Sheffield United vs Coventry City

UTB 51
▲ Shaun Derry celebrates a win as boss of Cambridge in 2017
and loan spells at Nottingham Forest
and Millwall.
During his playing career, which
stretched to 578 league games, he helped
Crystal Palace and QPR win promotion
to the Premier League in 2003/04 and
2010/11 respectively. At both clubs, fans
appreciated his energetic, determined
performances.
His first managerial post came at his first
club, Notts County. He was appointed in
November 2013 and helped steer them
to safety in League One at the end of his
first season in charge. County at the time
had been a tough place for managers with
the turnover rate very high. When he was
interviewed after taking the job, Derry
said: “This is my club and I put pressure on
myself every day, of course I do, because
as soon as you rest on your laurels you are
in trouble.”
However, County continued to struggle
in League One the following season
(2014/15) with Shaun’s team on poor run
of only three wins in 24 league games.
Given recent history at Meadow Lane
with managerial sackings it came as
no surprise when in March 2015 he too
was dismissed.
He was soon back in the managerial
hot seat when he was appointed manager
at League Two Cambridge United
in November 2015. Shortly after his
appointment with results going well, he
was named League Two Manager of the
Month for December. Derry remained
diplomatic about his time with Notts
County saying: “It would be wrong of me
to explain the depths of the details of why
things went from one extreme to the other
at Notts County.”
He remained at Cambridge until
February 2018 when he left by mutual
consent with the team struggling in
League Two. Whilst his managerial career
had not been successful to date his ability
as a coach and developer of young talent
had been noticed by other clubs.
In June 2018 he was named first team
coach at Oxford United.
Just over a year later he was appointed
as a professional development coach
within Crystal Palace’s Academy where
he remains.
Still aged only 45 it remains to be seen
whether or not Shaun ever decides to
return to the managerial hot seat. He
certainly had some valuable experiences
on which to build.
SHEFFIELD UNITED vs COVENTRY CITY