Will the Rams lie down for the Lions? or will the players restore some Pride to Pride Park?

Derby County v Millwall
FA CUP Round 3 (replay)
Pride Park, Derby
12th January 2010 - 7:45pm

The Lions:

Current League Position: 7/24 – League 1
Leading scorer: Harris 6lg 5cp
Manager: Kenny Jackett
Kit home: Blue shirt, White flash/Blue shorts
Kit away: Red & Black stripes /Black shorts
Last game: Millwall 1-1 Derby
 
Quotes from the manager:
 
Kenny Jackett from BBC Radio London following the Derby game;

"There is some disappointment, because it was a winning performance from us."

"We got our noses in front, conceded too quickly and too easily for me and it went a little bit dead after the goal."

"But that's the only thing I can really criticise the side for, because there were a lot of positives today."

Lions Squad:

No. - Position - Player

1 KEEPER David Forde
2 DEFENDER Alan Dunne
3 DEFENDER Andrew Frampton
4 MIDFIELD Adam Bolder
5 DEFENDER Paul Robinson
6 DEFENDER Zak Whitbread
7 MIDFIELD Danny Schofield
8 STRIKER Gary Alexander
9 STRIKER Neil Harris
10 STRIKER Lewis Grabban
11 MIDFIELD Dave Martin
12 MIDFIELD Chris Hackett
13 KEEPER John Sullivan
14 DEFENDER Danny Senda
15 DEFENDER Tony Craig
16 DEFENDER Scott Barron
17 MIDFIELD James Henry (On loan from Reading)
18 DEFENDER Darren Ward (On loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
19 STRIKER Ashley Grimes
20 STRIKER Steve Morison
21 DEFENDER Jack Smith
22 MIDFIELD Ali Fuseini
23 STRIKER Jason Price
24 MIDFIELD Marc Laird
26 MIDFIELD Nadjim Abdou
27 DEFENDER Pat O'Connor
30 DEFENDER Marcus Bignot
31 STRIKER Kiernan Hughes-Mason
32 DEFENDER Omar Beckles
34 STRIKER John Marquis
36 DEFENDER Danny Fitzsimons
-- MIDFIELD Liam Trotter
 

The Rams:
 
Quotes from the manager:

Nigel Clough speaking to the BBC:
 
"This is as low as we have been for a long time. We just don't seem to have the character out there at the moment to get back in the game. Whether it is too much for some of them I am not sure."

"There are some players who have been here two or three seasons, who in the main have lost matches."

"The loan signings (Nicky Hunt and Lee Johnson) did well. We saw the benefit of fresh people coming in who haven't been part of the losing."

Current Rams Squad:

No. Position Player

1 Keeper Stephen Bywater
2 Defender Paul Connolly
3 Defender James McEveley
4 Midfielder Paul Green
5 Defender Miles Addison (vice-captain)
6 Defender Dean Leacock
7 Midfielder Lee Croft
8 Midfielder Robbie Savage (captain)
9 Striker Rob Hulse
10 Midfielder Kris Commons
11 Midfielder Gary Teale
12 Striker Chris Porter
13 Keeper Saul Deeney
14 Defender Shaun Barker
15 Striker Luke Varney
16 Midfielder Stephen Pearson
17 Defender Jake Buxton
18 Midfielder Ben Pringle
19 Midfielder Lee Johnson (from Bristol City until 31 January 2010)
20 Striker Steve Davies
21 Midfielder Dean Moxey
22 Midfielder Arnaud Mendy
23 Defender Mark O'Brien
26 Midfielder Lee Hendrie
28 Defender Mitchell Hanson
29 Striker Greg Mills
33 Striker D. J. Campbell (from Leicester City until 31 January 2010)
34 Keeper Ross Atkins
35 Striker Callum Ball
-- Defender Nicky Hunt (from Bolton Wanderers until 7 February 2010)

What the Bookies think:
 
Home Win: 23/20
Draw: 23/10
Away win: 12/5
 
First Scorer: Rob Hulse Chris Porter 5/1, Stephen Morison 15/2.
 

Information for travelling fans:
 
Driving: its 110 miles to Pride Park. Take the M1 north to J25 for the A52 Brian Clough way to Derby. Pride Park is on your left as you head into the city.

Parking: It used to be at the old Wilmorten College site however that is now a housing estate so away fans should park at Catalyst on London Rd opposite the Navigation pub. It’s about 10-15 minutes walk from the ground. Don’t be tempted to park at the shopping centre on Pride Park unless you fancy being clamped.

You can also park for a £5 at the hospital further up London Rd near the hospital and the Railway station. Another alternative is to park at Pentagon Island. Take the exit for the cattle market and turn left and after a few hundred yards you will come to The Cattle Market Car Park. It’s about 10 minutes walk to the ground from here.

Drinking: There are a few pubs very close to the ground but if you come by train, the locale around the station is fairly inviting. The Crown and Cushion at the junction of London Rd always seems to be full of away supporters. The Brunswick is a must for any real ale fans and the Alexandra next door is my personal favourite.

Fans tend to mingle in these pubs and as long as you’re not being aggressive, the atmosphere is good. The Waterfall opposite the station is okay as well. If you are driving, the Navigation Pub on London Rd opposite the parking area is your best bet. Around the ground there's a Frankie & Bennie's, Harvester and the Pride Park but these tend to be very busy.
 
Mick’s Prediction:
 
I don't dislike Nigel Clough. I didn't think he should become manager of Derby because he lacked experience and would have too much expectation heaped on him given his father. That said I've been behind him 100% but now he is beginning to lose some of the fans.

His formation on Saturday was wrong from the off - anyone could see it - and yet Clough blames 'some of the players he inherited'.

We had Robbie Savage on the radio last night saying (amongst his diatribe) that the coaches were up to the job quoting the teams they played for as proof.

If you look at their coaching experience however prior to Derby the only experience of league football is 3 months at Portsmouth for Johnny Metgod. The rest have non league experience with Burton.

The first half performance against Scunthorpe United - that was Scunthorpe not Manchester - was amongst the worse games of football I have ever seen. The team gave disorganised rabbles a bad name. So if the players are not performing who should we blame?

"The buck stops here" is a phrase that was popularized by U.S. President Harry S. Truman, who kept a sign with that phrase on his desk in the Oval Office. Nigel Clough has to learn that what happens on the pitch is his responsibility - it's up to him to get the best out of the players on the pitch and no amount of blame laying will do. Otherwise he'll never make it.

As for Savage - he needs to recognise that as club captain he has to perform on the park and get the players playing around him. If he doesn't - as he didn't on Saturday - he has no right to have a go at anyone for questioning what's going on at the club.

Mick's Team:

Bywater, Moxey, Addison, Buxton, Connolly, Commons, Pearson, Johnson, Green, Davies, Porter - Subs: Deeney, Hulse, Pringle, Croft, Teale, Hendrie.

Match Prediction:

If the team come out fired up after Saturday we should win. if not we'll be humiliated in an empty stadium by lower league opposition.

Who will turn up Nigel?

Photo: Action Images

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