Head Coach Paul Warne says his Derby County squad need to be ready for a tough game in the ‘unique atmosphere’ of Boxing Day football when they face West Bromwich Albion in the Sky Bet Championship at Pride Park Stadium (5:30pm kick-off).
The Rams will be aiming to continue their positive home form and bounce back from a narrow 2-1 defeat away to Luton Town on Friday night – with two late goals from the hosts saw them perform a late turnaround at Kenilworth Road.
Derby secured an impressive win when they last stepped out on home turf a fortnight ago when they recorded a 4-0 success against Portsmouth.
Warne spoke to RamsTV ahead of his side’s clash with the Baggies..
On Friday night’s defeat to Luton Town…
I've watched the game back twice and we’ve clipped it up to show the lads. Maybe we could have managed the game better with 10 minutes to go. We were trying to maybe get a second goal, which I can't criticise the lads for, because a second goal makes it comfortable.
I never felt we were under any undue pressure or threat. Generally, we defended pretty resolutely. What it does show, which I will reiterate to the group today and I say it all the time, is that every moment matters - every detail matters.
If you don't get first contact on set-pieces then you put yourself under pressure. The most disappointing fact was losing lost off two deflected shots. What I would say, in respect of Luton, is they pulled the trigger when it mattered. I say that to the lads all the time, it doesn't have to be the perfect goal.
On the intensity and challenges of the Christmas fixture schedule…
The physicality is the biggest factor for the lads, they have to rest. They're still people. They go home and see their families, and they have to duck and dive away from the temptation Christmas brings!
The main difficulty is to have a high level of performance over the four games. So even if someone plays really well, you may have to take them out to play a fresher pair of legs. Over the four fixtures, there'll be team selections that from the outside may seem odd as people thought certain players played really well in the previous match. That is the hardest balance to get right, to keep the team fresh and not change it too much.
On being at Pride Park against West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day…
We are buzzing for it. I'm not sure I've managed a team at home on Boxing Day. I love Boxing Day games. There's a real energy within the crowd because after Christmas time with family, they are ready to get to the game and start singing Derby songs. There's always a real energy for the players too.
On opponents West Brom…
There are a very well-coached team with very good players. They're always going to be a top-eight team and have been very difficult to beat this season, although they haven't probably won as many games as they would like.
They’re a team that likes to keep the ball, are patient in possession and have real experience in the league as well - so they won't be phased coming to our place. This means we have to make it really difficult and work our team out to attack their weaknesses.