Derby County captain Curtis Davies has raised questions on the mindset and mood among the Sheffield Wednesday camp, ahead of their potential triple header with the Owls. As per The Star
Both sides will be looking to the playoffs to achieve their goals of promotion to the Championship this season. The Owls have already secured their place and will finish 3rd, regardless of the result in their final game. Having narrowly missed out on automatic promotion. For Derby, on the other hand, they need to better the result of 7th placed Peterborough to ensure their place.
The Potential Triple Header
If you aren’t aware the playoffs in League One work as follows, 3rd place plays 6th place in one of the semi-finals and 4th plays 5th in the other.
If Derby are to make the playoffs, they can only finish 5th or 6th which could mean they play three games in a row against Darren Moore’s Wednesday.
Currently, Derby sit 6th two points behind 5th placed Bolton, who they could leapfrog if they win and The Wanderers lose.
However, Derby will need to keep one eye on Peterborough who sit just below them in 7th on 74 points, Posh could steal that last playoff place out from under Derby’s nose, if they can win and the Rams fail to get a point against Wednesday.
Lots of moving parts on the final day in League One but, ultimately if Derby avoid defeat and Bolton do the same we will be lined up for the triple header.
The only other way we don’t get the triple header is if Peterborough win by 4 or more goals and Derby only manage to draw.
What Was Said?
Speaking with Rams TV ahead of their final day showdown with The Owls, Rams captain Curtis Davies had this to say regarding the mindset in the Wednesday camp, following them narrowly missing out on automatic promotion.
“I’d be interested to know how they are feeling, will their heads be down that they got that close to automatic promotion and didn’t make it or will they be fully focused on the playoffs?”
Writers View
It’s certainly set to be a busy final day in League One, Posh will be hoping that Wednesday put on a show and they can sneak into that final playoff place.
Davies does raise a very interesting point around the mindset of the Wednesday camp, being up in the top two for so long this year, to have let automatic promotion slip out of their hands could have a negative effect on the camp.
However, they could use it as motivation and allow it to push them on into the Championship where they feel they belong.
