Pre-Match Thoughts: Rosenior Looks Ahead To Plymouth Visit

Liam Rosenior is demanding another big effort from his Derby County players as they look to defend their impressive winning run of form on home turf this weekend.

Derby have won all five of their matches at Pride Park Stadium so far this season across all competitions.

Three wins from three have been recorded in League One, against Oxford United, Barnsley and Peterborough United, while West Bromwich Albion and Grimsby Town have been defeated in the Carabao Cup and Papa Johns Trophy respectively.

Next up is another tough test in the form of Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off) as the Rams look to further cement their place in the division’s top six.

Rosenior says his side need to avoid complacency and maintain their level of performance against Argyle and, in the lead up to the game, he sat down with RamsTV to discuss the latest news from the Derby camp.

On Derby’s Home Form This Season…

I couldn’t be happier, especially as your home form needs to be the bedrock of a successful season. I am delighted with the one hundred per cent record so far at Pride Park, but the work has to continue. We can’t get ahead of ourselves. We need to keep our feet on the ground and be ready for a very difficult challenge against good Plymouth side. What I like about them is, regardless of whether they are home or away, they go for the win. They also have a set way of playing and it will be a very good match on Saturday.

On Tuesday’s Win Against Grimsby In The Papa Johns Trophy…

The biggest thing for me before the game was us showing our professionalism and culture within the group in our performance. Grimsby’s manager, Paul Hurst, came in our office afterwards and was very complimentary about us and the work-rate of all the players as individuals and as a team. He explained they were using us as an example to their lads and you can’t ask for much more than that as a manager. What I expect and demand from the players in every training session and match was out there on the pitch on Tuesday.

On A Tough Team Selection…

The lads are giving me good headaches. What I will say, though, is that I will rotate the side during the season. This whole squad has been put together to make sure that no matter what the changes are to the team that don’t weaken it and provide ourselves with an element of freshness or to face a certain opponent. We can only fit so many certain players into one side and I feel that rotating over the course of the season will give us the best chance of success.

On Facing Plymouth On Saturday…

This is another big test for us, just like Peterborough was last weekend and we came through that with flying colours. Plymouth are a very good team and they are well coached, which is reflected in their points total already. They’ve made some good recruitment and have a long-term plan that is visible. We have to maintain our preparation and professionalism. We’ve had a tough start in terms of the matches we’ve played at home this year against some strong sides, but it has been a real benchmark to see where we are at in this league. It has been a learning experience for us all; it is one thing watching matches but being involved in them is totally different. I feel we have the ingredients for a successful season and we’re on the right track, but we want to keep it going.