3/1 To Win
'Train hard, work hard and the results will come' - that is the message from Derby County defender Andre Wisdom as the Rams prepare for a midweek trip to Ashton Gate to face Bristol City.
The defender, who has played consistently in the Derby backline since the start of the new year, has been in fine form, culminating in Derby’s best run of the campaign so far.
He has helped his side to seven wins and three draws from their last 11 games, scoring his first goal in seven years along the way.
That came in an Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round replay triumph against Northampton Town to set up a Fifth Round clash against Premier League side Manchester United.
The recent upturn in form has seen Derby climb to 13th in the Sky Bet Championship table and sit seven points behind the play-off places heading into Wednesday’s game against the Robins, who occupy seventh place.
Wisdom, who has made 12 appearances so far this season, believes the Rams are heading in the right direction but is keen to remain grounded.
“Our mentality is that we always go out there and perform and sometimes it just doesn’t happen,” he told RamsTV. “The difference is that we are trying to do the right thing.
“We maybe got caught in a bit of two minds before but now we are trying to do the right things and we’re going for things a bit more and it’s showing on the pitch.
“Individually, you have to train hard, work hard, be positive and that is easier said than done. Some days, like today, when it’s snowing, raining and it’s windy, it’s tough but when you are on the pitch, all you can do is give your all and I think that is starting to show.
“There is a togetherness in the squad and it’s good to be a part of. It’s a good feeling. It’s good that we got the away win on Saturday.”
Derby’s 3-2 victory over Swansea City at the weekend was their first away from home since the opening weekend of the season.
A 2-1 victory over Huddersfield Town in August was the last time Derby tasted league success on the road and Wisdom praised the attitude and desire of his team-mates to get the positive result.
“It was difficult at times,” he admitted. “They are a really good team and good on the ball so at half time, we went in with the lead.
“We said we needed to concentrate and not give away any cheap goals but then we went 2-1 down and we think ‘not this again’, but it showed our good mentality and character with the way we responded.
“We came back and it was a good goal from Tom Lawrence at the end so it was a good feeling.”
And with only seven points separating the Rams from the chasing pack, Wisdom knows there is a long way to go before anything is decided in this division.
“You know what the Championship is like,” he said. “As of now, we are just enjoying our football and we just keep going.
“The games are coming thick and fast. We have another game in a few days so we just have to train hard and give everything on the pitch. If we do that then results will get us up the table.”
