3/1 To Win
Back on the road buoyed by their late equaliser against Leeds United on Wednesday evening, Derby County travel to the Madejski Stadium looking for a return to winning ways this weekend.
The Rams are unbeaten in their last five visits to the Royals (kick-off: 3pm) and here, dcfc.co.uk has collated all the information you need ahead of the clash with Jaap Stam’s side…
WHAT’S THE LATEST TEAM NEWS
Gary Rowett has spoken of the importance of continuity for Derby County ahead of their trip to Berkshire.
The Rams’ manager has been encouraged with his side’s recent displays and has told RamsTV that he is reluctant to make too many changes to his starting XI.
He has confirmed, however, that a couple of players will be monitored ahead of the game.
Derby will certainly be without Sam Winnall and Jamie Hanson.
WHAT WAS SAID AHEAD OF THE TRIP TO READING?
Speaking to RamsTV ahead of the clash with Reading, Gary Rowett said: “We’ve probably created as many chances in a game in our last two performances as we have all season as well as limiting the opposition to very few opportunities; but they have taken theirs and we haven’t.
“That’s the reality of it and we’re obviously disappointed about that.
“We’ve performed well in the matches and have, over the season, responded to setbacks. Forget the scoreline and moments in the game against Leeds, we responded very well with a strong performance and you can see the mentality of the players is excellent.
“We need to turn our good performances and chances that we are creating into clear leads and wins.”
ONE TO WATCH
The Royals’ top scorer to date, Modou Barrow is the obvious player for the Rams to be wary of when they travel to the Madejski Stadium.
The former Swansea City man has scored seven goals to date – four of which came in an immensely productive December when he really showcased his ability for Reading.
The 25-year-old also bagged a goal in the last meeting between these two sides back at the beginning of November.
Barrow boasts a wealth of Sky Bet Championship experience after fruitful spells with Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest and has only enhanced that with his individual performances at the Madejski.
HOW I CAN SECURE MY SEAT
Limited seats remain, but it has been confirmed that Derby County supporters will be able to buy their ticket on arrival at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Rams continue their 2017/18 campaign with a trip to Berkshire to face Jaap Stam’s Reading and Gary Rowett’s men will be backed by nearly 3,000 travelling fans as they bid to return to winning ways against the Royals, kick-off: 3pm.
There’s one set of prices available upon arrival and they have been confirmed as follows:
Adults £25
Senior Citizens (65+) £16
Ages 18-24s £13
Under-18s £8
* All children aged 13 or under must be accompanied by someone aged 18 or above.
Rams fans will be able to pay by both cash and card and are advised to head to the Away End Ticket Office, located between gates 9 and 10, where they will be able to buy their ticket from 1:30pm.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE MADEJSKI?
READING 1-1 DERBY COUNTY
Saturday 1st October, 2016
Derby County were denied all three points on their last visit to Berkshire right on the cusp of added time as Reading struck in injury time to claim a point back in October 2016.
The Rams looked set to claim their third straight win at the Madejski Stadium as Matej Vydra struck against his former employers in the second half, flicking a loose ball into the far corner after a strong start to the second 45 minutes.
The Czech Republic international could have added a crucial second, but was superbly denied by Ali Al Habsi, before George Evans’ close range finish meant the hosts could breathe a sigh of relief.
Reading: Al-Habsi, Gunter (Mendes, 81), Obita, McShane (c), Moore, Evans, Swift, Williams, Beerens, McCleary (Harriott, 65), Kermorgant
Substitutes not used: Jaakkola, Wieser, Gravenberch, Watson, Kelly
Derby County: Carson, Christie, Keogh (C), Pearce, Olsson (Baird, 77); Johnson, Butterfield, Hughes (Russell, 82); Ince, Anya, Vydra (Blackman, 85)
Substitutes not used: Mitchell, Bent, Wilson, Weimann
WHO’S THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE?
Tony Harrington will be the man in the middle when Derby County travel to the Madejski Stadium to face Reading on Saturday.
Simpson has officiated 26 games so far this term, mainly in the Sky Bet Championship. from which he has produced 93 yellow and four red cards.
This match will be the second involving the Rams that he has taken charge of this campaign after he was the man in the middle for Derby’s goalless Boxing Day meeting with Hull City.
In total, this weekend’s referee has officiated seven matches involving Derby, in which they have only tasted defeated on one occasion, winning four and drawing the other two.
Harrington will be assisted by Neil Davies and Michael George on the lines, whilst Lee Swabey has been appointed as the fourth official.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
As well as a packed schedule of content leading up to matchday, RamsTV will be LIVE ahead of kick-off on Saturday with club legends Roy McFarland and Roger Davies sat alongside presenter Owen Bradley as they cover all the key talking points in the build-up to the game.
Coverage will then switch to Madejski Stadium and supporters based outside of the UK and Republic of Ireland will be able to watch every kick of the action with live commentary from Martin Fisher and Jack Woodward.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s coming up over the next few days:
FRIDAY
- Pre-Match Press Conference (8:30am approx.) – Head over to Derby County’s official Facebook page to watch manager Gary Rowett’s pre-match press conference LIVE and in full.
- Reading Preview Show (6pm) – Owen Bradley will be sat alongside strikers past and present as he’s joined by current squad member Sam Winnall and former Ram Roger Davies. They’ll look back a Wednesday night’s match with Leeds before looking ahead to Saturday’s game with Reading.
SATURDAY
- Matchday Live: Reading (2.15pm approx) – Presenter Owen Bradley will be joined by Roger Davies and Roy McFarland as they cover all the key talking points, facts, figures and stats ahead of kick-off at 3.00pm.
- International RamsTV subscribers will be able to watch the full game with live commentary and half-time and full-time analysis from the RamsTV studio.
- Post-Match Extra: Reading (5.30pm approx.) – Owen Bradley will be joined by Shane Nicholson for RamsTV’s interactive Facebook Live show which will feature the thoughts of Rams fans as well as an interview with manager Gary Rowett.
SUNDAY
- Match Highlights: Reading (12pm) – RamsTV’s extended match highlights package will feature all the goals, incidents and key moments from the match at the Madejski.
- Matchday Relived: Reading (6pm) – Watch the entirety of RamsTV’s matchday production including the full 90 minutes of action along with pre-game, half and full-time analysis from the team in the RamsTV studio.
MONDAY
- Reading Review Show (6pm) – Shane Nicholson and Roger Davies will join Owen Bradley in the RamsTV studio as the trio look back on how the Rams fared at Reading.
The RamsTV streaming service is available to all supporters who register on dcfc.co.uk.
To access the full RamsTV streaming service will cost the following:
First-Team Audio Commentary (worldwide) - £45 annual subscription or £5 per month
First-Team Pay Per Game - Match Streaming (outside UK) - £5 for the individual game
A link to packages can be found here.
The two premium services are in addition to the regular pre-match and post-match interviews on RamsTV.
Supporters will also be able to follow all of the action, as usual, across our social media channels.
We will be providing behind the scenes content across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where we will also provide a blow-by-blow account of proceedings at the Madejski Stadium.
