 Wednesday, 29th Dec 2010 09:48 by Mick McDermott
If you can put the weather and postponements aside, if the game is on, then it's the 2nd biggest game of the season for the Rams!
Nottingham Forest vs. Derby County19:45 29th December 2010City Ground - ForestForest v Derby - Historical
P 40 W 12 D 10 L 18 F 61 A 77
Last game at the City Ground
29/8/2009 Forest 3-2 Derby
Recent Form
Forest: 11/24 P 20 W 7 D 9 L 4 F 26 A 15
Leading scorers: McGugan (9)
Derby: 12/24 Derby P 22 W 9 D 3 L 10 F 35 A 29
Leading scorers: Commons (12)
The Rams
Despite not playing on Boxing Day, we have a bit of an injury crisis at Pride Park. Savage is suspended so he isn't an option - But Dean Leacock is also struggling and Gareth Roberts and Russell Anderson are out.
The plus side of the Boxing Day cancellation is that the players will be better rested for the fixture log jam coming up. We have Preston, Millwall and the tricky FA Cup tie at Crawley all to play.
This will be the game that all Derby fans want to win. The East Midlands bragging rights are always about winning in the enemies’ back yard. We've done well there in the last few years and 22-player scuffles aside, we've deserved to.
The recent allegations about Billy Davies are sure to be picked up by the fans but whatever the truth I'm sure Billy Davies will say he has a lot of friends in Derby, if he bothers to comment on it. Given his recent comments about the club, I would doubt it.
Mick's Team
Bywater
Brayford, Barker, Leacock, Moxey
Bailey, Green
Bueno, Cywka, Commons
Moore
Substitutes - Addison, Davies, Pringle, Doyle, Porter, Pearson, Deeney
Rams Squad
No. Position Player
1 Keeper Stephen Bywater 2 Defender John Brayford 3 Defender Gareth Roberts 4 Midfield Paul Green 5 Defender Shaun Barker (vice-captain) 6 Defender Dean Leacock 7 Striker Steve Davies 8 Midfield Robbie Savage 10 Midfield Kris Commons 11 Midfield Stephen Pearson 12 Striker Chris Porter 13 Keeper Saul Deeney 14 Defender Russell Anderson 15 Midfield David Martin 16 Midfield James Bailey 17 Defender Jake Buxton 18 Midfield Ben Pringle 19 Striker Tomasz Cywka 20 Defender Miles Addison 21 Defender Dean Moxey 23 Striker Conor Doyle 25 Defender Mark O'Brien 26 Striker Callum Ball 27 Striker Alberto Bueno (on loan from Real Valladolid) 28 Striker Luke Moore (on loan from West Bromwich Albion) 30 Keeper Ross Atkins 35 Midfield Jeff Hendrick 36 Defender Kallum Keane 37 Midfield Ryan Connolly 38 Midfield Medi Abalimba 39 Defender Mitchell Hanson
Forest
There are far too many Rams connections in the Forest squad for my liking. Here's what former Rams manager Billy Davies has to say about one of them:
"He's a player that will certainly help what we are trying to achieve here."
Davies told BBC Radio Nottingham.
"He has excellent ability, tremendous experience and leads the line well."
"It is always important for a striker to get goals and it's nice for him to get off the mark. I'm very pleased for him."
It's Marcus Tudgay he's talking about and I hope all those songs about him being a Ram are true otherwise we could be in trouble.
There's also Lee Camp in the Forest nets who seems to be very bitter about his time at Derby. Lee is an excellent keeper and by reports from Forest games, looks to be getting better - but when he was at Derby he would have been wise to keep his own counsel.
Good news for Billy Davies is that Paul McKenna could be available for selection.
Current Forest Squad No. Position Player 1 Keeper Lee Camp 3 Defender Ryan Bertrand (on loan from Chelsea) 4 Defender Luke Chambers 5 Defender Wes Morgan 6 Defender Kelvin Wilson 7 Midfield Paul Anderson 8 Midfield Lewis McGugan 9 Striker Dele Adebola 10 Striker Robert Earnshaw 11 Striker Nathan Tyson 12 Midfield Garath McCleary 15 Midfield Chris Cohen 16 Defender Chris Gunter 17 Striker David McGoldrick 18 Midfield Paul McKenna (captain) 19 Midfield Guy Moussi 20 Striker Marcus Tudgay (on loan from Sheffield Wednesday) 21 Keeper Paul Smith 23 Striker Dexter Blackstock 24 Midfield Aaron Ramsey (on loan from Arsenal) 26 Midfield Matt Thornhill 27 Defender Brendan Moloney 28 Midfield Radoslaw Majewski 33 Defender Joel Lynch 38 Keeper Karl Darlow 41 Defender Kieron Freeman 42 Midfield Robbie Gibbons 43 Striker Nialle Rodney
What the bookies think
Forest is evens to win this while we are at 11/4. /5. The draw is 23/10.Lewis McGugan, Rob Earshaw & Kris Commons are all at 5/1 as first goalscorer while Luke Moore and Alberto Bueno are at 7/1.
Information for travelling fans
Driving
It’s a short hop from Derby to Nottingham. Take Brian Clough Way eastwards and pick up the A6011 in Nottingham. You'll see the ground easily from there. I'd take the train.
Parking
There's a large car park by the ground or street parking. You can end up parked a long way from the ground if you arrive late
Drinking
Almost all of the pubs near the ground are for home fans only. Given the nature of this fixture it's probably wise to avoid most pubs. In previous years, the Meadow Club which is the Notts County Supporters Club, has been welcoming though I've not seen anything posted online about it this time.
Mick's prediction
They are doing well at home; we've lost four on the trot... They have ex players of ours with a point to prove not to mention an ex manager, we have an ex player of theirs who might be on his way.
We have a bit of an injury crisis while they have a full squad. It doesn't look good for the Rams in this one and only a fool would predict a straightforward victory.
The biggest game of the season is the home game versus Forest. If we can get a point from this second biggest game I will be happy.
Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war! Forest 2-2 Rams
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