 Friday, 13th Feb 2009 19:01 During the first game against Manchester United, the fans chanted "can we play you Every week?" It's starting to look as if that ironic wish is coming true. Derby County v Manchester United When The FA Cup draw threw up Forest we knew we'd be in for a good match - and the subsequent draw against Manchester United just gave both teams something to play for. The Red Devils route to this round was a 2-1 over Tottenham. Spurs managed to do what most teams playing against United have not - score a goal. Derby have scored 3 times against United in 2 games - more than most. You have to go back to November to find a lost league game - and that was when they last conceded a League goal. Alex Ferguson uses his Cup games to assess his players for the main thrust of the League and Champions League - hence why they concede more goals in cup competitions. They never look in any danger though and it would be a foolish Derby fan who thought that the United boss would make a tactical mistake or underestimate the opposition. Like him or hate him, Ferguson is without doubt the best club boss there has ever been - notwithstanding Shankly, Paisley, Clough etc. He's managed to sustain a high level of perfection in his teams over many years. Take the current squad; the ageing Ryan Giggs has just signed another 2-year contract that will see him just shy of his 37th birthday.Clearly, he will see his time out at United but you'd expect him to be used less and less as time goes on - like Paul Scholes. There are plenty of young players coming through the United ranks and although I doubt any of them will ever be as good as Giggs, they will probably be good enough to sustain Manchester United's momentum. Wayne Rooney is close to being fit but may not be risked, whereas Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Jonny Evans all return to the squad. Red Devils facts: No. Position Player Last 5:
Three wins on the bounce including possibly the greatest comeback in the history of the club - the mood among the Pride Park faithful has swung back into the optimistic window. It's all so different to the doom and gloom of a few weeks ago and I don't mind admitting I was one who thought the team on the pitch were a disgrace to the shirt. What's changed? What has Nigel Clough done in the dressing room that's changed Gary Teale and Robbie Savage from pantomime Villains to world beaters? What has he said to Rob Hulse that has got him winning everything in the air? Or Kris Commons - too timid to take a corner against Forest in the League game turned into their nemesis? The answer seems to be that the team are playing without fear; Gary Teale told BBC Radio Derby; "The manager wants us to play football, to get the ball down and express ourselves in the final third. If we express ourselves and lose the ball then he's not on our case. It's our reaction to try to get the ball back that he's more interested in." There in lies the rub; Fans who have sat behind the dugout often heard Paul Jewell haranguing players who lost the ball going forward. This seems to have had the opposite effect to what Jewell was trying to achieve - the players simply didn't want the ball or just played safe. Now, without the manager and crowd on their backs, the team is playing as a cohesive unit and failed attacks are treated with applause rather than derision. No sane fan would demand that we beat Manchester United on Sunday - but we look forward to seeing if Nigel Clough's team can play for 90 minutes at their best against THE best. Who knows what might happen over 90 minutes? Mick's team: Bywater, Stewart, Addison, Albrechtson, Connolly, Savage, Green, Teale, Davies, Commons, Hulse What the Bookies think: The bookies don't fancy us for this one; the Rams are at 8/1 while the draw is at 16/5. You can only get 2/5 on United making the next round. The United strikers are all at Evens to score at any time in the game while our best option is Rob Hulse at 10/3. You can get 5/1 on Kris Commons or the new boy Chris Porter - a lifelong United fan. Man of the moment Gary Teale will get you 7/1. Information for travelling fans: Driving: Driving: Manchester to Derby is about 80 miles. Take the M6 then head south until J16 or J15 (not much in it) then A500 to the A50 through Stoke. Follow the A50 to Derby and stay on it until the turn off for Alvaston. There will be traffic around Alvaston however if you stay on London Road you can get to the parking areas described below. Traffic on the M6 will be the key factor in arrival times but I usually make this journey in less than two hours. Of course, more than a few of you live nearer to Pride Park Stadium than I do. So you probably already know the way. Another alternative is to pass the exit for Pride Park on Brian Clough Way (A52) 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. 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 okay 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: Nobody expects anything from us in this game so lets go out there and do our best. A lower league team hasn't beaten United since Bournemouth beat them 2-0 in 1984. "Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war." Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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