View from the opposition – Derby

A bit about you:

Name:  Jim Wheeler

Current home town:  Coalville

 Birthplace: Coventry

How long have you supported your team?  Since birth – been going for 42 years…

 Overview of your club:

Favourite thing about your home ground:  The view – no pillars, well designed stadium.

Favourite match played by your team & why:  Derby County 4 – 1 Nottingham Forest Nov 24, 1979. Totally unexpected, total annihilation of Forest. 5-0 on 22/3/14 was great as well, but more expected now… 😉

Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Bobby Davison

About our forthcoming match against you:

Your favourite current player in your squad and why: Craig Bryson will always be a legend for his hat-trick against Forest (5-0, see above), but Will Hughes is absolutely vital to this team.

Player in your squad we should most fear and why? On current form, Tom Ince – and he will want to impress on TV against the Champions, but Will Hughes makes us tick.

Player in our squad you most fear and why?  Vardy is always a potential threat, but I’ve always rated Kasper Schmeichel – and if he’s on form he's difficult to beat, which could be key.

 Up and coming prospect in your squad?  I don’t think Hughes, Ince or even Christie can really be considered ‘up and coming’ any longer. I guess Max Lowe is our newest potential star – but recovering from injury at present.

 How do you think you’ll do against us and how far do you think you will progress in the competition? I think we could easily win this one. Leicester are off form – particularly away from home – whereas we can match anyone at home, and should be well up for this one. How far we go after that depends on the draw – ironically for a less prestigious game we may rest players to concentrate on the league.

Who do you think will win the FA Cup:  Depends who takes it seriously and puts their best team out – but it's always difficult to look past Chelsea or Man Utd with their squads.

 General Questions:

Where do you think you'll finish this season? 5th

Where would you like to strengthen in the transfer window and any idea of who with? I would still like to see Chris Martin come back, or get another striker in – preferably a younger alternative to Bent or Nugent.

Which three teams do you think will be promoted to the Premier League? Difficult to look past Newcastle & Brighton – but hopefully we can get the 3rd spot this time.

Who do you think will win the Premier league? Chelsea

Any other comments? I would like to congratulate Leicester for last season – which I genuinely believe is fantastic for football in this country – but I'm afraid it's not going to be repeated..

Jim Wheeler is Chair of RamsTrust, more can be learnt about their Trust by visiting http://www.ramstrust.org.uk