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Burton Albion vs Derby County


Carl Sagan

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Friday 26th August, 19.45, Sky TV

Growing up as a young Ram I always had a soft spot for Burton Albion, one of the two other teams on the BBC Radio Commentary, vying with Matlock Town for top dog nonleague status. Friday night at 19.45 the sides will kick off at the iPro as Championship equals. Victory for the visitors will see them above Derby in the football pyramid. How far Nigel Clough’s side have come. And their rise was his rise, only leaving the helm to join the Rams and step into his father’s shoes once promotion to the Football League was assured.

Of the team that Clough built at Derby, the likely starters will be Keogh, Hughes, Bryson, Russell and Martin. He bought but controversially sold Shackell, and also scouted Christie, and if it weren’t for injury Hendrick and Forsyth would be in contention too.

In the Burton Albion squad are familiar faces such as Stephen Bywater, Tom Naylor and John Brayford, all of whom are likely to be on the bench. In the dugout with them, as well as Clough Jnr we’ll be welcoming back Andy Garner and Martin Taylor.

As well as young Nigel, Derby legend Roy McFarland has managed both clubs.

Clough’s return as manager and a new local rivalry in the fixture list sees Sky cameras at the iPro for the second league match in a row, kicking off under the oh so bright Derby floodlights for added atmosphere. Let’s hope the Rams start rather more impressively than against Villa last time out. Derby come into the match in the back of an epic 14-13 penalty shootout against Carlisle while Burton were losing 0-5 to Liverpool at the Pirelli Stadium.

That glut of penalties doesn’t disguise Derby’s woeful league form in front of goal, the division’s lowest scorers with Craig Forsyth’s late winner at Preston our only goal in four league outings so far. And with dreadful luck, our top scorer is now injured and presumably out for the season after a recurrence of his anterior cruciate ligament injury in the Villa match. The positives are that all good teams are built from the back, and we have the equal best defensive record in the league, the two Barnsley goals the only time former England number one Scott Carson has been beaten. But Forsyth has played a big part in that.

Burton began the season with a 4-3 defeat to the gumps and their 6 games to date have seen a whopping 28 goals scored (versus our 6). Something has to give. Let’s hope the damn bursts and the Burton Albion net billows as Nigel Pearson’s men finally find their scoring boots. But we should be very aware of Clough’s record while at Derby against the clubs where he felt he or his old man had been wronged (the gumps and the dirties), in both cases exceptional. This will be no late evening stroll in the park.

Nigel Clough was dealt a difficult hand at Derby, getting the high earners off the wage bill while stabilizing the club in the Championship. Hindsight looks kindly on him in the light of the club’s recruitment since, but Steve McClaren undoubtedly got more out of Clough’s players. What kind of reception with Clough Jnr receives on what may be an emotional day for him? That’s up to you guys, but I hope it’s a good one, but that our players then show no mercy.

Pearson made eight changes for Carlisle in midweek, but by all accounts very few seized the opportunity to impress and stake a claim for a starting berth against Burton. James Wilson has arrived on loan from Man Utd but the noises coming out of Moor Farm are that we’ll take our time bedding him in and he won’t play until after the international break. If we stick with that, the likely team is:

Carson

Christie     Keogh     Shackell     Olsson

Ince    Bryson     Hughes     Russell

Bent     Martin

Substitutes: Grant Baird Pearce Butterfield Johnson Camara Blackman

That said, if Johnson hasn’t recovered then we’ll probably see Lowe or Elsnick make the bench as left-sided cover. Right now this is pretty much everyone taken care of, but with Wilson’s arrival and Hendrick and Hanson returning to fitness, and Lowe and Elsnick waiting in the wings, Pearson’s job of keeping the squad happy and picking the team is likely to get a lot harder soon.

Steve Bloomer’s watching (and maybe Old Big ‘Ead too for this one). Come on you Rams!

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1 minute ago, mumblemumble said:

Nice post, will be interesting to hear how many Derby fans applaud Clough.

Don't mind if people don't want to applaud him. Any booers will be receiving a polite request to shut their ******* traps though.

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mumblemumble
Just now, Anon said:

Don't mind if people don't want to applaud him. Any booers will be receiving a polite request to shut their ******* traps though.

He's not exactly had nice words to say about Derby since he's left, can understand fans frustration if they decide to boo.

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1 minute ago, mumblemumble said:

He's not exactly had nice words to say about Derby since he's left, can understand fans frustration if they decide to boo.

Actions > words.

5 years served with distinction > fawning over the club like a fanboy in subsequent interviews.

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44 minutes ago, mumblemumble said:

He's not exactly had nice words to say about Derby since he's left, can understand fans frustration if they decide to boo.

To be fair, a lot of it's been subtle digs at Rush as opposed to us.

Martin Taylor though, nah. Found it rather amusing that we lost at Wembley did he amongst other things. 

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48 minutes ago, DcFc Dyycheee said:

Wilson "more than likely" to be involved for this one, Pearson says.

Reckon it'll be a 442, so I'll go

Carson
Christie Keogh Shackell Olsson
Ince Bryson Hughes Russell
Wilson Martin

That team should work but the way we have started the season I cannot see how this lot would get service to Martin and Wilson.

Johnson  (if fit) should be tried in the holding role to allow Will more freedom. Butterfield, Bryson and Will to be encouraged to play their passing game.

Ince and Russell to lose out for me.

They have failed to provide a service or a threat too many times.

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I have close ties with Burton Albion, they have always been a second team for me. I remember going to Eton Park to watch them play Evesham. It is truly incredible what Ben Robinson has done for that club, and all without throwing silly money around as well. I would love them to stay up this season.

but on Friday I hope we thrash them, because we bloody need it.

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                       Carson

Christie   Keogh      Shackell    Olsson

                     Johnson

Ince      Bryson        Hughes     Russell

                       Martin

Grant, Pearce, Baird, Butterfield,, Lowe, Camara,Wilson/Bent

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2 hours ago, DcFc Dyycheee said:

Wilson "more than likely" to be involved for this one, Pearson says.

Reckon it'll be a 442, so I'll go

Carson
Christie Keogh Shackell Olsson
Ince Bryson Hughes Russell
Wilson Martin

Wilson probably be on the bench. 

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5 Aberdeenshire Rams so far, and many more to follow down to The Black Bull Inn, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire to watch this. A delicious selection of ale and pies, a Friday night 7:45pm on Sky TV, clashing with Kilmarnock v Glasgow Rangers, the back snug is ours and the world will soon be ours.

C'mon the magnificent and mighty Derby County F.C.

2u90flv.jpg

If you are in the area, then come and join us and enjoy D.C.F.C.

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Doesnt matter to me who we are playing Friday , we need a performance , we need 3 points , we need 11 men on the pitch giving every last ounce of commitment and we need every Rams fan either away end or home to stick with the lads and roar them to victory , come on Derby the season starts now

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