The Return Part Three

The Rams gained another three points on Saturday by seeing off Reading 2-1. A superbly worked team goal with a move started by Andre Wisdom and finished by Tom Lawrence was the highlight of a scrappy game. 

Wayne Rooney slotted home a penalty to give us a two goal advantage before our visitors pulled a goal back in the second half after a poor punch out from Ben Hamer.

On Wednesday we travel to Deepdale to face Preston who sit immediately above us in seventh place due to the fact they have a better goal difference albeit by one goal.

When we played them earlier this season it was one of our better early performances. A game where we dominated them on the ball.

Alex Neill's side are very dominant in the air and a lot of their play goes down the right wing. They play long balls and are very strong at set pieces. They are though vulnerable in facing free kicks.

The big question for Rams fans is who is going to replace Tom Lawrence? Picking up a silly red card after the final whistle on Saturday means Philip Cocu will have to make adjustments to the side.

Florian Jozefzoon could come into the equation, but his preferred side is the right. He has failed to impress in games played so far and therefore I would suspect that Jason Knight may get the nod!

All of our remaining matches are against sides in the top seven places and the games only get harder on paper in the coming weeks.

What has been noticeable in the games played so far since the return of league action is Andre Wisdom has picked up from where he left off before the enforced break. He was the pick of the players on Saturday with a masterful performance.

Max Bird also put in another impressive shift.

Louie Sibley didn't get on the scoresheet against Reading, but he did provide the lay off for Lawrence's goal. No doubt teams will now plan to restrict his chances and that could be the key on Wednesday!

A Royal Visit

Reading visit Pride Park on Saturday, but The Rams will be determined to keep pressure on the top six. Our visitors have won a few times when they have visited us, but they are having a bit of a mixed season. The currently have 49 points, two places and five points behind us!

Joao will be missing on Saturday and he will be replaced by Puscas who is their leading scorer with 9 goals. 

Their style of play is to sit more in their own half where they are strong and invite the opposition to attack them. They have relied on moments of individual skill to score goals but they are effective with doing range shots and from direct free kicks.

They are weak against the counter attack and struggle against set pieces. What could be music to Rams fans ears is the fact that they struggle against skilful players in their own box! This could be an opening for Louie Sibley to demonstrate again why everyone is talking about him. I'm sure that Philip Cocu will have that in mind when selecting his starting eleven on Saturday.

For me we must try and tighten up a bit in defence and retain possession as much as we can. Hopefully we can put together some nice passing moves together like we did last Saturday at Millwall. 

I would pretty much expect a similar starting eleven to last Saturday perhaps with the exception of Waghorn moving out wide and Martin starting up front. I think this game could be more suited to Martin playing the striker role and the likes of Sibley could thrive with Martin playing through balls.

Hopefully another three points will be banked and our rise will continue!

Is Sibley the Best?

A return to action for The Rams on Saturday come away with a very satisfying away win at Millwall. The start of the show being a certain Louie Sibley who marked his second league start with a hat trick!

Sibley's performance couldn't have been much better! He showed energy, composure and hunger in front of the Millwall defenders.

Despite going 1-0 down to an early Matt Smith goal, we were very good value for all three points. The whole side had a good game overall. Big shoutout again for another young player Max Bird! He looks like he's been in the side for years with another confident display.

Wayne Rooney was exceptional in midfield with a tremendous display of passing, his leadership is proving to be very valuable to the team.l 

We can't go OTT, but we now find ourselves in twelfth place but only three points behind sixth. I'm still not going to dare dream of play offs just yet!

The arrival of Sibley will not go unnoticed by the bigger clubs as it was rumoured he was being watched before being brought into the first team. No doubt if he carries on as he has started then bids will come in for him sooner rather than later. I do hope though that he stays around so we can watch him progress and help him improve rather than he gets sold to a Premier League side to sit on the bench or in the reserves.

There has been much discussion about him with BBC Radio Derby commentator Ed Dawes reportedly saying he reminds him of Will Hughes.

he is blonde like Hughes and shows the same confidence as a young Hughes did, but for me thats where the similarities end! Sibley is a more attack minded player with more goals in him. That's not to put down Hughes who broke into the team at fifteen years old, whereas Sibley is eighteen.

So next up we have Reading who nearly always prove to be awkward to play. Hopefully Cocu can work his magic again and we can make another point or three towards that important top six.

Down at the Den

Derby have a very tricky looking run-in as we finally get the chance to finish off our season. Saturday afternoon a trip to The New Den against a very awkward Millwall side rejuvenated by Gary Rowett.

Our last half dozen games against The Lions haven't been very productive winning only once in the last six meetings.

Millwall are very strong in the air and very good from set pieces. They can counter attack very well which is something we often struggle with.

It will need an effort with great resilience too! They defend set pieces very well and are very strong in the opposition half!

Whether playing behind closed doors will make much difference to either side is anyones guess. What we need to do is carry on from where we left off!

Team selection will be key and my own preferred line-up is as follows.

Ben Hamer takes the goalkeeper spot. I believe he is marginally better than Kelle Roos. Its a department that needs to be seriously looked at once the transfer window opens again.

Jayden Bogle for the Right Back spot. His runs forward could be very vital if we are to gatecrash the top six.

Andre Wisdom and Matt Clarke get the two central positions. Wisdom's form has been a revelation since he returned to the first team and Matt Clarke has improved as the season has gone on. They look very comfortable playing together as well.

Selecting Left Back is where I will be interested in Philip Cocu's pick. Both Craig Forsyth and Max Lowe have merit and It really wouldn't worry me who gets the nod! Personally I'd maybe just go for Forsyth, but I'm splitting hairs. Scott Malone is another option, but I think he's not in our top two at the moment.

In front of the back four Wayne Rooney and Max Bird is a no brainer! Bird has made fantastic progress since Rooney joined the team and looks a star in the making. Looking vey comfortable on the ball and with some classy touches too!

I think the wide positions pick themselves. Martyn Waghorn and the back in form Tom Lawrence should start! Playing behind the striker we have several options, but I'd give a start to Louie Sibley! An absolute star last time out and boy! This lad is going to be some player.

Chris Martin I'd expect to keep the striker role. Written off by more than a few Derby fans, he's been a big plus this season.

We now have a bench of nine players with permission to use five during the game. Pretty much all first team squad members will be involved unless of course youngsters like Joe Bateman, Jordan Brown and Jamal Hector-Ingram edge them out of the nineteen. I'd be very surprised if Hector-Ingram at least doesn't get a slot!

The Return!

This week the Championship returns after the enforced lay off and we should be in for a treat over the coming weeks! 

West From and Leeds will be favourites to take the automatic promotion spots, but Fulham are snapping at their heels should they slip up!

To be honest think that the current top two will stay there though there will be big pressure on Marcelo Bielsa to come up with the good this season. Failure again will no doubt see claims that his teams burn out being mentioned again!

I think Fulham have the players! Mitrovic, Cairney etc are as good as they come, but do they have boss with the tactical know how? When they visited Pride Park I didn't see them as good as the Jokanovic side from a couple of years ago. They will surely though end up in the play off spots.

Brentford are as good as any of the top six on their day and would be fancied by many to make it through the end of season mini tournament! 

Our rivals have been up there for most of the season and have some very good players in their squad. Grabban has scored, Lolley has excited and long Worral has improved. They have a very poor play off record so can they change things?

Preston and Millwall are also there or thereabouts and to be perfectly honest, all of the top dozen clubs still have a real chance.

On our day we can compete with any of these, but five points may prove to be just a little too much to pull back. We need to be out of the blocks quick if we are to make a late push!

I predict Leeds and West From to take the top two places with Fulham, Brentford, Forest and Millwall completing the top half dozen. Fulham to beat Millwall at Wembley in the final!

What's your thoughts?