D.J's Match Preview: Stung Rams Must Sting Spireites
Saturday, 24th Jan 2015 06:30 by Daniel J Sewart

Derby is likely to make changes for their 4th round FA Cup clash when they welcome Chesterfield to Pride Park this afternoon.

New signing Darren Bent is likely to play Martin’s role and have his first real chance to strut his stuff in a Rams shirt.

With Bryson & Russell apparently carrying knocks, they may be benched and we may see Dawkins and Hendrick able to stretch their legs from the start. Hughes is likely to be fit after training well following his half time exit against Forest.

Mascarell has taken some heat over the last week from fans and it will be interesting to see how McClaren himself feels in regards to his form. Shotton or Warnock may be options but I have a feeling that McClaren may stick with his boy from Real Madrid - unless he decides to try a 442 and give Bent & Martin a chance to play together upfront.

Both new signings Warnock and Albentosa are likely to play some part in the match, with Forsyth and Buxton the most likely to make way to see what the new boys have got to offer.

Chesterfield will be missing wide player Gary Roberts who is struggling with a hamstring injury while Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, a striker on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, is cup tied so will also miss.

Derby will have greater experience and talent than their League One opposition but when it comes to the Cup, as we all know, anything can happen. What it will come down to is who has the greater desire to win and put their bodies on the line.

Many Cup upsets occur because lower league teams see this as their big day in the sun, so while Chesterfield are basking in the sun, the Rams should be careful not to get burned.

Despite losing their last match to League One leaders Swindon, the visitors have good form, having won 3 and drawn 1 prior to that and sit just outside the play off positions in 8th place.

Derby will be looking to atone for a shocking second half last weekend against Forest and will have been put on notice by McClaren, who will want to see his chargers quickly answer the questions asked by fans and pundits during the week.

Despite likely changes to the starting line up, the Rams depth has been a strength and those players who get a chance will be looking to impress and show they deserve a return to the first 11 on a regular basis.

The Rams will need to keep an eye on Doyle up front who has 22 goals so far this season while Clucas has been in good form, having bagged 8 from midfield for Chesterfield.

For the Rams, Bent will want to use his first start as an opportunity to put the ball in the back of the net and push his claims to help lead the line. Seeing Bent, Warnock and Albentosa in action will be one of the things Derby fans will be looking forward to most, so hopefully they all take part and add another dimension of quality to the squad both forward and back.

I expect the Rams to be too good but I definitely am taking nothing for granted, especially after last weeks sub par performance. Confidence is a fragile thing and if things are tight early, Derby may find it hard to get into their stride. If Chesterfield allows the home team to play football, then they can expect a torrid time, especially in defending their goal.

I don’t expect it to be easy, in fact I expect it to be a real scrap for the first 45 to 60 minutes - but I predict the Rams to be stung into action by the loss last week and be desperate to atone in front of their home fans.

And speaking of home fans — don’t go silent, especially if things aren’t going our way. Let there be no repeat of last weekend when the visitors sung so loud that you could have been mistaken for thinking it was a Derby away game.

Sing loud and proud and let the boys know you are right behind them!

3-1 win to the Rams.

League Form / Match Stats:

Derby — 4th Championship (D, W, W, W, L):

The Rams have only lost twice at home this season — one of those being last weekend.

Derby has met Chesterfield twice before in the FA cup and both times the Rams triumphed.

Chesterfield — 8th League One (W, W, D, W, L):

In their history Chesterfield has never been able to defeat Derby away having lost 4 and drawn 4 of their 8 meetings.

This is the first time that Chesterfield has progressed past the 3rd round since 1997 beyond the third round since they reached the semi finals in 1997.

Last Time They Met:

The last time Derby faced Chesterfield was in the old 3rd Division when they were defeated at Saltergate 1-0.

The last time the two clubs met in the FA Cup was on January 10th 1948 at the Baseball Ground. On that occasion it was a 3rd round clash and Derby triumphed with a 2-0 win.