Rather than send Nigel Clough to Coventry for his silly comment, Coventry are coming here.

Derby County v Coventry City
Coca Cola Championship
Pride Park Derby
Friday 6th November 2009, 8:00 pm

Coventry City:

Current League Position: 16/24
Leading scorer: Leon Best, Clinton Morrison 6lg
Manager: Chris Coleman
Kit home: Sky Blue shirts/Blue shorts
Kit away: Black shirts, gold trim/Black shorts
Last game: Coventry 1-1 Reading

Quotes from the manager:

From the BBC following the home game against Reading:

"Defensively we have conceded silly goals again".

"There are a lot of disappointed young players in our dressing room but they will be better for this experience".

"We had a very, very young team and when you concede a goal like that, your bubble has burst before you have started".

"We made one or two decent chances and we didn't capitalise on that. We have to pick ourselves up it is as simple as that".

Current Sky Blue squad:

1 Keeper Keiren Westwood
2 Defender Stephen Wright (captain)
3 Defender Marcus Hall
4 Midfield Sammy Clingan
5 Defender Elliott Ward
6 Defender James McPake
7 Midfield David Bell
9 Striker Leon Best
10 Striker Freddy Eastwood
11 Striker Clinton Morrison
12 Defender Patrick van Aanholt (on loan from Chelsea)
13 Keeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos
14 Defender Chris Hussey (on loan from AFC Wimbledon)
15 Defender Martin Cranie
16 Midfield Isaac Osbourne
17 Midfield Aron Gunnarsson
18 Midfield Jack Cork (on loan from Chelsea)
19 Striker Gary Madine (on loan from Carlisle United)
20 Defender Ben Turner
21 Midfield Michael McIndoe
23 Keeper Danny Ireland
31 Defender Curtis Wynter
32 Midfield Ashley Cain
33 Keeper Michael Quirke
34 Defender Jermaine Grandison
35 Defender Jordan Clarke
36 Striker Sean Jeffers
37 Midfield Jacob Blackwell
38 Defender Nathan Cameron
39 Midfield Connor Grogan
40 Striker Callum Wilson
–– Defender Leon Barnett (on loan from West Bromwich Albion)

The Rams:

Quotes from the manager:

From the BBC;

"It's a defeat, but it's an encouraging one. I thought we did enough to get something from the game but when you're on a little run like we are things can go against you".
 
"It was an extremely spirited performance, given we were down to the bare bones, and bitterly disappointing that we should come in on the wrong end of a defeat".

"Bryan Hughes had a very good chance at the far post, their goalkeeper had a very good game and it was a case of the ball not dropping for us at the right times".

"I'm delighted for Roy Keane. If we were going to lose to anyone I'm glad it was him."

Current Rams Squad:

1 Keeper Stephen Bywater
2 Defender Paul Connolly
3 Defender James McEveley
4 midfield Paul Green
5 Defender Miles Addison INJURED
6 Defender Dean Leacock
7 Midfield Lee Croft
8 Midfield Robbie Savage (captain)
9 Striker Rob Hulse
10 Striker Kris Commons
11 Midfield Gary Teale
12 Striker Chris Porter INJURED
13 Keeper Saul Deeney
14 Defender Shaun Barker
16 Midfield Stephen Pearson
17 Defender Jake Buxton
18 Midfield Ben Pringle
19 Striker Giles Barnes INJURED
20 Striker Steve Davies
21 Midfield Dean Moxey
22 Midfield Arnaud Mendy
23 Defender Mark O'Brien INJURED
24 Midfield Jake Livermore (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
25 Striker Paul Dickov (on loan from Leicester City)
26 Midfield Lee Hendrie DOUBTFUL
27 Defender Fredrik Stoor (on loan from Fulham)
31 Striker James Vaughan (on loan from Everton) INJURED
-- Midfield Reuben Zadkovich INJURED
29 Striker Greg Mills
32 Striker Bryan Hughes (on loan from Hull City)

What the Bookies think:

Home Win: 6/5
Draw: 23/10
Away win: 23/10

First Scorer: Paul Dickov, Rob Hulse 11/2, Clinton Morrison, Leon Best 7/1

Information for travelling fans:
 
Driving: Driving: It’s 54miles from Coventry to Derby. Take the M6 to its Junction with the M69 then head north to the M1. Take J25 of the M1 and the 52 Brian Clough Way to Derby. You will see Pride Park on your left once you enter Derby. Follow the signs for Parking.
 
Parking: It used to be at the old Wilmorten College site however that is now a housing estate so away fans should 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 for a £5 at the hospital further up London Rd near the hospital and the Railway station. 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 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:

Let's get Clough's comment out of the way first. He clearly wasn't happy to lose and it was probably a throw away comment . It backfired because of course Clough probably doesn't share the football supporters belief that Keane is little more than a thug. Add the fact that he's an ex-forest thug and his comment was bound to annoy Derby fans. Nigel sometimes needs the think before he speaks.

That's also true about some of his comments on players. I know that most of it is paper talk but it gives the impression that certain players carry the can for defeats. What goes on behind the dressing room door is open to speculation, but fans are never above speculating.

The reports from Ipswich are encouraging in some respects and many have suggested that had Rob Hulse been available, we might have won. The fact remains we didn't and we lost to a side that had not won yet this season, and we now have more defeats than any other club in the Championship … all of these things are concerning to fans.

No side is too big to get relegated and no side has a divine right to be in a higher division. Having the best run club in the world or the best fans does not add one point to the total. Nigel and the board have to realize that the fans patience won't last forever. We need to start getting results.

A well run club in the third division will not attract as many supporters as a good Championship club, giveaways and on field entertainment notwithstanding. At the end of the day we go to see the football.

Mick's team:

Drop Teale and Croft, beef up midfield and move Moxey onto the wing.

Bywater, Stoor, Leacock, Barker, McEveley, Savage, Green, Hughes, Moxey, Hulse, Dickov (4,4,2)

Subs: Teale, Deeney, Croft, Buxton, Mills, Livermore.

Mick's Prediction: Derby 2-1 Coventry.

Photo: Action Images

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