Derby County’s win over Cardiff City gave them renewed hope.
Derby County’s comeback win against Cardiff City not only signified that the Rams are right back in the playoff hunt, but that we can also throw everything we thought we knew about the Championship out of the window.
Despite the fact that shocking results take place year in and year out, fans and media alike never seem to learn that the Championship is one of the most unpredictable leagues in the world. Take Derby for example – over the course of the last few weeks they’ve been made to look foolish by two relegation-threatened teams in the form of Sunderland and Burton Albion, yet they were still able to pull off an unlikely victory against the Bluebirds.
Nobody quite knows what to make of this season for the club, because under Gary Rowett, they’ve still been following the same kind of trajectory that they have been for a few years now. On a year by year basis they’re considered to be frontrunners for promotion, and yet, they continually seem to find ways in which they miss out. Ironically enough their form mirrors that of Cardiff themselves, who were in a similar position prior to eventually going up in 2013.
This season Derby fans have been left feeling dejected once again in the wake of their slump throughout the second half of the season, and yet, the win against Cardiff gives them a great chance of qualifying for the playoffs. If they can manage to do the unthinkable and gain promotion, most of their supporters would likely have to pinch themselves in disbelief.
A big reason for this would be the 2014 Championship playoff final, which was seen as the crowning moment of the club’s ascent back to the big time. Under Steve McClaren, they’d put together a team compiled of high-quality stars from top to bottom, and they were playing some of the best football the second tier had seen in years.
They were pegged as favourites to go up against Queens Park Rangers, but even after the Londoners went down to 10 men, the Rams couldn’t find a way through and had their hearts broken by Bobby Zamora’s 90th-minute strike. It was a result that proved nothing is certain, and by comparison, it’d sum up the inconsistency of the Championship perfectly if this Derby side could sneak their way past the favourites and go up.
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