NO END TO RAMS’ AWAY NIGHTMARE
W 98 20 12 12
D 17 6 4 1
L W% 16 75 8 59 1 71 2 80
P Premier League 131 Champions League 34 League Cup 17 FA Cup 15 Honours: Premier League: FA Cup: 2018-19 League Cup Cup: 2017-18, 2018-19 Community Shield: 2018, 2019
2017-18, 2018-19
club that they want me to stay longer.
“It will be five years with one club, in this league, so that’s why it’s important to be sure the decision is perfect for both sides. That’s why there’s no rush, it’s not finishing in three or four months.
“The club is working perfectly in all departments, so it’s not a problem, honestly.”
City host second-placed Leicester today, with Riyad Mahrez (left), who joined them from the Foxes for a then club record £60million 18 months ago, said he is far from shocked at his former club’s form.
“They’re a good team,” said Mahrez. “They have good players and Jamie Vardy is scoring a lot of goals. They have a good manager. I’m not surprised at all.”
Championship: 3pm
MARK BOWEN has cranked up the pressure on Derby by suggesting the Rams are “brittle”.
Phillip Cocu’s side have lost five consecutive away games without scoring and Reading boss Bowen (above) aims to add to their misery at the Madejski Stadium today.
He said: “They are a team which is certainly a bit vulnerable at the moment.
“We know they have quality but they are going through a period where they are a bit brittle.
“I wouldn’t say we are in a rich vein of form either though.
“They’re coming to our place so it’s all about starting fast, being in the right frame of mind and taking our game to them.”
Derby have failed to win on the road in the Championship since the opening day of the season.
And they now face four matches in 13 days, culminating in Wayne Rooney’s eagerly-anticipated bow at home to basement side Barnsley on January 2.
Derby centre-half and skipper Curtis Davies said: “Coming into this Christmas run now it doesn’t have to be pretty but we need to find a formula to get results.”
“We need to get the away results right because even if we are winning at home we have to do that to climb the table.”
Derby head into the halfway point in 16th place, eight points above the drop zone and 11 points adrift of the final play-off place.
Davies reckons the Rams are at a crossroads and said: “When you are playing four games in 13 days, if you can get a run together you can climb the table.
“If you don’t, teams can overlap you. We go into a patch of games we can win, but it’s up to us.”
Derby right-back Jayden Bogle, 19, has been attracting interest from Burnley and AC Milan ahead of the January transfer window.
But boss Cocu isn’t surprised at the attention the England Under-20 international, who has played 66 times for Derby, has been getting.
“He is a modern offensive fullback who gives something extra to your team,” said Cocu.
“At his age, and the amount of games he’s played, I’m not surprised clubs are interested.”