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Paul Warne in party vow as he reaffirms 'culture' stance and Derby County trio dominate
Derby County face their last game before Christmas on Friday night as they travel to Luton Town for their next Championship assignment.
Fresh from their excellent 4-0 win over Portsmouth, the Rams face the Hatters who were relegated from the Premier League last season and have struggled back in the second tier this season.
Paul Warne's side will be full of confidence heading into that fixture before they enjoy the weekend off with the Rams next back in action after Luton against West Brom on Boxing Day.
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As part of the build-up to the trip to Kenilworth Road, here is the latest Derby County notebook bringing you all the latest tidbits of gossip and news from around Pride Park.
Warne's party vow
Paul Warne said there was no way he would have cancelled the players' Christmas party if they had lost to Portsmouth and insisted he doesn't believe in a punishment culture.
The Rams squad got into the festive spirit at the weekend as they enjoyed some much-needed downtime after a hectic run of three games in six days.
Derby picked up four points from a possible nine on offer from a hugely challenging week that saw them play two of the top three in Leeds and Burnley before rounding off against Pompey on Friday. After drawing at Turf Moor on Tuesday in a spirited performance, Derby followed it up with a superb performance against Pompey, recording their biggest win of the season.
Asked whether the players' Christmas party was on the line had they not won that game, Warne said: "No, I am not that guy. I don't believe in running a culture like that. I want my team to be close and togetherness is essential. We made five changes on Friday and there was no bitterness from the lads who came out of the team nor should there be and vice versa.
"You only get that if you get a really good group of humans together who are treated like adults. That's how I work. I don't punish them if they lose, I won't get them in and I give them as much time with their families as they can have. I personally love a good Christmas do. They have to have a life. After this week, all my staff can have a couple of days too because everyone is just exhausted. There is a bit of illness in the camp and it's just nice to get away."
Rams dominate team of the week
Kane Wilson, Eiran Cashin and Kenzo Goudmijn were included in the Football League Paper's team of the week after their stellar displays against Portsmouth on Friday. Derby had the biggest representation out of all the clubs in the division following a blistering display at Pride Park.
Wilson secured DerbyshireLive's man of the match award on Friday with a magical performance which was arguably his best in a Derby shirt. He opened the scoring in a 4-0 win and he made the FLP's team of the week alongside Cashin who was terrific before needing to be replaced in the second half because of a hamstring problem.
Goudmijn was also included in the team of the week having enjoyed a fine game in the heart of midfield alongside Ben Osborn and Ebou Adams. Derby now travel to Luton on Friday with Warne's side full of confidence ahead of what is a big festive period.
Half-season tickets on sale
Derby County’s half-season tickets for the second half of the 2024/25 campaign are available to buy.
Season tickets were in high demand ahead of the 2024/25 campaign with more than 21,000 having been snapped up to see the Rams back in the Championship.
Half-season ticket packages include 12 matches in the second half of the season, starting with Leeds United's visit to Pride Park on December 29.
Derby will also welcome Watford, Sunderland, Sheffield United, Oxford United, Millwall, Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City, Preston North End, Burnley, Luton Town and Stoke City to Pride Park in 2025.
Half-season tickets offer a 20 per cent discount when compared to buying tickets on a match-by-match basis. Prices range from £175.20 to £232.80 for seniors aged 65 and over, while adult tickets are priced from £233.60 to £310.40 depending on where you sit.
For children, junior and young adult prices, see dcfc.co.uk for more details.
