Gllel Tchivessova leave Derby County. But the Rams boss wants another look at 17-year-old Belgian midfielder Jeremy Bossekota and ex-Juventus striker Nicola Amoruso may be given more time. "Bossekota has been impressing with the Academy, we will definitely be taking another look," said Brown. "Amoruso looked a bit short of match fitness but we might look at him again for two or three days in training."

FA makes bid for Under-21 contest
The Football Association has launched a bid for England to host the 2007 Uefa Under-21 Championship. Stadiums in the Midlands have been earmarked to host the games, with the new Wembley to stage the final. "The FA welcomes this opportunity to bid to stage the 2007 Championship," said FA chairman Geoff Thompson. "The FA will provide the finest stadia, facilities, infrastructure and commitment to ensure this tournament is the most successful in its history." PROPOSED STADIA Pride Park (capacity 33,597) Ricoh Arena (32,500) Walkers Stadium (32,500) City Ground (30,602) Molineux (29,400) Britannia Stadium (28,218) The Hawthorns (28,003) Meadow Lane (20,300) The proposed stadia involved - from which a shortlist would be made - would be Derby County's Pride Park, Leicester City's Walkers Stadium, Nottingham Forest's City Ground, Notts County's Meadow Lane, Coventry City's Ricoh Arena, Stoke City's Britannia Stadium, West Bromwich Albion's The Hawthorns and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Molineux home. The final would be played at the new Wembley Stadium in London. The decision has received backing from Lord Coe, who was a key player in London's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. "England has a unique offering to football fans," said Lord Coe, chairman for London 2012. "It features some of the world's finest stadia and some of the world's most passionate football fans. "English football has a fanatical following across the globe and also offers the heritage of being the birthplace of the game." The other candidate countries are the Czech Republic, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and Turkey. A decision is expected from Uefa's executive committee on 15 December.

Derby duo losing fitness battle
Derby duo Marc Edworthy and Paul Thirwell are unlikely to have recovered from their respective rib and Achilles injuries in time to face to Stoke. Rams boss Phil Brown said: "Both Marc and Paul have trained with the physio but it was too early for them to play in Tuesday's friendly against Crewe. "Marc is still getting pains and Paul has had a second injection in his Achilles but he just wasn't ready. "They are both doubtful for Saturday," he told the Evening Telegraph.

Derby sign Baggies defender Moore
West Brom defender Darren Moore has joined Derby County for a fee of up to £500,000, subject to performance. The 31-year-old has made just nine starts this season and has agreed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Championship side. Baggies boss Bryan Robson said: "Derby have given us a good offer for Darren. "At the age Darren is now we feel it is a good move for him at this stage of his career. He wants to be playing first-team football." Moore joined Albion from Portsmouth for £750,000 in September 2001 and also enjoyed spells at Bradford, Doncaster and Torquay. The Jamaica international had signed a new contract at the Hawthrons in April but found his opportunities in Bryan Robson's side limited. He set a new club record of 27 clean sheets in a season in the Baggies' promotion-winning campaign in 2001/02.

Westley steps into Derby breach
Derby have appointed academy coach and ex-Luton boss Terry Westley as caretaker manager, with striker Paul Peschisolido acting as his assistant. The Rams will now begin the search for a permanent replacement for Phil Brown, after his sacking as boss on Monday. "I have been speaking to a group of senior players, including Paul, Jeff Kenna and others," Westley said. "They have all got their own ideas, but we are pulling together to get a win against Sheffield United on Wednesday." Westley enjoyed a touchline presence at first-team games under Brown. He also had a five-month spell as manager of Luton from July to December 1995, but the Hatters won just four of his 24 games in charge. Peschisolido is currently supporting his wife, Birmingham managing director Karren Brady, who is due to have surgery for an aneurysm in the brain. Derby chief executive Jeremy Keith, meanwhile, has denied boss Brown was sacrificed to deflect growing criticism of the Pride Park hierarchy. Keith, chairman John Sleightholme and fellow board members have come under vitriolic attack from supporters recently. But he said: "To be honest, I find those suggestions insulting, that the board would be so flippant with a man's career. "I accept that the job I do means there will be some degree of criticism - that's fair and reasonable. "But suggestions we do that to Phil are going a step too far. "The truth is that the protests and disquiet have been going on a long time and if I was in the state of mind to sacrifice a manager like that, to be honest, I would have done it long before now." And Keith said the job as Derby boss was already attracting interest, revealing: Keith added: "Time is of the essence of course, but we've already had expressions of interest from several applicants and there were messages being left on my phone as late as midnight on Monday. "But we're a big club and it's the kind of job a lot of good managers would relish. "There'll be managers out there who will be keen to come here and get stuck in."

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