Barker believes Improved show can serve as launch pad for Rams
DERBY County's spirited display against Ipswich Town showed that the Rams can pull themselves away from the wrong end of the Championship table, according to defender Shaun Barker.
The Rams lost 1-0 to basement club Ipswich at Portman Road on Saturday, despite producing arguably their best away performance of the season so far.
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Shaun Barker
That will be of little consolation to Derby fans but Barker believes that Nigel Clough's injury-ravaged squad can take heart from their weekend showing.
He said: "The way we went to Ipswich and played football shows we have got the belief that we can get ourselves out of this sticky situation with the players we have got – and that is without all the lads we've got to come back and make the squad a lot stronger."
Derby hope to have Paul Green, Jay McEveley, Rob Hulse and Dean Leacock back for Friday night's live televised encounter at home to Coventry City, after which there is a two-week gap until the next game due to an international break.
"We're looking at the international break," said Barker. "We've got one more game before that and, hopefully, we can get three points there.
"That would set us up to go from what has been a really tough time to being in a decent position.
"If we beat Coventry, we will not be too far away from being in the top half of the table.
"Then we will have a two-week break and the chance to get more players back.
"We could be talking about four or five players coming back into the side that are really important players for us."
Barker admitted the Coventry fixture was "massive" for the under-pressure Rams, who have lost their last three matches.
"It is a massive game for us," he said. "If we can get three points and then get players back during the international break, that gives us a great chance to really push up the table when the season starts again.
"We have to go into it with the confidence and belief that we can get something out of the game.
"I think we're more than capable of getting three points against Coventry.
"We've shown at home that we've got the ability and desire to get those results.
"It was disappointing to go 2-0 up and then lose our last home game but QPR were one of the best teams we have played this season."
Barker feels Derby's current injury crisis is the worst – and strangest – he has ever known.
He said: "Deano (Dean Leacock) went down with mumps, which was a surprise, and then we got the call on Friday telling us that Hulsey (Rob Hulse) had been sick all night and was struggling for the Ipswich game.
"It's a proper mix of things. If everyone was getting pulled muscles, then we would have to look at the training routine but that's not the case – it's ligaments, broken bones, illness, everything you can think of.
"It's the most bizarre situation I've known since I've been in football and I'm sure all the other lads would say the same."
6 Comments
by Peter Wilkinson, marham
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 11:58AM
“I was at ipswich and the team played well ipswich keeper played a blinder if Hulse had played we might have scored from the chances made so i know where Shaun is coming from.”
by Brian Clough's Dog, Over here
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 11:39AM
“Ipswich are bottom of the Championship and Barker's on about an improved performance. What planet is he on? If we've got the ability & desire for home games why haven't we got these for away games? I didn't see much ability & desire v. QPR. I wish footballers would keep their mouths shut especially when we're not doing very well.”
by B3vil, Derby
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 11:18AM
“Well, Ipswitch were a team without a win, using the performance against them as any kind of benchmark is simply misguiding. They didn't turn up, and they still won, which says a lot about our performance, no matter how good it looked.
That said, the situation with injuries that Nigels keeps going on about is understandable, and the reality is that any team would struggle with the number of injuries we have.
What is much more likely to cost him his job is the apparent sheer pigheadedness being displayed in some of his choices, most notably the bench selections. We have fit pros such as Prijovic who are scoring for the reserves, yet for Nigel, in what is starting to look like a personal grudge simply adds 2 academy players to the bench, and doesn't even use the full quota! This is insulting and degrading to the players, and reflects very badly on the club, especially with the injury crisis he keeps talking about!
Matches can be won and lost on decisions like that, and maybe, just maybe another striker would have done wonders in the Norwich match.
If it is a personal grudge then Nigel has to go, not today, not tomorrow, but now. We saw the same with the likes of Jewell, and Gregory, and ultimately such things cost them their jobs just as much as the results did, and it's hard to believe that Nigel is so naive if he thinks that it won't cost him his job too. In terms of results, he should be given time, but if the problems are deeper than that, I feel his time is already up.”
by Malc, mickleover
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 10:44AM
“" The way we went a that super without a win team Ipswich"
I wnder if they are ging to really go at this next super Coventry team on friday.
Totally delusional .”
by alfa male, clay cross
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 9:56AM
“memo to shaun barker.. I hope your right that we can get out of this sticky situation that DC are in. personaly I think this is the stickyest situation since sticky the stick insect got stuck on a very skicky bun,
what we realy need is a very cunning plan from NC.”
by alfa male, clay cross
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 9:41AM
“memo to shaun barker, a trust you can get us out of this sticky situation.. personaly I think DC are in stickest situation since sticky the stick insect got stuck on a very sticky bun . all we need now is NC to come up with a very cunning plan ..”