Derby County lost 2-1 at home to Middlesbrough.
Derby County supporters have taken to Twitter in order to vent their frustration at boss Gary Rowett, following his side’s disappointing 2-1 home defeat to fellow playoff chasers Middlesbrough.
The Rams found themselves in second spot in the Championship table coming into 2018, but a run of just three wins in their last 16 matches has seen Derby fall out of the top six.
It’s a familiar tale for Derby fans following the near-misses of recent years, but with the added experience of the squad this time around, few could have predicted such a spectacular fall from grace.
Victory over Middlesbrough would have all-but assured Derby of a place in the playoffs, despite their poor recent form, as Middlesbrough host fellow playoff challengers Millwall next weekend.
It would have meant Rowett’s side would have only needed couple of more points – and with a poor Barnsley side to play at home in the last game of the season – they surely couldn’t have asked for a better fixture.
But the 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough means Derby’s game-in-hand against high-flying Cardiff City on Tuesday has become a must-win match for the club, and with three successive defeats it’s not looking great.
The East Midlands side have struggled for goals, with their return of just nine goals in their last nine games being what you’d expect of a side battling relegation – not one fighting for promotion to the Premier League.
The football on show for Derby this season has been adequate at best. Winning football matches generally keeps fans happy, but when that stops questions are soon asked of the manager’s ability.
Rowett managed to keep the supporters on his side up until the turn of spring, but now the tide seems to be turning against him, largely as a result of the dull, negative football, and the latest defeat to Middlesbrough has prompted some to call for his resignation.
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