Derby’s spirit and togetherness in the face of adversity this season has been remarkable and without their 21-point deduction they would be sitting safe in 17th in the table.
The fact that they still remain in with a chance of survival is a credit to everyone at the club, but it appears to be too big of a mountain to climb.
Wayne Rooney’s side seemed to be running out of steam before the international break and they are on a run of one win in seven matches, losing five of those.
A 1-1 draw against Coventry City a fortnight ago gave them something to build on going into the break, but continued uncertainty behind the scenes remains the more pressing issue.
The Rams have only lost three of their 19 home games this season, while 34 of the 46 points that they have earned have come at Pride Park.
Preston also faltered before the international break, winning just one game in six, and their playoff hopes are all but over as they sit 10 points behind the top six with eight games to play.
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A 4-0 away defeat to high-flying Luton Town in their last match was their worst defeat of the campaign and Ryan Lowe promised to refund all travelling supporters after the game.
It was out of character for a Lilywhites side who have generally proved tough to beat this season. It is only the fact that they have drawn the most games in the Championship (15) that they are not higher up the table.
A 0-0 draw in this season’s reverse fixture at Deepdale ended a run of three consecutive Preston wins in meetings between these two sides
