Warne backs Derby for 'loud night' at Portsmouth

Derby County manager Paul Warne says Portsmouth fans will respect his side in their top-of-the-table League One match at the leaders on Tuesday.

"It will be a loud night, no matter what happens," Warne told Rams Daily.

"I don't think the Fratton Park crowd will turn on their team because they're educated football people. They'll appreciate that we're a good team too."

Warne's attempts to relax in the build-up to a potentially crucial game were helped by a 1-0 win at home to Blackpool on Friday, returning Derby to winning ways with a fifth victory in six.

"I did take the dog out on Saturday," he said. "I had a couple of drinks at half past six. By eight o'clock I'd had enough, which just shows my brilliant drinking skills.

"I had a day away, which was nice. Weirdly, the players need time away from us lot. I get it - we're difficult to live with.

"They need time away physically and mentally. Everyone's just drained, so I know how the fans feel.

"For all the coaches and everyone who works here, you do need a break. Next weekend, I might go back to Norfolk and take my dog on on a lucky walk along the beach. My dog's my best mate, really.

"Then you're fully energised again, because we need to be all guns blazing for the last few weeks."

'I want to go for it'

While Derby would be guaranteed a play-off place with a win and all-but assured of a position in the top six with a draw, three points for Portsmouth would put John Mousinho's impressive side on the brink of Championship football with a game in hand on the Rams and five matches left to play.

"It would be good to establish ourselves in the play-off places," said Warne, who is targeting at least three more wins after his team finished seventh by a point last season. "It would be catastrophic if we didn't.

"It's different for them. They're probably thinking they're only two wins away from going up. Even if we beat them, they're top of the league.

"If we don't pick up anything, you know you're still in a really good position if you win the next game.

"I don't see them as significantly better - just more consistent. On their day, they're as good as any other team in the top six.

"You can look your players in the eyes and tell them, 'I think we're as good as the opposition - however, we're going to sit behind the ball.' That isn't really how I want to do it. I want to try to win the game, I want to go for it."

Bolton beat Reading on Monday and there were also wins for Peterborough United and Barnsley, who are seven points behind Derby with a game in hand each.

Warne says the "nervous exhaustion" of following other games in the promotion race before they end is "just not worth it" - but he wants the results to allow him to be on holiday on his birthday.

County will play the second leg of their play-off semi-final on the day their manager turns 51 if they finish third or sixth, or a day earlier should they come fourth or fifth.

"It would be nice if I had the sea between my toes on May the 8th," hopes Warne. "That would be amazing.

"I wasn't really going for promotion but now you've said about my birthday, I might as well try a bit harder.

"I'll have a go and, hopefully, I can enjoy my birthday no matter what.

"That's always the problem when you're chasing promotion: you can never book anything because you don't know when the season ends."