Gary Rowett has warned his Derby County players that they are going to have to be wary of a Birmingham City side that is ‘motivated in a different kind of way’ following the appointment of Lee Carsley as caretaker manager.
The former Derby player and ex-team mate of Rowett’s became caretaker boss last weekend.
He replaced Harry Redknapp after his Birmingham team fell to a 3-1 defeat to Preston North End at St Andrew’s – their sixth straight defeat in all competitions.
With that change in management, Rowett accepts that it is difficult to predict what approach the Blues will take this afternoon.
Nevertheless, the Rams are back at Pride Park Stadium and Derby’s manager insists that the onus is on his players to take the game by the scruff of the neck and force today’s visitors to deal with what they have to throw at them.
He told RamsTV: “We have spoken to Carso (Lee Carsley). Some of the staff here still speak to him regularly and it’s ironic really because the same thing is happening now what happened a two years ago.
“He took over at Brentford when we were at Birmingham and it was his first game. I won’t remind him too much that we won that game 2-0!
“The intriguing thing behind this match is that if they hadn’t of made the change in manager, we would have had a really good idea about what to expect on Saturday.
“It is very difficult to assess what they are going to do. I’m sure he will make changes and I’m sure he may even try and play a different way.
“He has spoken to the press about trying to play an entertaining brand of football so we have to prepare to face a Birmingham side that is motivated in a very different kind of way.
“Ultimately, though, this is our home game. It is up to us to make the running and they will have to try and deal with what we try and do.”
Rowett will also be looking for his players to show an immediate reaction to last Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
The Rams have had an uninterrupted week on the training field and the club’s manger has used the opportunity to pencil in some gruelling double sessions as he looks to address the issues that came out of the last few away games.
Rowett said: “It’s been useful, we have worked really hard. Monday, the players were faced with a manager with a sore head, and we made it clear that Saturday’s performance at Bristol City was unacceptable.
“They worked incredibly hard and put a hard shift in when it came to addressing the issues we have got, particularly away from home.
“We have done double sessions, on Monday and Tuesday, and we all in a position where we know where we have to be much better.
“We have to find an equilibrium and we don’t want to lose that impetus that we have got at home.