3/1 To Win
The Under-23s have three games left to cement their place in the top division in Premier League 2 and Ethan Wassall insists the young team is prepared to deal with anything that comes their way.
Darren Wassall’s side head to North London on Saturday to take on Tottenham at their training ground, kick-off: 12pm, looking to bounce back after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.
It was a tough loss for the Rams who had a spirited second half and threatened to answer back to the Blues on occasion. But Wassall says the team have remained positive and will take the lessons learned forward as they close out the season.
Wassall told RamsTV: “There is a lot of character in this group. Against Sheffield United and Chelsea we didn’t start the game well but we battled and managed to get back into our rhythm again and back into the game.
“Unfortunately on both occasions we lost so it doesn’t really mean anything. But we need to start the game better and hopefully that will help on Saturday against Tottenham.”
“We are quite good at bouncing back in training and training has been good this week,” he added.
“So everyone is just raring to go and looking ahead. There’s no point looking behind us now, it’s in our own hands to try and stay up so we have got to do what we have got to do.”
Derby sit ninth in the table, two places ahead of the drop zone, but they have been battling the storm of the season with a team younger and far less experienced than most.
A handful of the squad have been sent out to get experience on loan leaving it to Under-18 players to take the reins. Wassall believes his younger teammates have been stellar and made the transition seamlessly.
“The lads from the Under-18s have stepped up and so have the lads who hadn’t played much before the lads that went on loan left, everyone has stepped up to the mark and performed really well,” he said.
“It is a bit strange only being 20 and being one of the most experienced in the team but that’s a responsibility on my hands to help the young ones come through.
“It is a different experience [than playing at Under-18 level], you’ve always got the fear of going down. But we are optimistic that we can stay in this league like we did last year and I think because it is in our own hands, we will.”
Tottenham sit one place and one point behind Derby and head into their home game off the back of two consecutive wins. Earlier in the season the Rams won 1-0 under the lights at Pride Park Stadium, so Wassall is prepared for a tough game, even more so at the business end of the season.
“Any point is massive at this stage in the season, I think three points could well keep us up. But we know it’s a massive game,” he added.
“I think both teams will still try and play how they do – both will play out from the back and try to pass the ball around. At times, late on in the game, if it’s a narrow scoreline it could get a bit scrappy but whatever comes our way we have got to just deal with it. It should be a good game.”
Following the clash with the Spurs, Derby will face West Ham – who sit one place ahead – and league leaders Leicester City in a bid to stay in the top division for a second consecutive season.
The defender believes surviving the drop this season would be a better achievement than doing the same last year because of circumstances surrounding this campaign.
He added: “Sometimes you get promoted and you still have a buzz that can take you through the season. We have had a lot of lads go out on loan and because we have such a young, fresh team I think it would be just as good – if not better – achievement if we stay up this year.”
