NOBODY is thinking about the painful exits at the hands of Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United and Crewe Alexandra right now, nor the embarrassing defeats by Lincoln City, Shrewsbury Town and Scunthorpe United.
The League Cup usually starts and finishes very quickly for Derby County.
They recently went four and a half years without a win in the competition and progress beyond the first round became the exception rather than the norm.
Things are different this season.
Derby dismantled Fulham's young side in brutal fashion early in the second half at Craven Cottage on Tuesday.
They hit four goals in 19 minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit at half time into a 5-2 win.
Victory put the Rams into the quarter-finals for the seventh time in the club's history.
Wembley, the scene of such disappointment in May, is only two stops away but is a fading memory as Steve McClaren's men enjoy a cup run alongside their status as Championship leaders.
Rams were a Championship outfit the last time they reached the last eight in 2008 when they faced Premier League Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
Stoke had bullied top-flight opposition on a regular basis with a combination of height and strength at set-pieces, especially long throw-ins from Rory Delap.
But Derby, backed by 5,000 fans, stood firm.
A makeshift centre-back pairing of James Tomkins (on loan from West Ham United) and Darren Powell (on a short-term contract) battled with the powerful Ricardo Fuller and rangy Mamady Sidibe. Miles Addison also produced a strong display in midfield, where Paul Green was at his industrious best.
Nathan Ellington, nicknamed 'The Duke' was 'Mr Cool' when it mattered.
He nonchalantly rolled home a penalty in the third minute of stoppage time to give the Rams a 1-0 victory and a place in the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years.
His sixth cup goal in the competition was greeted with a roar that almost lifted the roof off the away end.
Manager Paul Jewell, who could barely buy a win in the League, had guided Derby to dreamland.
Unthinkable earlier in the season, when his team was booed off after home defeats by Doncaster Rovers and Southampton.
League results did not improve and Jewell had quit by the time Derby took on Manchester United in a two-legged semi-final.
Derby's record in League Cup quarter-finals is not the best, only two wins in six ties.
They lost narrowly to West Ham back in January 1990, when Derby were in the top division and the Hammers in Division Two.
The tie went to two replays after the sides had drawn 1-1 at Upton Park.
Julian Dicks fired West Ham ahead before Dean Saunders equalised when he pounced on a back pass by Tony Gale.
Derby's team featured Peter Shilton and Mark Wright, as well as Craig Ramage, who is now a match summariser on Radio Derby.
A goalless draw in the first replay at the Baseball Ground left the tie on a knife-edge and Gale redeemed himself by winning the toss for choice of venue for the second replay.
It was all back to Upton Park where Derby, depleted by suspension and injuries, lost 2-1. Stuart Slater and Kevin Keen scored for West Ham, Saunders for Derby.
Youngsters Robbie Briscoe and Kevin Francis made their first starts for the Rams, and Jonathan Davidson was handed his debut. Davidson is now Derby's kit man.
Bolton Wanderers, in a division below, toppled Derby at the quarter-final stage in December 1976.
Charlie George had put the Rams ahead from the penalty spot but the visitors hit back through Neil Whatmore and former Manchester United winger Willie Morgan. The Bolton side also included Sam Allardyce and Peter Reid.
Brian Clough had a great affection for the League Cup. He won it four times as Nottingham Forest manager and also guided Derby to the quarter-finals in three successive seasons in the late Sixties.
In his first season as Rams boss, 1967-68, a 5-4 victory over Darlington at the Baseball Ground in which Alan Durban scored twice set up a semi-final tie against Leeds United.
The following season, 1968-69, Derby drew Third Division Swindon Town in the last eight but found themselves frustrated in a goalless draw in front of 35,000 at the Baseball Ground.
A freak goal settled the replay in Swindon's favour.
There seemed no danger when Don Rogers hit the ball into the area until it struck John Robson on the shoulder and curled teasingly into the air and dropped just under the crossbar, despite the efforts of Roy McFarland to hook it clear.
There was understandable disappointment because Derby sensed a possible route to Wembley but the season ended on a high as the Rams won promotion to the top flight. An omen for this season, may be?
A Manchester United side containing George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton stood in Derby's way in November 1969.
A goalless draw at the Baseball Ground sent the Rams to a quarter-final replay at Old Trafford.
Best had a big hand in United's winning goal – and only goal – of the game in the 68th minute.
He weaved inside from the right and hit a left-foot shot against the post. The ball bounced out and Brian Kidd whipped it smartly in.
