Away loss showed 1,500 reasons why Rams must battle
DERBY County were backed by 1,500 fans among the crowd at Bristol City on Saturday.
The Rams have been supported well on the road and at home this season, despite a long list of reasons why they might not or simply should not bother.
Derby are basically relegated, have a squad that ability-wise is nowhere near even the iterations of two years ago and the country is still battling a seemingly neverending pandemic.
That did not stop Derby fans from turning out in force at Ashton Gate, not even at a shocking £33 a ticket.
You might hear some neutral observers suggesting that the players should not even bother and that, perhaps with one eye on the transfer window, they would be wise not to risk injury ahead of the re-opening of the market in January.
With relegation all-but confirmed, it must be hard to get yourself up for a middling Championship clash, but that is where the pretending to tap into the mind of an elite athlete ends.
The players on the pitch did not get there by picking and choosing when they fancy turning up.
And if they didn’t know it before the weekend, they cannot give up because those in the stands are not.
Derby fans hardly stopped singing on Saturday, it was a show of defiance in the face of an avalanche of bad news from the national press.
The supporters are not about to jack it in, because for many a large portion of their lives is dependent on the fortunes of their club.
That is why the coronavirus pandemic locking fans out had a much deeper impact than clubs simply counting the cost of lost revenue.
It’s down to the players to make sure that they do right by the fans and continue to give it their all and on Saturday they had 1,500 reasons to.
It was interesting to hear that Rams manager Wayne Rooney was not impressed with the warm-up at Ashton Gate.
“I spoke to the lads before the game, the warm-up today wasn’t good,” he said.
“That is the second time this season, that is Bristol and Blackburn Rovers at home, where we have come out and we haven’t started well.”
Derby’s players, however hard it may seem, need to continue giving it their all.
The fans deserve it more than anyone.