FA article on Derbys modern style of play

[rsmini]

Found this via twitter and it makes a very interesting read on the style in which Derby have been playing recently. Its on the FA website, link at bottom of article

 

Peter Glynn looks at the attacking midfielders Steve McClaren will inherit at Derby

Nigel Clough clearly hadn’t seen the McClaren approaching in his rear view mirror. In the modern game, however, awareness is everything.

“That’s the way we’ve played away from home this season and we just couldn’t create the goal. We’re going to try and keep playing like that,” was the former Derby County manager’s response and declaration following press compliments about the quality of football played in his last match in charge – last Saturday’s derby day defeat against Nottingham Forest.

There was not a hint of anxiety hidden in the 47-year old’s final press conference utterances; no sign of suspicion that he wouldn’t have the opportunity to build on encouraging signs of a developing team. Faces in modern football, however, change quickly.

Instead, it was Clough’s successor, new Rams’ head coach, Steve McClaren, who watched Derby share eight goals with Ipswich at Pride Park on Tuesday night.

It was understandable why in his last performance in front of the press Clough still wore a largely positive front. For much of the East Midlands derby it was the visitors’ who had controlled the momentum of the game.

The intelligent movement and combination in their build-up play coupled with their willingness to try and pick their way through the hosts’ backline using short, incisive passing revealed the roots of a developing playing philosophy, one shaped around a number of promising young players.

Under Clough, the Rams’ often used a single central striker as a target to secure the ball in the final third, with a swarm of small and technically able players eagerly joining the attack from wide and withdrawn central areas. McClaren, should relish getting on to the training ground to find a way of maximising the attacking talents of midfield raiders Will Hughes, Craig Bryson and Jamie Ward.

An interchangeable and dynamic group of creative midfield attackers is currently vogue - one made fashionable by the posse of diminutive ball players supporting Chelsea’s attack and the attacking design of Arsenal’s new-look forward unit.

The Gunners illustrate an interesting trend. It is unknown as to whether or not Arsene Wenger desired an additional central striker to accompany his much-lauded purchase of Mesut Ozil. However, the integral roaming role afforded to the German glider, Aaron Ramsey’s upsurge in goals and the freedom given to Jack Wilshere reveal the Arsenal manager’s belief that in the modern game the route through compact defences begins deep, and a rich source of goals can be plundered as a result of late, undetected forward runs.

The role of the central attacker is increasingly becoming a foil: a roaming decoy whose movement intends to open up avenues into which willing midfielders can surge. Often these incisive midfield darts are destined for the space beyond the frontman, frequently rewarding late runs with promising goalscoring positions. It may not be long before midfielders look down from the top of the goalscoring charts.

Chris Martin and Connor Sammon have both occupied the decoy role for the Rams’ this season allowing the likes of Hughes, Ward and Bryson to progress beyond. Against Forest, Bryson – prised from Kilmarnock in 2011 – made repeated late surges from starting positions between Forest’s midfield and defence and looked the visitors’ most promising source of an equaliser.

Aside from the timing and awareness necessary to make forward runs from withdrawn positions, physical endurance and psychological perseverance are just as necessary. The skill of the late run comes in anticipating the next pass of an unfolding attacking move and taking a gamble on an accurate threaded pass.

It can be a thankless task and on Saturday Bryson’s tireless surges in attempt to join together Derby’s clever attacking combinations were left unrewarded. However, the Scot remained undeterred, and although too late for his former manager, reward followed. Bryson grabbed a brace to help save Derby’s blushes after trailing 4-1 to Ipswich at half-time.

Nigel Clough will never know if the beginnings of his attacking methods will ever flourish into any kind of resemblance of the red swirl of late attacking midfield runs on show at the Emirates but his replacement could do worse than to build on the signs of progressive attacking ideas

Read more at http://www.thefa.com/News/st-georges-park/2013/oct/future-game-peter-glynn-nigel-clough-steve-mcclaren-derby.aspx#xXFz7Eel5gjLG0O4.99

[Duracell]

Is it ok to say I thought Clough wasn't what we needed anymore, whilst complimenting this very real achievement?

 

I really think Clough has been on to something with his style of play. And I'm sure he could have improved it. What we need is an enhanced player recruitment network to enhance that style, and a more varied and pragmatic response to conceding goals (as well as to stop conceding soft goals).

 

I never saw Clough improving in those areas. Whatever we started with, we got for at least 70 minutes, even if it wasn't working. But he did a fantastic job getting us to play this style scouting almost exclusively in this country. He made his own job more difficult than it had to be imo, but coped with it quite well!

 

But I'm just an outsider looking in. Other opinions are available.

[tomsdubs]

I just hope the club keep a continuation of style going, like Swansea even though the management changed the philosophy stayed the same.

[froggg]

He was on to something but not purchasing a couple of quality defenders let him down, was the money there to spend though? according too Rush it was.....

[Srg]

Nice article really. But it was, as mentioned, his scouting network, his defending (one of smallest totals of tackles in the league as a team) and his lack of a plan B for when this wasn't working that became his downfall, amongst other things.

[ronnieronalde]

No, no, no, no. no no no and thrice more no.

 

We'll have none of that kind of talk around here.

 

Clough playing decent football? Us recognised by outsiders as a very decent passing team?

 

What's more i'm sure I've read from numerous experts that we were dire vs forest.

 

I'm not having it. I think the guy must be blind.

 

Rubbish biased article making stuff up.

[eddie]

He was on to something but not purchasing a couple of quality defenders let him down, was the money there to spend though? according too Rush it was.....

 

Rush did say that money was there, but would that money have financed the purchase of one or more quality central defenders when Clough was at Pride Park? I doubt we will ever know.

[PrivateDerby]

And this is why I can see Cloughie doing something with England, whether that be with the under's or whatever... 

 

I've got a feeling that the important people in football respect him and what he stands for.

[Guest]

No, no, no, no. no no no and thrice more no.

 

We'll have none of that kind of talk around here.

 

Clough playing decent football? Us recognised by outsiders as a very decent passing team?

 

What's more i'm sure I've read from numerous experts that we were dire vs forest.

 

I'm not having it. I think the guy must be blind.

 

Rubbish biased article making stuff up.

But it's a bit like having a really hot girlfriend and never being able to touch her, it's looks pretty but you soon get bored by the lack of excitement.

Clough never won more than he lost, he never challenged for promotion, he never progressed beyond two cup matches on the trot, and ultimately he never had a team that scored more goals than the red dogs last week.