Derby County v Birmingham City

[Sexydadbod]

We panicked after conceding the penalty. We lost the ball pretty quickly again after the kick off. We should have kept possession or kicked the ball into the corner and shielded it. No shame doing that. All the top teams do

[VulcanRam]

I am curious as to why after they score and time is essentially up already - or we have 1 min to kill, how we lost the ball? Who gave the ball away? Surely from ko after the pen, we pass it around, pass it to grant out to one of the centre halves and do the thing we do to keep the ball. 

[CumbrianRam]

Not to worried, counting the days until Thorne and Martin are back.

 

Still joint top somehow.

[PistoldPete2]

In answer to Nino, we did pass the ball around, grant did get the ball, played it around his penalty area, kicked it upfield, Dawkins controlled it etc . Then there was a free kick, two corners, neither resulted in a goal , but ball was hacked back into the box and squeezed over the line. That didn't take 1 minute, it took at least 3 minutes. We might have thought we had 1 minute to kill but it turned out to be 5.

[Gritstone Ram]

I thought Hughes had a good shot in the first half. Did it hit the post or bar?

I'd be more worried about next week if we had played **** but we didn't brum were **** and the ref.

 

 

[Jourdan]

Obviously the manner in which the result came about leaves a sour taste - it's inexcusable to throw away a two-goal lead in stoppage time, even more so for a promotion-chasing side at home - but this is another lesson for us to learn.

I think people sometimes forget we're not the finished article. McClaren has been here for roughly 18 months and there is still work to be done and there are kinks to iron out, something which might unfortunately require more time. Considering Clough took the best part of five years to make us remotely competitive, the ramping up of expectations from sections of our support is extreme, to say the least.

We are not entitled to win this league. Granted, we have some very good individuals and when it all clicks, I can understand why people get carried away. I've been guilty of it too. But skill and ability is not enough. The best teams win promotion, not the best individuals - it's worth remembering that!

I am worried but not because of injuries and missing key players as many people will attribute it to. Injuries are part and parcel of football - important players get injured at every club and each club deals with it the best they can. Lewis Grabban is ruled out for a number of weeks and Norwich score four the following game, for example.

It's not recent form or results either. People are bemoaning recent results and our lack of form but if you split the season into quarters, it's actually very much in line with how we have performed for most of the season, give or take a point. We've been reasonably good and fairly consistent without hitting outstanding form, so of course we never see the 'Derby look irresistible right now. I can't see them slipping up again!' posts.

In times like this, football can be about psychology and being mentally composed and tough as much as anything else and this is what worries me and this is where we might fall down if I'm honest.

Does the psychology of the team seem right? Are the players playing with confidence? Are the players playing with smiles on their faces? We seem fragile. We seem nervous. We seem to be playing with fear not with freedom. We seem to be cracking under the immense weight of expectation that simply wasn't there last season. Certainly judging from comments made about Keogh, there isn't a calm, cool head out there to settle everyone down it seems. Maybe this is where we miss an experienced player like Eustace.

One point from nine is disappointing and doesn't give us the greatest of momentum going into a difficult run of games, which is sometimes what you need to carry you over the line. It certainly adds some pressure if we want to keep pace with the rest of the pack.

But at the same time, we still have plenty of time to right the ship and we simply have to relish the challenge. It's still all to play for.

[Gladys' Handbag]

I noticed lots of people leaving with 5 minutes to go thinking it was all over (it is now).

I was wondering how many of them are wandering around Derby thinking we won 2-0 and are 2 points clear at the top of the league. They probably still think we're going to finish in the automatic places when obviously we'll be lucky to even get in the play-offs.

Please, if you meet them, break it to them gently.

 

[-JW-]

I noticed lots of people leaving with 5 minutes to go thinking it was all over (it is now).

I was wondering how many of them are wandering around Derby thinking we won 2-0 and are 2 points clear at the top of the league. They probably still think we're going to finish in the automatic places when obviously we'll be lucky to even get in the play-offs.

Please, if you meet them, break it to them gently.

 

[Anag Ram]

We know Derby are more than capable of stringing together three straight wins. Let's have a look at the league then and see who's still level with us.

The team has the class - the rest will come. This will have been a chastening week for us. We need a settled side and injuries have robbed us of that. 

Let's get behind the team and be louder than ever in their support. We can see them through.

[kingsy1884]

Here are the last few games this ref has done. Says a lot really he is not a championship referee really struggled under the pressure today, one plus point though he played a great advantage for our 2nd goal. Shame about the rest. Birmingham fans must love him though he is the same ref who allowed all that time at the end of the Bolton game for Paul Caddis to keep them up last season. 

ENGLISH LEAGUE TWO	Su 28Dec 2014		Cheltenham	0 - 1	Newport Co		6
ENGLISH LEAGUE TWO	Sa 03Jan 2015		Dag & Red	1 - 0	Bury		4
ENGLISH LEAGUE ONE	Sa 17Jan 2015		Notts Co	2 - 1	Crewe		5	1
ENGLISH LEAGUE ONE	Sa 31Jan 2015		Leyton Orient	1 - 4	Ssausagehorpe		2
ENGLISH LEAGUE ONE	Sa 07Feb 2015		Gillingham	2 - 0	Sheff Utd		1
ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP	Tu 10Feb 2015		Cardiff	0 - 0	Brighton		4
ENGLISH LEAGUE TWO	Sa 14Feb 2015		Plymouth	2 - 0	Cambridge U		1
ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP	Sa 21Feb 2015		Wolves	5 - 0	Rotherham		3
ENGLISH LEAGUE TWO	Tu 24Feb 2015		Portsmouth	3 - 2	Tranmere		3
ENGLISH LEAGUE ONE	Tu 03Mar 2015		Leyton Orient	1 - 3	Bristol C		5
ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP	Sa 07Mar 2015		Derby	2 - 2	Birmingham		5

[Mountain Ram]

Hendrick was, imo, fantastic today and man of the match by some distance. With and without the ball, he ran the game for us. 

[Ovis aries]

Please don't let us slip into the Dogs way of blaming everyone and his son when we **** up, that's what we did **** up , end of .

[Ram8]

I would love to read what everyone is saying tonight , and comment accordingly , BUT , try to get beyond stage 1 or 2 of a thread and all I get is a blank screen .. and as for getting through to a 'helpline' , well , I'm still waiting for a reply after a week .. is anyone else experiencing this ? 

Ok , I'm on 14 now , but only by posting this comment ! 

[Guest]

First point  - I didn't have the quote function at the time so had to copy and paste   There was quite a time between copying and pasting and so couldn't be arsed to go back through the thread to find the name  see, simples

second point - not a betting man but for each of the last three games I have said I will run round the iPro stark naked with an ostrich feather sticking out of my rear I'd we won so I will proffer again this generous offer

 

[Guest]

Damn forum. Not even copying the quote  to which I'm replying

[VulcanRam]

I would love to read what everyone is saying tonight , and comment accordingly , BUT , try to get beyond stage 1 or 2 of a thread and all I get is a blank screen .. and as for getting through to a 'helpline' , well , I'm still waiting for a reply after a week .. is anyone else experiencing this ? 

Ok , I'm on 14 now , but only by posting this comment ! 

[Ram Bam]

Ref was awful, never a peno or a free kick in the build up to the equaliser but probably should have defended better.

 

I've come away from the game feeling robbed, don't think they had a shot until the penalty and yet we've dropped 2 points.

 

Surprised to see ince getting stick on here, thought he got the ball and the incident only came about because Hendrick played him into trouble.

[VulcanRam]

If Hendrick had booted the ball, rather than playing Ince into trouble we wouldn't have conceded a pen.

Thought Russell, as much as he was being asked to play an unfamiliar role, was great today. The fullbacks put a shift in too.

still struggle to fathom what Mascerell offers to the team at present. 

I know it's only one match but I didn't see what Albentosa offered over any of our other CBs - for someone so tall I thought his heading was poor, but maybe that's just a case of adjusting to a more physical league. 

Thorne and Martin back for Norwich will hopefully give us a lift, though I'm not sure what will add composure to our game at present.

[notts_ram]

At least McClaren has more integrity than Nigel Clough not to publicly berate a player a la Tomas Cywka

[WoollyJumper]

Obviously the manner in which the result came about leaves a sour taste - it's inexcusable to throw away a two-goal lead in stoppage time, even more so for a promotion-chasing side at home - but this is another lesson for us to learn.

I think people sometimes forget we're not the finished article. McClaren has been here for roughly 18 months and there is still work to be done and there are kinks to iron out, something which might unfortunately require more time. Considering Clough took the best part of five years to make us remotely competitive, the ramping up of expectations from sections of our support is extreme, to say the least.

We are not entitled to win this league. Granted, we have some very good individuals and when it all clicks, I can understand why people get carried away. I've been guilty of it too. But skill and ability is not enough. The best teams win promotion, not the best individuals - it's worth remembering that!

I am worried but not because of injuries and missing key players as many people will attribute it to. Injuries are part and parcel of football - important players get injured at every club and each club deals with it the best they can. Lewis Grabban is ruled out for a number of weeks and Norwich score four the following game, for example.

It's not recent form or results either. People are bemoaning recent results and our lack of form but if you split the season into quarters, it's actually very much in line with how we have performed for most of the season, give or take a point. We've been reasonably good and fairly consistent without hitting outstanding form, so of course we never see the 'Derby look irresistible right now. I can't see them slipping up again!' posts.

In times like this, football can be about psychology and being mentally composed and tough as much as anything else and this is what worries me and this is where we might fall down if I'm honest.

Does the psychology of the team seem right? Are the players playing with confidence? Are the players playing with smiles on their faces? We seem fragile. We seem nervous. We seem to be playing with fear not with freedom. We seem to be cracking under the immense weight of expectation that simply wasn't there last season. Certainly judging from comments made about Keogh, there isn't a calm, cool head out there to settle everyone down it seems. Maybe this is where we miss an experienced player like Eustace.

One point from nine is disappointing and doesn't give us the greatest of momentum going into a difficult run of games, which is sometimes what you need to carry you over the line. It certainly adds some pressure if we want to keep pace with the rest of the pack.

But at the same time, we still have plenty of time to right the ship and we simply have to relish the challenge. It's still all to play for.