RamZone Match Preview - Norwich City vs. Derby County
Sunday, 24th Apr 2011 23:11 by Daniel J Sewart

All we need is a point. One single point. But frankly, if I was after a point the last place I would want to try and get it would be Carrow Road.

Norwich City vs. Derby County

3:00 pm Monday 26^th April

Carrow Road

Last Meeting:

4th December 2010: Derby 1 - 2 Norwich – Scorer: Commons

Current Form:

Table Position: Norwich 2 / Derby 19

Points: Norwich 77 / Derby 49

Goal Difference: Norwich +23 / Derby -9

Last 5 Matches: Norwich W-W-D-L-W / Derby L-D-W-D-L

Norwich Last 5 home: W-W-W-D-D

Derby Last 5 away: D-L-D-L-W

The Rams

Derby require one more point to achieve safety and travelling to the high flying Canaries may not be the place to go looking for it.

If the Rams find the point hard to gain, they could also hope on Scunthorpe dropping a point as that also will make them mathematically safe. But relying on others is a dangerous game to play in football.

After a schizophrenic season, if the team who faced Leeds, QPR and the first half against Burnley turn up, Derby could very well get something from the match. Any effort less than that could get quite messy against a team who will be desperate to hang onto the second automatic promotion spot.

The suspension of Jamie Ward will make life more difficult, as he has easily been the Rams hardest-working and most influential player in recent matches.

Derby will also be hoping to restore Gareth Roberts for the match as although Russell Anderson battled hard, his lack of pace could once again be badly exposed, as it often was against Burnley.

Despite the defeat to Burnley, Anderson was happy to be back and looking forward to the trip to Carrow road:

"We put in a very good performance at QPR and we deserved the point we got in the end. We had the best chance of the game as well, so we could have won it.”

"Norwich is having a great time of it right now, but there's no reason why we can't do it again at Carrow Road. Reflecting on yesterday's defeat to Burnley, Anderson felt the 4-2 scoreline did not show a true reflection of the game.”

"It looked comfortable for Burnley in the end, but it wasn't the case for an hour," he said. I don't think anyone can criticise the players for the effort that went into the game."

"Going down to 10 men changed the nature of the game and in the hot weather they made the extra man advantage count. We looked dangerous early on deserved to be ahead, but we couldn't carry it on."

"I must admit, I didn't expect to be playing at full-back. I was just delighted to be out there playing again from the start, because it has been a long time."

Possible Rams Team

Jones

Brayford Barker Ayala Roberts

B.Davies Savage Bailey Pearson

Robinson S.Davies

SUBS: Severn Addison Porter Pringle Leacock Anderson Doyle

Canaries

The Canaries will be buoyant after their local 'derby demolition' of Ipswich. Norwich smashed 5 past Paul Jewell’s tractor boys (couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!) and they will be desperate to continue that good form against the Rams.

The massive win found them sneaking into second spot and once you're in the automatic promotion spots with only three matches remaining, you are unlikely to give it up without a fight. Clough and his team could be in for a torrid time.

To say Paul Lambert was happy after the big win would be an understatement:

"No game is easy and you have to earn the right to win football matches.”

"I thought my team were extraordinary, the football they played. It was incredible right from the off. We were up against a team which have been on fire lately and a vibrant crowd.”

"To come here and do what we have done was a big, big test of character and the performance was excellent. The thing that's noticeable is they are playing without fear. At this stage of the season it may get a bit edgy but the way the lads are going at the minute is extraordinary."

"They will have about 500 DVDs getting made right now probably - but I have seen it all before. The pressure is already there when you play football; there is no need to add to it.”

"Cardiff is still in the driving seat because they have a game in hand. But all we can do is win our games. We have done everything we can to hang in."

What the bookies think

Norwich is clear favourites at 4/9 while the Rams are 11/2 while the draw is at 7/2.

Grant Holt is favourite to score for the Canaries at 7/2.

It seems William Hill seem to have done little research in listing their odds with Ward at 9/1. Steve Davies is at 7/1 and bench warmer Bueno at 8/1.

Information for travelling fans - With thanks to footballgroundguide.com

Getting There By Car & Parking

The ground is well signposted from the A11 and A47. From the southern bypass (A47) take the A146 into the city. At the traffic lights turn right and follow the outer ring road: Left at the roundabout.

Right at the next lights. Follow the inner ring road round to the right, over the river and the ground is on your right. If in doubt follow signs for the railway station until you get to the river (where the rail station is off to the left and ground on your right).

The best car park for away fans is Norfolk County Hall, which is well sign posted on the left of the A146, as you follow signs towards the ground from the Southern Bypass. It is currently £3 and can hold about 2000 cars, and does usually fill up by 2pm for games where the away team bring loads of fan.

It's advisable to get to the car park before 1pm if you want a decent spot, otherwise you may get stuck in spaces at the back, and it can then take ages at the end of the game to exit.

By Train

The ground is walkable from Norwich train station. If you ignore all those wonderful pubs it should take you around 5-10mins to walk to the ground. From the station turn left and head for the Morrisons supermarket and you should see the ground behind that.

Where To Drink

I found that the number of good pubs situated in-between the train station and the ground, were plentiful and friendly. In fact it almost ended up being a pub crawl before the match had begun!

The traditional haunt of away fans for many years was the Clarence Harbour, but this alas is now making way for a housing development. Most fans now seem to be heading instead for the 'Complete Anglear', which is by the river opposite the railway station (around 5-10 minutes walk from the ground)'. This pub seems to have now taken over the mantle of the 'away fans pub'.

Not far away from the ground and towards the City Centre a new leisure complex called the Riverside has opened. This has a number of drinking and eating establishments, including a Wetherspoons Lloyds No.1 outlet. the Coach and Horses on Thorpe Road brews its own beer and is around a 10 minute walk away from the ground.

Daniel J’s Prediction:

As much as I want the Rams to get something from the game, I find it hard to see it happening.

Norwich will be fighting tooth and nail to keep Cardiff City from second spot - and the Rams could get diced and sliced as part of that battle.

If used as a guide, the Rams' performance at QPR can give us some hope but at the same time, if you use the Canaries' performance over Ipswich as a guide…. we could be in a whole heap of trouble!

Without Ward, who has been a major part in the Rams best football over recent matches, it is hard to see us having the answers.

The order of the day may be to sit back, defend and hope to catch them on the break but I hope not as I think attacking the game is an important part of the Rams' development.

No matter which way Clough decides to go, it is tough to see us taking anything from a team who are on the march and have a lot to lose if they drop any points.

Prediction: Norwich 3 v 1 Derby