Chris Martin scores From the corner he puts the ball in the net. Derby in paradise (I did warn you). 3-0
Full time 3-0 In the end it was a comfortable win for Derby. We gave it a go early in the second half but didn't get the goal, and Derby saw out the rest of the game with ease. Look forward to hearing from those who were there.
Thought Powell had agreed that sordell was rubbish why does he start he's worse than church without a doubt. Very poor can't dress it up useless poor poor performance result so there will be no Riga is the messiah posts tonight I fear
Think we should try the way Spain won the Euros when they didn't use any strikers... probably have a better chance to score
I agree Mike in that the losses under Jose Riga so far in his first 6 games eg two 3-0 losses do seem more severe than those under Chris Powell. Maybe three strikers was not the way to go in this game.
Don't have much to say about the game. All for the second half being an improvement, but it's pretty easy considering Derby knew they had the game won. Few decent chances were handled well by their keeper, but their defenders won't have many easier days on the whole. Summed it up when we couldn't find a breakthrough, they go and get a corner and score!!
So the top 3 teams have all beaten us 3-0. I didn't really understand the way we were set up, with Obika almost like a left wing-back and Sordell totally isolated up front. Derby tore us to pieces in the first half and I was hoping we'd get to half-time at 1-0, but we cracked under the pressure, and only a fantastic save by Hamer kept it at 2-0. You could blame mistakes by Wiggins and Jackson for the 2 goals, but when you're under that sort of pressure mistakes are likely. I feared a cricket score, but the introduction of Harriott for Sordell, with Obika back in the middle balanced the team, and we at least put them under some pressure. I liked the look of Petrucci when he came on which was the only positive I took from the match. I didn't think Jose had a good game, I don't like it when managers try to be too clever, and putting Obika on the left touchline and having Hamer aim all his goal-kicks out there didn't work. I don't usually like Cousins on the right, but putting him out there in the second half I thought helped, and Poyet played much better when he was the only def-mid. Reza was completely useless, just as bad as Sordell if not worse, I don't think I've seen him doing anything of note, and Roland needs to take a hard look at the scouting network which Richard Murray was so enthusiastic about.
Nothing like a good dose of repetition. Powell got a good win against QPR though and they were fairly high up and the Leicester home win was as well.
Strange tactics yesterday. 4-5-1 to start, with strikers playing as wingers covering back (at no point in the first half did it look like 4-3-3). I think the intention may have been to absorb Derby attacks and move quickly forward on the counter. We never found out... Could have been similar intentions to the Forest match, just that Derby are good, and prevented that. Switched to 4-4-2 with Harriott and then 4-4-1-1 with Pigott. Both of these looked more solid. Derby were comfortable throughout. They hassled, harried, passed well. No space on the ball. They were full value for the win, and we couldn't have complained if it had been 5+ I will have nightmares now about Reza playing in the RB position. Derby got their lead, doubled it, and sat back. I don't think Jackson would be able to explain what he was doing for the second goal (it looked worse from the away end than in the highlights shown on the big screen), but like FHB says, that's what happens. I was most concerned by the reaction to both first half goals. They don't look a close bunch from that. Harriott for Reza made a difference. Thought Pigott did OK in the circumstances, but am aware he's not the solution to the problems. He put Obika through one on one on the goalie. Lots of work for Obika to do, but he ended up turning around and passing instead. He wasn't the only one. Goals continue to be a big problem for Riga. The corner routine that ended with Morrison crossing from the far side was very strange indeed. Cousins my Charlton MOTM, but he wasn't in the top 5 on the pitch. It's all about points, so a win at Leeds will change everything. It just feels like survival is not going to happen, and the fixture pile-up will be a major obstacle. Captain might be happy to know they played 'Paradise' when Chris Martin scored. During a corner (sponsored by Long Eaton golf supplies or whoever), I noticed an ad for Derby's youtube channel. The tagline was 'Get inside the rams'. As if Derby folk needed any encouragement.
Don't you worry, I've already made that joke. I could hear it on the radio as well. Cheers for the match reports FHB and IA. Re the comments about team closeness - I'd expect players to give others a rollicking after conceding goals like we did yesterday. The defence is the one part of our side that has remained more or less constant, so I'd be surprised if they were at each other's throats on the training ground.
Oh I meant more than Hamer wandering around the pitch shouting his head off. Hard to explain. More despondent, I-don't-want-to-talk-to-anyone stuff. I could have misinterpreted.
