The other East Midlands Derby. Will Robbie Savage or Stevie Howard be the hero or villain to their old team?

 
The Foxes:

Current League Position: 4/24

Leading scorer: Matty Fryatt 11lg 1cp

Manager: Nigel Pearson

Kit Home: blue shirt/white shorts

Kit Away: black shirts, blue stripe/Black shorts

Last game: Leicester 1-2 Reading

 
Quotes from the manager:
 
Nigel Pearson to the BBC following the defeat by Reading;
 
"It's disappointing and I don't think we deserved to lose."
 
"Over the last two home games we'd obviously expect to get a better return than we have and we need a response now on Saturday."
 
"But we've done exceptionally well of late so let's not get carried away."

Current Foxes Squad:
 
No. Position. Player.

1 Keeper Chris Weale
2 Defender Robbie Neilson
3 Defender Ryan McGivern (on loan from Manchester City)
4 Defender Michael Morrison
5 Defender Aleksandar Tunchev
6 Defender Wayne Brown (Vice-Captain)
7 Midfield Nolberto Solano
8 Midfield Matt Oakley (Captain)
9 Striker Steve Howard
10 Midfield Andy King
11 Midfield Lloyd Dyer
12 Striker Matty Fryatt
13 Keeper Conrad Logan
14 Midfield Stephen Clemence
15 Defender Bruno Berner
16 Midfield Nicky Adams
17 Midfield Dany N'Guessan
18 Striker Martyn Waghorn (on loan from Sunderland)
19 Midfield Richie Wellens
22 Striker Yann Kermorgant
24 Striker Paul Gallagher
25 Defender Jack Hobbs
27 Striker James Vaughan (on loan from Everton)
28 Midfield Robbie Burns
29 Defender Chris Powell
31 Keeper Carl Pentney
32 Midfield Aman Verma
33 Defender Alex Bruce (on loan from Ipswich Town)
34 Midfield Jay Spearing (on loan from Liverpool)
- Midfield Levi Porter

 
The Rams:

Quotes from the manager:
 
Nigel Clough talking to BBC after the QPR game:
 
"Shaun Barker was outstanding at both ends, he headed everything and scored a very good goal and got an important point for us."
 
"I would have taken a point beforehand but I'm disappointed with the manner of the goal we conceded."
 
"If we had made it to half-time then we might have gone on to win it 1-0."

Current Rams Squad

No. Position. Player.

1 Keeper Stephen Bywater
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)
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)
25 Midfield David Martin (on loan from Millwall)
27 Defender Russell Anderson
28 Defender Mitchell Hanson
29 Striker Greg Mills
30 Keeper David Martin (on loan from Liverpool)
31 Striker Tomasz Cywka (on loan from Wigan Athletic)
32 Striker Gilles Sunu (on loan from Arsenal)
33 Defender Mark Dudley
35 Striker Callum Ball
36 Midfield Ryan Connolly

What the Bookies think:

Home Win: 13/8

Draw: 21/10

Away win: 11/8
 
First Scorer: Martyn Waghorn, Paul Gallagher, Rob Hulse, Chris Porter - all 6/1, Stevie Howard 7/1

Information for travelling fans:
 
Driving: its 35 miles from Leicester to Derby. Take the M1 north and come off the M1 at J25 for Derby. Take Brian Clough Way (A52) towards Derby and then take ring road South. Follow the signs for away supporter parking to London Rd. Better still come by train.
 
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 is a Frankie & Bennie's, Harvester and the Pride Park but these tend to be very busy.

Mick’s Preview:

Two draws on the road have given Nigel Clough's men two valuable points and they can now see the finishing line ahead.  Our away form is poor in general so we should be aiming to take maximum points at home.

A victory over the Foxes would be a welcome fillip for the fans after what has been by anybodies standards, a poor season.
 
The players have shown in flashes that they are capable of a lot more than they've achieved. The injury crisis coupled with Nigel Clough's learning curve made much of the early part of the season uncomfortable and difficult for the fans.

The board have been working on reducing debt and getting the club on an even keel - but few if any fans travel to see the balance sheet. It is what happens on the pitch that matters.
 
How we approach these final few home games will make up peoples minds about season ticket renewal. Lacklustre and going through the motions will not be good enough. The players have to be fighting for the right to wear the shirt again.
 
The board also need to clarify their ambitions for the club. Many fans have been unhappy with the number of loans that we have used but that is the nature of Championship football these days.

Writing these previews and looking at the opposition squads it becomes clear that most teams have loans. Leicester have five.  I don't expect the club to come out and say we will spend x million on players and have no loans, but a statement that there will be investment in the squad to take it forward from this season would help.

Clearly that might involve moving on several players - but as long as it's to the benefit of the squad, most fans will be happy.
 
It should be interesting to see how the Leicester fans react to Robbie Savage. Should he be playing, I hope he can win us a penalty in the fashion he once did for Leicester against us.

Revenge is best served with a healthy dollop of irony.

Mick's Team:

Bywater, Leacock, Barker, Anderson, McEveley, Green, Tonge, Pearson, Sunu, Porter, Hulse.

Subs: Deeney, Savage, Pringle, Martin, Davies, Hunt, Cywka

Mick's Prediction: Derby 2-0 Leicester

Photo: Action Images

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