vonwright

He's picked a team of runners and battlers who are running and battling. Not pretty but they've done alright, ridden their luck and frankly what else can he do?
 

Jagielka was 31 when Derby signed Chris Martin from Norwich.
(Just checked and to be fair he was 30, didn't turn 31 for another couple of months.)

Jagielka was 31 when Derby signed Chris Martin from Norwich.
(Just checked and to be fair he was 30, didn't turn 31 for another couple of months.)

That’s the thing. You can see he is skilled and a canny budget signing so far but we won’t see the best until the unit surrounding him is a step better in ability … but more to the point, self believing and confident enough to be more front footed. 
 
what pleases me is that his temperament is pretty normal aggressive sportsman. No saint, but no lose cannon either. 
 
One man won’t win matches … ever … but one man can glue a team together in the right way and make those moments that turn games happen. 
 
Lot to do, but I’m happy with what I’ve seen 

Quality player, always seems to find time & space on the ball. Does need to be better in his decision making like Hull away I think it was when he could have put Sibley through but went himself.
I cannot wait to see him & Bielik play in the same midfield!

That's fine but it could also get us relegated. Plus, it's not exactly either-or: it's not a matter of 100% 'boot it up to the target man' v 100% 'play it around at the back at all costs'. Surely we should be able to tweak our system when the other team starts pressing so at least we aren't so predictable?
Birmingham play fairly pragmatic football. I guess you could call it 'ugly' but their fans are a lot happier than ours today. Our pretty passing isn't bringing as much joy as we think it is!

That's fine but it could also get us relegated. Plus, it's not exactly either-or: it's not a matter of 100% 'boot it up to the target man' v 100% 'play it around at the back at all costs'. Surely we should be able to tweak our system when the other team starts pressing so at least we aren't so predictable?
Birmingham play fairly pragmatic football. I guess you could call it 'ugly' but their fans are a lot happier than ours today. Our pretty passing isn't bringing as much joy as we think it is!

That's fine but it could also get us relegated. Plus, it's not exactly either-or: it's not a matter of 100% 'boot it up to the target man' v 100% 'play it around at the back at all costs'. Surely we should be able to tweak our system when the other team starts pressing so at least we aren't so predictable?
Birmingham play fairly pragmatic football. I guess you could call it 'ugly' but their fans are a lot happier than ours today. Our pretty passing isn't bringing as much joy as we think it is!

Toothless performance.
I don’t mind the playing out from the back. The first 20-25mins we looked ok, without creating anything. I’d persevere, but as Wayne says mix it every now and again. I’d rather be brave than revert to the safety first tripe we saw from Feb onwards last season. But it has to have an end product. Tonight there was nothing. 
Lawrence is such a difficult player to like. I want to like him, but he makes it so hard. He’s never captain material. Petulant. Pathetic. Childish. I can’t stand those types. Awful pass for their 2nd goal. Has to do more. 

Bird tried to play, showed some nice touches. Sibley has to be stronger. Isn’t a wide man, but didn’t receive the ball when central much either. Has gone backwards massively since Cocu left. Worrying. 

We’re in big trouble with this squad. No way can we keep any level of performance up with the run of games coming up. It’s an impossible situation. I feel for Rooney as he’s trying to do the right things with nothing at his disposal.

Grim. They figured us out quickly and we have had no answer. Outplayed, out-thought and out-muscled. A lot of the players we are putting so much faith in - Sibley, Lawrence, Shinnie, Bird - have looked a couple of levels short of what we need. 

Grim. They figured us out quickly and we have had no answer. Outplayed, out-thought and out-muscled. A lot of the players we are putting so much faith in - Sibley, Lawrence, Shinnie, Bird - have looked a couple of levels short of what we need. 

Morrison is the only player that has done anything tonight. 

Grim. They figured us out quickly and we have had no answer. Outplayed, out-thought and out-muscled. A lot of the players we are putting so much faith in - Sibley, Lawrence, Shinnie, Bird - have looked a couple of levels short of what we need. 

Grim. They figured us out quickly and we have had no answer. Outplayed, out-thought and out-muscled. A lot of the players we are putting so much faith in - Sibley, Lawrence, Shinnie, Bird - have looked a couple of levels short of what we need. 

Lawrence and Sibley really need to find a way into this game. 

I don't mind the passing from the back. I like it. The problem is we have no plan B when the other team start pressing. Just keep going and going and getting into more and more trouble 
 

We need more from Lawrence. Game passing him by.

This is awful.
Sibley and Lawrence can’t keep the ball, while Shinnie and Bird are offering nothing on the ball.
It means Morrison is dropping deeper, thus creating a massive gap between the midfield and front three.
Birmingham play with two strikers. We outnumber them in midfield but we aren’t doing anything on the ball.
Crap.

I don't mind the passing from the back. I like it. The problem is we have no plan B when the other team start pressing. Just keep going and going and getting into more and more trouble 
 

I don't mind the passing from the back. I like it. The problem is we have no plan B when the other team start pressing. Just keep going and going and getting into more and more trouble 
 

They need to do the simple thing sometimes to look after the ball. 

Morrison is such a good footballer. 

Can't complain about this ref seeing as he's given all the decisions to us.... 

Exactly. They all seem completely fair questions (as does 'Have the accounts been filed?'). They all could be answered without 'prejudicing' any discussions with the EFL (whatever that is supposed to mean), or more to the point annoying the EFL. They are all things fans really, and not unreasonably, want to know. The club could quite easily have released notes from the meeting after thinking about their wording, and even running it by the EFL. I find it really hard to believe that the EFL have said 'Don't tell fans ANYTHING about ANY financial aspects of your operation or we will give you a harsher punishment than the facts of the case deserve'. That would be ridiculous, and probably illegal, and if they have said that then all football fans (and the government) should know. 

Exactly. They all seem completely fair questions (as does 'Have the accounts been filed?'). They all could be answered without 'prejudicing' any discussions with the EFL (whatever that is supposed to mean), or more to the point annoying the EFL. They are all things fans really, and not unreasonably, want to know. The club could quite easily have released notes from the meeting after thinking about their wording, and even running it by the EFL. I find it really hard to believe that the EFL have said 'Don't tell fans ANYTHING about ANY financial aspects of your operation or we will give you a harsher punishment than the facts of the case deserve'. That would be ridiculous, and probably illegal, and if they have said that then all football fans (and the government) should know.