Midfielder Max Bird knows how huge a victory would be on Saturday should Derby County record all three points against Peterborough United at Pride Park Stadium (3pm kick-off).
It’s set to be a pulsating encounter at Pride Park with both sides knowing a victory would do good for their chances of staying in the division come the end of the campaign.
Posh sit three points ahead of the Rams in the Sky Bet Championship table, having played a game less, but a win for Derby would take them above Darren Ferguson’s side owing to a far-superior goal difference.
The Rams have had to do it the hard way so far this season, overcoming a 21-point deduction for entering administration and for historical breaches of profitability and sustainability rules.
Wayne Rooney’s side have shown incredible fight and displayed a never-say-die attitude to overturn the points deductions and claw themselves to within touching distance of survival, but there is still a long way to go in the campaign.
Ahead of this weekend’s game against the Posh, Bird did not play down the significance of the clash against two of the sides fighting to avoid relegation.
“Saturday is a huge game for us,” he told RamsTV. “We have had low points in the season, we have had very high points as well and we know Saturday is a big game.
“Last Saturday against Middlesbrough, when we lost 4-1, we weren’t at our best and there are bits that we have looked back on before training, but I think the lads are all ready for it.
“We all believe in each other and the staff are giving us a lot of belief that they know that we can get the job done.”
Peterborough head into the game on the back of a goalless draw against Reading on home soil on Wednesday night.
Posh had good chances to win the contest, but in testing conditions neither side could capitalise as the teams directly above the Rams could only pick up a point.
That means a victory on Saturday would see Derby move above their opponents on goal difference but Bird knows that the Rams just have to concentrate on playing their own game in order to get a result.
“We know that the result on Wednesday was a good result from our point of view, but it’s all about us,” he said. “The way we play, the belief that we’ve got in the team is going to be huge.
“Yes, there is pressure on the game and there are going to be a lot of fans at Pride Park for it, and it’s a must win game for us, but we didn’t look at Peterborough.
“We had a team meeting on Thursday morning and the manager showed us a five or six minute video of what we have done well this season and what we have managed to achieve so far, and we’ve still got a long way to go, but a win on Saturday would be a step in the right direction.”
Another 30,000 crowd is close to being achieved on Saturday with supporters backing the team in their droves, as they have done all season.
It’s set to be an electric atmosphere inside Pride Park Stadium and Bird cannot wait to get going.
“The supporters have been phenomenal for us all season,” he said.
““I keep saying it over and over again but they have been a pivotal part in what we have achieved so far this season.
“Home and away, they have been fantastic so they will definitely stick with us no matter what happens so we have got to keep trying to put smiles on faces.”