About time the players looked at themselves. They've talked the talk but they're not walking the walk. Okay, odd team selection and the first goal was six foot offside, but it has been a long time since they played to anywhere near their potential. We had our chances and didn't take them. Very frustrating. Entirely predictable as the game panned out.
such a depressing day! i'm sure it's all been said but along with ridiculous team selection, 2 good goals (though one was offside!) and opposition that had a game plan that someone forgot to tell us about, it was hideous for 60 minutes. Interestingly, the minute applause at 60 mins from the 1881 seemed to get the team lifted a bit, but Munari and Vydra not starting was bonkers, they changed the game when they came on. Agreed, Bond??? Why on earth would he be MotM? For 60 mins the only player really giving it anything was Fessi, and although he gets greedy and doesn't always see the right next pass, at least he works like a Trojan and his passes go to someone wearing yellow! Is Deeney so amazing that we can't sub him?? I would have taken him off and kept Ighalo on..he wasn't great but he had more about him than Deeney today (and often!). And what did Anya do when he came on? Bring back Battocchio please!! I can't wait to see Abdi and Angella back, but what we need is a team that plays as a team, less changes, more accurate passing, and goals! Please Pozzos/Joca...sort it before it's too late.
We've dropped to 7th, not read any more on the game or what not. However, two more losses and well, big questions may well be asked....
I'll rub my beard. I doubt it really... Back to back wins is what we need - Dyche??? Right, Gonna put my neck out, we are NOT going up this season.
He says he left our best players out for tactical reasons.............I can only think that Jokanovic is mentally ill!
I really don't understand all the disquiet over our new Head Coach - he's hardly had any time in which to mould a team to his way of thinking, a process that takes time, not a magic wand. Sean Dyche was given time & next to bugger-all to work with - he managed well in spite of early outpourings of 'replace him' from certain sections. As this shows - http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/23/brisbane-roar-mike-mulvey-sacked-report - it's a tough life being a football coach. After back-to-back titles and being named last season's coach of the year, sacked after six games. A ludicrous state of affairs.
It's not often I don't enjoy a game but that was one of those occasions. Like most at the game, the team selection was bewildering but that was just the start. We appeared read to sit back right from the first whistle, allowing Derby to get comfortable while they played the ball neatly around and moved into space while we looked on. Watching it was hard to see whether this was meant to be tactical on our part - catch them on the break with pace - or whether too many players simply didn't fancy it. I wouldn't want to read too much into body language, facial expressions, arguments with team-mates and general lack of movement but this did not look like a happy camp. I wonder whether the likes of Paredes, Tocszer and Ekstrand are becoming disaffected with life in the UK. When we did eventually begin to have a bit of possession the idea seemed to be either to pass back to Bond or to give the ball to Andrews. The latter is neat enough on the ball but he's no Abdi and wasn't helped by players ahead of him either not finding space or not competing hard enough for 50/50 balls. We did final come to life after an hour or so, though why that spark wasn't evident straight after the interval is a mystery. As everyone has said Munari and Vydra must have been outraged by what they were watching. They certainly showed passion and energy when they came on. The goal was a lovely bit of football and the Derby winner a cracking shot, though the efforts to close the shooter down were half-hearted. Defensively we have glaring weaknesses - full backs who forget where they should be and who can't tackle and central defenders who often seem bewildered about where they should be when facing corners and free kicks. A word about our captain who spent more energy arguing with the ref than doing what he's really there for. He looked sluggish on the ground and not as convincing in the air as usual. Perhaps he needs reminding a captain should be able to provide example and encouragement as well as criticism. FF I'd exempt from some of the criticism to the extent that he never gave up trying BUT he still falls over too easily and, despite his obvious skills, he's like the punters on a hide the thimble scam...offer him the choice of dribble, shoot or pass and he generally chooses the wrong one. Sorry if this sounds very negative...my match experience wasn't helped by the relentless tirade of negativity from the braindeads in the row behind. If I was a younger man, I think I might have offered to flatten one or two of them!
A very good summing up Theo. I think the reaction from fans to yesterday is the culmination of believing we have the best squad in the division, of being told we are serious about promotion (to the point that we are on our 4th manager of the season) and the frustration that we are seeing very little evidence of this on the pitch. What was the formation yesterday? No one seems to be clear on this, I couldn't tell, and thus what was the game plan? No evidence of either. We seem to have a collection of very talented individuals who need to be moulded into a team. Of course we are going to have good moments, because the players are talented. But as soon as we come up against a well organised team, we fall apart. Needs sorting and needs sorting quickly. Of course it takes time, but I suspect there is not a lot of it available.
[video=youtube;wbrTaBIsqrA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbrTaBIsqrA&list=UUptKljTrbdMTgmuekGKhRug[/video] Their first looks a bit off-side, but what cracking finishes! Also, strange tactics - http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sp...dra_and_Munari_left_out_for_tactical_reasons/
Teams go up, talented individuals do not. Financial stability - great; 4-sided ground - great; strong, talented squad - great; inexperienced, clueless coaches - not so great.....
Have to say I didn't think the first goal was off-side and to be honest Derby were better then us. The Pozzo's need to think much more ahead than Italian or Spanish football cos the premiership is far better than both. In the end of the day we lost to a better side than us. They're probably Premiership material and we aren't.
I would politely disagree with you yellowtoyou........in the second half when the idiot finally came to his senses and two of our strongest players came onto the field we subsequently had Derby on the rack ( even McClaren acknowledges this). Had we started with a strong squad I don't believe we would have lost
Alas I have to agree on the video evidence. Certainly not what I thought at the time. Normally I am pretty vociferous on these things but remained quiet along with most others around me even though we all thought it was off-side. I think I can see why.
If we are going to say we lost because of an off side goal which wasn't we are clutching at straws - it wasn't off side and for the rest of the match we were second best. I am beginning to doubt if the managerial switch was a good move,
Not quite what I watched, but an interesting different view of the game. http://inthewolfsmouth.com/2014/11/22/devils-advocate-derby-county-h-221114/
Agreed. The first half we were nowhere near them (incidentally they were playing the high pressing game, why don't we do this more? Gives the opposition no time to think). Second half we were so much better and challenged to save a point well. Having said that, I think we may have seen the 'Leicester' of this season. I think they'll be champions, so we just need to be positive and move on again...
To read some of the comments on the game I can only assume a lot of people left at half time. We should have won the game in the second half and could easily have done so. They scored with virtually the only good attempt they had in the second half and we stupidly backed off anyway. We have nothing to fear if we can just play well for more than about 30 minutes! In terms of the team (other than the issues already mentioned like Dyer ) I would drop Ekstrand and Bassong for Angella and Cathcart for Cardiff. Both were disappointing (Ekstrand is making a habit of it this season in my opinion) including Bassong deciding to make clearances as frightening as possible by just loitering on the ball.
What a relief to read a thoughtful alternative view of the game - compared to the numpties who think we should win every game, who know our best side in every circumstance, who know how every mistake could have been avoided, who know how every goal scored against us is the fault of another clueless foreign manager who doesn't understand the English game, doesn't understand the English Championship etc etc blah blah blah. Put it another way - we scored the best goal of the game, and if Vydra's shot 2 minutes later had gone in, and bryson's speculative blast had missed what would we all be saying ? When were we last turned over comprehensively since Norwich ? I was disappointed with our first half and yet Derby only scored with 1 spectacular shot - accepting that forestieri is no defender, and paredes had gone missing - and Derby are supposed to be premiership material. The head coach made sensible substitutions, we played much better, we could easily have won. We lost to another spectacular (speculative ?) shot. When did we last lose by more than 1 goal - oh yes, Norwich away. Losing 3 in a row is not fun - whether we are top middle or bottom - but better now than March or April. Finally, are we paying more to watch because the owners have put together a better squad with more promise than before ? No ! Just be grateful we are where we are and not where we might have been !
