Derby County Preview

[Plastic Head]

The fact that Derby have had 4 days to our 3 since the last game may have an effect.

We really have been screwed again with these xmas fixtures.

Sunderland also have an extra day on us next week.

Still think draw...

[Hasta]

Tugay and Mokoana in central midfield again. Jesus. How many times before he accepts this doesn't work. Neither one of them can get forward. We might get away with it purely because Derby are poor.

[Blueboy Downunder]

i am presuming that samba is suspended for this game?? or is he injured or just dropped??

[jonv]

TEAM

1. Brad Friedel

7. Brett Emerton

13. Zurab Khizanishvili

6. Ryan Nelsen

3. Stephen Warnock

11. David Bentley

5. Tugay Kerimoglu

15. Aaron Mokoena

12. Morten Gamst Pedersen

9. Roque Santa Cruz

10. Benedict McCarthy

SUBS

32. Jason Brown (GK)

19. David Dunn

20. Bruno Berner

27. Matt Derbyshire

29. Martin Olsson

no roberts or savage on the bench, they must be heading outbound in january.. good to see benny back in the starting 11 and zurab lining up with nelson, good opportunity for players to get some conifdence and form from this game.. they just have to turn up and play!

[ffan]

Good luck today, need a result from Blackburn unfortunately.

[jonv]

berner, derbyshire to be used as subs me rekons

[den]

Where's Chris?

[Wolves_Rover]

Where's Chris?

and Reidy

[den]

Two left backs on the bench?

Something's going on.

[Presty On Tour]

why have we got 2 left backs on the bench?

where is samba and savage?

[dopper69]

Not impressed with the use of Mokoena again.

[Blueboy Downunder]

mokoena is playing because we are away from home and makes sense that if we are gonna use a player who is defensively minded, it would be away from home.

[Wolves_Rover]

mokoena is playing because we are away from home and makes sense that if we are gonna use a player who is defensively minded, it would be away from home.

I understand mokoena playing also, just thought savage might be playing

that bench has to be a contender for weakest in the premiership.

[dopper69]

mokoena is playing because we are away from home and makes sense that if we are gonna use a player who is defensively minded, it would be away from home.

Picking a team based on defensive ability against Derby, who are bottom of the Premiership, speaks volumes as to how low the players andmanagers confidence are.

[modes98]

Once again a few strange decisions from Hughes.

Where is Samba? I can only think he got a knock against citeh. At least Zura is good at cb.

We may need Dunny in this one to give us some attacking flair.

[philipl]

Is Chris Samba injured? There were TV close-ups of him looking distressed towards the end of the City game.

Brave selection- we could fold if Derby really put us under the cosh but equally Tugs and Bentley could supply the killer balls for Benni and Roque. At least there is good strength available from the subs bench which I think is sending a very firm message to Messrs Warnock and Gamst Pedersen.

Looking forwards to this one.

[den]

Samba's girlfriend is giving birth today.

A 12lber I reckon.

[thenodrog]

Samba

[Exiled_Rover]

Two left backs on the bench?

Something's going on.

A cunning plan nodoubt.

[eddiewac]

typical, terrible defending, again

[bubblerrovers]

We're going down, it's Norwich all over again. When did Nelson become so awfull where's he gone

[dopper69]

typical, terrible defending, again

How the hell has Nelson (I think) let Oakley roll him so easily.

Shocking

[Rovers in America]

That was horrid.

[RevidgeBlue]

1-0 Derby after we've dominated, yet another blunder from Nelsen losing Oakley, why the hell isn't Samba playing?

And back to Tugay and Mokoena in midfield, god help us.

Edit: Now Nelsen's been booked for a crude obstruction. Red card coming on there I feel.

[Lurid Coat]

Oh, for ######'s sake, this is getting 'cking boring.