Derby County play their last home game of the npower Championship season when they entertain Bristol City on Saturday and in many ways it is a nothing game.

Bristol City are 16th and cannot make the play-offs. Derby County are 19th and – breathe a huge sigh of relief – cannot be relegated. Just avoiding relegation though is a huge disappointment against where I expected Derby County to finish.

There have been times this season when the squad have given us glimpses of something better but the loss of key players, inconsistency, and too many mistakes have condemned us to the lower reaches of the league.

I’ve voted for John Brayford as my Player of the Season. He has played more games than any other Rams player and has been by far the most consistent player as well. He’s stepped up from League 2 and has looked a class act at times, not just for his defending, but for the pace and options he provides when overlapping down the right flank.

Next season the Rams fans have been promised a play-off chasing team with up to six proven Championship players arriving in the summer in addition to Frank Fielding, Jamie Ward and Theo Robinson.

I can’t help thinking though that this season has been a total waste. Why couldn’t General Sports Entertainment have invested money last summer? Did it really need protests to make them realise that building a competitive team on the cheap doesn’t work and that Rams fans want to cheer a winning team and aren’t interested in a match day experience?

Back to Saturday’s game. Bristol City are a mere five points better off than Derby County so the Rams must have a good chance of winning their final home game of the season.

The game also represents Robbie Savage’s final game at Pride Park Stadium. I think he’s done a good job, during a difficult time, for Derby County and I hope he gets the fitting send-off he deserves on Saturday.

I will remember him as a Derby County player and remember him well.

www.stuarthughes.webs.com

Photo: Action Images

prideparkpete added 06:11 - Apr 30 With regard to Robbies pending departure, this for me will be a sad moment. Yes, i like many others held a particular dislike for the bloke before he became one of us, but then within a very short time my mind changed to delight that we had him. The game needs characters, the team and the club does too. Were going to lose that next season with Robbie gone, he has shown a lead on the pitch which has made up for his lack of pace and other skills. He constantly lets the Refs know about suspect decisions, pressuring them throughout the game to a point where many will be actually wondering if they are actually getting it wrong. His simple distribution of the ball around midfield looks easy, but more often than not it has kept possession whilst many others have lost it. Sadly, a bunch of our supporters never accepted him, i still hear some boos when his name is called as the team is announced and, they also keenly shout their discontent when he gets it wrong on the pitch. But there are many great contributions by Robbie on and off the pitch that are far wider than just the basic football skills, these clearly make him stand out from most of the other 21 players out there. Who's going to fill that gap? Overall we perhaps got to know him as a Derby player a little too late in his career, but no Derby County supporter can deny that he has brought added media attention to our club which is key in this business. We have had increased publicity through him and just about all in a positive sense. Next season that will be a loss on and off the pitch, as I said before, the club needs a character, at least one to lift and push the team on, to bring attention and publicity to the club. This will be a difficult void to fill and for me, a spark of light will be lost when he's gone.

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