If you don't want to get the sack, don't beat Derby!

Just when you think you've seen everything in football, along comes a beachball to change your mind.

What I can't understand is how Mike Jones could have given Darren Bent's deflected shot as a goal, when it's only three years ago that Manchester City were wrongly knocked out of the FA Cup thanks to a rogue balloon.

Even more bizarre was being on the Derby team bus home from a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough the other night when one of the lads got on his laptop and shouted that Gareth Southgate had just been dismissed. It was weird - we'd barely left the ground when the news came through.

It's tough on Gareth when you consider Boro were one point off the top but just 17,000 fans turning up was the turning point for Steve Gibson. Maybe Gordon Strachan is the man to put bums back on the seats.

Meanwhile, the message is clear to other Championship managers - if you don't want to get the sack, don't beat Derby!



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