Here we are, at the end of a season which could be described as a roller-coaster. The Rams play Reading on Saturday at the iPro to secure a playoff place for a second successive season.

All that is needed to be certain of the playoffs is a draw; one point and our superior goal difference would keep us ahead of Brentford and Wolves even if they win. Put another way; to avoid the playoffs, the Rams would need to lose to Reading, while Brentford and Wolves win their home matches against Wigan and Millwall respectively.

A win for the Rams would also give us a decent chance of finishing in fifth place ahead of Ipswich, as they would then have to win at Blackburn to stay fifth. The playoffs would first see us playing either Middlesbrough or Norwich; most likely Middlesbrough.

It would be a mistake to look forward to Saturday’s match with too much confidence, of course. Last weekend at Millwall, the Rams reminded us that although we have scored a lot of goals lately, we’ve also been letting them in at a tremendous rate and in a farcical manner.

It doesn’t seem to matter much who plays at the back for the Rams, the results are much the same. In the last month, three players have been used at right-back: Cyrus Christie, Ryan Shotton and Richard Keogh; and two at left-back: Craig Forsyth and Stephen Warnock.

No fewer than five players have given it a go at centre-back: Keogh, Shotton, Forsyth, Raul Albentosa and Zak Whitbread, without conspicuous success. It almost looks as though Steve McClaren is just shuffling the deck, trying to find a defensive combination that might work.

In the last couple of months, no back four has really clicked, except in the match at Wigan. Is there even a chance we’ll see Tom Naylor this weekend, recalled from his latest loan at Burton? No, things are not that bad… yet.

Speaking of shuffling the deck, it was a real surprise — and not a pleasant one — to learn before the Millwall match that Conor Sammon was back in the team for his first Rams appearance of the season; Conor went on to give a performance which reminded us of why we had not seen him this season.

I know Darren Bent was not available, but surely the Rams are better than that? Of course, this does serve to remind us that while Steve McClaren’s permanent signings have not all been a great success, Nigel Clough had some clunkers in the transfer market, too.

It does not seem that long ago that I was reading on the Rams fan message boards that with our forthcoming promotion to the Premier League, the Rams would not need to strengthen the team very much; I think I read many thought just three or four new players would suffice. That was only two months ago, an opinion I would suggest has changed quite markedly since then.

Of course, we still want the Rams to reach the playoffs and to keep winning; but what would be our reaction now if the Rams were to get win at Wembley and earn promotion? I think AAAAAAARRRRGH!!.. might be close to the mark.

Can we imagine Conor Sammon terrorizing Prem defences? Can we see our defence putting Prem attacks in their pocket? Yet the club does not have all that much room to improve the squad this summer, since pretty much the entire first team squad is on long term contracts.

Unless our players most in demand, such as Will Hughes and Chris Martin move on for large fees, I doubt the money is going to be there for a major restructuring of the squad.

So I face Saturday’s early kick-off with decidedly mixed emotions. Let’s beat Reading. Then let’s beat Middlesbrough or Norwich, whoever it is. Then we can go on to Wembley, and this time we’ll win.

But man, there will be some hard decisions to be made at the iPro if that should all happen. Then again, there will be some hard decisions to be made if none of that happens.

It’s shaping up to be not only an interesting but consequential summer.

Photo: Action Images

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