Let's remember a few things:
1 we mugged them last year at the Amex
2. They must be the most aesthetically ugly side in the championship
3. It was at the iPro that Goldson was racially abused.
4. We're a better team than them.
5. They booed Solly March for getting a season ending injury at the iPro ?
No, but they will play to avoid injuries.
I watched them today and thought they were pretty crap considering their recent form. Chris Martin has been comedy bad for most of the season.
Derby fan posting on Oneboro thinks that Blackman, Bent and Wiemann will play on Monday. Bloody hope so.
Bradley Johnson is not being rushed back before the playoffs, which is good.
PG
6This is a Derby fan's view of the game posted to Boro fans on their forum:
"I wouldn't bank on us doing you a favour though
We'll be resting key players now 4th has most likely gone and 5th is pretty much sewn up.. I can see Blackman and Weimann playing next week with probably Bent up front as well, and Hanson will get in ahead of Thorne again to protect him for the playoffs... and anyone who's seen Blackman and Weimann will know they offer absolutely nothing, esp blackman who managed to just stand there and do nothing with the goal gaping today.
I don't want us to be the club that gets the battering for this auto race, we could essentially get t***** 4-0 next week and cost either you or burnley autos for having no integrity.. I hope we don't and we actually try next week."
I am coming round to the view that this is actually the ideal time to be playing Derby. They can't get automatic promotion so their minds are already on the play-offs. Unlike a mid-table team with nothing to play for their season is anything but over and they'll want to keep their powder dry for the two massive games they've got coming up. No one will want to get injured or suspended, so they won't approach it with the same intensity we will.
EDIT: That's not to say of course that they're going to treat it as a pre-season friendly ...
I can't see us resting many, if any, players. Even if we lose, there's still a chance we might play you in the POs, so why would Wassall want to give you a confidence boosting easy win by playing a weakened side? Johnson and Hendrick aren't fit yet, Thorne may not have recovered from the illness that kept him out at the weekend, but Bryson and Hughes are still getting up to speed after LT injuries and need game time, so I think he'll want to give them another start. I could possibly see Martin being rested in favour of Bent, but I would be surprised if there's any further tinkering.
Personally, whatever the result of this game, I hope you pip Boro to that 2nd spot because, despite the fact that they're a bit of a bogey team, I'd like the chance to put one over on them should we get past Hull and into the Final. Having said that, I can see Wednesday giving the 3rd place team a hard match because they'll be very buoyant having made the POs.
I can't see us resting many, if any, players. Even if we lose, there's still a chance we might play you in the POs, so why would Wassall want to give you a confidence boosting easy win by playing a weakened side? Johnson and Hendrick aren't fit yet, Thorne may not have recovered from the illness that kept him out at the weekend, but Bryson and Hughes are still getting up to speed after LT injuries and need game time, so I think he'll want to give them another start. I could possibly see Martin being rested in favour of Bent, but I would be surprised if there's any further tinkering.
Personally, whatever the result of this game, I hope you pip Boro to that 2nd spot because, despite the fact that they're a bit of a bogey team, I'd like the chance to put one over on them should we get past Hull and into the Final. Having said that, I can see Wednesday giving the 3rd place team a hard match because they'll be very buoyant having made the POs.
If Birmingham beat Middlesbrough we could do with a good win so we can afford to lose 1-0 at Riverside at still go up.The way I look at this game is whatever happens v Derby we still probably will need to beat Boro. So if Boro beat Brum the Derby game turns into a 'must not lose' game for us.