Derby County v Watford

[Ovis aries]

It isn't that bad? Seriously? 2-1 up against 10 men in a must win game and you sit back, handing the momentum to Watford, faffing around passing the ball around the back 5 inviting pressure. Its shambolic. 

Derby don't deserve to go up. 

[TroyDyer]

I was counting back 4 plus grant. 

[Bwash_Ram]

Come on Boycie (or whoever) grow a pair and start the wigan thread.id do it but im not allowed .

[kingsy1884]

The sorry story is there isnt really anyone else who can come in at RB to compete with Christie. You can try Shotton there again, he was handy earlier on in the season when we kept all those clean sheets but the last few times he has played there he has been woeful.

I think Warnock in for Forsyth wouldnt be a bad shout. Maybe Forsyth is burnt out pretty sure he has played every league game since he has joined and Warnock certainly has some leadership qualities about him.

[Alph]

Got a bit of a gripe with our performance which I thought was mostly good.

After going 2-1 up I thought we really turned quite negative. I don't mind defending with possession but over the last few weeks we have looked like a side that has one finger on the self destruct button. Watford gave us the space to come forward and we didn't take it on. We basically sent the signal that we are happy to win 2-1. 

There was sloppy control from basic passes and head tennis from players in space.  Basically we looked like a team waiting for the whistle.  Too much encouragement for Watford. And when they came at us with something I just don't have the faith anymore

It's not the first time this season. It's something I was dead against even after being reckless cost us in the 3-3 draw at St Andrews. So we got caught on the counter. Our goal grabbing style was what suited our players. 

It's not the first time Mac has shown up at a club and blown their minds with exciting attacking football. Then in his second spell at Twente he was accused of being negative.

Think the only time I've moaned about Mac this season is when he constantly kept going on about clean sheets. "Clean sheets win you games" Every week. 

"We know we can score goals but it's at the other end we need to improve"

Nah. Goals win games.  Attack is the best form of defence. The 3-3 draw was a rare situation. And it probably could have been avoided with just a touch more discipline to the midfield. 

I'm not trying to say I know better than Mac. It was Mac who showed us that attacking football was what suited this team. It always looked as if Nigel needed to take the leash off a promising team. Mac did that. 

Then he stuck a muzzle on them. Last night straight after our goal we tried to manage the game out. We drew 2-2 with 10 men. Why can't that be a lesson just like the 3-3 last season. Our strength is attack. We don't have the quality to do what we have often tried to do this year. Everything we are good at is going the other way.

We never needed to be perfect. A clean sheet has never won a match.  And we aren't getting them anyway. Might as well go with the we score more than you approach of last season. 

[i-Ram]

We started badly didn't we, by not picking Albentosa. What we need at the moment is a bit of defensive consistency. Imo Albentosa did ok at Wolves, and he needs to play a few more games to get used to working in partnership with Keogh and Grant. It has been evident to many, except Mac clearly, that our principal weakness of late has been with the fullbacks, but this is a blind spot for him. Shotton and Warnock should have started at fullback - Premier League experience is quite useful at the mo imho.

We started badly didn't we, by not going 4231. Mac persists with 433 where it clearly doesn't suit the players available to him (if Martin is not playing). Bent is not and never has been a hold up player, and Thorne was never match fit to do the CDM role - I think it was worth playing him, but Hughes (or Hanson) alongside him would have been the sensible approach so he could be eased back to full health.

In respect of the match, we competed well but the players weren't good enough - and for all the huff and puff they offer Bryso, Hendo and Jonny are really not quite good enough at the moment. I thought Watford fully deserved their point, especially as I don't think Motta should have gone. Oh, and yes you can analyse what Forsyth and Shotton might perhaps have done different/better for the second goal, but in truth we got undid by two really good passes.

The bottom line is for much of the season we haven't been sharp enough, and not deserving of the automatics. Fair play to Bournemouth, Middlesborough, and Norwich - they all play nice football, with a good but flexible system, and they have pretty secure defences. If there was a football god I think those 3 deserve to go up. Fortunately, there is no such thing, and therefore if Mac can open his eyes to our defence, and Bent and/or Martin are played in a system that suits their strengths, then we can still get in the playoffs, and then it is a lottery. We could still undeservedly go up; like QPR last season, ironically we still might.

[WFC4EVER]

I think that game summed up why we both might miss out - good in attack but ropey and inconsistent at the back now.

As usual a game full of goals and TBH I thought you were going to win once we had the man sent off (was a penalty but maybe red card a bit harsh...)

 

 

[Dimmu]

Can someone tell me why Albentosa didn't play tonight?

[Anag Ram]

Not going to lie I was still optimistic about automatics but that's well and truly gone now. I think the reaction of the players said it all to be honest. Overall we played well but as always we gifted the opposition goals. I said after the Rotherham game that the defence will cost us and it is doing. its unreal to think that at the end of february we were 5 points clear. and now we find ourselves clinging on for a play-off place.

 

Grant 7 - Didn't have much to do other than watch his defence crumble again.

 

Christie 0 - His confidence is shot, should not play again this season for his own good imo. 

 

Keogh - Outstanding tonight

 

Shotton - Caught out for there second. Albentosa may not have pace but he has a lot more awareness. 

 

Forsyth - Again could have done more for there second. He's error prone and Warnock needs to come in, I've had enough.

 

Ince - Quality player and if we don't go up I doubt he will sign, which will be a shame.

 

Hughes - Quiet game but kept us ticking and nearly scored.

 

Thorne - such bad luck, I don't know what to say.

 

Bryson - Doesn't seem up for the fight. Lack of interest.

 

Russell - couple of decent runs, won us the penalty.

 

Bent - Scored but really should have scored more, especially the one towards the end.

 

 

Martin - No time to make an impact, should have come on earlier.

 

Lingard - Looked lively and should have started after his performance at Wolves.

 

Hendrick - Square pegs in round holes again. Pains me to see Wisdom sitting on the bench at West Brom. 

 

Time to concentrate on the play-offs, we had our chance and we threw it away. The constant changing of the back four from Mcclaren has not helped.