Derby threw away their promotion hopes last season in February so they will be hoping defeat to Sheffield Wednesday was just a minor blip.
February was not a happy month for Derby County during the 2016/17 campaign as they saw their promotion hopes slip away following a string of poor results.
After beating Ipswich Town 3-0 on January 31 the Rams moved into sixth place and the playoff places, but they failed to win again until March as they lost four and drew two during February in a run that cost Steve McClaren his job as manager.
Twelve months on and the club are undoubtedly in a better position under McClaren’s successor, Gary Rowett, but this month could still prove to be crucial in the race for the Premier League.
It started well when they beat Brentford 3-0 on February 3, but a draw at home to Norwich City has since been followed by a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in their latest Championship outing.
Despite the loss Rowett’s men remain in third place, but with Leeds United at home and Reading away still to come this month, positive results are needed to keep the pressure on Aston Villa in the automatic spots.
Otherwise those directly behind them will start closing the gap and it could be yet another season of being so near, and yet so far, for Derby as they look to return to the top flight of English football for the first time since 2008.
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