Derby County are rock bottom in the English Premier League and even their manager Paul Jewell has admitted that the Rams cannot avoid the drop to the Championship at the end of the season. Yet he is adamant that he wouldn’t help other struggling teams as the race to finish above the bottom three intensifies.
Jewell says:
There’s no concern to us what other teams do but there is a lot to play for in terms of pride. As we go into games against Wigan, Sunderland and Fulham we could have a bearing on what happens to those teams, but that won’t affect the way we prepare. All we want to do is do the best for ourselves and get past 15 points. The supporters are the most important factor here because when you have thirty-odd thousand watching you have to be concerned about every result and every performance. Nothing else is acceptable. I’m as desperate for results now as I have ever been.
So at Pride Park, the Rams will be playing for pride and the relegation strugglers shouldn’t expect the Rams to play without passion and commitment for the rest of the season.