3/1 To Win
George Thorne has praised Derby County’s resilience and determination after they extended their unbeaten run to seven games with a 0-0 draw at Blackburn Rovers.
On a tough night in Lancashire, Paul Clement’s side battled hard to keep Rovers at bay to ensure they also maintained their unbeaten Sky Bet Championship away record.
Admittedly far from their best, Thorne, the midfielder, believes the Rams can take pride in their mentality that, in that situation, the most important factor was to make sure they did not lose the game.
Speaking to Rams Player HD, the 22-year-old said: “We said in the changing room after the game that it was important to just not lose the game.
“Ewood Park is a tough place to come to, we came up against a physical style of play and at times it was difficult to play against.
“I thought we handled it very well throughout the contest, though. They didn’t have many clear openings and in the end I think it was a fair result. We will try and view it as a point gained.
“We’re pleased because we knew it was important not to lose the game. We’re unbeaten in seven games now, it’s something we are all aware of, so to show the resilience that we needed, the team spirit and the desire that we did is very encouraging for us.
“Not many teams will go to some of the places that we have been to so far will show the character that we have shown to pick up a positive result. There is plenty for us to build on ahead of the trip to Huddersfield on Saturday.”
Notably, Thorne also believes Derby have shown that they are able to deal with the pressure when they find themselves up against physical opponents with their backs against the walls.
As well as showing their attacking qualities against Wolves, the midfielder insists that solid displays such as the one at Ewood Park will see the club claim a lot of ‘valuable’ points over the course of the 2015/16 campaign.
He added: “We have adapted our game so that we are able to cope with the division’s physical sides because the argument was that we haven’t been able to do that enough over the last two seasons.
“That’s pleasing for us, the fans and the coaching staff to know that we can deal with that sort of pressure and that style of football.
“We will pick up a lot of valuable points from those sort of games if we continue to perform the way that we are doing.”
On a wet night in Lancashire, 1,390 Derby fans made the trip from Derbyshire to support Clement’s side in action.
Thorne reserved praise for the club’s faithful as they continue to back the side in great numbers, insisting that he and the players want to repay them with three points when they travel to take on Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
“The fans deserve a very big thank you, they back us in big numbers everywhere we go,” Thorne said.
“They make it easier for us when we come to a tough place like this, so we are grateful to them for that.
“We will be looking to repay them with another three points when we travel to Huddersfield and make sure that we maintain our unbeaten run.
“The aim now is to finish the week off with a win, a seven point return will represent a very good week for us.”
