If you’ve read my replies in previous posts recently, you might have seen that I was invited to attend this game with a Derby workmate.
I’d have had to sit in the Derby seats, but that would have been ok, as the last time I did the same, we beat Derby in their first home defeat at Pride park. Some of you might remember that Dwight Yorke got the 1-0 winner with a penalty, after he might possibly have been sent off.
I can’t say I remember the possible sending-off, but it’s wrankled with the Derby fan, even after all this time and it still makes me chuckle when he reminds me of it. Heh heh.
The invite still applied as of today and I quite fancied it, but have had to decline.
After having been beaten by the snow on Sunday, I also had to take yesterday off work for personal reasons.
Hence my stupidly old-fashioned work ethic tells me that I’ve taken too much time off work already this week, and I’d be taking the proverbial.
There’s also an ulterior motive to be honest, as I don’t see us getting anything at all from this game and the overdue return banter from the Derby fan would probably be more than I could bear straight after the finish.
So what do we know?
On Derby’s part, Gary Rowett has confirmed that Tom Lawrence is out after suffering ankle ligament damage, yet he might be back in a week’s time.
Eh? What does that mean in English then? A bit of a bruise?
Whatever, that’s it and apart from that, they have a full squad to choose from.
Lucky them, I say.
As for us, we all know the score and it seems we have half the squad out at the moment.
The good news is that Mile jedinak might be available and I’d expect him to start, if it’s at all possible.
Hogan’s probably available too.
Oh and Gabby is also close. Hmm.
I’d expect Hogan to start, purely just to take some of the pressure off Young Davis, even though I’m not convinced it’s a good idea. It makes sense that you want someone who can play off the big kid, but is anyone convinced that Hogan is the man to get us goals? I’m afraid I just don’t see it, especially against a very decent Derby side that are going to put us under serious pressure.
Given that I see us under that pressure, there’s a good chance that Steve Bruce will play ultra cautious in playing Jedinak alongside Whelan, which would probably mean we go one up top and try not to concede.
Two hopes, but there you go, in my opinion.
I’m afraid I can’t see anything beyond a defeat and I’m going for a 0-2.
Of course, I live in hope and I’d love to be proved totally wrong.
Even if it’s only so I don’t get bantered to death for the next couple of weeks.
UTV
