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Match Preview: Derby County v Plymouth Argyle
Match Preview: Derby County v Plymouth Argyle
Saturday, 22nd Aug 2009 04:10

In their first three games Derby have collected the full set of a win, loss and draw. They return home hoping to build on a much improved mid-week performance.

 

Derby County v Plymouth Argyle
Coca Cola Championship
Pride Park Derby
Saturday 22nd August 2009, 3:00pm


Plymouth Argyle:

Current League Position: 18th
Leading Scorer: Krisztian Timar, Alan Gow, Jamie Mackie (all 1)
Manager: Paul Sturrock
Kit home: Green with white stripe shirts/White shorts
Kit away: White with green stripe shirts/Green shorts
Last game: 1 – 3 Cardiff City
 
Quotes from the manager:

From BT Yahoo Sport; Commenting on the loss against Cardiff:

 "In the first half our central defenders weren't with it and against players like Chopra and Boothroyd, you can't afford to give them anything. You saw what happen when we did. Cardiff are a quality team and deserved to win the game."

Summing up the Pilgrim’s prospects before the game against the Rams, Sturrock told BBC Devon: "Of course there's less pressure away from home and the players loosen up.”Last year we had a torrid season with the worst home record in the league so there is an apprehension at times."

Plymouth drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace in their only away fixture this season and Sturrock believes a repeat of that performance will stand them in good stead at Pride Park.  Added Sturrock: "People are chucking a lot of money at their teams now and Derby are no different."

Current Argyle Squad:

No. Position.  Player      
1 Keeper  Romain Larrieu
2 Midfielder  Karl Duguid
3 Midfielder  Jim Paterson
4 Midfielder  Carl Fletcher
5 Defender   Krisztian Timar
6 Midfielder  Chris Clark
8 Midfielder  Jamie Mackie
9 Striker  Steve MacLean
10 Striker   Bradley Wright-Phillips
11 Midfielder  Kari Arnason
14 Striker   Rory Fallon
15 Defender  Chris Barker
16 Defender  David McNamee
17 Defender  Craig Noone
18 Defender  Gary Sawyer
19 Defender  Marcel Seip
20 Midfielder  Luke Summerfield
21 Striker   Cillian Sheridan (loan from Celtic)
22 Defender  Reda Johnson
23 Keeper  Kyle Letheren
24 Striker   Ashley Barnes
25 Midfielder  Alan Judge (loan from Blackburn)
26 Striker  Alan Gow
27 Keeper  Lloyd Saxton
28 Striker   George Donnelly
29 Midfielder  Damien McCrory
30 Midfielder  Simon Walton
31 Midfielder  Yoann Folly
32 Striker   Joe Mason
33 Defender  Ben Gerring
34 Striker   Liam Head
35 Defender  Ryan Brett

The Rams:
 
Quotes from the manager: From DET:

“We were pleased with the point at Blackpool and want a lot more clean sheets," said Clough, who hopes what happened at Blackpool sets Derby up to take full advantage of the home game against Plymouth Argyle".

"We are looking forward to being at home in front of 30,000, we hope, and we want to be back on it and scoring goals," he added. But we also want the defending and the team ethic we saw at Blackpool. We are trying to get the balance between those two things."

Current Rams Squad:
 
No. Position.  Player.      
1 Keeper Stephen Bywater      
2 Defender Paul Connolly
3 Defender James McEveley    
4 Midfield Paul Green  
5 Defender Miles Addison (vice-captain)         
6 Defender Dean Leacock 
7 Midfield Lee Croft    
8 Midfield Robbie Savage (captain)        
9 Striker Rob Hulse    
10 Midfield Kris Commons
11 Midfield Gary Teale            
12 Striker Chris Porter - Injured
13 Keeper Saul Deeney           
14 Defender Shaun Barker
15 Striker Luke Varney      - Loaned to Sheff Weds
16 Midfield Stephen Pearson   
17 Defender Jake Buxton        
18 Midfield Ben Pringle           
19 Midfield Giles Barnes    - Injured
20 Midfield Steve Davies   - Injured      
21 Midfield Dean Moxey         
22 Midfield Arnaud Mendy      
N/K Midfield Jake Livermore (loan from Spurs)

What the Bookies think:
 
Home Win: 8/11
Draw: 13/5 
Away win: 4/1
First Scorer: Rob Hulse 11/2 (Hat-trick 40/1)
 
Information for travelling fans:
 
Driving:
It’s about 248 miles to Derby (and your carbon footprint is 73kg). Take the A38 to the M5 and keep going until you hit the M42/A42 until you reach M1 junction 24. Follow A50 towards Derby City Centre, and then follow signs to Pride Park Stadium.
 
Parking:
Mick says you can die of old age waiting to get out of the parking areas around the ground, and there aren’t that many either. A better place to park is the Cattle Market car park at the end of the A52 by the Pentagon Island. This is about 10 minutes from the ground.
 
You can park near the Navigation Pub on London Rd if you follow the parking signs but again, don’t plan to get away quickly.  But hey, with a four hour driving trip each way, you’ve probably not fitted yourself up with a hot date in the evening…
 
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 favorite. 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 a little on the expensive side.
 
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.
 
Paul’s Prediction:
 
The omens look good for the Rams, we did the double over Argyle last season and we are chasing a fourth consecutive victory, while they have not picked up a single point since 1985 in six visits. 

But with a bad start and Sturrock likely to ring the changes calling up Johnson and Arnason, the Pilgrims may well decide that it’s time to buck the trend and win at Pride Park.  Certainly Alan Gow is likely to start and he did score against us last season, albeit for Blackpool.  The fans are in two camps as regards Sturrock – one wanting him to leave NOW, and the other wanting him to have a bit more time - and as one poster said: “Stupid thread IMO. Typical over the top kneejerk reaction from so called "fans". Nothing's won or lost in August, let alone after only three games!”

The bookies have Derby as firm favorites and after the dogged rearguard action at Bloomfield Road, with Hulse back along with a promise that his eyes aren’t wistfully looking towards Teeside, and Commons fit again, Rams fans should be going home happy while Argyle fans face a long dispiriting trip back.
 
Hopefully a hungry Hulse with his eyes on his goal century (he needs three more) will go one better (he scored two last time) and secure an emphatic win. Steve Davies is also knocking on the door for a place after being out, and of course, many fans will be wanting to see something of Barker, Leacock and Livermore, all of whom have yet to make at appearance at Pride Park.
  
Probable Derby team:
Bywater, Connolly, Buxton, Addison, Moxey, Pearson, Savage, Green, Teale, Hulse, Commons
 
Probable Subs:
Deeney, Barker, Livermore, Leacock, Davies, McEveley, Croft
 
Score Prediction: 

Derby 3-1 Argyle

 

Photo: Action Images



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