Manchester United gives Derby's No1 Paul Clement a testing baptism

THERE WILL have been times during the last month when Derby manager Paul Clement might have looked back fondly to days when the shadows provided welcome respite from the heat.

 

Derby boss Paul Clement during the 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Manchester United

 

In his time as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, when things went badly on the pitch it was the boss who drew the fire not the No 2.

Since taking over the reins of a club when Derby offered them last summer aged 43, he has enjoyed a relatively smooth run full of plaudits and points.

But the last month has not been kind to Clement, and for all that he maintained this week that he was “not getting excited” about Derby’s form just yet, the pressure is growing.

 

Dry Januarys are all the rage these days and Clement’s has been a near-desert with just a one-point yield from a possible 12.

A 4-1 defeat at Burnley, in which his side went to pieces on Monday, was the nadir. While no one, least of all the Derby manager, is pressing the panic button, the choppy waters of the play-off positions do not make for a happy ship, particularly given they now sit fifth after topping the table on Boxing Day.

Given that backdrop, last night’s FA Cup provided some respite from those Championship troubles as much as a visit from a wounded Manchester United can be described as welcome.

 

But the way Derby competed in this fourth-round clash will have given them belief that they can get their Championship campaign back on track.

Their reaction to Wayne Rooney’s long-range goal should give them great heart as they more than matched United to claw their way back into the game and keep their illustrious opponents on their toes throughout. Even United’s second and third goals did not puncture the hope and spirit in Clement’s side.

Being free to concentrate on the league is the traditional hiding place for the FA Cup loser but Clement and his team can build on this as they prepare to face Preston here on Tuesday.

A visit to Old Trafford can wait until next year.