end of season review

[Hans]

If anyone worried at if we did go up they wouldn't invest, perhaps taking a West Brom up and down or Reading model to life in the Premeir league?

[ariotofmyown]

You've just twisted a few things I said, so well done for that.

It's a weak argument because lots of strikers have been bought by other clubs that arent 'proven'. Spending money on an expensive strikers doesnt guarantee goals. In his entire 5 years here, I expected us to mount at least one serious challenge for the play offs, in that respect he has failed. For you that's obviously ok, for me it isnt.

When I said 'failed' I put it in response to making the play offs, he's failed to make the plays 5 seasons in a row, not that every season has been a failure.

Ok, our home form is very good.

Can see how much you've thought/seen of our away performances, good striker=we'll win more away. If only it was that simple. Based on Cloughs inability to bring in a decent striker, we could be waiting a long time.

surely u didnt expect we could mount a challenge in the first three seasons. we probably would have done this year if we could have kept shackell.

We've been often rubbish away from home but a goalscorer could have easily got us an extra 7 points from away matches. off the top of my head wolves, boro, charlton, cardiff, wednesday plus one or two fluke wins/draws that we were definitely second best in. Thats also ignoring the extra points we could have got at home with goalscorer: wednesday, burnley, ipswich, palace.

No difference in quality of performance, just someone to have tucked away about four chances from all those games we were probably/definitely the better team in.

[DCFCfranco]

If anyone worried at if we did go up they wouldn't invest, perhaps taking a West Brom up and down or Reading model to life in the Premeir league?

id have no problem yo-yoing if we get to be a stabilised premiership team.

[mozza]

can someone please post the 'minutes' of this thread..

[Hans]

can someone please post the 'minutes' of this thread..

It's 11 o clock

[mozza]

It's 11 o clock

 

thank you..

[ariotofmyown]

If anyone worried at if we did go up they wouldn't invest, perhaps taking a West Brom up and down or Reading model to life in the Premeir league?

Prefer the swansea model or even the stoke one if u ignore how they play and what has happened this season!

I think Reading weren't expecting to go up last season but just went on an amazing run. Don't think is was after any plan from their previous relegation.

An Wba seemed to get it suddenly right with the guy who is off to the FA at burton, plus hodgson organising them. Until that point they just seemed to yoyo without any real belief they could do ok in prem. The yoyo club doesnt seem to be in vogue at the moment. More go up and stay up, or go up then down then disappear.

[EastKentRam]

surely u didnt expect we could mount a challenge in the first three seasons. we probably would have done this year if we could have kept shackell.

We've been often rubbish away from home but a goalscorer could have easily got us an extra 7 points from away matches. off the top of my head wolves, boro, charlton, cardiff, wednesday plus one or two fluke wins/draws that we were definitely second best in. Thats also ignoring the extra points we could have got at home with goalscorer: wednesday, burnley, ipswich, palace.

No difference in quality of performance, just someone to have tucked away about four chances from all those games we were probably/definitely the better team in.

 

I definitely agree we need new strikers, have been saying it for a while, none of our current lot are good enough. Still undecided over Martin. 

 

Think it's quite short sighted to suggest a goal scorer will automatically mean we'll make the play offs. Also, as I said, Clough hasnt found one in the 5 years he's been here. Even if he was given a wedge, doesnt mean he'll sign the right player. 

 

How do you explain the amount of goals conceeded away from home?

[notts_ram]

How do you explain the amount of goals conceeded away from home?

I asked that earlier.......still waiting for a salient response

[rynny]

Or 2 dips in points totals.2 out of 4 not great progess over 4 seasons.I should add in case you may have

fogotten that season 2010-2011 and the 49 points was a new low for the club,the lowest ever achieved by

a Derby side since the 3 points for a win rule came in.

So if we finished third on 82 points lose in the play offs then the following season we win the league with 78 would that be unacceptable? Also I think you may have got your stat wrong with regards to the 49 points as I am sure we hold the record for less than that a few years ago?

[rynny]

I definitely agree we need new strikers, have been saying it for a while, none of our current lot are good enough. Still undecided over Martin.

Think it's quite short sighted to suggest a goal scorer will automatically mean we'll make the play offs. Also, as I said, Clough hasnt found one in the 5 years he's been here. Even if he was given a wedge, doesnt mean he'll sign the right player.

How do you explain the amount of goals conceeded away from home?

TBF he had Hulse so didn't need a goal scorer to start with, although he did sign Porter who scored 3 in 2 and looked good in those games and if it wasn't for his injury, who knows?

[uttoxram75]

I've been watching Derby since 1970 so I am more of an expert than most on here. In fact, in a parallel universe, I'm a cross between Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough so my opinion is worth far more than everybody else's.

 

We have played some raite decent football at home this season. 

 

End of.

 

Had a cracking weekend! 

 

Big decisions to be made this summer.

 

The Uttox massif are debating whether to splurge the whole season's budget on a trip to Dublin or spend sensibly and go to Burton and Mansfield.

 

 

[Hans]

Stoke play Rugby not football.

[notts_ram]

The Uttox massif are debating whether to splurge the whole season's budget on a trip to Dublin or spend sensibly and go to Burton and Mansfield.

Do Dublin. Beers hare prohibitively expensive but cool place to hang out in

[rynny]

Stoke play Rugby not football.

Stoke don't play rugby, it is more wrestling mixed with lacrosse

[Hans]

Stoke don't play rugby, it is more wrestling mixed with lacrosse

Its not wrestling mixed with lacrosse, it's all out carnage.

[Mr Tibbs]

Poor away form is down to our poor defending, simples. 

 

Most of that falls at Keogh's and Bucko's door. Then Clough for bringing them in, but then one's just won POTY, one has been transformed from Non league to capable.. 

It's not very often we look a shambles as a defensive unit, from an organisation side of things, we just don't individually do our jobs well enough or often enough to warrant the right to keep clean sheets. When we're away from home and not seeing the ball as much as we do at PP our defence is tested twice as much, so we're twice as likely to be exposed to a defensive lapse. 

That's how I see it anyway. You can practice set pieces all you want in training (which I'm sure we have due to the many we've conceded) but if Keogh (Others too) doesn't stay with his man individually then we're pissing in the wind. 

[Hans]

Who's keeping the minutes?

[eddie]

I've been watching Derby since 1970 so I am more of an expert than most on here. In fact, in a parallel universe, I'm a cross between Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough so my opinion is worth far more than everybody else's.

 

We have played some raite decent football at home this season. 

 

End of.

 

Had a cracking weekend! 

 

Big decisions to be made this summer.

 

The Uttox massif are debating whether to splurge the whole season's budget on a trip to Dublin or spend sensibly and go to Burton and Mansfield.

 

 

 

I booked my flights last week (£49.99 each way per person).

 

Tonight I booked the hotel - a couple of hundred yards from the Porterhouse North and less that half a mile from Dalymount Park.

[Ambitious]

I compiled this for a little news article (just in company house, nothing special) and thought i'd post it on here.

 

 

Progression Report – The foundations are set.

This season has felt like such a positive step forward in terms of consistency, not so much in results but more in performances. There have been many negative arguments thrown at the management, the club and the players especially away from home and results show that away from home we are a weak npower championship side, yet, at home we are a strong championship side. I don’t think there is a change of mentality from Derby County and I will not have ‘Clough plays different away from home’ when clearly that isn’t true. We do still try and play the same way both home and away, and a theory I have is about the mentality of the opposition is the difference. Earlier in the season I seem to remember us picking up good wins at home, and looked very comfortable. Pride Park became a fortress, the mentality of the players coming here was they weren’t going to win, and the mentality of the Derby players were that we WAS going to win. Away from home it was the polar opposite, the game against Wolves sticks out like a sore thumb. This was a game we dominated from the first to last minute, and found ourselves having to score a late equaliser to get something from the game. The performances and results have been a sticking point for the club this season, usual home game is being packed into their half for the majority of the game and creating chances, but our chances created to conversion rate must be amongst the worst in the championship. There are a copious amount of examples to throw at this point. Ipswich at home, we could/should have had 6/7 goals yet, found ourselves losing 1-0. I have seen us play proactive football a lot this season, proactive where you can see the game plan being implemented and players following a pattern, but I have seen how easy we are to bin the game plan and concentrate on reactive football, and there isn’t really anyone willing to put their foot on the ball and put us back on top again. I think this is where our lack of experience really tells, especially away from home – generally start the game strongly, look the better team but if things don’t go our way and we become stretched we tend to lose our foot hold in the game, and struggle to get it back.

 

The players I have a lot of time for the most of them, we haven’t really had the option to rotate without compromising on quality, one or two injuries to our first team squad – added in with some tired legs and we tend to look a much worse side. The goalkeeper situation has been a complicated one, as I don’t think either keeper is happy at not getting in the side and there really isn’t much between them. Fielding, for me is perhaps the better keeper because of his ability at shot stopping, which edges out Legzdins but so many fine points between the two make it a rough situation. I think Fielding has let himself down this past season, as in his first full season I thought he was magnificent! Brayford has got over his second year stumble in quality, by producing a quality third season – has linked up admirably with Coutts down the right hand side, and especially during the early part of the season was our most prominent threat. I think Freeman has come in and performed better than expected, he has at least covered the hole defensively, but Coutts has struggled with Freeman behind him and it has made his performances weaker. Roberts has faded as the season has gone on, and as admirably as his efforts he hasn’t really touched on his fantastic form of last season. When Shackell was here (a left sided centre back) it helped him as we looked more balanced defensively, and he shone. Forsyth came in from Watford and did really well, and I would be surprised if he wasn’t a Derby player next season. The centre backs have had a good year in terms of Buxton and Keogh, often the key to our victories at home. I think away from home both have been a little suspect, and must take their share of blame for the away from. O’Brien has come in and done okay, would of hoped for him to push on more but injuries have made sure that won’t happen, and O’Connor has had his good and bad moments, unfortunately think more bad than good. In midfield I think we are an incredibly strong unit, with a lot of quality but a lack of players. I think all the first team midfielders can hold their head up high this season, and say they have done well. Hughes has been a revelation, and took the championship by storm – many games have gone the way of his dictated passing and casual passing and at times cut throat vision. Hendrick started badly, and was our worst player early on in the season but he came through a stronger much sharper player and has a few goals to his name, some absolute beauts and a number of MOTM awards for his driven attitude and quality on and off the ball. Bryson has kept the level he was at last season, where he won POTY, had a few injury problems but he has shown how good/important he can be in his ability and play. Coutts started off our strongest player IMO but definitely faded as the season has come on, finished strong with a good month of football – but he definitely struggled with freeman in the team and just seemed to become leggy in his play, for a player to play so many games is uncharacteristic of a winger and as a winger you can become isolated, I believe he does have a huge amount of quality but needs the option to have a rest and keep himself fresh. Ben Davies has had a great year, and had the option which Coutts hasn’t in many ways – where has had time to rest and put high intensity performances when on the pitch, including a couple of very important cameos – I think he has found life at Derby difficult but now has turned a lot of people’s heads, I think a year ago people wouldn’t of entertained the thought of given him a new contract, now it seems like no-one is against the idea and Michael Jacobs, who has had a good couple of cameos and appearances, 5 assists on his debut, showed a lot of promise and the game against Birmingham will go down as one of the best performances of the season – he is only still very young, but, I am excited about seeing him more next year, a player with good ability – and quick feet. Jamie Ward, everyone’s favourite player- including one of my own, a player with great qualities – sometimes open to the wrong decision or choice, but always a threat and looks dangerous! I personally think last season he was better, but he didn’t score the goals or create as much as we wanted – whereas this season he has racked up the statistics with goals and assists and finished our most productive player despite being injured for the most part, he is a player I hope to keep hold of, and think we need to. The strikers have come under scrutiny this season, which is fair enough with the amount of chances created we need to be better at putting them in the net. Conor Sammon for me, is a good player and a very handy player in this division, the most awkward centre forward in the division, physically a genius, with such power, pace and strength defenders always have to work hard, perhaps he has had some leggy performances due to his intensity of play and number of games he has played – and he works so damn hard for the team, creates chances and gives the team an option. He does need to score more, and that’s the only thing I will pull him up on, think his all round play has been as good as any striker I can remember for Derby since 2003/2004… his touch isn’t no-where near as bad as made out, and have seen him numerous times pluck a ball out of the air with his toe, and neither is any other part of his game, but scoring goals… if he had just put his chances away, he’d of been on over 20 and would have been praised from toe to the tip of his bald head, 9 goals this season, however, has not been good enough for me nor for anyone else. The rest of the strikers I won’t mention too much, Tyson has had a good second year but wants more football, which is understandable – Robinson has done okay, would have scored more given the game time but with his goal scoring ability, comes little else and will weaken the side significantly with him in. Mason, is a player I hope can come into his own next season – I am excited about him, powerful, quick, strong… great willingness and ability, lacks experience and composure (can be seen from a mile away)

 

The foundations have been set this season, with a number of young players getting valuable experience under little to no experienced tuition on the pitch is remarkable – the method of playing works very well for me, but we need to bulk up the squad to stand a better chance as previously discussed we can’t have players making so many appearances without having a rest, getting back to 100% fitness where they are most damaging. The top teams have rotated, and kept things fresh. Forest have a low quality side, but what they have done which has put them above us in the league is rotated certain players, and kept them fresh – this is why a squad is important, and we should be looking at adding players and not losing ANY of our first team. I think for transfers in we have obviously been looking towards GOOD quality championship players, for instance POTY winners Lee Grant and James Vaughan and Blackpools captain and Birminghams tallismatic winger have answered question at what we are trying to do in the summer as for players out, questions over Bryson, Ward and Brayford are the most worrying as I wouldn’t want to lose any of them, I understand Will Hughes could be sold and loaned back, which would be ideal – he will have a fantastic season next year, his passing against Millwall was off the chart, shouldn’t see that sort of quality at this level. The players on the fringes will struggle to find themselves a way back now, so would be looking to move them on. I am hoping for Hanson and Bennett to grow a little more over the summer, and put themselves in contention – Mason Bennett especially, think he COULD be in line for a role next season, and once he gets the experience he will be much better for it. Not to mention Hoganson, Gjokaj, Naylor, Jacobs, Freeman, Ball…etc who still have age and development on their side, one good summer and they could be a new player – I’d look at all players as blank canvas and see what they’re like when the season starts, much like Hughes. Ball and Naylor have obviously gone backwards on their promising first seasons playing first team football.

 

I am hoping for a season much in the same vein but this time with a better equipped squad with more quality, if we can do that – I think we should rightfully be looking towards the top 2 and see what we have to do to reach that.