Carl Sagan

"Prepare yourselves for the worst, and hopefully enjoy the best"

Summer window: Curtis Nelson 8 Callum Elder 4 Joe Ward 6 Sonny Bradley 5 Josh Vickers 5 Kane Wilson 7 Martyn Waghorn 6 Conor Washington 5 Tyrese Fornah 4 Elliot Embleton 1 Ryan Nyambe 8 Tyreece John-Jules 6 Winter: Ebou Adams 9 Dwight Gayle 8 Corey Blackett-Taylor 5 Max Bird* 6 *I've included Max, as I feel it was crucial we had him to the end of the season. Extensions: Nathaniel Mendez-Laing 8 Eiran Cashin 10 Jake Rooney 6

I'm embarrassed to be in League One and can see where you're coming from. But given the league tried to drive us out of existence, and almost succeeded, if we do return to the Championship I will celebrate it. And hope we can right on through to the top tier.

As we approach the Carlisle game, I wonder what Warne will say to the players? I'm reminded of this fantastic pre-match speech to his Rotherham team. This is the best of Paul Warne. Expect we'll see it on Saturday:

After 45 games it all comes down to this. Us or Bolton? The Rams the red hot favourites, with the best defence in the division playing the team bottom and long-since relegated. And needing only a draw. You can see why the bookies have us 1000/1 on but as a Derby fan I'm still nervous and feel it's going to be a long week. Thrilled to be there. Will be thinking of Daniel who I never met, but who I exchanged posts with on this forum, and whose calls to arms I always loved. Will be remembering being at the BBG 49 years earlier to see the Rams lift the First Division title against Carlisle. Am with some of the same friends who came to the Derby Crystal Palace game with me, and we recreated Robbie van der Laan's header with on the pitch afterwards. Will be remembering the time Stephen Pearson scored his goal to send us into delirium at Wembley. Will be thanking David Clowes for saving our club when all seemed lost. Darkest before the dawn. He deserves a fantastic day in which, yet again, and for only the third time in our history, Derby lift themselves out of the third tier after a two-season stint. But we have to do it first. Let's hope the players keep their eyes on the prize, backed all the way by long-suffering fans who do deserve some joy after the last few years. Come on you Rams!

I love that Wildsmith is impervious to embarrassment. Which means he is our best asset in game management. If it's 0-0 on Saturday and we're under the cosh, he will find a way to take the sting out of the game and allow us to regroup. A vital part of the modern game but not anything our keepers have embraced before.

Hope you bring us home @Comrade 86. Not sure I agree with wanting Peterborough to drop points midweek. It seems so unlikely they can catch us, but if they don't win on Tuesday won't they rest their players against Bolton, saving them for the playoffs? A couple of us are treating another mate to hospitality in the Baseball Lounge so shout if you're there too. Might Gayle make the bench? I figured automatic promotion is worth £25 to me, so I've hedged too! Too many times it hasn't worked for us on the final day of the campaign, but let's hope it's different. And well I remember being at the Baseball Ground to see us draw 0-0 with already relegated Carlisle and lift the First Division trophy. It would be kind of fitting to repeat the scoreline, though I'd also like to see Max Bird score in his final game for us.

I agree with Bris and Tyler's logical assessment of Bris's comments. Indeed Warne only got us into this position because he has the best players at his disposal. Before the season began, like many (most?) on the forum I thought we should finish 1st or 2nd given the players we had. Let's hope we finish 2nd. Has he used the players to get the best out of them? I think we've got decent midfielders, but Warne's tactic is not to use them, and to get the ball wide as quickly as possible and then bang in an early cross. It only works at all because we have better players - otherwise it would have been too easy to defend against. But Warne identified it as a way to win matches and we have won a lot of matches. Was it the best way of playing? Is the proof of the pudding always in the eating? Does the end justify the means? Maybe - it has been vital to get up this season, so let's hope it was worth it and we do.

That if you vacuumed over the cord you'd get electrocuted. That if you swallowed apple pips an apple tree would grow inside your tummy. That Derby would continue to always be the best team in the country.

You're right I'm just shifting the goalposts. As has been said many times, the only way to make VAR work is to have it on the big screen while officials discuss the decision with the fans listening to the conversation. If they're not even prepared to do that, we're much better off ditching it.

Not convinced they stopped the action at the right millisecond or that they were correct drawing them from the defender's foot when other ball-playing parts of his body looked closer to goal. Very cruel. The system cannot be accurate so should there be some sort of margin of error?

Thanks for the "off topic". At those odds (which proved correct), madness not to have a small insurance bet. I'm much more confident now we'll finish second and I'll not get a few grand.

Sounds as though the National League has been supporting Gateshead against the EFL, but the EFL won't budge, despite Gateshead playing at their ground since 1971. However, Gateshead Council has refused to guarantee they can stay there for 10 more years. The stadium is obviously a huge community asset but from my experience of seemingly perverse council planning decisions, I'm making an educated guess as to why the council has refused. If it's up for election in May, I hope the club organizes a local campaign and they're all voted out. The club claims they're still preparing for the game, but I don't see what avenues are left to them.

Very much hope @DarkFruitsRam7is right with this fine thread and hasn't gone too soon. And, yes, I was going to post Martine too, but beaten to it. And a big happy birthday to @Ellafella! Our moments seem so very rare because we do have an amazing propensity to throw it away at the death. Because of which I'm a little surprised at the confidence on the forum this last couple of weeks - but so far justified. I'm not counting any chickens until the fat lady has sung at Pride Park on Saturday. After which I hope to revel with the rest of you in a perfect moment. I've only seen two promotions live before - Palace and the playoffs. Very much hoping for a hattrick! As I can't post Martine, here's a much more inspiring vocal to get Rams pulses racing. For this one moment in time...

With one game to go, we can't finish lower than third. Please let's not finish third!