3/1 To Win
The next four games are going to be key to the outcome of Derby County's season, believes central defender Fikayo Tomori.
The Rams face Wigan Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City and Rotherham United at Pride Park Stadium over the course of the next month in the Sky Bet Championship.
That’s 12 points to play for on home soil in a short space of time.
Derby’s current home record is good.
They have picked up 29 points from their 16 fixtures this season and the next four games present an opportunity for the Rams to add to that tally quickly as they look to show a reaction to three successive league losses.
“At home we’ve always been strong this season,” Tomori told RamsTV.
"The last home game against Millwall we didn’t do well, losing 1-0, but aside from that, we have probably got one of the best home records in the league so it is a chance to put the last few games behind us and make up for it by winning the next four minutes at home. Hopefully the crowd can get behind us and push us through.
“We have to remember what we have done and take that frustration from those games and take them into this game. Even with the last couple of games, we are still within touching distance of the play-offs.
“If you would have said to us at the start of the season we would have been in this position, we would have obviously wanted to do better, but we would take that and we can still build on it. The next four games are going to be important for us and hopefully we can get back into the play-off spots.”
Wigan, who sit 19th in the Sky Bet Championship, are the first team to visit Pride Park Stadium in this mini-sequence of games.
They are unbeaten in five games but have drawn four of those, but Tomori knows how tough the game will be.
Derby were 1-0 winners over the Latics when they visited the DW Stadium in December, with Jack Marriott getting the winner.
“The Wigan game was another where we played well away from home in difficult conditions and in a difficult stadium,” said Tomori.
“They are a team wanting to stay up and those are probably the more dangerous teams because they have nothing to lose and they will go for it.
“Tuesday will be the same; they will come here with a game plan to try and frustrate us like other teams have and we have to deal with that and find a solution.”
The 21-year-old has made 40 appearances in all competitions for the Rams this season after joining on loan from Cheslea in August.
That’s more than the amount of appearances he had made in his whole career before linking up with the Rams.
Only his defensive partner Richard Keogh has played more games for the Rams this season.
Should Keogh start against the Latics tomorrow evening, it will be his 600th career appearance.
Tomori was full of praise for the Republic of Ireland international.
“He’s probably got 10 times more appearances than me,” he commented. “Everyone knows he is a good professional and he looks after his body; you can see that by the fact he has played 600 games.
“If I can have as good a career as him then I will be very happy. Learning from him and having him as my partner in most of the games this season, it has been a good experience.”
And on his own appearances, Tomori added: “This year has been a year that I have been the most settled. I have felt confident going into every game and we, as a team, are in a good position.”
