Derby's a short journey for me, so I was at the game yesterday. As soon as I saw the line up I was worried. Everything I heard and read about the Wolves game had me expecting wholesale changes. Instead there was just one. As Surlyc said - if they'd figured out in the first half that just running at us and playing simple passes would tear us apart the game would have been over sooner. If anything Derby made hard work of it for the first hour. Yesterday must dispel any lingering suggestions that this team is going to finish anywhere near the play offs. I hardly know where to start with the performance and individuals. The youngsters at the back - Kavanagh and Burgess, just don't look ready yet. Burgess gets pushed around too much, and I really felt for Kavanagh towards the end when he was getting mugged in possession for their fourth (or fifth?). The midfield: oh dear. A left back at left mid, a right mid at centre mid, and Pat Roberts - not out of position but not his best position either - not seeing enough of the ball in the right areas. Parker's getting a fair amount of stick at the moment, but - Roberts apart - he's got no one around him he can confidently give the ball to. As for the strikers - hard to comment as there's not enough service. Woodrow looks like he could do well at this level but needs more time and looks short of confidence (they all do). McCormack must be wondering just what the hell he's done. Other failings - goodness knows what they're working on in training for set pieces. We don't look remotely like scoring from a corner. Hoogland looks average, and repeatedly hangs onto the ball himself for too long when he could play it to Roberts. It was good to see Kacaniklic coming on and looking keen and threatening, but the game was over before he'd touched the ball so hard to judge his performance. Where we go from here with or without Magath I've no idea. I certainly don't trust Khan and Mackintosh to make the right appointment if/when a change is made.
