Derby were my class side of the division first half of the season. Top at Christmas and looked certainties for an auto place. Spluttered a bit since then with autos just a distant hope now and looking over their shoulders to keep a playoff spot. A win (or maybe rather a loss) for either side will be significant - a draw would suit Derby just fine. If they win it I can't see anyone taking their top 6 spot. If we win it it's game on - a draw won't suit us at all especially with a trip to Burnley coming up on Tuesday. Even if "artificially induced", a big crowd expected tomorrow and that could go either way. I'd like to think the City lads will rise to the occasion rather than freeze at the sight of a potentially full stadium. Derby will be used to it playing regularly in front of crowds of 30,000 at the iPro but generally not away from home. Time to rachet up the pressure go for all 3 points tomorrow - nothing else will really do.
Our big crowd tomorrow could make a difference but only if they stay right behind the team as we have done recently. Trouble is that a for a lot of those attending tomorrow it will be a bit of a novelty - free tickets and all that. If things go against us and they go silent or even worse express their displeasure, then the whole thing could go sour - think home games v. Reading and West Ham in playoffs and Southampton and Hull in the Prem (and others I can't think of at present). For some strange reason we have a habit of playing poorly in big home games where there is a lot riding on it and the crowd quickly turn on the team. I just hope we can avoid that tomorrow and rekindle the sort of atmosphere we had for Man City and Man Utd at home in the Prem. It is our biggest game of the season so far and we need to win to keep our season going and put pressure on those teams around us. A win tomorrow and draw at Burnley will make for a jolly boys day out at Fulham next Saturday.
It's another game with league points up for grabs;it's the free tickets and media hype which has turned it into a big game. I do accept though that is a pivotal game for City especially. It will all depend IMO whether City play a higher tempo game or sit in and try to battle it out. Derby have more match winners and will probably go on the offensive but they do have defensive frailties which hopefully City can exploit. Redknapps influence may be influential. He does hold a hoodoo over us. I just hope that we don't die wondering today. Got to get going early doors and get the crowd acting as 12th man.
Well, we won, with a massive crowd. Not very inspiring but another result ground out. Peltier, Ralls, Immers and O'Keefe stood out for us. Doing all the hard yards and being in the right place.
Reminded me of the Ipswich match. Threatening at set pieces but not much else. I suppose at this stage it's the result rather than the performance that matters more and those 3 points were very much needed with Wednesday winning and a tough trip to Turf Moor next.
Gutsy but no flair. Our last 3 goals have come from corners; that tells a story about how impotent we are in open play. Ralls, O'Keefe & Immers immense. This idea of playing Pilkington as a striker should be reviewed. He was anonymous today, a waste of one of our best players. Crying out today for a proper striker. Immers & Pilks had to do too much up top fielding high balls. Why not give Zahora a start? Burnley away would be a perfect opportunity; we're expecting at best a point so why not give it a go? ps. Malone had a shocker today, Fabio has to replace him if fit.
A good result. Wins are win and at this stage of the year. They did what I am asking for. Defensively we have improved over the season, and for me this a big positive and is the reason we have improved. We have conceded only 7 goals in the last 10 games and 3 of those came in one match. Sometimes I read these boards after a win and it feels like we lost.
I didn't think we'd ever outplay the Derby midfield of earlier on in the season but yesterday was the day it happened - O'Keefe, Ralls and Whitts ran the show. Immers was unspectacular but effective none the less, and added to a solid looking supply chain but we're still lacking a cutting edge. Though he tried hard, Pilks looked a bit lost yesterday and I'm still not sure about Noone being able to finish from anywhere nearer than a 30 yard shot. Two set piece goals did it for us and when they go in it's great but we need to create goals from open play rather than have to rely on Manga and the midfield to win it for us. Derby were not the side I expected them to be. Having said that we won the game with a half decent performance rather than being outplayed and losing it. At this stage of the season I'd rather be doing that and keeping the playoff target in front of us and not sliding into a last half dozen friendly games with nothing to go for.
Its funny how we see things differently. I thought Pills was far from anonymous. Defended from the front held the ball well brought players into the game and was very aggressive. I hope he was subbed to protect him for Tuesday. Obviously he is not a striker and moving forward in the summer we need someone else in there. No idea if Zahore is good enough and I think we have to trust Russ that he isnt good enough to start when we are getting results. I hope this is more or less our system next season. Some pace and an out and out mobile striker and we will put in a challenge for the autos. Noone was out on his feet yesterday. Lawrence should have been introduced earlier. The change id make is Lawrence for Noone. As for Fabio I havent a clue why Malone is ahead of him. Having seen Burnley they are direct and maybe Malone should stay for this one for his extra height.
I didn't say Pilks was anonymous, I just said he tried hard but looked lost as to his role as a "back to goal" target man. He needs to run onto balls and create chances for himself and others, not to hold up and wait. I've always thought he was a class player and although he's done very well in trying to adapt, he's a bit of a square peg at the moment. I don't necessarily want to see it all the time but Route One can work but not with Pilks up there - high balls from distance are a waste of time unless they're over the top for runners.
A couple of the long balls actually managed to hit either Malone or Noone on the wings yesterday which did surprise me however Marshy clearly hasn't been blessed with the ability to effectively distribute the ball despite his immense reflexes.
It was me who said Pilks was anonymous. He was. He is not Kenwynne Jones. So why just pump balls up to him? Pilks is wasted. He has scored how many goals in open play since his new role? Yes we won but Derby were poor. I'm not too concerned with Burnley. Anything there would be a bonus - our Tuesday record is woeful! It's the likes of Fulham & Qpr & Brentford that City need to plunder. We cannot rely on scoring from corners. We have to create through midfield for the striker to run into, and for midfielders to come onto balls 20 yards out.
Hadn't noticed that Nin - apologies to Hilts for thinking it was me he was referring to. I agree Pilks has filled a very difficult role with little or no experience of playing as a focus for the supply chain. He's not shirked in his efforts to fill that role but I think we are all agreed that he is better used elsewhere on the pitch. Zohore needs to be introduced at some time and Burnley on Tuesday could be the right time - the question would then be who do you drop to make way for him? Personally I'd bench Noone and put Pilks out wide.
Agree. Pumping long balls was pointless but that wasnt PIlks fault. I would agree with Sparkey and play Pilks wide instead of Noone. But id worry Zahore isnt good enough. Therefore Lawrence in for me. Pilks stays where he is. Not ideal but we have to make do with the best weve got.
I really cannot seeing Slade making any unforced changes. I agree he's probably not convinced with Zahore; a player foisted onto him. Same as Saadi. I suspect he's worried about Fabio's impetuousity otherwise I'm sure he'd play him. Peltier is underrated; he had another very good game. If Connelly is fit, I'd stick with Morrison. He was solid enough v Martin. Lawrence for Noone feasible. Other than that the same starting X1. Fancy a draw, a win isn't out of the question mind. Burnley are well organised but when we played them at CCS, nothing special except they have that goldust, a 20 goal a season striker. If Jones & Guerra had been at Burnley, they would have done as well as Gray & Vokes.
I would stick with Noone. He asks questions of defenders that Lawrence doesn't and also covers back well. Lawrence was poor at Reading where virtually every move that went through him broke down and does not have the same goal threat. For me the only possible change would be Fabio for Malone who was poor yesterday. Connolly to come back on bench if fit. Unfortunate for him with Manga and Morrison both doing broadly well. Not sure who lost Martin for Derby's goal. It's going to be tough at Burnley with Grey needing special attention. In some respects Connolly might be more effective being more mobile and quicker across the ground.
