Derby County v Blackburn Rovers

[DCFCfranco]

There was definitely a gulf in class in the players on the pitch.

On paper blackburn are very good and for the first half looked to live up to that. We did improve in the second half but we were still poor.

But a good point 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

[networker1884]

Hmm, where to start,

Lego looked good, will keep Frankie out if Clough's got any sense,

O'Connor, well I've said it before, one mistake and he loses all his confidence. 3 mistakes is too many.

Buxton was solid, a good games from him.

Keogh, very good, still improving, gelling into the defence.

Brayford had stepped it up in the last 2 games, mediocre before Brighton, exciting after.

Hughes was disappointing at times, he made a few dodgy passes but looked better in the middle, and looks like he's getting stronger.

Hendrick had his bect game of the season, yeah, not hard, but he actually managed to pass the ball, welldone lad.

Bryson plays better in a 5 man midfield, was good in patches.

Coutts had a poor day, he trailed off into the centre and left Brayford without support on the right.

Robinson has learned to hold the ball up, didn't have a very good game but when does he ever?

Sammon was terrible. Made Theo look like a world beater. Can't believe he stayed on so long.

Jacobs & Tyson did very well when they came on. Also, a striker for a defender? What has happened to Clough? Has he found some balls at last??

[mcsilks]

Why are you happy with a point against a fellow midtable NPC club at home?

Don't you want to see Derby in the PL?

Draws are so pointless, we've lost 6 points in the past 3 games in which 2 are at home.. I'm not happy about that as I want to see us in the PL, not the NPC.

Ok Bris, I'll rise to your obvious bait.

Firstly, Blackburn are not a mid-table championship side. They are a mid-table premiership side that has been hopelessly mismanaged.

Secondly, do you of all people with your regular slating of the club really believe that Clough and the fans think we are a side realistically chasing promotion?! Of course we aren't. The board, the staff and the fans alike all know that to do that would require significant investment.

So a point against a highly fancied team with players earning crazy wages and players valued at 8 million is a good result in the grand scheme of things.

Can you not be a little more realistic in terms of your expectations?

Draws can be very valuable and that's 3 good points on the spin. But I dare say you will see it as 1 more game without a win.

[Bris Vegas]

Ok Bris, I'll rise to your obvious bait.

Firstly, Blackburn are not a mid-table championship side. They are a mid-table premiership side that has been hopelessly mismanaged.

Secondly, do you of all people with your regular slating of the club really believe that Clough and the fans think we are a side realistically chasing promotion?! Of course we aren't. The board, the staff and the fans alike all know that to do that would require significant investment.

So a point against a highly fancied team with players earning crazy wages and players valued at 8 million is a good result in the grand scheme of things.

Can you not be a little more realistic in terms of your expectations?

Draws can be very valuable and that's 3 good points on the spin. But I dare say you will see it as 1 more game without a win.

Blackburn, a midtable PL side? Is that a joke? Since when? Allardyce had them overachieving like he did with Bolton and currently WHU because he's good at doing that.. They've been overachieving for years..

If their players were any good they would be playing in the PL..

Do I believe Clough and us are a side chasing promotion? No I don't, because with this management I can't ever see a promotion.. It's distintcly average.. Just like a fair few other clubs.. I can easily write off half the clubs in this league because of their manager, and I include Derby in that..

How is a point at home to anyone in a league where anyone can beat anyone a 'good point'.. The wages and expenditure of teams gets thrown around far too often.. Did Millwall last season go to Leicester and think 'It's OK to lose because they've spent loads and we haven't'.. No they didn't, they went there and cruised it 0-3.. The same as Barnsley who don't have a pot to p!ss in and lose their best players every season going to Brum and winning 0-5..

Blackburn have only won 4 in 10 this season.. For a midtable PL side that isn't very good is it? They've been beaten more times on their own patch than we have..

I noticed Hull have spent a few pounds this summer too.. One being a striker for $2.6mill.. I bet Peterborough went there already throwing out the excuses.. Nope.. They went there and won 1-3..

That team in 3rd place (Huddlesfield) and that team in 4th place (Crystal Palace).. How much did they spend this summer?

Mcsilks stop throwing out the money and wages card and just admit that Clough is average at the most important part of his job (getting results and performances)

[mcsilks]

Blackburn, a midtable PL side? Is that a joke? Since when? Allardyce had them overachieving like he did with Bolton and currently WHU because he's good at doing that.. They've been overachieving for years..

If their players were any good they would be playing in the PL..

Do I believe Clough and us are a side chasing promotion? No I don't, because with this management I can't ever see a promotion.. It's distintcly average.. Just like a fair few other clubs.. I can easily write off half the clubs in this league because of their manager, and I include Derby in that..

How is a point at home to anyone in a league where anyone can beat anyone a 'good point'.. The wages and expenditure of teams gets thrown around far too often.. Did Millwall last season go to Leicester and think 'It's OK to lose because they've spent loads and we haven't'.. No they didn't, they went there and cruised it 0-3.. The same as Barnsley who don't have a pot to p!ss in and lose their best players every season going to Brum and winning 0-5..

Blackburn have only won 4 in 10 this season.. For a midtable PL side that isn't very good is it? They've been beaten more times on their own patch than we have..

I noticed Hull have spent a few pounds this summer too.. One being a striker for $2.6mill.. I bet Peterborough went there already throwing out the excuses.. Nope.. They went there and won 1-3..

That team in 3rd place (Huddlesfield) and that team in 4th place (Crystal Palace).. How much did they spend this summer?

Mcsilks stop throwing out the money and wages card and just admit that Clough is average at the most important part of his job (getting results and performances)

Blackburn overachieving eh? Crikey, they must have been really overachieving when they won the Premiership title.

Kean took over a very steady, midtable Premership side and their underachieving resulted in them getting relegated. The entire football world has said the same thing.

Since their relegation, they have continued to be mismanaged resulting in them making a distincly average start to their Championship campaign. If they had a half decent manager in charge then I would expect them to be challenging.

Of course a home point can be a good point. Like in any division, there are the bigger clubs and due to our board, we are certainly not in that category. Many of our fans (including yourself) like to think we have a divine right to be due to our reasonable fan base.

Blackburn are amongst the favourites so a point against much better players is a good point and our management team should be praised for continuing our little unbeaten run of form.

How can I stop throwing out the money and wages card. Who wins in football? It's usually, no .....it's always the team with the largest kitty. That leaves us pretty well down the division in my book.

Money and wages tend to decide where you will finish. That and a good manager and I would dearly love for Clough to be given the chance to manage Derby with a budget that can give him a realistic chance of at least making the play offs.

Clough is doing a remarkable, yes Bris, I did say remarkable job in putting together a team of lower league misfits with a couple of big signings and maintaining our league position.

Of course you get crazy results in this league such as Barnsley beating Brum and Posh winning away twice on the spin. And occasionally we have those results. One could say that Derby winnning away at Forest is much the same. How can they lose at home to Derby and then tonk highly fancied Cardiff 3-1?

[Uptherams]

Our new formation should be 3-1-4-2 just like how we finished the game off. We should also keep the team that finished the game off in the positions they were playing. Solved the problems we have and perfectly suited to all those who were playing. Hughes/Bryson/Hendrick to rotate to the from 2 in the center to 1 in front of the back 3. Brayford is encouraged more to attack and overlap Coutts with space instead of Coutts passing the ball to the side he will have the space to pass it in front of Brayford.

Jacobs is clearly more than capable of being a threat. Hughes can dominate when he plays in the middle where he wants, pulling all the strings. Bryson can play more of a Cesc Fabregas role. Hendrick will be better off for picking the ball up further up the field facing the touchlines and not back to the away goal.

More room at the back for counter attacks and getting the ball up the field when Keogh and Brayford offer a pass from the keeper out wide. Legzdins should be picked over Fielding as he has shown he is just as good a shop stopper. Ledzdins is far better in the air and also we counter and attack from the back quickly with him in goal. Has Frank ever thrown the ball?

With no nonsense defenders like Buxton and Keogh, playing 3 at the back would not be a risk. Besides, when defending our formation would change to a more defensive position.

This formation is the only way Clough will get the best out of the players he loves the most, the ones he does not want to drop, Coutts, Hendrick, Bryson and Hughes.

I don't care who we are playing, whether it be at home or away, this should be our formation. We would win far more games than playing any other formation I have seen Derby play this season.

[Uptherams]

People who seem to think we didn't deserve anything or that we had minimal chances I would think that you probably did not go to the match or didn't spend 90 minutes watching the game. Byrson, two very good chances, Theo scoring from one of them. Tyson great shot, Coutts almost curled into the top corner, Buxton headed just wide and I forget who but in the second half someone had a cross come shot from the right side hit the bar.

[Bris Vegas]

Blackburn overachieving eh? Crikey, they must have been really overachieving when they won the Premiership title.

Kean took over a very steady, midtable Premership side and their underachieving resulted in them getting relegated. The entire football world has said the same thing.

Since their relegation, they have continued to be mismanaged resulting in them making a distincly average start to their Championship campaign. If they had a half decent manager in charge then I would expect them to be challenging.

Of course a home point can be a good point. Like in any division, there are the bigger clubs and due to our board, we are certainly not in that category. Many of our fans (including yourself) like to think we have a divine right to be due to our reasonable fan base.

Blackburn are amongst the favourites so a point against much better players is a good point and our management team should be praised for continuing our little unbeaten run of form.

How can I stop throwing out the money and wages card. Who wins in football? It's usually, no .....it's always the team with the largest kitty. That leaves us pretty well down the division in my book.

Money and wages tend to decide where you will finish. That and a good manager and I would dearly love for Clough to be given the chance to manage Derby with a budget that can give him a realistic chance of at least making the play offs.

Clough is doing a remarkable, yes Bris, I did say remarkable job in putting together a team of lower league misfits with a couple of big signings and maintaining our league position.

Of course you get crazy results in this league such as Barnsley beating Brum and Posh winning away twice on the spin. And occasionally we have those results. One could say that Derby winnning away at Forest is much the same. How can they lose at home to Derby and then tonk highly fancied Cardiff 3-1?

Good god listen to yourself man.. Have you been sucked in so much by what the board and management say that you honestly think 3 points in 3 games is a good return in NPC football.. If anyone can beat anyone, why would you be happy with a point against Blackburn but unhappy with a point against someone like Barnsley..

There is no such thing as a good point in football unless it's against your nearest rivals and it means them not gaining a points advantage over you (6 pointers)... Anything else is such a pointless point.. If we'd have beaten Blackburn but lost to Boro and Brighton I don't think anyone would claim it's been a good week..

Blackburn are not part of the original 'established PL clubs (Man Utd, Man City, Everton, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle at a push) that means they're a ticking bomb waiting to be relegated and anything other than staying up is the main priority.. But staying up for 12 years or whatever is overachieving and against the norm (Derby, Forest, Leicester, Soton, WBA, Wolves, Stoke, Bolton, Boro, Hull etc.. any other PL ticking bomb).. Oh and them winning the league with all the best players because of money is completely irrelevant..

You're 100% right in that with money gains an advantage but this is NPC we're talking about here, not the PL.. Forest, Ipswich and Leicester all blew money out of their ears last year and failed to make the playoffs.. Tell me, how much have Huddlesfield and Crystal Palace spent this summer? Why aren't they near the bottom?

I don't give a feck about the number of fans, that doesn't mean jack when it comes to league position.. We don't have a devine right to be in the PL, I never said we did? But whyu keep throwing the money card around and look around the league table.. Swansea, Blackpool, Hull, Burnley, Reading, Watford etc.. have all been promoted on similar budgets to ourselves.. Virtually every season a club gets promoted on a similar budget to ours..

I also notice how you carefully used the words 'remarkable job of putting together a team'.. You do realise it's a scouts job to scout players for the manager? You do realise the number one job of the manager is what happens on the pitch.. You do realise we've been average on the pitch the moment Clough walked through the door.. Cloughs job is to get us promoted, it's not his job to build us a fantastic team only to finish in midtable.. If buyng decent players for cheap was his job he should be a scout for someone like Arsenal or Liverpool..

The bolded part just answers your post really.. Anyone can beat anyone, so why are you happy with a winless run of 3 games and especially happy with a point at home against a side that hasn't won in over a month?

[AndyB]

Why would I be happy with a point against Blackburn but not against Barnsley? Because Blackburn have better players.

Virtually every season a club gets promoted on a similar budget to ours? Not true. Look at the squads of the promoted teams. The only one I can think of is Blackpool. All the others paid much higher wages than we are now.

[Hucknall Ram]

Our new formation should be 3-1-4-2 just like how we finished the game off. We should also keep the team that finished the game off in the positions they were playing. Solved the problems we have and perfectly suited to all those who were playing. Hughes/Bryson/Hendrick to rotate to the from 2 in the center to 1 in front of the back 3. Brayford is encouraged more to attack and overlap Coutts with space instead of Coutts passing the ball to the side he will have the space to pass it in front of Brayford.

Jacobs is clearly more than capable of being a threat. Hughes can dominate when he plays in the middle where he wants, pulling all the strings. Bryson can play more of a Cesc Fabregas role. Hendrick will be better off for picking the ball up further up the field facing the touchlines and not back to the away goal.

More room at the back for counter attacks and getting the ball up the field when Keogh and Brayford offer a pass from the keeper out wide. Legzdins should be picked over Fielding as he has shown he is just as good a shop stopper. Ledzdins is far better in the air and also we counter and attack from the back quickly with him in goal. Has Frank ever thrown the ball?

With no nonsense defenders like Buxton and Keogh, playing 3 at the back would not be a risk. Besides, when defending our formation would change to a more defensive position.

This formation is the only way Clough will get the best out of the players he loves the most, the ones he does not want to drop, Coutts, Hendrick, Bryson and Hughes.

I don't care who we are playing, whether it be at home or away, this should be our formation. We would win far more games than playing any other formation I have seen Derby play this season.

you are joking?

Don't get me wrong it was the on right things to do playing that formation but at that moment of time, the only reason it looked so effective is because Blackburn sat back for the last ten minutes. After we scored it didn't look as effective as Blackburn had a little go at us, forcing Coutts at right back.

[mcsilks]

Good god listen to yourself man.. Have you been sucked in so much by what the board and management say that you honestly think 3 points in 3 games is a good return in NPC football.. If anyone can beat anyone, why would you be happy with a point against Blackburn but unhappy with a point against someone like Barnsley..

There is no such thing as a good point in football unless it's against your nearest rivals and it means them not gaining a points advantage over you (6 pointers)... Anything else is such a pointless point.. If we'd have beaten Blackburn but lost to Boro and Brighton I don't think anyone would claim it's been a good week..

Blackburn are not part of the original 'established PL clubs (Man Utd, Man City, Everton, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle at a push) that means they're a ticking bomb waiting to be relegated and anything other than staying up is the main priority.. But staying up for 12 years or whatever is overachieving and against the norm (Derby, Forest, Leicester, Soton, WBA, Wolves, Stoke, Bolton, Boro, Hull etc.. any other PL ticking bomb).. Oh and them winning the league with all the best players because of money is completely irrelevant..

You're 100% right in that with money gains an advantage but this is NPC we're talking about here, not the PL.. Forest, Ipswich and Leicester all blew money out of their ears last year and failed to make the playoffs.. Tell me, how much have Huddlesfield and Crystal Palace spent this summer? Why aren't they near the bottom?

I don't give a feck about the number of fans, that doesn't mean jack when it comes to league position.. We don't have a devine right to be in the PL, I never said we did? But whyu keep throwing the money card around and look around the league table.. Swansea, Blackpool, Hull, Burnley, Reading, Watford etc.. have all been promoted on similar budgets to ourselves.. Virtually every season a club gets promoted on a similar budget to ours..

I also notice how you carefully used the words 'remarkable job of putting together a team'.. You do realise it's a scouts job to scout players for the manager? You do realise the number one job of the manager is what happens on the pitch.. You do realise we've been average on the pitch the moment Clough walked through the door.. Cloughs job is to get us promoted, it's not his job to build us a fantastic team only to finish in midtable.. If buyng decent players for cheap was his job he should be a scout for someone like Arsenal or Liverpool..

The bolded part just answers your post really.. Anyone can beat anyone, so why are you happy with a winless run of 3 games and especially happy with a point at home against a side that hasn't won in over a month?

No, it isn't. Cloughs remit clearly is stability.

And his job is what happens on the pitch, you're right there. Results have been very steady and so on the pitch, I have no problems. Cloughs Derby tries to play in on the deck but can only work with what he has at his disposal. I believe that most of the fans are quite happy with what they see.

Of the teams you mentioned, let's look where thay all are now and given the financial mess Clough inherited I'd say that we are the most improved in terms of our finances yet are still on a par with all of the sides you said.

3 points in 3 games can be a very good return in any league at any level. It's all relative and is dependant on who you play. Given the 3 fixtures, I'm happy to have remained unbeaten. That is progress.

Of course we all want promotion and success but Bris, do you really think it's realistic to expect us to be challenging given the money we have had to spend? Look at the players we have.

We have a board that is trying to live within it's means and for that we should be applauded.

Yes, it unfortunately means that unless something changes, we will never return to the Premiership but so be it. The other option is to take us back to the Jewell era and take the club toqwards bankruptcy yet again.

What would you like to happen at the club?

[chewbacca]

Isn't opinion a wonderful thing, Lego was average to superb, hendrick was abysmal and had his best game of the season at the same time, hughes was ok and shocking! Keogh was fantastic and average and so on....It's like we are all watching different football matches. For my matchday ratings please pick from the words superb, good, average, poor, shocking, stinker, blinder, and place at will next to each players name.

[AndyB]

Hi mcsilks, I agree with almost all of what you're saying. However the argument that if the board invest in more players we could go bankrupt annoys me. If the board invest in the right players who are young and have sell on value, and Clough and his team have shown how good they are at finding these players, then there is no danger. If promotion is achieved the increased revenue pays for the players. If promotion is not achieved then players can be sold if necessary to balance the books. This season we could have Shackell and a couple more players, maybe another striker, and we wouldn't be heading for bankruptcy. We would have better crowds as well! The board have no ambition. Clough in. Board out!

[DCFCfranco]

This was a good DRAW one of our worst performances and we didn't lose. I'd love to see the final 10-15 minutes for the full 90 though.

[davenportram]

Late goal that won us a point instead of losing

3 draws in a row being the difference between being 14th and and 21st

Playing Blackburn who are highly rated and have better players than us

[Guest]

For once I agree with bris, things must be getting bad.

Blackburn based upon what I saw yesterday are not a good team, looking at the league table they are an avergae team, and based upon last season they aren't a PL team.

A good point yesterday is based upon reputation rather than the players put onto the pitch, and this myth that some fans have bought into that we are a performing as well as expected is just that.

We have had 4 years in this league now, and should be capable of putting a team out that can beat anyone in this league at home, not just teams below us. We never yesterday looked as though we had the confidence to win that game, was set up to contain Blackburn, and if offered the draw in the first minute, I'm sure clough would have bitten your hand off.

This to me shows a manager that will never get us out of this league.

[mcsilks]

Hi mcsilks, I agree with almost all of what you're saying. However the argument that if the board invest in more players we could go bankrupt annoys me. If the board invest in the right players who are young and have sell on value, and Clough and his team have shown how good they are at finding these players, then there is no danger. If promotion is achieved the increased revenue pays for the players. If promotion is not achieved then players can be sold if necessary to balance the books. This season we could have Shackell and a couple more players, maybe another striker, and we wouldn't be heading for bankruptcy. We would have better crowds as well! The board have no ambition. Clough in. Board out!

I agree and yes, I would like to see the board be a little more adventurous with their spending.

Clough has shown what he can do with next to nothing and we do have one of the wealthier boards.

[Boycie]

well, in my unqualified football opinion, I thought Clough left making a change too late.

Sammon was really struggling out there and seemed to be losing confidence by the second.

I was asking for a change after the first half, but obviously it was never gunna happen as he always gives them another chance.

What a change in the team dynamics though after the formation rejig.

Hughes looked better when moved into the middle, and how many times does he have to fail out wide and be brought inside to convince Clough to start him there? Hendrick looked well out of form, and took a knock that may keep him out on Tuesday.

Tyson looked lively for the 10 minutes or so he came on. Up front is his better position for me, out wide like he played at Boro is no good for him in my humble electricians opinion.

At least we never lost, which in other seasons we would have lost and lost by a few more goals in the onion net.

[Mary Hindge]

Nige only try's to impress you Bris by scoring all these late goals this season (something you may have mentioned last season) and you still rip him apart, the man can't win with some fans can he!!!

[PrivateDerby]

I thought Bryson was unmarked in front of goal every time we went forward, we just couldn't pick him out. We also missed Jamie a lot more than I thought we would. Other than that, we did more in the last ten minutes than most of the match. Theo's a freak of football nature, get over it. I think Sammon will still prove a good buy although maybe give Tyson/Bennett/Jacobs more than 10 minutes?

The equalizer was like a win in my eyes and the least we deserved.