Everton's big disappointment since the turn of the year was the derby at Anfield, which ended in a 3-0 defeat with David Moyes getting criticised in certain quarters for fielding a weakened team.
Clement, who has spent the past two seasons working as Carlo Ancelotti's No2 at Real Madrid, is believed to favour cutting his managerial teeth at Championship level and everything points to him succeeding McClaren at Derby, which is regarded as almost a done deal.
Wolves looked to be suffering a hangover from Sunday's 4-2 reverse at Derby, which brought their four-game unbeaten run in the Championship to an end.
In sporting terms, it might be best to look elsewhere, at Brighton, for example, where the local team hopes for a giant-killing performance against Newcastle, or at Derby, which will be host to Stoke.
Hull FC won a typically feisty derby at Craven Park, in which four players were sin-binned, to climb above their local rivals Hull KR in the Super League table.
The second event of American racing's prestigious triple crown (preceded by the hugely well-attended Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, which was won by three-year-old Super Saver, and completed at the Belmont Stakes in New York next month) is held at the Pimlico racecourse, whose infield has long-enjoyed a reputation for a boisterous day out.
And he is enthused by the challenge of tomorrow's derby at Anfield, but there is concern over the rate at which his players are dropping.
Mehrtens pushed his horse for a run earlier than he had done at the Derby, which resulted in a four-lengths lead at the 1/8 pole that was just enough to hold off a late charge from Lord Boswell to win by a neck.
The football statistics firm Opta tried this week to pass the game off as the "Black Mountains derby", which at least got the sense of animosity right if not the label.
Cattermole's dismissal, for foul and abusive language, capped a stormy Tyne-Wear derby, in which tempers boiled over at frequent intervals.
