The Rams are closing in on the play-off positions after a run of 4 consecutive league victories. Burnley are in a similar position with similar aspirations so the mission will be far from easy but Derby are becoming experts at grinding out results.
Burnley: 10th – W, W, L, L, W
Derby: 8th – L, W, W, W, W
Classic Clash:
27/ 8 /2005 - Burnley 2 vs. 2 Derby County
A literal blood and thunder match at Turf Moor in August 2005. The Rams took the lead with an Inigo Idiakez free kick in excess of thirty yards out which curled over the wall and into the Claret’s net in front of their own supporters.
Burnley turned the game round with two quick goals after half time then the whole thing turned nasty. First Wayne Thomas was sent off following an incident with Gregorz Rasiak before Graham Branch launched himself, two feet, two legs, one body and everything else into Marc Edworthy by the corner flag in front of us moments after the Rams defender had cleared the ball.
A sickening, cowardly challenge which took fully ten minutes to stretcher Marc off, incredibly the referee after this time only gave Branch a yellow. Branch responding to calls for a straight red resorted to a one fingered gesture behind his back aimed at the Derby faithful which inflamed the situation further and eventually earned the striker a police caution.
As the Clarets time wasted their way time and Rams boss Phil Brown was sent to the stands in frustration we were delighted when justice was eventually done with Rasiak’s header equalising in the eleven minutes of injury time allotted.
Team News:
Clarets
Burnley will have to face their in form visitors without Martin Paterson and Junior Stanislas as both picked up hamstring injuries during the Boro clash last Saturday. Paterson could miss up to a month while Stanislas could be double that.
Charlie Austin could be drafted in to partner the Clarets top scorer Jay Rodriguez and Keith Treacy or Marvin Bartley are both likely replacements for Stanislas.
Striker Danny Ings could find himself on the bench after scoring the winner for the reserves midweek. He is yet to make an appearance for Burnley’s first team having only just returning from a knee injury that occurred 5 months ago immediately after his transfer from Bournemouth.
Rams
Steve Davies and Jeff Hendrick are close to a first team return after both were given a hit out during the week as the Rams saw of Pixton 4-0 in the Derbyshire Senior Cup.
Both could perhaps find a seat on the bench as pinch hitters if required but Davies will need to wear a protective face mask each time he takes the field for some time yet.
With the duo’s return, Nigel Clough has a very foreign quandary to deal with, being able to select from a close to fully fit squad of players.
Besides Mark O’Brien who is out for the season and the consistently absent Nathan Tyson, Clough can keep his chargers on their toes as competition for spots is at a level rarely seen in his time as Manager. With the team winning, it is no longer a case of filling gaps, it is now up to players to force their way into a winning line up.
After signing on loan from Sunderland – Ryan Noble could possibly partner Callum Ball up front as he has been in top form for the Black Cats reserves. Robinson would be unlucky to lose his place as he poses a constant threat with his pace but as Clough has been critical of his inability to keep possession, perhaps Noble will profit because of this perceived deficiency in his game.
I.Saw’s Match Preview:
Last Saturday’s win over a hardworking Coventry may not have enthralled those present looking for scintillating soccer skills but the result which lifted the Rams up to eighth in the table is a testament to how hard Derby County are to beat.
Forsaking attacking flair for defensive stability is a price few could argue has helped Nigel Clough’s team over the last four weeks, the sight of Jamie Ward working as a supplementary full back can be forgiven if we can add to our five successive victories with a win over Burnley at the weekend.
Derby have further options upfront with the addition of paceman Ryan Noble who has scored 13 goals in eight starts for Sunderland reserves including three hat tricks before Christmas.
How the starlet is to be used is pure speculation but it would be a hard decision to drop either Callum Ball or Theo Robinson after their recent performances. Clough said recently that loan players will be brought in to play not sit on the bench, so at the very least it will give us travelling fans a talking point for the journey.
Turf Moor has traditionally not been the happiest of grounds to visit, results wise, and with only a point between the two teams Burnley will prove a stern test.
I.Saw's Opposition Player To Watch:
Ben Mee - An impressive centre half now signed on a permanent transfer from Manchester City, to all intents and purposes Mee was outstanding at Middlesbrough and instrumental in Burnley’s five clean sheets out of the last six matches.
I.Saw’s Match Prediction:
Burnley 1 - Derby 1
The Word From Clough:
Nigel speaking to the media about both teams being in fine form –
“Burnley have a lot of good attacking options and they're a good all-round side. I think they're at their best at Turf Moor and like any Eddie Howe side, they're an attacking outfit that likes to score goals.”
"Burnley have had a good run of late and will be playing with an awful lot of confidence, very much like ourselves."
"We proved at Hull we can go away from home, keep a clean sheet and nick a goal at the other end. We know we can score goals, but the main priority will remain keeping it tight, trying to get a clean sheet and building from there."
"We've hit the 40 point mark earlier than previous seasons and the next target for us is to try and get to 50 as soon as we possibly can. 50 points signifies safety and if we can manage that as soon as possible, it gives us a platform to kick on in the remaining games of the season.”
"The players have worked incredibly hard in the last few weeks and whilst we haven't been at our absolute best, we've continued to get results and that shows we're working extremely hard to stop the opposition creating chances and scoring goals.”
"That has been the key factor to underpin the results we've had in the last few weeks. We've had a really good run of not conceding but we will concede goals, that will always happen in football, but teams are finding it a lot harder to score against us - or even get a chance.”
"We can play better and produce more fluid football, but I don't think we can work harder and defend better than we are doing at the moment. The back four are defending very, very well and there's a belief around the place and we're not putting our fans on the edge of their seats in the closing stages, like in previous seasons."