Jewell Has His Hands Full!

Jewell, who quit Wigan after securing their Premier League safety on the final day of last season, turned them down last week.

Derby's number one target was MK Dons boss Paul Ince, but the approach was rejected.

Jewell has been handed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Pride Park and speaking about his appointment, Jewell insisted he would not "wave the white flag" in the club's battle with relegation.

Asked if he could keep the side up this season, he said: "Absolutely. If I don't believe it, if the players don't believe it, if the fans don't believe it we have no chance.

"It's going to be very difficult but I'm not here to wave the white flag. We're not adrift.

"I've taken time out of football to reflect on how I can get better. That time has not just been spent playing golf, I've done a lot of travelling and watched a lot of football.

"We're in a struggling situation but all is not lost and I'm here for the long term to try and get the club strong and upward and in the right direction.

"Every challenge is a big challenge - be it Bradford, Sheffield Wednesday or Wigan, but this one really excites me. There is a lot of history in this football club but the history doesn't count for a lot these days.

"I think we can move the club forward."

Derby, as I'm sure you remember, beat us 1-0 earlier in the season when Big Sam got his tactics VERY VERY wrong!

Monday 17th September 2007
DERBY CO 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 0

DERBY CO: Bywater, Mears, Leacock, Davis, Griffin, Teale, Oakley, Pearson, Lewis (McEveley 87), Howard, Miller (Feilhaber 80).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Earnshaw, Todd.

NEWCASTLE UTD: Harper, Taylor (Beye 75), Cacapa, Rozehnal, N'Zogbia, Smith, Geremi (Faye 60), Butt, Milner, Owen (Martins 55), Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Given, Pattison.

Sam Allardyce went to Pride Park with one tactic on the drawing board. He set out to 'fight fire with fire', and send more 'Route One' balls into the box than Derby County. As it happens, it was a disaster, and he didn't have a 'Plan B'.

Kenny Miller marked his Derby County debut with a spectacular goal that was enough to condemn a poor Newcastle United side to their first Premier League defeat of the season.

The Scotland international struck a 25-yard shot into the top left corner in the 39th minute and Derby could have won by a bigger margin with better finishing.

This was their first victory back in the top-flight and it was thoroughly deserved, although Newcastle will feel they also had their chances.

The visitors missed an open goal before Miller put Derby in front, but there was little in the way of an attacking threat from Newcastle in the second half.

Derby had gone into the game on the back of four consecutive defeats but they started positively and self-confessed Magpies fan Steve Howard headed over from a corner after only 53 seconds.

But it was Newcastle who should have gone in front in the 18th minute when James Milner broke on the left and slipped the ball through to Michael Owen who, after rounding Stephen Bywater pulled the ball back, but David Rozehnal shot wide of the empty net from only ten yards.

It was a dreadful miss and his team were made to pay a high price when Bywater launched a long kick downfield and Howard laid the ball into the path of Miller, whose first-time shot sailed over Steve Harper and into the net.

But Newcastle could have levelled before half-time when Milner played Shola Ameobi in on the Derby left, but he shot wastefully wide.

The second period saw Derby cling fiercely to their lead as Newcastle pressed, although there was little creativity from Sam Allardyce's team.

The better chances fell to Derby, with Howard twice heading wide from unmarked positions as the home side played on the break.

The biggest moment of danger to the Rams came when Obafemi Martins turned Tyrone Mears just outside the area, forcing the full-back to drag him down and pick up a yellow card.

But the free-kick hit the top of Derby's defensive wall and went behind and although the home fans had to endure four minutes of stoppage time, Newcastle never looked like equalising.