Match Day Thread Derby County (F.A. Cup)

Well, where do we start with this one?!

Hopefully we will put out a strong side, but on current form, do we have a strong side?!!!

Back to basics for me:

Schmeichel

Simpson
Morgan
Huth
Chilwell

Albrighton
Ndidi
Drinkwater
Gray

Ulloa
Vardy

 

This is not just a question for you but also the many other people who have posted their teams on the Southamption thread - why do you want to drop Fuchs over any of the other defenders?

Also Ulloa wants to leave - why do so many of you want him to play when he would be more worried about getting injured and do bugger all?

 

Personally, Fuchs is probably my favourite player, but I think he just needs a rest and Chilwell is a decent replacement for an F.A cup tie.
If we are going to play 2 wingers, then we need a big man in the middle. Absolutely no point banging in crosses for Vardy/Okazaki/Musa.

Just my opinion.

If we play 5 in midfield, then I think King (in for Ulloa) should be the attacking midfielder. This will keep Drinkwater and Ndidi in the central areas.

 

On Ulloa - if he wants to attract potential suitors then playing well and notching goals is the best way ... I do feel for him a bit as he came on and helped rescue a point at Stoke only to be benched again ... thought he deserved a start ....

On Fuchs ... his form has been a little sporadic of late but I would keep him in possibly in a back 3 and then play Chilwell as a left wing back ... it's the Wes/Huth partnership taht is looking very vulnerable defensively IMHO

 

Strong rumour is that Ulloa will stay until the summer as Slimani will leave if a £40m+ bid is received so he might play.

Also Benouone has apparently reached match fitness and might start.

 

Interesting no one has said put Kaputska in yet. Never understood why they were earlier as none of us have even seen him play yet, unless watching development games.

 

Looking forward to this very much ...

COME ON!

 

That's the reason why - must be awful if he cannot even get onto the bench give the way we have been playing.

 

Normally l don´t give a **** about the cups as l feel the premiership is much more important. This season though l´d like us to give it a real go & see what happends. Even in our situ at the mo l really believe we´ll stay up so l ain´t to worried there... although l´d like us to start winning & moving up the tabe very soon.

 

I believe

 

hand ball ffs

 

...thank fcuk for that ...we deserved a draw at the very least on the second half...

...but Mahrez is still our talisman...the only one with any guile or subtlety...without him we are too journeyman and predictable...

 

Mahrez had more impact when the players were moving into space where he could thread passes into dangerous areas, rather than them expecting him to dribble round a couple of players with no support. They should show that kind of urgency more often.

 

Spot on...some of his passing was sublime ...

 

Why does Vardy not close players down anymore? That was effective

 

Said it before and I'll say it again - Let's try and get Will Hughes

 

Much better attitude from the players. Even Mahrez looked keen and actually sprinted to get back! Never thought I'd see that. And he did play some delightful passes and showed something different. Thought Andy King did well also.

The downsides (and there were obviously some) were that Okazaki has definitely become a composure-free zone. Love the all out effort from the guy and he'll score some wonderful instinctive goals, but he is just woeful if he ever has any time to think. The time when he fell over in the first half because he couldn't decide whether to pass right or left, and the scuffed shot early in the second half summed up his game. Drinkwater is trying to cover too much ground and is getting caught out defensively. Too many high balls to Vardy which the defenders just gobbled up. Also didn't agree with taking Albrighton off because he was providing us with much needed width. I'd have liked to see Mahrez in Okazaki's position. And why do we play Musa as a winger? I'd prefer to see him through the middle as he has the ability to go past players on either side.

 

I actually think that Albrighton is one of our best players, but what he offers are unbelievable crosses which, without Slimani and the currently useless Vardy, are actually of no use to us

 

Importantly, Albrighton provides us with valuable width going forwards and puts in a good defensive shift as well. He is without doubt the best crosser of a ball that we have. I agree that can have limited use without a big front man, but the width drags a defender out with him and creates space for the central midfielders. We desperately need a creative midfielder to work in that space just behind the striker and allow Drinkwater to concentrate on his defensive duties.

Last night we were a tad unlucky not to win. We didn't look in any trouble for the first 20 minutes and that was our best number of attempts on goal for a while. Our efforts on target always ended up going straight at Carson while Derby's efforts always found the corner. Definite signs of improvement if we can maintain the same belief and effort.

 

Many thanks to Liverpool and Spurs for making me feel better about last night