Final EPL Spot Up For Grabs-Derby, QPR On Parade

*Harry

 STEVE McClaren plans to exorcise the ghosts of his Wembley nightmare by leading Derby County back into Premier League with victory over Queens Park Rangers in the Championship play-off final on Saturday.
The stakes are sky-high at Wembley this weekend as McClaren's side face Harry Redknapp's QPR in the single richest club fixture in world football.
Given the vast financial rewards on offer to teams in the Premier League, it is estimated that a win in the second tier finale will be worth $219 million to Derby and $146 million to QPR.
But amid the frenzied desire to secure the lucrative winning ticket in the promotion lottery, McClaren's tale of personal redemption lends a more human side to the dash for cash.
It will be McClaren's first time in the Wembley dug-out since his underwhelming spell as England manager came to a farcial end with the coach lampooned as the 'Wally with the brolly' after he huddled under an umbrella during a 3-2 defeat against Croatia that shattered his country's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008.
McClaren has spent the past seven years attempting to rehabilitate his reputation via that title-winning spell in the Netherlands at FC Twente and less successful stints with Wolfsburg and Nottingham Forest.
McClaren is relatively sanguine about the abuse he took following his England exit and is even willing to joke about the umbrella incident.

*Steve

“I won't be taking a bloody brolly,” he said with a smile when asked if he was planning to guard against wet weather on Saturday. Ironically, the 53-year-old started this season as a member of Redknapp's coaching staff at QPR before the offer to replace Nigel Clough at Derby tempted him back into the managerial fray in September.
“I love working with this group, they play exactly how I want them and it's wonderful,” McClaren said.
“We've excited the fans. The question is can we go one further? It's a great challenge. Nobody expected this six months ago.” McClaren has been keen to embrace Derby's thriving youth policy as he bids to return the club to the top tier after a six-year absence and the 10 outfield players in his expected starting line up have an average age of less than 25.
But McClaren is cautious about his young group's chances of seeing off a far more experienced QPR side featuring battle-hardened stars like Joey Barton, Richard Dunne and Niko Kranjcar, as well as prolific striker Charlie Austin, whose double secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Wigan in the play-off semi-finals.
Derby finished third in the table while QPR were five points behind them in fourth spot, meaning Redknapp's men have history against them as they look to become the first Championship team to win promotion from that position since Charlton 16 years ago.