When Derby made the leap back into the Premier League, I was looking forward to once again facing the so called ‘elite’ teams.

Years of ridicule would finally come to an end with the opportunity to show the detractors that the mighty Rams were back and a force to be reckoned with. Four games into that new dawn and things don’t seem to have improved much.

The teasing about being a lower league team has instead been replaced with disrespect for Derby and what they could hope to achieve this season. From newspaper columns predicting relegation being cut out and placed on my desk to a Liverpool fan saying this week, he wouldn’t mind losing to us because “we need the points more than them” (couldn’t points come in handy in trying to win the title??). I reject his sympathy as an insult and refuse to believe like many who frequent the message boards, that all hope for survival this season has been dashed already.

As the league table stands we are one win from mid-table and two from top four. At the end of the season a finish anywhere in that region would be considered another Davies miracle. Just being free of the relegation zone seems something sections of Derby supporters find implausible at the moment let alone substantial upward movement.

With reports rife that fans have been booing the players at games, is it possible that after last season's amazing rise to success it has left some supporters greedy? Being fed so well last season with an amazing climax has left too many looking for a smorgasbord, rather than the finger food the Premier League usually offers promoted teams.

There is no doubt Derby County Football Club must fight hard to stay up and consolidate but anyone thinking it would be a smooth ride from game one was very wrong. Considering no one could have thought it would be easy, why then the instant negativity when the club needs a united front more than ever?

Many are suffering because they purchased season tickets to see their team compete in the biggest league in the world and you feel they are not close to competing. By my reckoning they were brilliant against Portsmouth, unlucky but brave against Manchester City, patchy against Birmingham and woeful against Tottenham.

Very rough (without any formula whatsoever) calculations conclude that is around 60% of their game time to date falling into the good to acceptable category. That is not a bad return considering it was only Spurs who the team was truly outclassed by and even then you could argue nerves versus the early goals proved a terrible combination.

The fact is we started a week behind every club in the league. Billy Davies has stated that he and his team cannot be judged until September 1 and that deadline passes and begins on Saturday at Liverpool.

Things are not good for the Rams but things aren’t very good for any team from 11th place down with only four points or less to their names, even at this early stage as it means they have all lost at least two games. No one can afford to start slowly in this league and luckily this early in the season no one can get too far away.

Being a blind optimist I still have faith in both the Board and Billy but when the transfer window closes it will be all hands on deck for the cause, whomever those hands belong too. If all hands don’t make it up from the crew quarters then the Rams will be sunk by Christmas. Staying in the hunt until the transfer window re-opens is paramount and anything remotely better than that will be a huge bonus.

It is so good to be back and no matter how bad it gets we cannot forget that fact. Personally the defeat at Tottenham was worse than I could have ever imagined and my big mouth bravado cost me dearly as my local Spurs supporting arch nemesis claimed first blood in our personal war. Despite that I am still beside myself that my beloved Rams are once again mixing it with the best (with the best of the best still to come!).

This weekend we face an Anfield team capable of tearing the boys to pieces if they are not switched on from the first whistle. Considering two of my best mates are avid Pool supporters, I could be excused for fearing another heavy defeat. Instead I will blindly continue to mouth off, punch above my weight and proclaim DCFC are coming for all three points. Things may not go according to plan or how every one of us hoped but be damned if I am giving up now when the fun has just begun.

There are points to be gained and you know what they say… nothing ventured!!

Go Ewe Rams!!

Photo: Action Images

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