Top Lino

Always like a trip to Meadow Lane to pay Notts C  - added bonus is that we get lots of tickets .

Home to Peterborough if they win the play offs would be a nice start.

In the Championship we will need young more athletic and technically gifted players. As we do not have a lot of money to spend we really need to pick up 3 or 4 players from Premier League clubs on season long loans. Although we would need to pay loan fees it avoids the need to commit to 3 or 4 year contracts on youngsters who may not develop. 

Have always said that the Rotherham promotion game was my favourite memory of following Derby but that changed on Saturday. After what the club has been through over the last 2-3 years to see us clinch promotion at Pride Park was incredible. The scenes on the pitch at the end will be part of our history which the next generations will look back at and wish they had been part of.

Derby 5 - 0 Carlisle

FRGS  Barks

Professional  football is a brutal game with very little loyalty. Make no mistake if Derby go up but get off to a bad start next season  the pressure on David Clowes to change manager will be enormous. Hopefully we get off to a good start and new signings settle in quickly and we are in a comfortable mid table throughout the season. 

Got a feeling that our nerves on Saturday will be settled when news comes through that Peterborough have taken the lead against Bolton. We will then go on to claim a comfortable victory in our game.

Will a win tomorrow prompt a pitch invasion at the end or are we saving that for the Carlisle game. The scenes at Portsmouth and Mansfield in midweek were brilliant and show what football means to fans. 

Cambridge 0 - 3 Derby

FRGS     Adams

For once we will finish the job without any fuss and set up a Promotion  party against Carlisle.

A lot depends how much the Portsmouth game has taken out of Bolton. If Shrewsbury can take a point that would really put Derby in the driving seat.

Would be nice if Bolton failed to win tomorrow but it is unlikely. Can see us going to Cambridge and winning 2-0 to set up a 5-0 spanking of Carlisle on the last day of the season.

Derby 3 - 0 Orient    FRGS Adams

Pompey to get a point at Bolton and suddenly we are 4 points clear again.    Everybody needs to stay calm there are always twists and turns on the run in.

Our midfield has been unable to dominate games as you would expect from a promotion chasing team all season. It is going to be a nail biting finish to the season and we may yet stagger over the line. Unfortunately the brand of football played by a Warne team will be exposed by the better coached and higher quality Championship sides as it has been in the past at Rotherham.

Tense 2 - 1 win for The Rams

FRGS   Collins 

Can see a dull first 45 mins but in the second half their exertions at Wembley will catch up with them and our strength off the bench will see us home. This could be the moment CBT makes his name at Pride Park.

Forget who Bolton play and just concentrate on our games. It is in our hands and if we fail from here there can be no excuses.   

Think Derby will surprise us and come through with a steady 2 - 0.

FRGS     Collins 

My main issue with Warne is that he does not seem willing to give young players a real chance. Weston and Brown must feel as though they will not get an opportunity as he would rather play an aging Waghorn ahead of them off the bench when we need a goal. 

Forget the other contenders run in and just concentrate on our next game. It is in our hands now and with a four point cushion we can afford a slip up. At some point we will drop unexpected points but so will the others. Everyone including the players needs to stay calm and we will be having a Promotion party against Carlisle.

What are they going to do at the penultimate game away at Cambridge. Imagine if we go there needing a win or draw to clinch promotion. If we only get the usual allocation you could end up with hundreds of Derby fans travelling to the game to go in the home end or without a ticket.

Got my ticket for Carlisle game this morning - said weeks ago that it was fate that we would go up  against Carlisle in the last game. Was at the Baseball Ground when we played them in  final match and were presented with the trophy as League Champions 50 years ago.

Think that injuries for Bird and Collins may have allowed Warne to stumble a a formation that allows us to be a better side. Similar thing happened in the Arthur Cox days when injury opened up a place for Phil Gee.

Totally deserved win but aided by the hapless ref who made up for his performance in the Bolton game. Lets be honest if he had given those decisions against us we would be raging but we are due a few decisions to go our way. If we can win at the weekend I think we can win the Title.

After the last Home game I am not confident about beating anybody no matter what their League position.   If we come out with the normal lack of intensity and allow Vale to settle into the game it could be a long, frustrating afternoon. 

Big factor on whether we keep Warne if we fail to go up will surely be season ticket sales. If they are slow and a lot of people fail to renew then Mr Clowes  may be prompted to act sooner than he would like. For my part I would make a change even if we go up as I have no confidence in Warnes's recruitment for a season in the Championship.