Tyrone Mears is mystified why a sign-off game billed as a celebration for the fans should have turned into what he described as the "worst performance of the season".

"The talk before the game was all about doing it for the fans and it should have been their day," he told RamsWorld.

"We worked a lot during the week and it should have been a game where we gave the fans something to cheer about because there was no pressure on us - it should have been all on Reading but in the first half we didn't create anything and in the second the whole season caught up with us and the fans were quite rightly giving us stick.

"A lot of us gave up and that isn't good enough."

But Tye praised the supporters. "At a lot of the clubs I have played for the fans would have turned in November time, but even last week at
Blackburn we got beat and they were dancing about and today should have been their day."

Analysing the season as a whole, Tye is confused why results have been so dire. "At the start of the season we were optimistic and the thing I don't understand is we do have some good players here and other teams have come up like us, haven't spent much but have had a work ethic and team spirit. We have had good enough players to also put up a decent fight, but we haven't done that.

"Today was terrible and I won't be able to forget about it for a long time whether I am here or wherever I am.

"We have the record for being the Premier League's worst team and I never ever want to go through that again. My line has been drawn now. I can't forget about it and it's hard to find any positives. I will spend time with my children and try to forget about it, but then the hard work starts again and I want to do well. I was optimistic last closed season and I am going to be optimistic again."

He added: "Sometimes things like this happen and it makes you a stronger person.

"Except for Portsmouth, where we showed fight, we have gone a goal down and given up and this has been the hardest season I have had in my life , even though I missed most of the second half injured.

"I was dying to get back but you don't realise how hard it is to play in this team. You can't blame any one player - each and every one of us hasn't been good enough, and Derby supporters deserve better."

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