The Rams are forced to face their fans only days after a public humiliation. This game could either be a restoration of pride or a continuation of home ground horror!

Derby County vs. Barnsley 3pm Saturday 5th March 2011

Pride Park - Derbyshire

Rams v Barnsley - Historical

P 28 W 17 D 5 L 6 F 60 A 22

Last game at Pride Park

Tue 15 Sep 09: Derby 2 - 3 Barnsley; Hulse, Barker

Recent Form:

Barnsley - 15/24 P 34 W 11 D 9 L 14 F 40 A 51

Leading scorers: Hammill (8)

Derby -  19/24 P 34 W 11 D 9 L 15 F 43 A 48

Leading scorers:  Bueno (4), Cywka (4)

The Rams

Nigel Clough seems to contradict himself every time he opens his mouth, responding on Radio Derby to a question about the booing his substitution of Theo Robinson instigated, he said;

"We took Robinson off because he never held the ball in the 55 minutes or

whatever he was on for, part of his job is to hold the ball and he didn't do

that."

Yet only the other week he was praising the striker:

"He is another forward with raw pace and we've found out to our cost what he is capable of in front of goal this season." and "What we really need is a bit of pace to get in behind defences, he is exactly what we've been missing."

We had a striker who could hold the ball in Shefqi Kuqi but it seems he's better off warming the bench at Newcastle. None of our other strikers can hold the ball either including Bueno who you bought on.

He then goes on to have a dig at the fans and his young goalkeeper by stating that the fans had cheered and applauded James Severn when he came on yet "he cost us the game".

Firstly, the fans were cheering the young nervous goalkeeper on his debut seeing as his confidence had probably already taken a knock while he sat on the bench as Clough decided if he was a better option than his injured keeper.

Also, fans aren't blessed with prescience and didn't know he'd concede a goal and fans would say that the manager who thought he could get away without a recognised second keeper might be responsible.

Another thing while talking about Billy Sharp he said;

"He's a 1 million pound striker, I believe. That is what you get from a 1 million pound striker, he puts the ball in the back of the net."

This is the same striker we were linked with in the summer that Clough didn't think was worth the money paid for his services.

And Robbie Savage? We don't need you to tell us that was a disgraceful performance but you make it sound like it was a blip from an otherwise good team. We've been awful since Nigel stopped playing Kuqi and decided to make square pegs fit into round holes.

Bueno has gone from being a raw talent we'd enjoy for a season to someone who comes on occasionally to try and rescue a lost cause. Cywka seems to have vanished.

Clough still rates the hapless Ben Davies and thinks that spineless Stephen Pearson adds energy.

Yet the board say his job is safe.

Dark days at DCFC

Possible team

Fielding

Brayford Barker Ayala Roberts

Savage Green Pearson

Bueno 

Robinson Ward

SUBS: Duke, B.Davies, Porter, Cywka, Doyle, S.Davies 

Current Rams Squad

No.    Position    Player

--    Keeper      Matt Duke (on loan from Hull City)

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 (club captain)

10    Striker        Jamie Ward (on loan from Sheffield United)

11    Midfield    Stephen Pearson

12    Striker        Chris Porter

13    Keeper        Saul Deeney

14    Defender    Russell Anderson

16    Midfield    James Bailey

17    Defender    Jake Buxton

18    Midfield    Ben Pringle

19    Striker        Tomasz Cywka

20    Defender    Miles Addison

21    Defender    Daniel Ayala (on loan from Liverpool)

23    Striker        Conor Doyle

24    Midfield    Arnaud Mendy

25    Defender    Mark O'Brien

26    Striker        Callum Ball

27    Striker        Alberto Bueno (on loan from Real Valladolid)

28    Midfield    Ben Davies

29    Midfield    Jeff Hendrick

34    Keeper        Frank Fielding

Barnsley

Marlon Harewood made is debut in Barnsley's defeat by Norwich. That can only end one way for us on Saturday.

Mark Robins is struggling with injuries and the list wasn't helped by Bobby Hassell limping off with a calf strain and Jason Shackell losing his two front teeth in a collison.

The tykes only managed one win in February against struggling Preston. They seem to be the mid-table outfit that Nigel Clough aspired to at the start of the season.

Nathan Doyle is plying his trade for the Tykes these days.

Current Barnsley Squad

No.    Position    Player

1    Keeper        Luke Steele

2    Defender    Bobby Hassell (vice-captain)

3    Defender    James McEveley

4    Defender    Jason Shackell (club captain)

5    Midfield    Nathan Doyle

6    Defender    Stephen Foster

7    Striker        Danny Haynes

8    Midfield    Jim O'Brien

9    Striker        Marlon Harewood (on loan from Blackpool)

10    Midfield    Goran Lovre

11    Midfield    Martin Devaney

12    Keeper        David Preece

14    Striker        Frank Nouble (on loan from West Ham)

15    Defender    Kieran Trippier (on loan from Man City)

17    Midfield    Jacob Mellis (on loan from Chelsea)

18    Defender    Paul McShane (on loan from Hull City)

19    Midfield    Jacob Butterfield

20    Midfield    Hugo Colace

22    Defender    Luke Potter

23    Midfield    Diego Arismendi (on loan from Stoke City)

24    Striker        Reuben Noble-Lazarus

25    Defender    Kern Miller

26    Defender    Conor Branson

27    Striker        Andy Gray

28    Midfield    Danny Fearnehough

29    Midfield    Alistair Taylor

30    Striker        Steven Bennett

31    Striker        Jordan Clark

33    Defender    Matt Hill

36    Striker         Garry O'Connor

What the bookies think

The Rams are 21/20 to win - clearly the boys there haven't been studying form. The Tykes are at 13/5 while the draw is at 12/5.

Our most likely scorers at 11/2 in Theo Robinson & Jamie Ward while Marlon Harewood, Garry O'Connoer & Danny Haynes are at 7/1 for the Tykes.

Information for travelling fans

Driving

Take the M1 south to J16 for Derby. Take the A500/A50 to Derby. Take the A6 turn-off for Derby and the ground and away parking are signposted.

Parking

Away fans can park at Catalyst on London Rd opposite the Navigation pub. It's about 10-15 minutes from the ground. Don't be tempted to park at Pride Park shopping centre unless you fancy being clamped.

You can also park at the Fireplace showroom just at the turn off the A52 for Pride Park. Don’t be in a rush to leave however as it takes an age to get out of there.

Another alternative is to pass the exit for Pride Park on Brian Clough Way and head for Pentagon Island... Take the first exit and turn left and after a few hundred yards you will come to The Cattle Market Car Park. It's about 10 minutes walk to the ground from here.

Drinking

There are a few pubs very close to the ground but if you come by train, the locale around the station is fairly inviting. The Crown and Cushion at the junction of London Rd always seems to be full of away supporters.

The Brunswick is a must for any real ale fans and the Alexandra next door is my personal favourite. Fans tend to mingle in these pubs and as long as you're not being aggressive, the atmosphere is good.

The Waterfall opposite the station is very good as well. If you are driving, the Navigation Pub on London Rd opposite the parking area is your best bet. Around the ground there's a Frankie & Bennie's, Harvester and the Pride Park but these tend to be very busy.

Mick's prediction

I watched the Rams all through the glory years of the seventies and the slump to the third. I survived our near bankrupcy and Maxwell, the fall of Pickering and even Tommy Docherty.

The current management and regime is killing football for me and I really don't care about this game at all.

I'll go for a win for us to end on a positive note.

Derby 1 - 0 Barnsley - I reckon ... Ayala will score.

Photo: Action Images

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