What transpired next?
The Rams maintained their trust in Paul Jewell, who had previously guided Bradford and Wigan to promotion from the second division, even though his tenure following Davies’ departure the past November had seen limited success.
Following a sluggish start to the season, Jewell’s team managed three wins and a draw from five league matches in October, earning him a nomination for the Championship manager of the month award. However, that marked the peak of both the team’s and the manager’s fortunes for the remainder of that season.
Jewell stepped down on 28 December after suffering a 1-0 defeat at home against Ipswich, which left the team only five points clear of the relegation zone in the second tier.
In the following month, Nigel Clough, son of the iconic managers Brian Clough from Derby and Nottingham Forest, took over and successfully guided the team to safety, finishing in 18th place.
Surprisingly, despite their league challenges, they advanced to the semi-finals of the League Cup, achieving victories over Stoke and Manchester United (who ultimately defeated them over two legs in the semis). Remarkably, they defeated more Premier League teams that season than they had in the preceding campaign while in the top flight.
Such is football, right?
