The Rams were favourites for promotion but find themselves in the bottom three after a six-game winless run.
The pressure on Derby County manager Nigel Pearson has increased after the Rams fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers which saw them slip into the relegation zone.
County were pre-season promotion favourites but they have failed to get going at all this season, and the stats do not make pretty reading for Derby fans. They have won just once in nine games, scored just three times in that period and picked up just one point from an available 15. Overall, it is their worst start to a second tier season for 33 years.
The visit of Blackburn was seen as an ideal fixture to get the Rams back on track, and Pearson’s side survived a let-off in the first half when Ben Marshall’s penalty hit the post. The sides went into half-time goalless, and the home fans were understandably restless.
Buoyed by their lucky escape, Matej Vydra’s opener with just over 20 minutes to play looked as if it would set Derby on their way to a much-needed win; remarkably, it was Derby’s first goal in front of their own fans all season.
Any joy or relief brought about by that opener lasted less than a minute, as Marvin Emnes equalised almost immediately for the visitors. Just three minutes later, Derby’s misery was compounded as Danny Graham struck to give Rovers the lead.
Pearson’s side were leapfrogged by Blackburn following the result, and face a vital trip to fellow early strugglers Cardiff on Tuesday evening as they look to get back on track.
Fans on Twitter were furious during and after the match, with many unimpressed by the former Leicester boss.
Not all fans were so quick to put the blame on the manager, however, with the expensively assembled collection of players also coming under fire.
Is time up for Pearson, or should he be given time to turn things around? Leave your thoughts below.
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