Despite relegation from the Premier League the previous season hopes had been high of an immediate return, especially after manager Paul Jewell's summer reconstruction of the squad seeing 16 players come in and 12 leave.

Form soon dipped again and, after a run of just two wins in 11 matches which left the club 18th in the table, Jewell quit as manager on 28 December 2008 after just over a year in the job.

A run of three consecutive defeats in mid April meant that survival was not guaranteed until the penultimate game of the season when Player of the Year Rob Hulse scored the winner in a 1–0 win over Charlton Athletic at Pride Park.

[7] West Bromwich Albion's Martin Albrechtsen joined for free on 30 June 2008,[8] and Stockport striker Liam Dickinson signed for £750k on 1 July 2008.

[9] Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse followed for £1.75m on 21 July 2008,[10] the same day a season long loan deal for FC Porto and Poland international midfielder Przemyslaw Kazmierczak was finalised.

Players moving out for fees were Kenny Miller, who rejoined Rangers for £2m;[20] club record signing Rob Earnshaw for £2.65m to rivals Nottingham Forest less than a year after joining the club;[21] David Jones, who joined Wolves for £1.2m;[22] Craig Fagan, who returned to Hull City for £750k[23] and Darren Moore, who signed for Barnsley on a free.

On 29 August 2008 Mears caused controversy when he flew to France to go on trial with Olympique Marseille without the express permission of Derby manager Paul Jewell.

The form of defender Martin Albrechtsen saw him nominated for the Championship Player of the Month award, though he lost out to Reading's Kevin Doyle.

[36] Derby's undefeated run was stretched to six games after a 2–1 win away to Norwich City, which saw Nathan Ellington get his first league goal for the club with an 85th-minute winner.

A 3–2 defeat away to Blackpool ended the club's unbeaten streak, but the Rams recovered to earn a point at Coventry City and beat Norwich for the second time in a month, winning 3–1 at home with a performance Paul Jewell described as "Our best yet".

[42] The press furore around his display[43] saw Attwell called in for a meeting with Referee's Chief Keith Hackett[44] and was consequently axed from the following week's fixture list.

[45] Days after the game Derby manager Paul Jewell said that a member of the Football Association had contacted him and told him that the second goal should have stood.

The club's dip in form saw Jewell making vocal his desire to bring fresh legs and impetus into a squad being hit by injuries and a busy fixture list,[47] whilst assistant manager Chris Hutchings called for greater 'consistency'.

The last week of November proved to be a busy one as the club signed former Southampton defender Darren Powell on a free transfer[49] and brought in West Ham United youngster James Tomkins[50] and Charlton Athletic's Luke Varney[51] in on loan, with Andy Todd,[52] Liam Dickinson,[53] Jay McEveley[54] and Mitchell Hanson[55] going out on loan to Northampton, Blackpool, Charlton and Notts County respectively.

[64] The same day saw Clough officially approached about the position[65] and he was announced as Derby's new manager on 6 January 2008, bringing his backroom staff of Gary Crosby, Andy Garner and Martin Taylor with him from Burton Albion.

[66] Clough was introduced to the Derby support on 7 January, prior to the kick off of the League Cup Semi-final First Leg against Manchester United.

The match presided over by Academy Manager David Lowe as a result of Chris Hutchings leaving the club following Clough's appointment and Kris Commons's 30th minute 25-yard strike was enough to give the Rams a 1–0 lead to take into the second leg.

Clough also announced his intention to cut the squad as he felt it had 'too many players',[67] with his first move being to cancel Latvian winger Andrejs Pereplotkins' loan,[68] release defender Darren Powell when two-month contract expired[69] and loan out Aleksandar Prijović, Giles Barnes, Lewis Price and Claude Davis out to Yeovil Town, Fulham, Luton Town[70] and Crystal Palace[71] respectively.

"[74] Away from the pitch, the same week saw the club take Blackburn Rovers youngster Josh O'Keefe on trial, with a view to a permanent move in the summer when his contract expired.,[75] Jordan Stewart's 25-yard strike in the October 2008 win over Sheffield Wednesday nominated for the Football League Mitre Goal of the Year 2008 award[76] and key players Miles Addison[77] and Paul Green[78] seasons ended by injury.

In an attempt to soften the blow of losing Green and Addison, midfielders John Eustace and Barry Bannan were brought in on loan from Watford[79] and Aston Villa[80] respectively.

[85] The new signings could not help the Rams record a win in the months remaining fixtures, with draws against Southampton and Barnsley sandwiching a 2–4 defeat away to playoff chasing Sheff Utd.

It meant a run of only one win in 9 games, but the victory at Hillsborough did take the club over the 50 points marker set by Clough as the target for survival.

[87] In terms of playing staff it was announced that Andy Todd and Paris Simmons would not have their contracts extended, with loanees Przemyslaw Kazmierczak, Nacer Barazite and Barry Bannan returning to their clubs.