Ahead of Saturday’s match versus Derby County at Sincil Bank in League One, which will be refereed by Ollie Yates, we have done a Q&A with one of their supporters. Thank you to Jack from the Rams Review Podcast for answering the questions!
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You can discuss what has been said in this article here, and get involved with our pre-match discussion!
How long have you supported Derby County?
About a decade. I really got into football around 2013/14 as an 8/9-year-old and followed in my Dad and Grandad’s footsteps in supporting the Rams.
What were and now are your hopes and expectations for the 2023/24 season?
At the beginning of the season, I had hoped for a promotion push, feeling we would most likely finish in (hopefully the upper) playoff places. With the good run of form of late, I’m about 50/50 on whether Derby can make the top two. It depends on whether the January window goes well or not.
What are your views on your manager?
Paul Warne is the sort of guy you want to see succeed, and I would say he is. Despite some disappointing results earlier in the season, the team are flying now, having taken 31 points from the last available 36. He knows how to win promotion from this division, and his ethos regarding team building and signing good people first, who are good players is nice. The team are really playing as a cohesive unit, and I think the dynamics being good off the pitch, which hasn’t always been the case, is a big part of that.
Style of play and tactics – direct/passing/hybrid?
In terms of Derby’s style of play, fans often complain that it’s not the most attractive, and that’s valid, but it’s clearly effective at present. Built on a solid foundation of arguably the best centre-back partnership in the league, Eiran Cashin and Curtis Nelson.
They like to get it out wide and use the flanks, so it can be cross-heavy unless for the individual quality of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing or Kane Wilson who has impressed me of late. At its best though, with flying wingbacks, I quite enjoy it.
One(s) to watch now and in the future?
The main man this season has certainly been Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. The Guatemalan International has six goals and eight assists in League One this season, and it feels like he’s really found a home at Pride Park, recently signing a contract extension keeping him at the club until June 2026.
Eiran Cashin is exceptional at the back, and at just 22 will go on to do big things. 18-year-old striker Dajaune Brown is really catching the eye for the under-21s, certainly one to watch in future.
Random fact about your Club?
Club Mascot Rammie was the first full-time mascot in British football.
Which were your favourite and least favourite matches involving Derby County?
My favourite match is probably the 2019 Championship Playoff semi-final second leg against Leeds United in which Derby came from 1-0 down after the first leg to win 4-3 on aggregate at Elland Road. Many would probably opt for ‘Deforestation’, when Derby beat Nottingham Forest 5-0 at Pride Park, with Craig Bryson scoring a hat-trick. But my memories of the game at Elland Road, and the journalist/writer in me loves the story of the build-up with ‘Spygate’.
My least favourite match is the 2014 Championship playoff Final, in which Bobby Zamora scored a late winner for Queens Park Rangers after Derby had dominated the game. Given that happened around the I’d got into football, maybe I should have taken that as a sign of things to come: I still shudder at the thought of playoffs!
Which sides do you think will finish in the top six and bottom four?
I would hope Derby will finish in the top six, as well as Peterborough, Bolton, Portsmouth, and then probably Oxford and Barnsley. Although I could easily swap out one of the latter two for Stevenage.
What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?
A side with good young players, approaching their prime, who will only get better. Things might not be great in terms of form at the moment, but the longer-term prospects aren’t bad. A goal scorer is needed, hopefully, that will come from Freddie Draper and/or Joe Taylor if they can handle the step up to League One and continue their fine form from their spells in the fourth tier.
If you could steal one Lincoln player for your team, who would it be and why?
Ethan Erhahon. 100%. I think there is a real quality about the way he plays. Great passer, but also in terms of duels and recoveries. Plus, I’m half Scottish and he was part of my Euros-winning Scotland side on Football Manager a couple of years ago, so I’ve always liked him since. Yes, I need to get out more.
What is your prediction for this match?
Lincoln City 1-2 Derby County.
"Paul Warne is the sort of guy you want to see succeed, and I would say he is." (Q&A):https://t.co/qBoTQR6I3Z
Thank you to @JBryanfootball from @RamsReview1 for answering the questions!#WeAreImps #DCFC #EFL
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) January 18, 2024
