Derby County’s Chris Baird has encouraged his teammates to not give up hope of breaking into the top-six, insisting teams above them will have slip-ups, reports the club’s official website.

Under the stewardship of Nigel Pearson, Derby started the season poorly, and it was not long before Steve McClaren was brought in to steady the club’s form.

An initial upturn in results, lifted McClaren’s side to the brink of the top-six, but a winless February has left Derby tenth in the Sky Bet Championship, ten-points behind sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday, with just 11 fixtures remaining.

Despite their faltering league form, Baird is confident Derby can go on a winning streak and try to take advantage of the teams above them dropping points, he told the club’s official website: “The run that we were on when the gaffer first came back to the club, when we lost just two in 15, that’s what we need to get back to.

“We have to take every opportunity and try and make the most of any slips up that the sides above us make.

“The Championship is such a tough league and teams will go through bad patches between now and the end. We have had ours, but hopefully that is behind us now and let’s see where a strong run takes us.”

McClaren’s side recorded their first victory since January on Saturday, when goals from Tom Ince and David Nugent secured a 2-1 victory over Barnsley.

Tonight the Rams face Preston North End at the Pride Park Stadium, where victory will see them move at least ninth in the Championship table.

Derby fans… Do you share Baird’s optimism that your club can still make a success of this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!