3/1 To Win
Curtis Davies is spending no time celebrating a huge win over Cardiff City on Tuesday night, instead he is preparing to keep those who used to cheer him "quiet” at Villa Park as he faces his former club Aston Villa at the weekend.
Derby County squeezed themselves back into the Sky Bet Championship top-six after three goals in the final 20 minutes stunned the Bluebirds at Pride Park.
The rearranged fixture brewed up a feisty game between the clubs, especially as it had big implications on each team’s promotion aspirations. However, the physical battle played to the Rams’ strengths and on the night, they came out on top.
Most impressive was Cameron Jerome who ignited the comeback with his first goal and added to the glory to make it three for Derby. Davies says the beast was unleashed and he hopes that he stays “angry”.
Davies told RamsTV: “It’s the hulk syndrome, you don’t want to make him angry. If people try to be clever with him sometimes he won’t be able to bully them because they don’t try to wrestle with him.
“Big Sol Bamba and Sean Morrison are both big, strong, tough lads themselves and were up for the battle.
“Fortunately for us Jerome won the battle that day. I’m hoping that’s the catalyst that keeps him going for the rest of the season.”
The celebrations however were short-lived in the eyes of the Rams who face another test on Saturday at Villa Park.
Having spent four seasons with Villa, Davies knows the hostile environment it can be inside that stadium for the visiting team. However, he hopes Derby can change that with another superb performance.
“It’s an amazing place. When you sign for a club like Aston Villa you know it’s a big club, but until you go to Villa Park and it’s a sell-out crowd you don’t realise just how big the club is,” he said about his former side.
“Just the sound that comes out of it when it’s a big game against a big team, it’s a place you want to be at.
“But it can also go the other way if things aren’t going right for you and there’s a team that you should be seen to be beating. Hopefully we can keep them quiet and turn them slightly against their own team.”
The centre-back is also familiar with Villa’s manager, Steve Bruce, after playing three seasons under him at Hull City.
In their final season together, Bruce faced a similar situation that he has now at Villa. They have an outside chance of automatic promotion but with their place in the play-offs guaranteed, Davies is predicting that he could use the game to prepare.
“With Steve Bruce at this stage of the season when we were at Hull he mixed his team up and he likes to see who is going to be able to do what for the play-off running,” Davies said.
“Mathematically they could still get in to the top-two but he might have one eye on who will be in his team for the play-offs.
“If he makes changes hopefully it will be for our benefit, that it might be people coming out from the cold and not played many games, so it will be for us to capitalise on anything we can get that day.”
