"Need to remember" - Derby County: Message for supporters after recent success | OneFootball

We spoke to our resident Derby County pundit to get his take on what he thinks is the biggest issue at the club.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Derby County have enjoyed a successful start to their 2024-25 campaign, with the Rams currently sitting in 12th place in the Championship.

However, having just secured promotion from the third tier last season, expectations seem to be rather high at Pride Park.

Many fans around the club are disappointed with their current position, and there has been growing frustration regarding the lack of clinical finishing in recent matches.

Currently, no player at Derby has more than five goals or assists, which has led to growing concern among the fanbase. However, perhaps these frustrations need to be tempered, considering the challenges the club has faced in recent years.

Derby pundit pleads with fans to reduce expectations

To get his views on the biggest problem at the club currently, Football League World spoke to their resident Derby pundit Shaun Woodhouse.

Having come off the back of a strong 2023-24 season, it seems there is very little wrong at the club and Woodhouse was quick to point this out to his fellow supporters.

He said: "For me, the biggest issue is the expectations of the fans.

"We've got to remember we were in dire straits just a couple of years ago and on the brink.

"Some will say we have to move on and look forward, that we can't keep looking back. I agree with that, but we need to put things in perspective. Our aim should be consolidating in the Championship for a couple of years so we can secure some investment.

"There is a section of our fanbase that expects us to be like we were under Lampard and other managers, challenging in the top six. At the moment, that's just not realistic, and we have to accept that.

"I'm not saying we should settle for finishing fourth from bottom because we're better than that, but we need perspective on where we are right now so we can unite as a fanbase.

"Right now, it's like if we draw a game, it's the end of the world. We need to remember where we are and how far we've come."

Derby County are on the up

While a disappointing draw against Plymouth Argyle wasn’t the result Paul Warne and his side were hoping for, it’s worth remembering that just two seasons ago, Derby had narrowly missed out on the League One play-offs.

This season, securing Championship survival was always the top priority, and they appear to be well on track to achieving that. Anything beyond that should be seen as a bonus, and with the top six just six points away, there’s every chance they could make a push for the play-offs.

Setting aside the "what could be" scenarios, Derby are clearly in a strong run of form. In their last 30 league games at Pride Park, they have suffered just five defeats and have already secured impressive wins against play-off hopefuls like Bristol City and Middlesbrough this season.

For this reason, there is plenty to be positive about and, in a few seasons, it would be no surprise to see the Rams challenging at the top of the Championship.