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Ahead of Saturday’s League Cup First Round tie away at Derby County, I asked Jack from the Rams Review Podcast some questions. Saturday’s referee is Josh Smith for the 15:00 kick-off. QUIZ: How much do you know about the history of Derby County Football Club? Click HERE to see if you can get 10 out of 10 on our quiz! Pre-match Discussion: Ahead of this match, you can get involved with the pre-match discussion HERE. How long have you supported Derby County? 12 years. What are your hopes and expectations for the season ahead? After last season’s eighth-place finish, a play-off campaign has to be the target. What are your thoughts on your manager? John Eustace is one of the best in the division. Seen as a pragmatist, he has actually been fielding four attackers and attacking full-backs in The Rams’ best performances. His best asset, though, is man management: the “Derby County family” is a hallmark of this. One(s) to watch? Last season’s Young Player of the Year Bobby Clark has returned from RB Salzburg in a £6 million deal. At 21, the former Liverpool youngster is increasingly complete, but his best assets are his playmaking and dribbling as a 10. Random fact about your Club? They were the first ever league leaders, beating Bolton 6-3 in the first round of 1888 Football League fixtures. Which were your favourite and least favourite matches involving Derby County? Least favourite: 2014 play-off final. Why? Bobby Zamora. Favourite: The 2-0 win over Coventry City in March 2025 – it was my first in the Pride Park press box, so a special one. Which sides do you think will finish in the top eight and the bottom three? Think West Ham and Wolves will be difficult to stop, but the play-offs will be wide open. At the bottom, I fear for Watford and Blackburn alongside the promoted sides. What are your thoughts on Lincoln City? A club who have built brilliantly over the past decade and deserve a crack at the Championship. Co-managers will be an interesting dynamic. If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your team, who would it be and why? Given the current lack of depth out wide: maybe Reeco Hackett. What is your prediction for this match? 2-1 to Derby. What are your thoughts on Sammie Szmodics? Szmodics could have a big season with a full pre-season under his belt. It was under Eustace that he won the golden boot. What were your thoughts on Lampard’s tenure? And were you surprised by how he did with Coventry last season? 6: Lampard did fairly well at Derby, but got his selection wrong in the play-off final. No surprise that he’s built a good culture at Coventry, and got a good squad back on track. Winning the league was more than what was expected, though.