Next up - Derby

Fair enough Stretchy, we were winning a lot in the air, most of the time. I think it's a problem of the system, more than a failing of Keane or a certain player, in particular. We need a more joined-up approach up top, agreed. I know a lot of us have been banging the drum for two up top, well we got that for most of the match against Norwich, when Harrison came on, and they handled it fairly comfortably.

 

By direct football, I hope we go for the opposition, but cut out the tepid, stale passing. I don't necessarily want to see us hurling long balls in the box, as you say it doesn't always work, but I'm hoping Chalobah, Bishop, and Judge can have the licence to play some through ball on the ground. Whether that's down the management instructions preventing this, or a complete lack of vision, I'm unsure, but Judge certainly has a good through ball in his locker. Knudsen is completely ineffective in the attacking third. He needs to pass before he gets in that area because the opposition handle his crosses easily. He wasted a few decent wide opportunities against Norwich. It's unfortunately fairly common.

Who would you start Hampy? An attacking trio of Quaner, Harrison, and Keane and tell them to put themselves a bit? Judge and Bishop behind them and Downes / Chalobah sitting deeper? Would invite a lot of pressure, but I'd like to think we'd score! Skuse should not be starting this game. But he will. Unfortunately.

 

There was one particularly great moment when Harrison squared the ball - it was a fantastic move and we deserved a goal from that.

I don't know how much of it we can engineer and how much of it is just not coming naturally because of all the chopping and changing and lack of confidence.

But I don't think I have seen us camp in the opposition half for an hour in any other game - I think this is the first time our midfield play and movement was of a standard we should expect. There were just those occasional moments when you could see a player didn't have the confidence to slip the forward in and played another pass out wide or to the side instead.

I would not play Quaner at all and I would look to the two players who have been able to find the net, not in great numbers but they've been up against it - Edwards and Jackson.

Judge is in another class so I'm sure he's first name on the team sheet.

Harrison and Keane both offer something, and something very different to each other, but neither are going to get loads of goals so rotating those two to complete the forward four.

Then in midfield I'd favour Downes over Bishop, it's tight but he just seems to have a bit more of a spark at the moment.

However, we know it's going to be a front three and that Edwards is not in any danger of starting a game - so I expect him to go with Harrison / Judge / Keane tonight.

 

I'd like to see Edwards given another opportunity. I actually hoped he would've started against Norwich, because of his performance against them earlier in the season. Unfortunately, Edwards' away form has been poor, like ours as a whole I guess. I think this upcoming double header, both games at home, is a great time to reintroduce him to the side, particularly as Sears is out injured and we don't appear to have any natural wingers in the squad. But yes, likely a front three with Harrison Judge, and Keane. I'd then play Bishop, Chalobah, and Downes behind them.

If we're chasing the game though, I'd like Lambert to try another system and make some bold substitutions. His subs are usually like-for-like and far too late in the game to make much of a difference (unless forced by injury). I'd like to see him be more proactive and imaginative in that respect, especially if we're behind.

 

Always my biggest bugbear with McCarthy. I'm sure his reluctance to make changes on the 60-70 minute mark cost us a tonne of points. On too many occasions he would leave it until the 85 minute mark and then, frankly, what's the point? Lambert often seems to like to make one change after an hour or so but as you say not to change the momentum of a match.

 

4-4-2 diamond then, more shades of Paul Jewell from Jewell 2.0.

Brave formation - you either boss CM and really get ontop......... or their wide boys absolutely rip you a good un.

Still, it's something new and will free up Judge. Can we do it? COYB.

 

Nuggets pretty much got it bang on.

Knudsen at CB where he can’t do any harm on the left wing.

 

Bree, kenlock, Pennington and knudsen in defence???? Oh my days.. this will be a landslide ...embarrassing 0-4

 

The winger approach evidently hasn't been working, so it's good to see us try something else. 2 up top, midfield not bound by two DMs. I quite like it. Still think we'll lose though.

 

What a start!!!

 

Jesus christ.

 

Wahey, gooooooooalllllllllllll

 

For the first time this season, absolutely proud of that performance. Every man ran and fought their heart out. With a bit more luck we could've won that. They'll all sleep well tonight, they all looked fooked at three end

 

Yep great performance tonight, fans were great. Nice Norwich were brought back down to earth too, Sheffield just 2 points behind now.

 

Good performance, thought we edged it. Got lucky at the end when Derby fluffed their lines, but like I hoped, we kept the ball well and played the right kind of balls down the flanks. Derby looked shaky at the back though.

Quick thoughts from the game: Another struggling game for Bart, Knudsen looked much better at centre back, he had a good game, and full backs weren’t bad. Chalobah and Bishop both had good games I thought and Quaner and Keane were good in the air. Judge was a menace, good do better from dead balls.

Shame Reading won, really. Despite the good performance and a credible draw, the gap widens.

 

Wasn’t at the game but happy that judge is now playing in his best position as a number 10 behind the striker/s. When Skuse & Chambers are both fit again, will be PL be brave enough to keep them out of the 1st 11?

 

Barring the soft early goal that was a good performance,trouble is draws just aren’t enough to dig us out of this hole.At least we are showing signs of going down with a bit of a fight though.

 

Three winnable games to come now. The great escape is on.

 

I’d argue we looked a lot better without Chambers and Skuse. Especially in midfield. Hopefully Lambert continues that, but as Royston says, will he be prepared to make that decision?

 

I don’t know, but when I said we need to end this season with momentum to take into next, it looks as though we might actually get that.

The margins are so tight, I think if the effort at the end is a couple of inches lower the players and fans would be deflated again.