Fri 21 Nov - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 7mins
Derby County are back at Pride Park Stadium on Saturday afternoon when they take on Watford in their latest Sky Bet Championship fixture (3pm kick-off).
.jpg)
John Eustace’s side will head into the contest with the Hornets looking to carry on where they left off two weeks ago prior to the November international break.
The 2-1 win at Blackburn Rovers on 8th November, the Rams' last outing, was the side's fifth straight victory in the second tier following the previous successes against Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United and Hull City.
The visit of Watford will kick off another gruelling three-game week for Derby, with trips to follow at Swansea City next Tuesday and Middlesbrough next Saturday.
Tickets for the Rams' latest home game are still available and can be purchased online, over the phone or in person from the Ticket Office.
Supporters are urged to buy tickets in advance to avoid the matchday price increase.
Find out more ticket details for Saturday's match at tickets.dcfc.co.uk.
Watford are hoping that the return of Head Coach Javi Gracia will unlock the right combination to a successful promotion campaign.
There is no escaping the fact that being a Head Coach or Manager in the Championship is a precarious occupation. Only three clubs in the current cohort have had the same man in charge of the first team for more than two years and - at the time of writing - a quarter of clubs have already parted company with their bosses this season.
One of the clubs to have instigated a change at the helm is Watford who parted ways with Uruguayan coach Paulo Pezzolano on 8th October after five months in the job, with Gracia appointed on the same day.
It marks a return to the club for the 55-year-old Spaniard who was in charge when the Hornets were a Premier League side between January 2018 and September 2019. As well as keeping the club in the top-flight - they finished 14th in 2017/18 and 11th the following season - he guided them to the FA Cup Final in 2019, though the big day was somewhat tainted by a 6-0 defeat to Manchester City at Wembley.
Since Gracia left Vicarage Road just over six years ago, he has had three spells in charge at other clubs, including Leeds United and Valencia, while Watford have made no fewer than 12 permanent head coach appointments in that time.
Other than Tom Cleverley, who left his post at the end of last season, none of those appointees clocked up more than 50 games in charge. Pezzolano lasted only ten matches, and no manager has topped 100 games at the club in the last two decades.
When the last change was made, Watford were sitting 11th in the table having won three, drawn three and lost three of their nine league games played at that point.
That ratio of results has continued with Gracia in charge, with two wins, two draws and two defeats from his six games in the hot seat.
The Hornets are undefeated in their last three games having drawn the two games immediately before the international break - both games ending 1-1 against Ipswich Town and Bristol City - following an impressive 3-0 home victory against Middlesbrough.
It means Watford sat 15th going into the international break but, such is the volatile nature of the division, they are only five points outside the top six as the season moves into its middle third.
After a busy summer of recruitment that saw 13 senior player arrivals either permanently or on loan, and the subsequent change in coaching staff, the club will be hoping that the squad now settles and sustains a push for promotion for the first time since losing their top tier status.
This term marks Watford’s fourth season in the Championship following relegation, having spent six of the previous seven seasons in the Premier League, with the last three campaigns all resulting in mid-table finishes.
.jpg)
There have been several players to have represented both Derby County and Watford down the years, including Rams Head Coach John Eustace and long-serving defender Craig Forsyth.
One player who enjoyed success with both clubs in front of goal is Czechia striker Matěj Vydra.
Vydra began his playing career in his homeland with first Vysočina Jihlava and then Baník Ostrava before linking up with Italian side Udinese in 2010. The majority of his time at Udinese was spent out on loan, first at Belgian side Club Brugge in 2011/12 before he moved to England in the summer of 2012.
He scored 22 times in all competitions during a season-long loan Watford, then in the Championship, in 2012/13 as they reached the Play-Off Final, losing to Crystal Palace, and was named as the Championship’s Player of the Season.
Vydra was on the move again in 2013/14, spending the entire campaign on loan at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League. He was mainly used as a substitute, starting seven games and coming off the bench on 16 occasions, and found the back of the net three times.
He returned to Watford in another season-long loan deal during the summer of 2014 and scored 16 times as the Hornets secured automatic promotion to the Premier League. He registered several crucial goals over the course of the campaign, including an injury-time strike against Brighton & Hove Albion to secure promotion.
Vydra secured a permanent move to Watford in 2015 after scoring 38 goals in 85 Championship appearances - including play-offs - but spent the entire 2015/16 campaign back in English football’s second tier at Reading and scored nine times in 36 outings.
He joined Derby for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2016 and went on to have two years with the Rams. His first season was largely unremarkable, scoring five times from 36 appearances in all competitions, and it was only towards the end of the 2016/17 campaign that he clicked into gear despite the Rams missing out on a play-off spot.
The 2017/18 campaign, by contrast, was excellent for Vydra as he struck up a fine partnership with David Nugent. From 44 appearances in all competitions, he bagged 22 goals.
He claimed the Sky Bet Championship’s Golden Boot as a result and netted an impressive hat-trick in a 3-0 win at Middlesbrough in November 2017.
Vydra made 80 appearances in total for the Rams, scoring on 27 occasions across all competitions, and departed for Burnley in the Premier League in the summer of 2018 and spent four seasons before returning to his homeland to sign for Viktoria Plzeň in 2022.
Other standout names to represent both clubs include Rams Academy graduate Will Hughes, Andi Weimann, Tom Ince, Nigel Callaghan, Scott Loach, Ikechi Anya, Nick Wright, Tommy Smith, Tommy Mooney, Festy Ebosele, Dean Yates, Chris Powell and Mart Poom.
Head Coach John Eustace spoke to RamsTV on Thursday afternoon to preview the clash with the Hornets.
Centre-back Matt Clarke also sat down with RamsTV on Monday to reflect on the international break and look ahead to the side's return to action.
Get your Derby County matchday programme, 'The Ram' - including an exclusive interview with striker Lars-Jørgen Salvesen - at Pride Park Stadium.
The Ram is sold around the stadium ahead of the game for £4 or can be ordered for home delivery.
Find out more by clicking here.
Gavin Ward will take charge of Saturday's game at Pride Park.
The official has overseen 11 matches in all competitions this season, producing 38 yellows and no red cards in the process.
He took charge of Derby's 1-1 draw at home to Charlton Athletic in September, and the 1-0 reverse at Oxford United last month
Ward will be assisted by Hugh Gilroy and George Byrne, with Edward Duckworth on fourth official duties.
Live audio commentary for all of Derby County’s first team matches in the 2025/26 season - both league and cup fixtures - is available to RamsTV Audio subscribers based both in the UK and internationally.
Information about RamsTV's Video Live Streaming and other services for this game can be found here.
RamsTV's Match highlights will be available on dcfc.co.uk and the Derby County App from midnight.
Is it your first time visiting Pride Park Stadium to watch Derby County in action? Here's a handy guide to help you along the way with all you need to know!
If you're a Derby County supporter attending the fixture at Pride Park Stadium, you can find a wide range of details in our Matchday Hub by clicking here.
If you are a fan of our opposition at Pride Park Stadium, full information on visiting Derby County can be found in our Away Supporters Hub by clicking here.
Pride Park Stadium
Middlesbrough
Hull City
Wrexham
Derby County
Norwich City
Birmingham City
Swansea City
Bristol City
