Bris Vegas

Luton have blown it for me. Threw away leads at Newcastle and Bournemouth, while losing at home to Sheff Utd and failing to beat Forest. Forest are so lucky the bottom three are crap because they have been worse this season than last. Next season will be interesting with Leeds and Leicester likely back up there. Far better teams than the current bottom 3.

I can see Liverpool winning a treble of Cup, Europa League and PL. And I can see City winning the FA Cup and CL. City will rise to the occasion in the big games, but they have so many big games to play they will be drained for the league games with tricky trips to Spurs, Brighton and Fulham late on where they will probably drop points. Liverpool losing this game probably gives them the edge in the PL. They can rotate in the Europa League and go full out in the PL with their best team.

Nostradamus died some 500 years ago. Perhaps in another life? I don’t like the idea of being French though.

Ok it’s my opinion based on fact. 👍

It’s pretty much basic math given some of the other teams have to play each other. It’s hardly a jaw-dropping, know-it-all prediction. With only 7 games remaining the picture is pretty clear. None of the other teams below are averaging more than 2 points per game. Let’s be generous and give them better than that for the run in. Bolton to take 16 from 7 (2.3ppg) Posh and Barnsley to take 19 from 8 (2.375ppg) So Derby would need 4 wins, Pompey 3.

Actually it was another game until March, which would have *nearly* been correct had it not been for Posh. Ignore it all you like. Doesn’t make it not true.

Derby need 4 wins, Pompey probably 3. Bolton, Posh and Barnsley will drop more points. 89-90 points will be enough. We’ll easily get it, looking at our remaining fixtures. We can probably afford to lose to Pompey, Wycombe and even Blackpool and we’ll still be fine.

We will get promoted from here. This past week the stars just aligned with the officiating against Reading and second best win over Bolton. We’ll probably lose at Pompey, draw at Wycombe but we’ll win the rest and that will be enough.

This win reminds me of the Billy Davies promotion season where we beat some of the better teams while looking second best.

Draw wouldn’t be a bad result on the balance of play, plus Barnsley and Posh still drawing.

Bolton look far the better side in possession. But Derby look threatening from set-pieces. Sam Allardyce would be proud.

Calm down. We will get promoted this season.

This is a sneak preview of what it’s going to be like in the Championship. Hoofball from us, men behind the ball, trying to soak up pressure. It’s going to be such a tough watch under Warne in the Championship. We will be second best most games.

Wasn’t too long ago we were playing Villa in a playoff final. Fast forward a few years and here we are in League One, and there Villa are beating Ajax 4-0 to advance to a European quarter-final while sitting in a Champions League spot for next season.

Probably wants to concentrate on Arsenal, and perhaps feels he has been overlooked in the past. Both Stones or White could play in the holding role.

Ben White as a holding midfielder wouldn’t actually be a bad option.

I’ve seen some shockers against Derby, most notably Atwell and the Chris Martin dismissal at Burnley. This is the first I can remember where we’ve had such shockers go for us. Reading can’t complain much as there wasn’t much riding on it for them unlike our promotion six-pointer at Burnley.

Given it’s a six-pointer, I’d rather it be the other way around!

Did you watch the game at PP? We sofa fans had the benefit of replays. Both yellows for their defender were ridiculous. One for handball when it hit him from two hards away, the second Hourihane dived. Gayle also handled the ball for the penalty. Gayle’s opening goal looked offside too.

Referee 2-1 Reading FT

The referee’s performance is reminiscent of a classic Howard Webb game at Old Trafford. That said, Derby have played some decent stuff tonight. Gayle upfront and Barks in a free role adds far more fluidity to our play. We have been unlucky with injuries this season. But the forced signings of Nyambe and Gayle has made us stronger.

Derby boardroom discussing the referees bonus for tonight.

Never a penalty. Ref is the biggest homer I’ve seen in years.

Reading down to 10 men after a Hourihane dive. People complain we get decisions against us. We don’t.