I base my opinion on when there has been a chance he has had a dig but in a very nice way ... NW's book quoted him as trying to batter Adel at times and NW having to say to Clint and Derry .. do your job and give him the ball. Just one little thing but for me they have added up to a lot of bacon Eamon. Derry has been a great servant to QPR as I have said and has been counted on time and time again. I firmly believe Clint, Mackie and Derry have great qualities on workmanship and effort collectively but all three of them individually have not the skill and flair of say a Faurlin or Taraabt. They were fantastic as a collective when we had a great team but since then have become the Arthur Scargills of QPR IMO. That is entirely understandable as new faces have come in to replace them and I of course feel in a way sorry for them but the club's ambition will always be bigger than any player. I say again Thank you Derry you played a very good holding role for the club and now you have gone to Millwall ... I sincerely hope Millwall don't do very well and I also hope Forest miss out also. ... Clint may go next Life goes on
No one would argue about those 3 not having the same level of skill, but they were essential to the balance of the team; hard workers that enabled the flair players to have the time and space to play. Warnock got that Championship team spot on. The club have constantly tried to replace them and not with much success. Derry, Hill and Mackie kept returning to the starting 11, the "better" replacement players generally didn't deliver. Christ, Hill is still captain! We all know he is not good enough, but he is still there. Mackie still played in 29 league matches last season and who did Redknapp turn to when he wanted to shore up the defence? Derry. If only he was a few years younger.
Derry has had a clear pop in his way, Mackie also albeit in a covert way... i am saying thank you to them and lets move on but they are not good enough today it's very clear to me and I stand that they have played their parts in the dressing room rift. If Hill was to go then I would expect him to comment also and they have a great point because they must have felt under valued its understandable. Derry doesn't miss anyone he has been quoted and some of his family are Millwall ... he wants to stay at Millwall etc etc .. if that isn't fickle then what is? Hill played his part in our championship team but thankfully mainly at left back. I agree fully they were hard workers and NW got the blend spot on using Adel and the soldier ants and in turn generated the excellent team spirit ... as you know I believe NW then killed that in one quick swoop and in turn for me anyway revealed the true quality of HIll, Derry and Mackie ... again i would never criticise their work ethic but all footballers seem to get a cob on when their time comes ... Derry has been no different. I will miss him but I don't believe he is good enough to hold a place in our current team ... the very reason why Henry the enforcer was purchased IMO for those games that turn into a scrap ... expect fireworks when we play Milwall
The bottom line is Derry, Hill and Mackie had good reason to have a pop at the so-called skillful mercenaries who gave up on us last year. Players who progress through the 'school of hard knocks' know that they eventually made it through a great deal of hard effort, not blessed with the natural skill of some of the prima-donnas, their hard-work ethic for the good of the team is just as important and the supporters recognise this very quickly. A good barometer of that was shown at Wembley last night where Rickie Lambert became an instant hero but, just as importantly, the fans knew just how much he's done to reach that moment and what it meant to him...
Agree Sooper that hard work is a major contribution but football is changing fast and I am from the school that promotes the ball to do most of the work ... it's the game now and Derry could once in a while pick a pass. I would always side with skill over grunt although I totally accept you need both at times. Lambert ... great story and a good header and yes he is a hero ... that is exactly how daft the English think ... and in there lies the problem. pleased for him but missed two easier chances that's how i judge players in teh national side ... because all England are ...a collection of fair to good players but not a team game in game out. Really pleased that Lambert took his chance as he is a very good player. When England realise that we have players in the top three divisions then things may change .. but the FA and their systems is all furcoat and no knickers. Papers are already talking about Lambert being the answer? ... why because he scored an unmarked header. Skill and flair mixed with a team effort however boring will win the major prizes ... Spain, Germany, Brazil, Italy and the Dutch ... add to that Argentina, Croatia, Africa etc etc all will have gone through 2 sides befire England forge a team IMO. English people have to change their outlook on football and Derry, Mackie and Hill who done brilliantly for QPR are IMO old skool
Well I'm 54 and I pull on the Hooped shirt at Loftus Road, the Hoops are just a little bit "stretched", if you know what I mean.
Totally agree. Trouble is some people prefer athletes to footballers.....i'd rather have a creative player over a mackie for example...
I am QPR because of creative players: Taarabt for me has captured my old boyhood memories that made us such an attractive team: Shaun Derry did a great job for our club but so did many of our players. we will be back Look at the school end: and watch Dave Thomas [video=youtube;MFpSBBLGy50]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFpSBBLGy50[/video]
