After two feather-laden encounters a bizarre symmetry means that our heroes face a Derby side that was battered in mid-week by the same side to whom Wednesday gave a beating on the previous weekend. If football was linear then we ought to be looking at a minimum 9-2 scoreline at Pride Park.

The return of the Clough school has yet to set the city alight and, sentimentality aside, many Rams must surely be underwhelmed by the start that they have made to the season. However, not so young Nigel will be looking for the proverbial “reaction” from his players following their 6-1 humbling at the claws of the Bluebirds. Fortunately for him (though maybe not for us) their home form is significantly better than that on the road.

Durruti's Column

Buxton	Purse	Wood	Spurr
Esajas	O Connor	Potter	Gray
	Tudgay	TFP

Varney’s loan agreement means that he will definitely not feature so we should see Clarke and Tudgay pair up at the summit for the first time this season. Will we be looking at the apex twins or a pastiche of Danny and Arnie?

Those two aside I would put money on Brian Laws sticking with the same side that has started the last two games.

DURRUTI’S DEMON

Kris Commons Bought amid much disgruntlement from arch-rivals Forest and despite having a ridiculously spelt first name Commons is the archetypal tricky customer who, on his day, can win a game single-handedly. Think Jermaine Johnson but with end product but also think Etienne Esajas in terms of his propensity for drifting in and out of games. Thus it could be said to be politic for us to keep this guy firmly confined to his house.

Darren Potter Despite, with the return of St Etienne, Darren Potter now not necessarily being the man to take ALL of the free kicks the magical one could be key to our fortunes. For my money the former Wolves and Liverpool player is the nearest we have had to a proper passing central midfield in a very long while. He also looks to have upped his level of consistency and is forming a decent partnership with Des in the middle.

WHAT THE BOOKIES THINK

   To Win (Inside 90 minutes)

DERBY

13/10

DRAW

9/4

WEDNESDAY

19/10

   Correct Score

DERBY		DRAW		WEDNESDAY
1-0	17/1	0-0	9/1	0-1	8/1
2-0	10/1	1-1	5/1	0-2	14/1
2-1	15/2	2-2	10/1	1-2	9/2
3-0	22/1	3-3	45/1	0-3	40/1
3-1	17/1	4-4	350/1	1-3	22/1

   Goalscorer

PLAYER	1st/Last	Anytime
Tudgay	13/2	2/1
Clarke	15/2	13/5
Potter	18/1	7/1
Hulse	11/2	17/10
Vaughan	13/2	2/1
Commons	8/1	11/4

   Total Goals Scored

0 or 1

5/2

2 or 3

10/11

4 or more

9/4

OVER 0.5

1/33

UNDER 0.5

9/1

OVER 1.5

2/7

UNDER 1.5

5/2

OVER 2.5

5/6

UNDER 2.5

5/6

OVER 3.5

9/4

UNDER 3.5

1/3

UPTO and INCLUDING 27th minute

Evens

AFTER 27th Minute

10/11

No Goals

9/1

DURRUTI’S DEAD CERT

Marcus Tudgay to score the last goal in his home town @ 13/2.

He's playing well, he's confident and I'm sure he'd love to round off this visit to his former club with a goal...and if it happens to be the winner, even better

DURRUTI'S DECISION

Derby’s sieve-like defence suggests that there should be goals but given the fact that we haven’t turned up on our last two visits this is a tough one to call. That said the 5/6 on offer for over 2.5 goals looks a safe bet to me and I’ll go for a hat-trick of draw predictions with another fence-sitting 2-2

Sean (Durruti)

Owls Alive

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