Can we carry on our league form into the Cup? And can we 'shock' a Premier League team?

Derby County v Birmingham City
FA Cup
Pride Park, Derby
Saturday 13th February 2010 - 3:00pm

The Blues:

Current League Position: 8/20 Premier League
Leading Scorer: Lee Bowyer 5lg 1cp
Manager: Alex McLeish
Kit home: Blue & White shirts/White shorts
Kit away: Black shirts/black shorts
Last game: West Ham 2-0 Birmingham

Quotes from the manager:

Speaking to the BBC following the midweek defeat at Upton Park

"I'm very disappointed with the Diamanti goal."

"We should have seen the time out and got into the dressing room to regroup. I didn't feel we were under too much pressure in the first half."

"It's not like us to concede in that way."

"But it was an exceptional free-kick and you've got to hold your hands up."

"We just couldn't finish the moves off. We had balls flashing across the box but just couldn't score. West Ham deserved it on the night though."

Current Blues Squad:

No. Position. Player.
1 Keeper Maik Taylor
2 Defender Stephen Carr
3 Defender David Murphy
4 Midfield Lee Bowyer
6 Defender Liam Ridgewell
7 Midfield Sebastian Larsson
8 Striker Garry O'Connor
9 Striker Kevin Phillips
10 Striker Cameron Jerome
11 Striker Christian Benítez
12 Midfield Barry Ferguson
13 Keeper Colin Doyle
14 Defender Roger Johnson
15 Defender Scott Dann
16 Striker James McFadden
17 Midfield Míchel
18 Midfield Keith Fahey
20 Defender Franck Queudrue
21 Defender Stuart Parnaby
24 Midfield Jay O'Shea
25 Keeper Joe Hart (on loan from Manchester City)
26 Midfield Lee Carsley (captain)
27 Defender Grégory Vignal (on loan from RC Lens)
28 Midfield Teemu Tainio (on loan from Sunderland)
29 Midfield Ashley Sammons
30 Defender Dan Preston
32 Striker Jake Jervis
33 Midfield Craig Gardner

 
The Rams:

Quotes from the manager:

To the BBC following the victory over Newcastle:

"The score might flatter us a little but anyone who has seen us for the last few weeks would say a result like that has been coming."

"It's reward for all the hard work in the last few weeks."

"The first 15-20 minutes were as well as we've played since I've been here. Stephen Bywater hardly touched the ball."

Speaking about the boost of the FA Cup in the Derby Evening Telegraph on the eve of the Birmingham game:

"Getting that victory against Millwall got us a little first step on the road to recovery after Scunthorpe when confidence was as low."

"There are two ways we could have gone from there. We could battle on and try to get up the league, which we've done, or we could sink further."

"I think the players have risen to the challenge."

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
13 Keeper Saul Deeney
14 Defender Shaun Barker
16 Midfield Stephen Pearson
17 Defender Jake Buxton
18 Midfield Ben Pringle
19 Midfield Michael Tonge (on loan from Stoke City F.C.)
20 Striker Steve Davies
21 Defender Dean Moxey
22 Midfield Arnaud Mendy
23 Defender Mark O'Brien
24 Defender Nicky Hunt (on loan from Bolton Wanderers F.C.)
26 Midfield Lee Hendrie
27 Defender Russell Anderson
28 Defender Mitchell Hanson
33 Defender Mark Dudley
35 Striker Callum Ball
31 Defender Javan Vidal (on loan from Manchester City F.C)
25 Midfield Dave Martin (on loan from Millwall F.C.)

What the Bookies think:

Home Win: 2/1
Draw: 9/4
Away win: 11/8

First Scorer: Rob Hulse 15/2; Kevin Phillips 9/2

Information for travelling fans:

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.

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.

Parking: Away fans should park at Catalyst on London Rd opposite the Navigation pub. It’s about 10-15 minutes walk from the ground. Don’t be tempted to park at the shopping centre on Pride Park unless you fancy being clamped. Another alternative is to park at Pentagon Island. Take the exit for the cattle market 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. I'd take the train myself.

Mick’s Prediction:

We go into the FA Cup with Birmingham on a high after a cracking result against Newcastle. And it was a cracking result. Newcastle - like Forest probably - are bound for the Premier League. They are a good team with good players in all positions and have a good manager and fans. And we outplayed them.

You can make a few criticisms of our team on Tuesday - Bywater's kicking, Hunt being all over the place for the first half, attempts at own goals and Savage running out of legs in midfield - but they are only minor. The players were a team instead of eleven individuals.

As a game this isn't particularly important. It would be nice to continue the cup run and it would show real progress to beat a team as good as Birmingham - a team doing what we should have been aiming for when we were last in the Premier League - but even to compete on the pitch with them will be an achievement after the dark days of the early season.

Mick's Team:

Bywater, Hunt, Barker, Buxton, McEveley, Green, Savage, Tonge, Pearson, Commons, Hulse

Subs: Vidal, Deeney, Pringle, Anderson, Porter, Davies, Moxey

Mick's Prediction:

Derby 2 - 2 Birmingham.

Photo: Action Images

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