Dave Jones has made several additions to his squad in the summer without disrupting the flowing football that is his trademark. Jones has signed goalkeeper Peter Enckelman (Blackburn) and back-up Tom Heaton (on loan from Manchester Untied). He’s also signed Jay Bothroyd (Wolves), Miguel Comminges (Swindon), Mark Kennedy (Crystal Palace), and Ross McCormack (Motherwell).

The Bluebirds currently lie 6th and are unbeaten in all competitions so far. Last time out saw them beat Barnsley 1-0 at Oakwell. Jones was pleased with the first half but the failure to get a second goal left him frustrated; "It was always going to be a difficult task to continue the football we played during the first 45 minutes.They were chasing shadows in the first half and I asked them to do it again but Barnsley changed it a bit and went direct so my defence had to step up to the plate. But we were still in control and I felt we should have made life easy with a second."

Lack of goals seems to have been a problem for the Bluebirds. Although they are unbeaten, they have drawn 4 of their six games. They have only scored six times in the league and Jones will have to decide between Paul Parry, Jay Bothroyd and Ross McCormack to lead the attack.

Dave Jones has no reported injury concerns.

Bluebirds Statistics

Current Squad

The Rams

Two games unbeaten - and against good opposition. Swansea and the Blunts are no pushovers. Both are in the top half of the table and Paul Jewell should be feeling pleased about the teams progress. After the Swansea game he said; "It was important to get something out of the game. It showed we are slowly moving in the right direction. Swansea are a good side. We couldn't get near them in the first half, but we got a foothold on the game."

That is a key comment - the team showed heart in that in the past when we were under the cosh we had a tendency to fold. The team now seems to be developing some spirit and it's showing in the results.

Miles Addison seems to have been the key addition to the team. he's not a spectacular player but of all of the players we've had in midfield over the last years, he looks the calmest and most composed. Paul Jewell has marked him as a future Rams captain. From the Derby Evening Telegraph; "Miles has got a desire to do well and the fans will love him because of that. Playing for Derby County has probably been his dream and he is fulfilling it, but I want him to go on to bigger and better things at Derby. One day I expect him to be captain, if he continues to improve."

There are still a few areas that need work. It's alarming how we can still concede goals form set pieces or from hopeful crosses. The current centre half partnership of Albrechtson and Leacock are working well but can be exploited in the gaps. This is why if I had my way we'd make Albrechtson captain to give him some authority on the pitch. Connolly hasn't done badly with the armband but in his role he can be isolated from the other side of the park. A centre half or centre midfield player is a better choice for captain.

Rob Hulse and Kris Commons should be fit.

Mick's team: Carroll, Connolly, Stewart, Leacock, Addison, Albrechtson, Green, Commons, Barazite, Hulse, Ellington.

What the Bookies think

We're favourites for this on the back of last week. You can get 6/5 on the Rams from William Hill while the draw is at 11/5, and the Bluebirds at 9/5.

Emanuel Villa and Rob Hulse are favourites to score at 5/2 while Eddie Johnson and Ross McCormack are at 3/1. You can get 50/1 on a Villa Hat-trick.

Information for travelling fans

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 favourite. 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 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.

Driving: It's 160 miles to Derby. Best RAC route is the A48/M48 to the M4, then take the A40 to the M50 and M5. At J4a join the M42 which becomes the A42 before joining the M1 at J23. Head north and take J25 for Derby. Follow the A52 Brian Clough Way towards Derby and the ground is on the left. Look for the brown away football supporters signs for parking etc.

Parking: It used to be at the old Wilmorten College site however that is now a housing estate so away fans should park at Catalyst on London Rd opposite the Navigation pub. It’s about 10-15 minutes from the ground. Don’t be tempted to park at Pride Park shopping centre unless you fancy being clamped. You can also park for a £5 at the hospital further up London Rd near the hospital and the Railway station. Another alternative is to pass the exit for Pride Park on Brian Clough Way and head for Pentagon Island. Take the first exit and turn left and after a few hundred yards you will come to The Cattle Market Car Park. It’s about 10 minutes walk to the ground from here.

Mick's prediction

This should be a tough game but if the team go out and build on what they've achieved in the last week then there's no reason why we can't get a result. The fans can play a part by continuing to encourage the players rather than getting on their backs. We can make it Fortress Pride park but we must play our role.