Cup starts at Pride Park

We’re still to go there in the league, that comes up in March, but we have played Derby this season. That was at Turf Moor back in August in a game that nearly boiled over courtesy of one of the worst referees on earth Graham Laws.

It ended in a 2-2 draw when the cheating, diving Grzegorz Rasiak scored in the sixth of eleven minutes of added time to earn them their point. It proved to be Rasiak’s last goal for Derby, in the following week in the last hour before the transfer window closed he was sold to Spurs with the manager apparently having little knowledge of it.

The fake tanned manager Phil Brown wasn’t able to bring anyone in on a permanent basis to replace him but he’s been very busy in the loan market and has signed no fewer than eight players on emergency loans since the window closed, an incredible five of them in one week.

Those five were Khalilou Fadiga from Bolton, one of our former loan players Pete Whittingham who joined from Villa, Mounir El Hamdaoui and Johnnie Jackson from Spurs and finally Stern John from Coventry. With Middlesbrough’s Andrew Davies already there on a season long loan, Brown couldn’t even use all of them in his squad.

All five of them have since returned to their clubs, as have two further loan signings, Dexter Blackstock from Southampton and Brazilian defender Emerson Thome who signed from Wigan. There’s been one further loan signing, that’s striker Danny Graham, and like Davies he is from Middlesbrough. Graham is still at Pride Park.

The window has opened again but the only move has been one out of Derby with Marcus Tudgay joining Sheffield Wednesday. Initially this was a loan deal but has been turned into a permanent signing today.

Derby had started the season well when they came to the Turf and were in 3^rd place, but they have won only three of twenty-three games since and they are currently struggling in 18^th place.

Two of those wins came against Stoke whilst they also beat Norwich, but they can look a good side and were very unfortunate last weekend not to beat league leaders Reading. It took a late goal from Royals to earn themselves a point and Derby became the first side to even take a point from them since Leeds did in October.

They have though only been beaten three times all season at Pride Park and so we cannot underestimate the task ahead of us tomorrow.

Click HERE to see all Derby’s results this season.

Phil Brown will be without both of his loan players. Middlesbrough have refused him permission to play Danny Graham whilst Andrew Davies has to sit this one out after being sent off for the third time this season in the draw against Reading.

The sale of Tudgay was forced on them somewhat with him reluctant to sign a new deal but he’s been playing regularly and needs to be replaced, and with Graham also out Mr Karren Brady (Peschisolido) is hoping to get a recall.

The likely Derby line up is: Lee Camp (providing his dad isn’t making a radio appearance), Marc Edworthy, Lewin Nyatanga, Michael Johnson, Richard Jackson, Tommy Smith, Adam Bolder, Inigo Idiakez, Seth Johnson, Lee Holmes, Mr Karren Brady. Subs from: Kevin Poole, Giles Barnes, Nathan Doyle, Paul Thirlwell, Pablo Mills, Jeff Kenna, Morten Bisgaard.

Click HERE to see the full Derby squad.

Burnley will have to go into the game with no sub goalkeeper with Derby understandably refusing permission for Lee Grant to act as cover. Also on the missing list is likely to be Gifton Noel-Williams who apparently has now flown to Hollywood to audition for Rocky VI. Much will depend on medical advice but with two eye injuries from last Saturday he’s not expected to make it.

With Kyle Lafferty gone to Darlington and expected to feature in their league game against Notts County, and Marc Pugh on his way back to play some Conference football with Kidderminster it will be a reduced squad that Steve Cotterill can take to Pride Park.

The major decisions facing Steve Cotterill will be whether to recall Graham Branch and John Spicer, with the two players then at risk being Garreth O’Connor and Chris McCann. I think Branchy might well get a recall and with Chris having been back in Ireland this week it could be he sits on the bench.

If that’s the case we can expect to line up: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, John Spicer, Micah Hyde, James O’Connor, Graham Branch, Ade Akinbiyi. Subs: Duane Courtney, Wayne Thomas, Chris McCann, Garreth O’Connor, Danny Karbassiyoon.

That was the 1-0 win six years ago that came courtesy of an Andy Cooke goal. To read more of that, and other cup games against Derby, read Cup days to remember at Derby in our Look Back section.

It hardly seems six years ago and the teams make interesting reading with just one player from each side from that game expected to play tomorrow and both were substitutes. Seth Johnson, who returned to Derby recently after making a big money move to Leeds, came on for Georgiou Kinkladze whilst for Burnley, Graham Branch replaced Andy Payton.

The teams were,

Derby: Mart Poom, Vassilas Borbokis (Mikkel Beck), Tony Dorigo, Steve Elliott, Horace Carbonari, Avi Nimni (Deon Burton), Craig Burley, Dean Sturridge, Rory Delap, Georgiou Kinkladze (Seth Johnson), Darryl Powell.

Burnley: Paul Crichton, Dean West, Steve Davis, Mitchell Thomas, Gordon Armstrong (Ronnie Jepson), Glen Little, Micky Mellon, John Mullin, Paul Cook (Lenny Johnrose), Andy Cooke, Andy Payton (Graham Branch).