Conor Hourihane has reflected on Derby County’s trip to Shrewsbury Town earlier this season as they prepare for the reverse fixture.
After failing to score in three of the previous four games, Derby County have now won back-to-back matches and find themselves second in the League One table.
The Rams will be desperate to keep their place in the automatic promotion spots as they host Shrewsbury this weekend, while their opponents have won only two of their last ten outings in all competitions.
Derby haven’t actually beaten Shrewsbury since September 1995, while supporters will remember an incredibly frustrating meeting in the reverse fixture back in October.
A Conor Hourihane own goal left the Rams eleventh in the table and fans were eager to let their frustrations out, before Hourihane chose to address the angry supporters at full-time.
He has defended his actions at New Meadow though and has explained how it ‘tarnished the group’.
Speaking to BBC’s Rams Daily podcast, the midfielder said: “The kind of voice of the fans at the time was that we weren’t playing well, and they have every right to do what they did. No problem whatsoever. But I probably didn’t like it because it was aimed towards the group and myself, it tarnished the group a little bit.
“It gets the confidence low, the self belief low, and I just thought I’ll go over and have a little word with them. And it was all good and all amicable. Whether it was the right thing or the wrong thing, and whatever people’s opinions are, we have moved on to a good place from it.
“I’m not saying it’s because of that, but it hasn’t tarnished us whatsoever – it hasn’t done us any wrong.”
How important is Conor Hourihane now?
It was a tough period for Derby at the start of the season, but they have definitely turned a corner since and Conor Hourihane has proven to be a vital cog in their climb.
The 33-year-old has two goals and three assists in his last 12 games in the third tier, while he has the joint third-most goal contributions in the squad this term. He has also made the second-most key passes (56).
The captain certainly has no problems with the supporters now and he will be desperate to lead the club to the Championship later this year, despite approaching the end of his contract.