DO DERBY WANT TO BE PROMOTED?

To say Derby County Football Club have overachieved this season is probably the biggest understatement of the year. With the squad they started the season with, they have no right to be fighting it out at the top of the table but a start that seen them play 13 league games without defeat before losing to great rivals Nottingham Forest means even an average record would keep them in the fight. There have been a couple of times that it looked as though the bubble had burst. They lost 4 games on the spin, including two to title favourites Blackburn, and it looked like Derby were fading and would finish middle of the pack but a 3-2 home win over fellow challengers Leeds United seemed to reignite the spark they had at the start of the season and they lost just one of their next ten games. So what is the secret that has turned Derby into one of the toughest teams to beat in the Division? We asked manager Gordon Kinnear.

Kinnear 'Secrets? We don't need no stinking secrets. All we need is love. I have created a teen spirit, told them to find their own nirvana. They pissed themselves laughing and told me to 'get a life'. I sensed that this wasn't working and went with the outdated hard work at training. I'm all out'

During the run that seen Derby lose four in a row, the fans actually booed the team from the park when they went down 3-1 at home to Blackburn. Football fans can be so fickle but this was outrageous. Most of their booing was directed at Kinnear who responded with a v sign. It was in the heat of the moment and Kinnear instantly regretted it. He looked to where the chairman was seated and dreaded the stare he expected only to see the chairman giving the v sign also. The chairman has always said he would support his manager and he was true to his word.

The main question is, of course, do Derby want to be promoted? This isn't a question that says that all at the club would rather stay in Division Two, it is more what would happen to them if they did get promoted. The squad has improved since the start of the season but it is nowhere near good enough to compete in the top flight. With not a lot of money around it would take a great effort to wheel and deal to get players in that are good enough so maybe another season in Division Two would be for the best. When putting this to Kinnear he said:

'La fromage de la chien dans la piscine. That means the cheesy dog is in the swimming pool'

That explains a lot. So with Derby certain to be in the play offs, can they get to Wembley and the promised land? In my opinion probably not. Sunderland, Fulham and Nottingham Forest will be the three other sides in the play offs and all three are stronger than the Rams. Their best bet is automatic promotion which with being just two points behind a shaky Leeds United and a dodgy John Vinicombe is still possible.

The bottom line is that if promotion is gained then the biggest battle will be trying to avoid coming straight back down again. As long as they hold on to one of the best managers that ever lived in Kinnear then anything is possible. I asked Kinnear if he thought he had the know how to keep Derby in the top division should it happen. He said

'Of course. I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business, but I am in the top one. Brian Clough stole that from me you know.'

Tomorrow night Derby travel to Nottingham Forest and a revenge mission is top of the list. There is a chance the teams could also meet in the play offs and that game wouldn't be for the faint hearted meaning that Forest boss Hudson would probably miss that game with his very soft heart.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST v DERBY COUNTY   WEDNESDAY 4th FEBRUARY at 8PM. Live on the COMEDY CHANNEL.