Rams are aiming to break the trend with home win
TWO-THIRDS of the Championship teams have failed to win more than one home League game this season.
Ahead of the midweek matches, a third had yet to register a home League win at all, including Derby County.
Derby’s opponents tonight, Cardiff City, are another side without a home League win, in four attempts, but they have one of the best away records in the division.
“Results show we’ve been better away from home but results have been like that across the Football League. Preston have lost their home games, Derby have. It’s unheard of,” said Cardiff boss Neil Harris.
“I don’t expect that to change without fans. In some ways it’s better to be away from home. Usually, you’d expect the worst, a barrage of abuse from fans, mentally and physically, you don’t get that now.”
Struggling at home has become a trend. As one of the trendsetters, the task now facing Derby is to become a trend buster.
All three of the Rams’ League fixtures at Pride Park Stadium have ended in defeat – Reading (2-0), Blackburn Rovers (4-0) and Watford (1-0). Add in the closing stages of last season and Derby have lost their last five at home in the League.
Derby are looking to halt the run and specialist first-team coach Liam Rosenior says it is important to forget the bad run.
“You cannot look in the past, you have to look at the future,” said Rosenior.
“A huge part of that is it’s a really difficult time for everyone.
“Our home record was outstanding last season and we had 28,000 fans in each week cheering us on. I think it goes to show how important the supporters are.
“It hurts that the fans cannot be in watching the games home and away, and how much of an influence that has in terms of your home performance.
“We now need to focus on what we do at home. I don’t think we need to speak about the three games that have past us at home.”