Every word Paul Warne said on Norwich, investment and 'real excitement' at Derby County

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Derby County face Norwich City on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off) as they look to maintain an impressive 100 per cent home record in the Championship.

Paul Warne's side will be looking to return to winning ways against the Canaries after a narrow defeat to Sheffield United last weekend.

But Pride Park has been a happy hunting ground for the Rams since their return to the second tier having disposed of Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Cardiff City since the season began.

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Warne was in good form when he addressed the media ahead of the clash, and here is what he had to say about a Norwich side who sit one place below the Rams in the table.

On investment story: "To be honest, I didn't know the story had circulated, so that's one good thing, but it doesn't really affect me," he said. "I just get on with the business of looking after the team it's the same way in you don't get too affected when you are linked to this player or someone's coming after one of your own.

"Historically, a lot has happened at this football club In the last few years, but I think everyone's trying to push this team towards getting back to the Premier League and it's going to take a lot of wins as well a lot of finance. It doesn't surprise me that there are always people who want to invest in this football club because it's a good club to invest in. But it doesn't really affect me in any way so I don't lose sleep about it.

"If someone came in, invested in the club and it allowed us to be more powerful in transfer windows or something from a head coach point of view, great. I've really enjoyed working for David, and I will continue to do so until someone tells me differently. I'm not trying to be too saccharine on my answer and too like well that's a bit of a straight bat, but it makes no difference to me."

On playing against the club he supports: "I played against Norwich as a player many times and I have managed against them many times. It probably gets more excitement from family. Most of my friends are Norwich fans, my uncles are too and my cousins were season ticket holders. I wasn't as my dad played non-league football, so I used to go and watch him play every weekend and kick in the nets at half-time! I got to go to the odd Norwich game, which I loved. I went to the cinema to watch Escape to Victory and it was the best birthday I've ever had! All of my family and my best friend live in Norwich, so it has a lot of impetus for me when I see the fixtures come out.

On Norwich's squad: "They probably had their best win and best performance of the season against Watford last week, they were excellent. They signed well in the summer. They've got Josh Sargent up front, who is a very good player. Their full-backs come inside, they can play. They've got real mobility in the middle of the pitch and, like every Championship team, if you stay off them, they can control the ball and control the tempo of the game.

On Derby's home form: "I don't know if that was because the anxiety of early-season last year, that it was felt we needed to go up, that may have affected the atmosphere. It could have been that my team wasn't playing as well, so the atmosphere wasn't as great. You never know which comes first. It's always the players' responsibility to entertain the fans and it's the fans who keep the players going when it's not going so well. I just think that since February, there has been a real excitement at Pride Park. That's what it felt like to me. Every time the lads walk out of the tunnel, it just feels louder. I don't know if that has been the fans feeding off the players or the players feeding off the fans, but collectively, the 30,000 and the team on the pitch have been unified."

On Callum Elder being available: "No, he won't be. And I'm not turning into the English Rugby Union coach and telling my starting XI. But in the same way I'd be telling a lie for no benefit. He won't be fit for the next three or four games. He's tweaked his groin, so he'll be out."

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