SIGNED: Alex Pearce

[Ambitious]

We shouldn't make any judgements on any players, not before they've pulled on the shirt anyway.

Two seasons ago, signing Pearce would have been imaginable. He's been picked up as a poor footballer but his pass completion is okay. We're lucky to have the two highest in the division - Keogh and Buxton - but I'm sure he'll be okay in this regard.

He's a good replacement for Whitbread, seems to be in a similar mould. At the very least, he'll be good cover. 

[Anag Ram]

​The last ditch tackles are more often than not covering for others. Imo of course.

​Yep - and that's why he features in the Championship team of the year.

[YouRams]

​The last ditch tackles are more often than not covering for others. Imo of course.

​I wish I owned a pair of the Keogh tinted glasses. What about all the times he backs of and backs of and keeps backing off until the only thing he can do is dive in? And on occasions (Brentford game springs to mind) its too late for the diving in and we concede. Imo of course.

 

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

Not saying he is in anyway perfect and certainly he is at his level but he is faaaaaaaar too heavily criticised. I would say that for those wishing Keogh gone...................be careful what you wish for. As a matter of interest why do you think his fellow professionals voted him in the championship team of the year?

[Anon]

​I wish I owned a pair of the Keogh tinted glasses. What about all the times he backs of and backs of and keeps backing off until the only thing he can do is dive in? And on occasions (Brentford game springs to mind) its too late for the diving in and we concede. Imo of course.

 

​I see you skipped defending 101. Stay on your feet and don't commit too early. The theory behind this is that you are trying to slow down the attacking play to allow your teammates to track back and reinforce the defence, or forcing the attacker into a mistake. Of course this doesn't work 100% of the time, but I guarantee it is more effective than diving in and missing your challenge or connecting with the player and getting a red.

[i-Ram]

It is good news that Clement apparently has final say on Pearce.  He will know bit about his qualities, and Keogh and Buxton too, but probably knows more about Albentosa than any of us posting on here.  The crux of the matter appears to be what style Clement is going to play next season, does he rate Albentosa, and who he might want as captain to manage the team on the pitch.  

Does he want to deploy a no nonsense big back 4, or does he want a ball playing "Ramos'esque" player in the centre of defence?  My guess would be that Clement's thinking will be is Albentosa should my first pick if he rates him, given that his boss Mel did everything to get him to sign in the first place. I suspect Albentosa will be one of the first players he will speak to to determine his happiness/opinion.  I think there is some evidence of him being ostracised last season, perhaps because of the MacLaren/Buxton spat.  It would not surprise me if Albentosa is his man that they might then let Bucko go, and neither would it surprise me if Clement wanted his own new captain which being the case I think Keogh might go too.  I don't know if Pearce or Shotton could play to Albentosa's left, but I would prefer to see someone comfortable with a ball at their feet personally, which you would think would be Clement's instincts given the team formations he has worked with over the last 6 or 7 seasons.

[ramesses]

So far all of the new defenders have looked pretty dreadful. Not one of them has looked nearly as good or the same quality as Buxton. Alex Pearce doesn’t look dreadful - but does seem a bit average.

Last season we were much more solid at the back when Keogh was playing with Buxton. Without that pairing at the back we often looked a shambles.

Unless Albentosa finally comes good or Pearce is better than he looks from the youtube clips or Shotton and Warnock are sprinkled with pixie dust then I can only see one partnership surviving.

Here’s an interview with Keogh near the end of Feb 2015 when Derby’s defensive record was still something to be proud of. It wasn’t that long ago…

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/Derby-County-skipper-proud-defensive-record/story-26084390-detail/story.html

 

[cheron85]

​I wish I owned a pair of the Keogh tinted glasses. What about all the times he backs of and backs of and keeps backing off until the only thing he can do is dive in? And on occasions (Brentford game springs to mind) its too late for the diving in and we concede. Imo of course.

 

​

​I see you skipped defending 101. Stay on your feet and don't commit too early. The theory behind this is that you are trying to slow down the attacking play to allow your teammates to track back and reinforce the defence, or forcing the attacker into a mistake. Of course this doesn't work 100% of the time, but I guarantee it is more effective than diving in and missing your challenge or connecting with the player and getting a red.

​You obviously have the tinting set wrong... There's two shades... the lighter shade are for those defending him... the darker shades for those attacking... the ones struggling to see what's actually going on... It means they can't read the good things written about Keogh from outside/neutral sources...

HOWEVER you both make good points... He does a great job of slowing down the play by holding people up BUT he goes back too far before making a challenge... He needs to be making it 30 yrds from goal, not letting attackers into the box.

[danthebeast]

Alot of the time he's (Keogh) backing off from the attacker because said player has an option out wide, to his left, and its a 2 v 1 situation. This happened frequently last season because our right back was encouraged to push forward and was often out of position when a counter attack against us was launched.

What's Keogh supposed to do in that situation? Pressure the man in possession, therefore leaving a simple pass out wide to a free man who's unmarked? Or stay on his feet, stand the man in possession up and hope that the fullback get's back to lend support? Option 2 for me every time.

This wasn't as much of a issue in our first year under Mac as Wisdom would generally hold back and we'd almost revert to a back 3 With Fozzy as our outlet wide left and Eustace/Thorne sat in front of the 3 as an extra helping hand.

Keogh is a fine championship defender. Not amazing, not terrible. Unfortunately since Wembley people seem to only see him in one of those two lights.

P.S. Seems as it's what the threads about, I'm happy with Pearce coming in. Better than what we've let go and that's kinda the point isn't it?

[PistoldPete2]

Alot of the time he's (Keogh) backing off from the attacker because said player has an option out wide, to his left, and its a 2 v 1 situation. This happened frequently last season because our right back was encouraged to push forward and was often out of position when a counter attack against us was launched.

What's Keogh supposed to do in that situation? Pressure the man in possession, therefore leaving a simple pass out wide to a free man who's unmarked? Or stay on his feet, stand the man in possession up and hope that the fullback get's back to lend support? Option 2 for me every time.

This wasn't as much of a issue in our first year under Mac as Wisdom would generally hold back and we'd almost revert to a back 3 With Fozzy as our outlet wide left and Eustace/Thorne sat in front of the 3 as an extra helping hand.

Keogh is a fine championship defender. Not amazing, not terrible. Unfortunately since Wembley people seem to only see him in one of those two lights.

P.S. Seems as it's what the threads about, I'm happy with Pearce coming in. Better than what we've let go and that's kinda the point isn't it?

Not sure Pearce is better than whitbread except hopefully at staying fit enough to play more than 2 games in a season

[Gary Teale]

It is good news that Clement apparently has final say on Pearce.  He will know bit about his qualities, and Keogh and Buxton too, but probably knows more about Albentosa than any of us posting on here.  The crux of the matter appears to be what style Clement is going to play next season, does he rate Albentosa, and who he might want as captain to manage the team on the pitch.  

Does he want to deploy a no nonsense big back 4, or does he want a ball playing "Ramos'esque" player in the centre of defence?  My guess would be that Clement's thinking will be is Albentosa should my first pick if he rates him, given that his boss Mel did everything to get him to sign in the first place. I suspect Albentosa will be one of the first players he will speak to to determine his happiness/opinion.  I think there is some evidence of him being ostracised last season, perhaps because of the MacLaren/Buxton spat.  It would not surprise me if Albentosa is his man that they might then let Bucko go, and neither would it surprise me if Clement wanted his own new captain which being the case I think Keogh might go too.  I don't know if Pearce or Shotton could play to Albentosa's left, but I would prefer to see someone comfortable with a ball at their feet personally, which you would think would be Clement's instincts given the team formations he has worked with over the last 6 or 7 seasons.

​So the basis of all that is that Albentosa played in Spain where Clement he would have seen him play 2 or 3 times

[YouRams]

​I see you skipped defending 101. Stay on your feet and don't commit too early. The theory behind this is that you are trying to slow down the attacking play to allow your teammates to track back and reinforce the defence, or forcing the attacker into a mistake. Of course this doesn't work 100% of the time, but I guarantee it is more effective than diving in and missing your challenge or connecting with the player and getting a red.

​But he also does it in situations where team mates are around him, which for me invites the team that are attacking further towards our goal. It wouldn't hurt to pick up a yellow in a less threatening position than it would to track all the way back.

[PistoldPete2]

​So the basis of all that is that Albentosa played in Spain where Clement he would have seen him play 2 or 3 times

He might have paid more attention to him on TV although with Ronaldo Rodriguez and bale he praps didn't need to. 

[Anon]

​But he also does it in situations where team mates are around him, which for me invites the team that are attacking further towards our goal. It wouldn't hurt to pick up a yellow in a less threatening position than it would to track all the way back.

​I can agree with that. His judgement often seems to let him down.

[i-Ram]

​So the basis of all that is that Albentosa played in Spain where Clement he would have seen him play 2 or 3 times

Blimey, I did get a bit carried away there didn't I.  What was I thinking. Bloody Spain being somehow forward thinking at football. Bl**dy Dagos have no idea when I think about it. Clement would have only seen him when they played Eibar, because they don't do scouting or match preparation over there. They haven't even had Matchos of the Deyo on over there, because they have no TVs either.  I spoke to one of my Spanish mates about you, and he said you were a Pinche Idiota. Not sure what that means, but even though he is from a backward land my guess is that he isn't too far away from the mark.

[needles]

Bottom line on Albentosa is that so far, in a Derby shirt, he's been woeful.

[cheron85]

Blimey, I did get a bit carried away there didn't I.  What was I thinking. Bloody Spain being somehow forward thinking at football. Bl**dy Dagos have no idea when I think about it. Clement would have only seen him when they played Eibar, because they don't do scouting or match preparation over there. They haven't even had Matchos of the Deyo on over there, because they have no TVs either.  I spoke to one of my Spanish mates about you, and he said you were a Pinche Idiota. Not sure what that means, but even though he is from a backward land my guess is that he isn't too far away from the mark.

​Not trying to defend other people BUT he would have seen Eibar play Real once when albentosa was there right? Since he left in Jan so can assume half way through season so once? Then allow for maybe 2/3 full games which the 2nd in charge might watch? Much more likely he'd have a scout do it and give him a report... Plus why would you focus on a single player, who is NOT a danger man, when you're Real going up against Eibar?

Rather than trying to be funny maybe listen to people's points and give them a think over? Emphasis on trying...

[TheDeadlySaul]

Bottom line on Albentosa is that so far, in a Derby shirt, he's been woeful.

​He hasn't been woeful, he has just been below average, what is perfectly fine when you consider that he has just moved to a foreign country where he does not know the language and hasn't even had a pre season. 

[Ambitious]

Albentosa had a very good reputation in Spain, and still does, so he would have definitely heard of him for the right reasons. 

I'm not throwing the towel in over Raul, like I have done Shotton and Warnock, because a good pre-season and fresh start could see why he was labelled as the 'rock of Eibar' and why they fell so ungraciously down the league following his exit. 

[Gritty]

Whereas if shotton and warnock have a good pre season you'll write them off?

Slate is clean for all players. Maybe bennett will get a chance