Derby's opening game of the 2013/14 season finds them entertaining Blackburn Rover this Sunday at 4pm live on Sky Sports 1. How exciting, I 'hear' you say! Without actually looking it up I don't actually know the last time Derby played live on Sky Sports 1 on a Sunday at 4pm. Nonetheless, it does add excitement and interest.

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Derby County vs. Blackburn Rovers

Pride Park Stadium

Sunday August 4^th — 4pm

RamZone Match Preview by George Martin

 

Played: 106 (since 1888)

Derby: 32 — Drawn: 29 - Blackburn: 45

The Sunday 4pm game is usually the main attraction and the main match of the weekend's biggest Premiership games, so we will hopefully get some good, positive publicity with a bumper crowd expected.

With The Football League celebrating its 125th year anniversary - it has chosen a number of games of the weekend, which include many founder members. Derby welcome Blackburn, managed by former (talented and successful) academy coach Gary Bowyer to Pride Park in what seems on paper to be an interesting contest.

Derby will have on show new signings Grant, Forsyth, Smith, Martin and Russell, with the latter hoping to score on his league home debut. In contrast what looks from the outside as an absolute shambles, Blackburn will surely be hoping for consistency and solidarity this season having gone through numerous managers and poor PR with fans for all of last season.

In Jordan Rhodes they have a natural goal scorer and if it was not for his 28 goal return last season they would surely have gone down. Will it be a battle of the Scottish forwards? Will Rhodes, the Scottish International and £8m signing start where he left off last season? Or will the new, young pretender in Russell shine on his debut?! We all obviously hope for the latter.

Blackburn has had a mixed bag of pre season results, beating Crewe and drawing away with Rochdale and Preston. Their final pre season game saw them, like Derby; lose at home to premiership opposition in the shape of Everton.

They have sold Swedish international Martin Olsson and seem to be trying to bring in defender Tommy Spurr from Doncaster. New signing DJ Campbell is injured, but they still boast experienced players such as Robinson, Dunn and Kamzin-Richards. Two loan signings were made late in the week with ex-Doncaster Rovers defender Tommy Spurr on a free and Hull City midfielder Tom Cairney on loan until January. At time of writing, talks with ex Derby loanee, Barry Bannan were on hold.

Derby has been boosted this week by the singing of Adam Smith from Spurs. He arrives on a season long loan and he does seem to have valuable championship experience, so should fit in.

Pre season games suggest Martin and Russell will start up front with Ward on the left. My only concern is the continued 3 into 2 scenario with Clough playing Hughes, Bryson and Hendrick. 3 natural central midfielders, across midfield - with one of them required to fill the wide role. Lately, it seems Hendrick is the player being asked to fill the right hand side role.

Hopefully, with Smith bombing up the right, it will still give balance, but I am still not quite sure. Bryson was tried out there (on the left) at times last season and again, it just did not seem fluid or balanced. We will see.....

Although it seems as though the season has started the earliest ever, I am quite looking forward to the game and hope Derby are able to put on a good performance for the fans and the Sky cameras. However, Blackburn does have quite a bit of experience and in Rhodes, a constant natural goal threat.

My prediction:

My heart leans towards a Derby win with Russell bagging at least 1, but my head is leaning towards a score draw. Again, we will see.......

GGGOOoooooo Johnny!!!!

Photo: Action Images

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