How do you sum up the past nine months in one article? It’s a near impossible job. So instead, let me take you back to the seven games, over five weeks (what’s a few days for the purpose of a headline?) that encompassed the lowest point, some of the highest points, and key themes of the men’s first team’s campaign. We must start, I’m afraid, at the Kassam Stadium. Derby County’s worst performance of the season. ‘Outplayed. Outbattled. Outclassed,’ I wrote, in my bluntest as

Report and analysis from Derby County's 1-1 Boxing Day draw at Birmingham City in the EFL Championship.

It’s 0-0 with nine minutes to play. Derby and Millwall have been locked in an intensely physical battle. Scrappy doesn’t really do it justice. In a game with more aerial duels than a Battle of Britain re-enactment, Thierno Ballo wraps his foot around the ball for what must be cross number 300. As he has done countless times, Matt Clarke dives to head the ball clear, but instead it flies into the back of the net. Even captain for the evening Sondre “quicker than Mbappé” Lang

If anyone needed evidence of why John Eustace’s “we don’t get too high or too low” mantra matters, here it was.

There is a reason Sondre Langås fits in so well at Derby: he’s a Rolls-Royce. Back after months out with a torn meniscus, the Norwegian defender’s impact was transformative; allowing The Rams to switch to a 3-4-3 as they secured a first home win of the season against fellow strugglers Norwich.

Jack Bryan chronicles how John Eustace's Derby County completed the great escape to avoid relegation from the Championship over 14 'cup finals'.

Report and analysis of Derby County's 0-0 draw at home to Oxford United in the EFL Championship.

Report and analysis from Derby County's 1-0 Sheffield United defeat and of a big 48 hours to come.