Craig Forsyth issues defiant Derby County message following QPR defeat | OneFootball

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Football League World

·30 November 2021

Craig Forsyth issues defiant Derby County message following QPR defeat

Article image:Craig Forsyth issues defiant Derby County message following QPR defeat

Derby County defender Craig Forsyth has insisted that the Rams are still believing that they can catch up to some of the teams above them in the Championship table despite their 2-1 loss against QPR.

Wayne Rooney’s side went into their game against QPR on Monday night needing to pick up all three points to try and close the 19-point gap that had opened up between themselves and Reading who occupy the final spot above the bottom three.


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The Rams had managed to pick up four points from tough games against the top two sides in the division at the moment in AFC Bournemouth and Fulham heading into the game.

It looked as though they could produce another excellent result against a promotion chaser when they took the lead through Tom Lawrence against QPR, but in the end, they conceded twice to fall to a defeat.

Derby are now facing the seemingly impossible task of trying to claw back a 19-point gap that they would have to do if they were to survive the drop down to League One this season. However, performances of late have suggested that there is hope that they can at least close that gap a little over the coming weeks.

Speaking to Derby’s official club website following the defeat against QPR, Forsyth suggested that the Rams’ squad are continuing to believe that they have enough to close the gap on the teams above them in the table.

He said: “I think we have made it clear throughout the season that we can hold our own against anybody in this division.

“We have picked up two good results out of the last three games so it’s all about catching those teams and eating into those points.

“We’ve got to go for three points now and try to catch them above us.”

The verdict

Forsyth is right that Derby have shown that they are capable of picking up results against any side in the Championship as they did during their games against Bournemouth and Fulham. However, the defeat against QPR will now have dented some of their momentum and at this stage, they needed all the momentum they can get to try and get back in touch with the teams around them.

It is difficult for the squad to keep plugging away knowing that the points gap between themselves and safety is so large at the moment. Rooney though appears to be doing an excellent job in keeping players motivated and hungry and there is something of a siege mentality that has been created by the Rams this season.

In many respects the squad at Derby can not really lose this season, when everyone expects you to get relegated there can be a certain freedom to going out and looking to prove people wrong on the field. That is what they need to draw upon, but crucially they must maintain the belief that Forsyth outlines here.

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