The Rams travel to Exeter on Tuesday looking to return to winning ways after a disappointing draw at home to Shrewsbury. The Shrews came from behind to equalise late at Pride Park.
How can we expect Derby to lineup on Tuesday?
I would expect Paul Warne will revert to a back four at St. James’ Park with Eiran Cashin hopefully returning from injury and going back into his centre-half position. If Cashin returns that would mosty likely mean that Sonny Bradley drops to the bench. Joe Ward might also drop out of the starting lineup to allow an extra attacker to help support James Collins and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing at the top end of the pitch. If this happens, expect Kane Wilson or Tom Barkhuizen to be in the lineup.
Midfielder Ebou Adams was once again a stand out against Shrewsbury as he showed a willingness to fight for every ball and also showed he wasn’t afraid to put a tackle in. This is the exact type of player the Derby midfield has been crying out for. However, the Gambian hobbled off the pitch on Saturday, so he could be a potential doubt for Derby’s trip to Exeter.
Opposition Analysis
Exeter are on a good run of form, winning four out of their last five games including an impressive 2-1 win away at Wigan on Saturday. They showed that they were prepared to ‘dig in’ defensively and make it difficult for the opposition to break them down.
I expect Exeter to be compact with five at the back and try and make it as hard as possible for The Rams. Derby have struggled against this type of opposition in the last couple of seasons, so it'll be interesting to see if they can over come this style to get three points.
What happened last time?
These two teams last played in October 2023. Derby won 2-0 thanks to goals from Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Conor Washington. Derby out shot the Grecians 26 (8 on target) to 3 (0 on target).
Exeter League Form:
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Derby County League Form:
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Closing Thoughts:
Exeter will prove to be tough opposition for the Rams especially if they play in the somewhat lacklustre manner, as has been seen recently against Cheltenham and Shrewsbury. However if Derby attack with pace and power, then I’m sure we will have enough to get past Exeter and bring all three points back to Pride Park.
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