Two teams on the up. Can Derby carry on from Saturday’s excellent result or will Birmingham upset the applecart?

Derby County v Birmingham City
Coca Cola Championship
7:45pm 30th September 2008
Pride Park, Derby

Birmingham City did what Paul Jewell said we were going to do - hit the floor running. Alex McLeish added a few players in the summer; building on the team that Steve Bruce built.
He bought in Kevin Phillips, Kemy Agustien , Rams target Lee Carsley and Marcus Bent.

The Blues have won 6 of their 8 games including 3 away wins. Those wins came at Southampton, Bristol City and Cardiff. The Blues seem more comfortable on the road having scored most of their goals while travelling. Indeed their only defeat came at home to Blackpool.  The most recent victory was on the road at Cardiff where the Blues ran out 2-1 winners. After the game, Alex McLeish said; "We defended well against some real pressure and to score twice from only three shots on goal was a bonus. I'd really prefer us to go at teams rather than sit back and soak up the pressure."

Key man in the game seems to have been Quincy Owusu-Abeyie who set up one for James McFadden and scored the other. The Blues scored both goals in the first half then sat back and absorbed the Cardiff pressure until conceding in the 86th. Dave Jones the Cardiff manager was disappointed with the result and said; "Birmingham are a very good side but they didn't have a lot of the game today, they've played one up front and we've come at 'em and at 'em and at 'em."

Damien Johnson and Stephen Kelly are injured while Mehdi Nafti is available after suspension. The BBC is reporting that Alex McLeish may choose to rotate his strikers so Kevin Phillips, Garry O'Connor or Marcus Bent could start.

Blues information

Leading scorer Cameron Jerome and Kevin Phillips have both scored 3 goals.
 
The Rams

Paul Jewell after Saturday's excellent win at QPR; "We're getting better and you could see that today. I thought we dominated the game from start to finish."

Most of the travelling support who paid £30 for the privilege will agree. The team finally look to be coming together. Jewell went on; "Last season took its toll on everybody and the cloud of relegation from the Premiership hung over us for a long time. We didn't have confidence and the only way you can get it back is by winning games."

Jewell had some words for the away support as well; "Our supporters have been brilliant. They've travelled the length and breadth of the country and seen us get beaten - sometimes well beaten - but today they've finally seen us win."

When the team was losing the first few games, Jewell tended to sit quietly in the dugout and there was a fear that he was resigned to losing his job. On Saturday he was out and animated, bawling instructions from the touchline. He also came on the pitch at the end and applauded the fans.

The key to the turnaround seems to be the central midfield partnership of Miles Addison and Paul Green. Both players are adept at breaking up the opposition play and moving the ball out to the widemen. Addison in particular uses his height well and misses little in the air. With a bit more luck he'd have been celebrating his first goal if the woodwork hadn't intervened on Saturday.
Barazite and Pearson both did well on Saturday in covering the defence and it pleases me to see Pearson finally starting to use the skills he obviously has. He got better as the game wore on and it looks like he's finally starting to get some confidence. There's still a way to go as neither of the wide men or the defenders managed to create much in the box for the strikers. Commons is in contention for tonight's game and Pearson could well make way.

Nathan Ellington & Rob Hulse both worked hard on Saturday but on 70 minutes you couldn't really see either scoring. Hulse had a clear cut chance but was denied by a last ditch tackle. This annoyed a lot of people around me who felt he should have got his shot away quicker. It was however a good tackle.

Paul Jewell has a selection headache up front as once Tito came on, the team scored - and Tito broke his duck. The problem seems to be that there's no combination of strikers that come together as a partnership. Maybe Giles Barnes is the missing link?

What the Bookies think

Birmingham are favourites with William Hill at 6/5 while the Rams are at 9/5. The draw is at 11/5. Our Strikers are at 7/1 to score the first goal while Kevin Phillips is at 5/1. You can get 25/1 on Martin Albrechtson to repeat Saturday’s heroics.

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: Birmingham to Derby 53 miles. You can come via the A38 or M42/M1. I'd go for the M42/M1 route as it brings you to the right part of Derby. Driving time should be an hour to an hour 30 depending on traffic. On arrival in Derby, follow the signs for away supporter parking to London Rd.

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 the shopping centre on Pride Park 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

Another tough game. Play like they did on Saturday and we have a fighting chance of taking something from the game. I worry that with games coming so close, Miles Addison has little time to recover and may burn out. I'd probably take a draw now if it was offered. 

Photo: Action Images

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