No time to sulk about Ewood Park setback
the course. So we must take those things into account.
“Obviously no-one will listen to me about it now but we haven’t got robots on the pitch and our captain dealt with it as he should do, so I won’t have any word with the players because I don’t think they are in the wrong.
“There was no violence, there was no aggravated behaviour for a long period of time. It was a natural human reaction from a group of players that was settled very quickly.” FRANK Lampard says this is not a time to dwell on Derby County’s failings against Blackburn Rovers or sulk about the defeat.
The Rams laboured at Ewood Park, lost 2-0, and now have ground to make up in the race to reach the end-of-season play-offs.
Next up is a fixture with Bolton Wanderers, who are battling against relegation.
Bolton are in the bottom three with five matches remaining. They will arrive at Pride Park Stadium tomorrow having lost nine of their last 12 League games.
Lampard is remaining positive about Derby’s chances of a top-six finish.
“It’s not a time of the season to dwell or be negative, it’s a time to look at what’s in front of us,” he said.
“Other teams will drop points in this run-in, without a doubt, but we don’t want to keep having that conversation.
“We’ve been here before, every team in the Championship has. It’s tough. You go to places where a team is physical and rightly so, and I thought Blackburn’s quality was good at times as well.
“It’s important to bounce back and not sulk.
“We are (still in touch) and that’s why I won’t get too down, because we have a home game at the weekend.
“The games are coming thick and fast over Easter, where there are points to be won.
“I wouldn’t say it’s in our hands, because of course it’s not, we’re out of the placings, but if we win enough of those games, we’re going to be right in the mix.”
Derby have picked up one point from their last two games at Brentford and at Blackburn.
They drew 3-3 at Brentford but let the lead slip three times.
“I think Brentford was dropped points, in a frustrating way, because I think we should have won,” Lampard said.
“Blackburn was different. You have to accept losing because it was a bad performance.”
Looking ahead to the Bolton clash, Lampard added: “It’s a chance but let’s not get carried away. If we play like we did in the last home game (a 6-1 victory over Rotherham) we’ll be alright.
“We can’t think that anything in the Championship is easy but of course you have your eye on it as a home game to try and win.
“We know what we are capable of, and we need to get back to it, very quickly.
“We showed it against Rotherham in our last home game and it’s one now to reset and show against Bolton.
“We need to turn it around and that’s down to myself and us as a group.”