Simon Grayson sends warning to Aston Villa about Derby, uses Leeds United as an example

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One of Aston Villa and Derby County will be playing Premier League football next season.

Simon Grayson has warned Aston Villa about what Derby County are capable of after Frank Lampard’s side booked their place in the play-off final by beating Leeds United.

Ex-Leeds manager Grayson stated that Derby’s young players and inconsistencies could potentially play in their favour when they meet Villa at Wembley on May 27th.

During the regular Championship season, Dean Smith’s side beat Derby 3-0 at Pride Park and then thumped then 4-0 in front of their own supporters.

Speaking to Jim White on TalkSport (20/05/2019 at 12:45 pm), Grayson believes Derby’s ability to perform when it matters could prove to be a serious threat to Villa.

“I think form will probably go out of the window,” Grayson told TalkSport. “You look at Derby and sometimes you think ‘it might just be your year’. Leeds beat Derby three times and the one game they needed to beat them, the fourth one, they did.

“Derby have been beaten 3-0 and 4-0 by Aston Villa in the two games and they are still going to play them in this final. If they are going to beat Villa what a time to do it that gets you promoted to the Premier League.

“The only problem with Derby has been their inconsistencies. I’ve seen them a lot. The younger players are hugely talented players, but when it’s gone against them then they’re on a completely different level. What I’m trying to say is, the Leeds game at Pride Park, Leeds could have won that 3-0 and it’d been game over. They never had a shot on target Mason Mount, Harry Wilson and people like that. Go to Elland Road and they’re a completely different team.”

Villa have already experienced losing in the play-off final and they wouldn’t want to go through that experience again after the heartbreak of last May.

As for Derby, they too have had their fair share of troubles in the play-off final. The most heartbreaking of them all was Bobby Zamora’s last-minute goal for Queens Park Rangers.

Either way, the showdown at Wembley, which is going to be the richest game in football, will be one of the most nerve-racking games both sets of players have played in.

More than likely, the team that remains the calmest and deals with the pressured situations will come out on top and book their place in the Premier League.