The Rock bottom Rams ended the year with yet another defeat but at least they are finally starting to score goals, well it’s a start isn’t it. The Premier League’s whipping boys look destined for the drop already 8 points adrift at the bottom of the League and with only 1 win all season which was back in mid-September, just the 3 and a half months ago. The first half of the season has been one to forget for Derby, they are the worst scorers in the division and have the worst defence so the old adage that the table doesn’t lie rings true in this case.

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Would anyone other than the staunchest Bolton fan have put money on a home win over United at the weekend? I seriously doubt it; they had waited 29 years for a home win against them after all. The team Sir Alex Ferguson picked played a key part in their defeat. The Red Devils were already without the services of Wayne Rooney through injury but Sir Alex’s decision to rest Ronaldo meant they were missing 2 players who have scored 11 of the club’s 23 goals this season. The Portuguese winger’s attacking threat is emphasised by the fact he has had more shots on target this season than anyone else in the Premier League. The only other occasion the Red Devils played away without both players was the 1-0 defeat at Eastlands in August. This was the only other away game when they failed to score this season. Perhaps Sir Alex may need to open the chequebook again in January.