Ramballs

After a defeating the newly promoted Peterborough United by two goals to one on Saturday, The Rams now head to the Don Valley Stadium to take on league two side Rotherham. Rotherham, having started last season with -17 point deduction, ended the season in 14th place with a respectable 58 points. Had the millers not had the point deduction, they would have in 5th place, well inside the play-off places, so the Millers are a force to be reckoned with in League two.

Rotherham got off to a winning start this season as they grabbed a 1 – 0 win over Accrington at the weekend. Paul Warne, 36, returning to the club this summer after a four year absence from Rotherham, scored the late winner. An old head on the field was exactly what they needed as manager Mark Robins said “Paul coming on shook people up a bit and we certainly needed it. It was good to see him back in a Rotherham shirt in a competitive game because that is how I remember him and he has always worked his socks off,”

Rotherham have also signed 23 year old Tom Pope from Crewe for a club record fee of £150,000. The 6′3″ striker has found himself in a spot of bother as he was recently found guilty of affray for an incident at a Hanley nightclub. He’s a confident young striker and has set himself the target of 20 goals this year and, after banging in plenty of goals in pre-season, Pope is expected to do well for the millers this season. Tom said; “I work hard and try and get myself in the box. I don’t keep running all over the pitch. I stay down the middle because I want to get on the end of chances.”

Ryan Taylor, another of Rotherham’s young strikers, hasn’t found his feet just yet but his 6′2″ frame should be his biggest asset. He’s a big striker who should be capable of bullying defenders off the ball but so far has failed to live up to expectations. Last year he made 18 starts and scored just four goals for the Yorkshire team but, having just secured a new two year deal with the club, he managed to bag a goal in Rotherham’s pre-season victory over a Man City XI.

The Rams strikers will be facing a veteran goalie in the form of Andy Warrington who has been playing professionally since 1994. Warrington is said to have played well at the weekend and managed to keep a clean sheet against Accrington, a result he’ll be keen to replicate on Tuesday night.

Pablo Mills, the former Rams defender who made over 50 appearances for The Rams, now makes a living playing as a centre mid. He signed for the residents of the Don Valley stadium back in July 2006 and has since made over 100 appearances for the club.

Rotherham are genuine contenders for promotion from League 2 this season but, given The Rams performance against Peterborough, beating us will be a tall order indeed. Kris Commons is away on international duty and Paul Green looks likely to miss this game after picking up a knock against Peterborough. Luke Varney may have recovered enough from illness to find himself a place in the squad or Nigel Clough may even choose to field some of our younger players with the likes of Prijovic, Mendy and Pringle all having performed well in pre-season.

The Rams have a good record against the league 2 outfit having won four of the last six competitive meetings between the sides, although when playing at Rotherham the last three games read one won, one lost and one drawn. This is the first time the clubs have ever met in in a cup competition and The Rams have only won one of their last seven games away from Pride Park.

Derby had a great run in this competition last season, reaching the quarter finals before eventually being knocked out by Manchester United 4-3 on aggregate. Kris Commons scored a stunning goal against the Red Devils in the semi-final home leg and Tito Villa, now of Cruz Azul, prevously scored a hat trick against Brighton & Hove Albion to send The Rams through to the fourth round.

Can Derby County repeat last seasons success? Hopefully, but before they can think of the second round, they have win at the Don Valley Stadium.