S25/26 | The Official Match Thread | Derby County vs Swansea City | 3pm, Saturday 14th ❤️ February 2026 | The EFL Championship | Pride Park Stadium

[peter]

Will be tough, even if Derby are seemingly better away.

Gotta back us though. Going 0-1. Not sure who will score it but feel like it’ll be a 90th minute winner for us.

Very tough game coming up next, as good as yesterdays win was we were playing the worst team in the div by a country mile, and taking NOTHING away from it this next contest will show if we can continue upwards or not, the consistancy element is what has in the past been lacking lets hope the lads can continue this recent run of good form and bring home the 3 points

 

[Malaga]

This is the real acid test in my eyes

If we go away to Derby who like us are in really strong form and come away with something then we will be serious contenders for a place in the playoff race.

We have the top scorer in the division, probably the best keeper in the league and so long as we can keep our center halves from picking up daft yellows and getting suspended we have strength in depth in every other position in the squad.

With 15 games to go we'd need to average 2pts per game to get the 70+ to be in and around the playoffs or win 2 of every 3, while a late run would be exciting it's a bit early to talk of playoffs, there's an understandable bit of euphoria after pumping the weakest team in the league, just looking at the fixtures in April, oretty tough run.

 

[Pegojack]

This is a tough one. They will be smarting from losing 2-1 at home to Ipswich on Saturday. I was highly impressed with the way they demolished Brizzle City 5-0 a week or two ago, but as someone on here pointed out, it suited them to be the away team and hit them on the break. Different kettle of fish at home, but still a hard battle ahead for us. I'd be very happy with a point.

 

[bakajack]

This is a tough one. They will be smarting from losing 2-1 at home to Ipswich on Saturday. I was highly impressed with the way they demolished Brizzle City 5-0 a week or two ago, but as someone on here pointed out, it suited them to be the away team and hit them on the break. Different kettle of fish at home, but still a hard battle ahead for us. I'd be very happy with a point.

A point at Derby is a good result. Three would be a statement
Our next three games are against the teams in 7th (PNE) 8th (Brizzle) and 9th (Derby)

If we pick up 5 or more points from that run we will have done well as well as made ground on at least one of those opponents

 

[sit_down_jack]

Very tough game coming up next, as good as yesterdays win was we were playing the worst team in the div by a country mile, and taking NOTHING away from it this next contest will show if we can continue upwards or not, the consistancy element is what has in the past been lacking lets hope the lads can continue this recent run of good form and bring home the 3 points

That consistency point is key. We’ve been playing well for a while away from home and not getting results, hopefully we show up with another good performance and can get something out of it.

 

[bakajack]

What has me feeling confident is that every team in the league will be afraid of Vipotnik at the moment, until recently our direct free kick record was abysmal but what Vipi showed yesterday will have teams thinking twice about rash tackles on the edge of the box.

Not only that but he is being properly supported now by midfield and wingers are creating dangerous moments more consistently.

 

[Blackpooljack]

With 35 games to go we'd need to average 2pts per game to get the 70+ to be in and around the playoffs or win 2 of every 3, while a late run would be exciting it's a bit early to talk of playoffs, there's an understandable bit of euphoria after pumping the weakest team in the league, just looking at the fixtures in April, oretty tough run.

35 games to go ? That's a long old season.

 

[Malaga]

35 games to go ? That's a long old season.

Auto correct/bad eyesight/hand to eye coordination/senility

 

[cmajack]

Agreed, if a free kick is 20 yards or less absolutely I agree that VP should be in with a shout at taking it. Beyond that it doesn't matter how hard he leathers it the keeper will have time to react, at that point it will call for something with a bit more subtlety like Walta (when he gets up to speed) who by all accounts is a set piece expert.

Did you see the Liverpool goal yesterday? That looked more than 20 yds out.

 

[bakajack]

Did you see the Liverpool goal yesterday? That looked more than 20 yds out.

That was a one in a million hit, the outward swerve and in off the post

Vipotnik said himself he had never taken a free kick before, he just backed the raw power that he had with no thought about direction except to aim for that gap at the edge of the wall

 

[JackSomething]

Did you see the Liverpool goal yesterday? That looked more than 20 yds out.

That was a very different free-kick to Vip's and taken by an acknowledged set-piece expert who most definitely practices those in training. Vip's was like Baka says, he picked his spot and leathered it. Szoboszlai's moved all over the place, a brilliant hit. I'd say it was a one in a million hit like Baka did, but incredibly he scored a similar free-kick earlier in the season against Arsenal. He's probably the best player at direct free-kicks in the country.

 

[Swans Jack]

That was a very different free-kick to Vip's and taken by an acknowledged set-piece expert who most definitely practices those in training. Vip's was like Baka says, he picked his spot and leathered it. Szoboszlai's moved all over the place, a brilliant hit. I'd say it was a one in a million hit like Baka did, but incredibly he scored a similar free-kick earlier in the season against Arsenal. He's probably the best player at direct free-kicks in the country.

Even Matos was shocked he took it. In his post match interview he said it wasn't in the plan for him to do it . But can't fault Vip for thinking he could do it as he must of seen an opportunity as shown that it was a straight shot and with power.

 

[Cwmbwrla Floatabout]

Szoboszlai was also helped by Man City unfathomably using only a 2 man wall.