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Rams lucky to have Hendrick

Curtains

By Curtains
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uttoxram75

uttoxram75

Posted
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Agree that OB was MOTM - never put a foot wrong, but the victory was made by the inteligence of Hendrick and Hughes in midfield. They snuffed out everything that Tranmere tried. It didn't seem spectacular, but we won because our two central midfielders understand the game in a way that is beyond many of the players on the pitch. This might bite me, but I reckon that both Hughes and Hendrick will go on to captain their countries.

I said in the matchday thread that it was men vs boys, my point was that our men were 17 and 20! Hughes and Hendrick looked easily in control of the midfield today. At their age its phenomenal really (not just today) they are dominating older seasoned pros and getting better by the game. They seem to be building an understanding and Jeff is getting more confident by the game.

These two can give us a decent 2nd half of the season.

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ladyram

ladyram

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Bryson told us today that he might be back next week.

The good thing is that it's not often Nigel is in a position to be able to pick and choose his team.

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DCFCfranco

DCFCfranco

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Hendrick and hughes are willing to put tackles in and are better on the ball. The only thing bryson has going for him is his stamina. I don't think he's that vital we've not really missed him since he's been injured. He should be on the bench unless hughes or jeff hit poor form.

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Leicester Ram

Leicester Ram

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Hendrick and hughes are willing to put tackles in and are better on the ball. The only thing bryson has going for him is his stamina. I don't think he's that vital we've not really missed him since he's been injured. He should be on the bench unless hughes or jeff hit poor form.

excuse me?

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Alph

Alph

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I prefer Bryson to Hendrick myself.

Bryson hasn't been too sharp lately though carrying that injury. I don't see the need to rush him back.

He just offers more around the pitch than Hendrick. Hendrick can be a bit easy going. Not an insult to Jeff. Nothing wrong with keeping it simple and ticking over. On his day he's a much better player than that anyway.

Just with Bryson I think he's more supportive to other players. He adds urgency. And he's the same every week (unless injured).

It's a nice problem.

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RodleyRam

RodleyRam

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The great thing about our midfield in last couple of games with jacobs dropping in is that they're all proper footballers. The understanding of simple passing and movement is dictated by hughes but complimented by hendrick, coutts, jacobs and davies who all get how to actually play the game properly. For me hendrick is a better parter for Will than bryson at the moment because he's stronger and can mix it. unbelievable that these two youngsters can take experienced midfields to pieces.

Hendrick plays better without bryson too it seems. Maybe the extra responsibility makes him step up...

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ChaddesdenRam

ChaddesdenRam

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Really good interview with Jeff here:

Finally shook of the second season syndrome and is becoming a good player that knows where to be at the right time.

....

GIOVANNI Trapattoni has generally left the second tier of the English club scene untroubled in his four years in charge of the Ireland team, so his presence at last weekend's Championship meeting of Brighton and Derby County could prove to be significant -- especially if your name is Jeff Hendrick.

The 20-year-old midfielder is in a rich vein of form with Derby, and a run of three goals in three games for Nigel Clough's side is the sort of goal-scoring return that midfielders can only dream of.

Hendrick is generally regarded as one of Ireland's finest young midfield prospects and only this week Kevin Kilbane was talking up the Coolock lad as a player who could even get a move to the Premier League.

Kilbane saw Hendrick first hand from his own spell on loan to Derby last season.

With so few Irishmen playing in midfield in the top flight -- only Glenn Whelan, Darron Gibson, Wes Hoolahan and James McCarthy can be considered as Premier League regulars in central midfield -- Trap will eventually be forced to turn the page and look to the Championship to bulk up the international squad, and that could lead to uncapped players like Hendrick getting the nod.

"I didn't know that Trapattoni was at our game last week, it's hard to pick one face out of a crowd of 25,000 and I only knew about it when someone told me a couple of days later," Hendrick told the Evening Herald, having scored in a 2-1 defeat for his side as Trapattoni watched last weekend as compatriots Richard Keogh, Mark O'Brien, Conor Sammon and Gary Dicker were also on view for the Irish boss.

"Even if I had known in advance that he was coming to see Derby it wouldn't have made me change my game, you can't let things like that get to you. It's not a big deal for me at the moment, I still have two years left at under-21 level and that's my focus now. But it's nice to be scoring goals and know that the Ireland manager is at least having a look.

"I got a text the other day about the squad for the under-21 game against Holland in Tallaght next month so I'm not counting on getting a place in the senior squad for the moment.

"I've enjoyed playing for the under-21s. We have a good squad and a good manager there and maybe we can push on and try to qualify for the Euros in the next campaign.

"I think for me to get into the seniors I'll need to do well with the under-21s and do well for Derby but if both of those things can happen then maybe it could come around for me, once I get some more experience."

A few years ago, Hendrick and Robbie Brady were team-mates with the St Kevin's Boys back home in Dublin and the dream was to make it at the top level in England and also play for Ireland.

Together

Brady has reached one of those targets and is expected to win his fifth senior cap against Poland next month.

"Myself and Robbie grew up playing together, since we were eight," says Hendrick.

"Robbie is flying at the moment with the move to Hull and his run in the Irish team. Hull are doing really well in the Championship and they have a great chance of getting into the Premier League for next year.

"I'm still good mates with Robbie, we meet up a fair bit with the Irish teams and I saw him when we played Hull a while back.

"We had a good team at Kevin's. You still have myself, Robbie Brady, Cian Bolger and Eoin Wearen over in England, the rest are back in Ireland now," says Hendrick.

The midfielder had a number of offers on the table when he was leaving Ireland at the age of 16 but opted for Derby, feeling that that the Championship club offered a more reliable path to success.

"I just liked the feel of the place from the first time I came," he says.

"When you went to other clubs sometimes you were made to feel like an outsider but at Derby they made a real effort to make you feel welcome and fit in.

"I knew that if I worked hard and did well I'd get a chance to play for the first team. At somewhere like Derby if you're good enough you will get a chance," added Hendrick, who made his debut for the Rams in April 2011 and has since made 74 appearances.

He seemed to struggle for goals but he's found a scoring touch in recent weeks, with four goals in the last seven games.

"My own form is pretty good. At the start of the season I struggled with my form a bit, but the last two months have been really good for me and I just want to get stronger and better," he admits.

"I have no idea why the season started badly for me but my confidence was just really low, and now I have my confidence back and a spring in my step, my game has improved and I'm trying things again.

Target

"I just had to dig deep, keep working hard in training until things turned for me and thankfully the season turned for me.

"It's nice to get on the scoresheet and hopefully I can keep that going.

"My target for the season was to hit double figures and I'm halfway there now, so if I can kick on in the second half of the season I might get there.

"This was a big season for me. I'm not a kid of 18 any more, I'm nearly 21 so I need to be moving on with my career, going further.

"Our aim for the season has to be to push into the playoffs and try to get Derby back into the Premier League, that's where a club of this size needs to be."

- Aidan Fitzmaurice

....

I didn't know the Ireland manager was there watching him.

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dabber

dabber

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Thanks for sharing that Shabash.

How does everyone interpret the quote...

"This was a big season for me. I'm not a kid of 18 any more, I'm nearly 21 so I need to be moving on with my career, going further"

This could become a problem with a few of the "young stars" if the overall team does not progress at a rate that matched their ambitions they might be off. However, if we get a good price we can accelerate the slow and steady build process, it could work out in the end or...

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Big Dave

Big Dave

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Glad you chose us Jeff. Looked great again yesterday. Would of scored yesterday i believe if he had not been hauled down when on a great run. Ref got it right with yellow card but it was a cynical foul.

Man of the match was between Hendrick and Keogh for me yesterday. He got it down when he could and didn't seem to lose possesion much. He has hit a real good run of form, I feel his good performance made up for Hughes having such bad one.

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