Derby County manager Paul Warne insists his Rams side will be confident, despite the high pressure stakes facing his playoff-chasing team at Hillsborough this weekend, in comments given to Derbyshire Live.
Paul Warne’s men find themselves within touching distance of clinching a playoff spot, needing one final result against Darren Moore’s Sheffield Wednesday to guarantee 6th spot or even 5th dependent on how Bolton do.
Peterborough United directly below Derby ahead of the final game of the regular third tier season will be looking to leapfrog the Rams, playing away at Barnsley at the exact same time as Warne’s team.
Derby only need to equal Posh’s result to clinch a playoff spot, an anxious encounter for those with connections to the Rams. Still, it should make for an exciting final day of League One action.
How Have Derby County Performed This Season?
Relegated down to the third tier only last season after a turbulent few years on and off the pitch, Paul Warne should be commended for the job he’s done so far at The Rams in such a short space of time.
A promotion expert at the level previously with Rotherham United, Paul Warne could well conjure up some more of this magic in his first season at Pride Park.
Derby’s squad is bursting with experience that has helped Warne’s team put their relegation demons to one side, David McGoldrick the main man in attack with 22 goals in 38 appearances. The 35-year-old was only playing Premier League football a matter of years ago, featuring for Sheffield United.
This experience will be crucial in the playoff decider at Hillsborough, Warne’s men desperate to return back to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Derby’s form going into the playoff decider
Derby’s recent form has seen them go unbeaten in their six matches, drawing 1-1 with John Mousinho’s Portsmouth in their last League One clash.
Before that, Warne’s men had lost three matches on the bounce – even losing 2-0 away at Peterborough United, Darren Ferguson’s Posh hoping and praying that the Rams falter in similar fashion on Sunday.
Recent victories from a Derby perspective have been cagey – their last victory versus Burton was only secured courtesy of a David McGoldrick penalty – but they won’t mind another scrappy win on Sunday if it means the playoffs come calling.
What Has Paul Warne Said?
Speaking to Derbyshire Live ahead of his side’s crunch match against Sheffield Wednesday, Paul Warne shrugged off any potential talk of nerves and insisted his side would relish the occasion.
He said: “If I was a player, I’d just be looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be a big game, and the lads do well on big pitches in front of big crowds so we’ve got no anxiety that they’re going to get there and freeze.
“As a player, you just want to go out and play. You always want to play in the last game, so that’s my job to manage that. But I just think they will been excited by it. You don’t have the same fear as you do when you become a fan or become a manager.”
Paul Warne further praised the Rams fanbase, with over 2000 away supporters expected at a sold-out Hillsborough to cheer their team over the line.
He said: “This is a unique club in that they are fully behind the team. I’ve never seen or witnessed a club really that when you leave the pitch, even if you’ve lost, the fans still clap the team off which is pretty admirable.
“The fanbase is something else. I remember when we went to Liverpool in the cup and I didn’t see one spare seat. They all stayed for the penalties. They all clapped the team off. It’s evident everywhere you go.”
Writer’s View
Paul Warne will hope his pre-match words have the desired effect, his Derby County players going out at a full capacity Hillsborough and performing to the best of their capabilities.
If they do just that, a playoff spot will be secured. However, it might not be that straightforward.
Whatever is the outcome come full-time on Sunday for the Rams and Peterborough United, it should be an action-packed and enthralling conclusion to a thrilling battle for those final few elusive playoff spots.
