Derby County are finally having a good run of form under the new manager in the shape of Gary Rowett who has been doing a terrific job with his new club. The Rams have registered 3 wins on trot, comprising of victories against Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Birmingham City and have climbed to the 8th spot on the league table with 62 points from 41 games.
Their next outing is an away trip to the Griffin Park to face Brentford and Rowett is likely to stick to his 4-3-3 formation. Here is our Derby County predicted line-up to lock horns against Dean Smith’s troops.
Defence
We anticipate a four-man defensive wall to be stationed against the Bees, ahead of Scott Carson who is likely to be stationed between the sticks once again. The 31-year-old veteran has had a good season in the so far, having collected 16 clean sheets in 41 appearances and should once again find his place in the starting line-up.
Richard Pearce and Alex Keogh have gelled together in a meticulous and productive fashion and should start on Friday. On the right back slot, Chris Baird should get the nod to instil his defensive solidity and inject his occasional offensive bursts, whereas on the other side, Marcus Olsson should be engineered. Olsson’s pace, tenacity and ability to tear past the opponents’ defence have been eye-catching.
Midfield
Bradley Johnson’s presence at the centre of the park has been a real asset for the Rams as he perfectly caters to the responsibility of acting as a lynchpin between the attacking and defensive endeavours of his employers. On his left, Will Hughes should be starting the proceedings whereas on his right, Jacob Butterfield is expected to get a nod once again. Hughes and Butterfield do have the requisite calibre and Rowett would rely a lot on these two to get the result in their favour against Brentford.
Attack
Right up front, David Nugent should be started as the cornerstone of Derby County’s attacking arsenal. The 31-year-old has bagged 5 goals so far in 13 Championship outings and would tend to keep Smith’s defence busy throughout the game. On the right wing, Tom Ince should start as usual as his 13 goals and 5 assists have made him the talk of the town and on the left wing, Johnny Russell’s link-up play with Olsson and Hughes should be intriguing to witness.
Carson
Baird-Keogh-Pearce-Olsson
Butterfield-Johnson-Hughes
Ince-Nugent-Russell
