Manager Frank Lampard believes experience in an East Midlands Derby will be key on Monday night as Derby County host Nottingham Forest at Pride Park Stadium (7:45pm kick off).
The Rams have four players who are veterans of this fixture. Craig Bryson has played the most since his arrival in 2011, whilst Richard Keogh, Scott Carson and Tom Huddlestone have also featured many times in meetings between the two sides.
Whilst the Rams boast a relatively young squad this season, the manager believes that the experienced players can help the youngsters.
“Experience will be key,” admitted Lampard who was speaking to RamsTV.
“As a manager, and staff, we can only do so much and when the players step over the line they have to perform, get their heads right and the player that has been there and done it has a responsibility to speak to some players that haven’t done it before.
“We have got a lot of young players, we know this season is a young squad, they will be excited by the prospect of the game but they also need to deliver.
"If the lads who have been there before can have a few words pre-game then they should to get us fully prepared.”
With a big crowd expected at Pride Park Stadium on Monday night, another aspect which will have to be managed is the atmosphere.
Lampard himself has played in many derbies in his career, but this will be his first taste of an East Midlands Derby - as well as his first as a manager.
He doesn’t want his players to get overawed by the occasion, and again, this is something players with experience can pass on to the younger members of the squad.
“It’s natural to have your heart in it,” said the manager. “It’s what you should have if you play for Derby County.
“You should feel what the fans feel, understand how they feel, realise what it means to them when you walk down the street in the week, or by what some Derby fans were telling me about it the minute I got here.
“As a player, you must have your head because there is a discipline factor because the emotions will be high and also a tactical factor because you have a job to do so the balance has to be right.”
Monday’s game kicks off a hectic fixture list going into the Christmas period for Derby.
There are many points up for grabs, however, the manager just wants to concentrate on his own club’s form and not worry about others.
“I’m fed up of trying to analyse the table and fixtures because we know now that it’s not always gone the way we expect and that’s the nature of the Championship,” he commented.
“It’s a busy period for us, there is the possibility to take points off the teams around us, but on the flip side, if we don’t perform in these next six games then we will find it difficult.
“There are a lot of big games at the end of January so what great motivation it is for the players to come through them in a positive way.”
