Next up - Derby

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Westlake33

Well-Known Member
May 19, 2011
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After a 3-0 defeat to Norwich, we look to ' bounce back ' at home to Derby. Our attempts at ' bouncing back ' are very similar to Alan Partridge.

We've now lost 8 games in 9, and collected 9/48 available points under Lambert. Let that sink in. Approaching 50 points, we've taken single figures. Oh and throw in a cup loss into the mix also........

Now I can only really comment fully on the first half of Norwich, but after we settled, we looked not too bad..... dare I say. Not good, but after the first 15 minutes I thought it was quite an even half. Thought Keane was good at hold up, and we were a lot better going a lot more direct with two up top. Stick with that and we may have a chance of getting some points!

Derby pose a strong challenge - a good side, who sit 7th just outside the top 6.

It's hard to really put forward a case of us winning, bar the ' well we cannot lose every game. '

Derby have an extra rest day too............

I'll chuck in a 1-1 draw, for no particular reason - bar it being a result that won't help either of us especially.

C O Y B
 
Can Lambert lift them to anything other than a defeat?I’m not optimistic.

BTW I assume the red card means he serves a touch line ban?
 
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They've shown they can play today. Can we put in a similar performance but cut out the defensive mistakes or score a goal?

We need to start building on performances so we have a good shot at Wigan and Reading.

Annoyingly can't watch and no way to record the red button.
 
I think we'll win... Not sure why.

Derby are due their usual wobble and they've been decent recently, but unable to put teams away, so hopefully we have one of those nights where Bart is like a Brick wall and Keane bundles one in with his shin to give us a faint glimmer of hope.
 
YorkieLancsHampyLondoner said:
Leeds and Sheffield United should be looking over their shoulder, Norwich are heading for the title.
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I backed Boro and West Brom at the start of the season and I still think the Baggies will find themselves in the top 2 by the end of the season..

Think there will be a wobble or two from Norwich & Leeds so depends on who can ride it out more effectively as any of that top 5 could feasibly go on a long winless run, or equally a long unbeaten run so will chop and change positions a few times.
 
Scowey said:
I backed Boro and West Brom at the start of the season and I still think the Baggies will find themselves in the top 2 by the end of the season..

Think there will be a wobble or two from Norwich & Leeds so depends on who can ride it out more effectively as any of that top 5 could feasibly go on a long winless run, or equally a long unbeaten run so will chop and change positions a few times.
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If you ignore the first five matches then Norwich would be ten points clear at the top now. You never know but I think they will run home with it now.
 
We won't win this one either. I understand that mid-week evening games at Portman Road used to be a guaranteed win a few years ago. If we are to have any chance of staying up (and congratulations to those hardy, optimistic fans who believe we can still do it), we need to win our home games. Derby aren't overly special, but they're well-drilled and pretty inventive. Years of over-spending appear to be paying off, finally.

I'll go for a fairly scrappy 2-0 defeat.
 
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Southcoastoldgaffer said:
Have to say that I am almost past getting too worked up about a game.

I cant recall being this uninspired for, what 60 years.

Sorry! Hope for better things in L1!
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I’m with you gaffer, I don’t even bother with a prediction anymore.

However, if things don’t get any worse for us in the next couple of weeks the form of the sides around us has been equally abysmal and we still have two immediate opponents left to play so I haven’t entirely given up hope. Let’s see if we can beat Reading and Wigan and if we are still within 5 points of 21st after we face Bolton.
 
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Appears curtains Hampy. Suppose we have the ' game in hand ' tonight v Derby, so possible to trim to 7.

Stoke would appear a chance ( yes player for player they are class ) but they aren't right. Probably the type of side at H that you'd want to play now as opposed to a side with something to play for.

Wigan A provides a chance, with Reading H after.

These four games, with 3 at home and a poor side away do provide an opportunity IF
* We put everything on the line like we did at Norwich for 90 minutes each match.
* Cut out stupid dumb mistakes like Pennington v Norwich
* Can take the lead and hold on.

Do I expect us to get 7/12 minimum required from these 4 fixtures? Absolutely not. We're pants. But it's the final of final chances I guess you could say.

Fair play to Bolton last night, going to Birmingham and winning. I don't care how they did it, but give me a s***house 1-0 away win rather than people creaming their pants at losing 3-0 to Norwich, their best win of the season, and our joint worst ever loss in the derby. Cry me a river.
 
Westlake33 said:
Appears curtains Hampy. Suppose we have the ' game in hand ' tonight v Derby, so possible to trim to 7.

Stoke would appear a chance ( yes player for player they are class ) but they aren't right. Probably the type of side at H that you'd want to play now as opposed to a side with something to play for.

Wigan A provides a chance, with Reading H after.

These four games, with 3 at home and a poor side away do provide an opportunity IF
* We put everything on the line like we did at Norwich for 90 minutes each match.
* Cut out stupid dumb mistakes like Pennington v Norwich
* Can take the lead and hold on.

Do I expect us to get 7/12 minimum required from these 4 fixtures? Absolutely not. We're pants. But it's the final of final chances I guess you could say.

Fair play to Bolton last night, going to Birmingham and winning. I don't care how they did it, but give me a s***house 1-0 away win rather than people creaming their pants at losing 3-0 to Norwich, their best win of the season, and our joint worst ever loss in the derby. Cry me a river.
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Stoke’s form is rotten but I expect them to look at us and fancy the game. I would say six points including taking the points off Reading would be a very good achievement.

But even if we do that I have a sense of dread that a couple of the other sides are going to start turning their draws into some wins.
 
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Yeah agreed - it's likely even if we have an upturn, Rotherham / Bolton + Reading may have a couple of wins in them each. Credit to Bolton again last night, really solid away win - see if they can push on.

18 points for us to date in 31 games is unacceptable.
 
I'm now watching the game tonight (for my sins) and I'm hoping we get to see something different than recent games. After seeing our most recent attempt at playing 'on the floor' football, surely we've now got to revert to a more direct style that we played under Mick and drop all pretense that this squad can play football? If only to try and get results after Bolton's win last night and another Rotherham draw.

Keep Bart in goal, he's better than Gerken. I've been against Knudsen coming back into the side, but for the sake of experience and stability, put him at left back but for God's sake, don't let him attack. He cannot cross the ball. None of our full-backs can. So scrap this stupid system of full-backs overlapping and focus on getting the ball forwards through other means. Let's drop Skuse, who still looks half-fit and has been poor lately, and have a midfield trio of player that look for the ball - Downes, Chalobah, and Bishop. Instruct them to play balls in the channel and for Bishop to run at defenders. Get Judge and Harrison out on the flanks to challenge for balls and make sure Keane actually lays off the ball to somebody rather than heading into dead space!

Something resembling this system, which I admit doesn't sound appealing, may get us a win. Doing what we've been doing, and failing, for the past month won't cut it. I'd happily sit through a fairly dull match if we pick up the win. I think we're relegated, but while we've still got a mathematical chance, this team should be aiming to get points on the board.
 
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Nuggets - i agree with your line up, makes complete sense....although i think thats a bit harsh on Keane. He was doing his job of wining the headers, but it's not his fault no one was withing 50 yards of him to pick them up. If no one is going to run on behind him for the flicks, then he needs to back up a couple of yards and hold the ball up, lay it off and then spin off towards the box. We play "3" up top, but they don't work in any unity, and are all a million miles from each other...as is our midfield.
 
Most of our lobbed balls in were dealt with with ease against Norwich. One chance in particular stands out in my mind when Keane completely fluffed a header that should have tested the 'keeper. Also, nearly everything good started down the left so I don't agree for Knudsen not to attack.

It's too late for us to go down the route of keeping it tight and going for 0-0 or 1-1 in these types of games - the only way we can possibly survive is to just accept our shortcomings and weaknesses, go for it exactly as we did against Norwich. If we go 1-0 up we need to keep on at it because we can't defend a one goal lead and if we go 1-0 down we need to not let our heads drop and play exactly the same way.

My instruction to Keane would just be to give the defenders a hard game. Be physical, give them the run around, try and get in behind whenever there is a through ball on, try and win everything in the air and don't worry too much where it goes because some of them are going to drop nicely - just give them a tough game.

Completely agree about Skuse though. We are exposed anyway so we should have those attack minded lads in there.

It will be interesting to see what happens.
 
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