Derby County v Middlesbrough

[Uptherams]

Five out of the six players with the most touches in the Championship on the night played for us. The other one was Henri Lansbury. 

Our back four and Thorne... That is. 

Do you have a link to these stats? 

[ronnieronalde]

I would say that has to be the biggest overreation to anything ever. 

As Daveo said, I doubt he's even the one writing out the teamsheet - I would be surprised if he didn't have more pressing issues. 

Biggest over reaction to anything ever?

I'd say that's the biggest over reaction to an over reaction ever :-)

One thing I'm certain of Ambitious is that the manager has to be present in the referee's room when handing in the team sheet, maybe he didn't write it but he's got to be there. 

Come on sunshine, you know me a little bit by now, you know that I know my stuff at least a little bit, I'm not someone who spouts garbage for the sake of it.

[StaffordRams]

Did anyone get a decent look at either of our penalty claims? The one Martin got penalised for, and the other a possible handball on the floor? I couldn't see from where I was sitting, but both looked like if they'd have been given, they would have been a bit soft.

[eddie]

The Martin one was just a coming together. I don't think that it was a foul either way (although the ref gave Boro a free kick). I didn't see the 'handball on the floor'.

[ronnieronalde]

Maybe not one person has mentioned it because it is a non issue. Just looks like a cheap snipe on your part.

It's not a cheap snipe at all. I'm very careful to introduce my point these days, sometimes probably even too much.

It's not a snipe. It's my opinion.

If you want to think I'm being dicky, I can't and won't argue but it's not fair that you or others decide what can and can't concern me. It concerned me. You've got to get the build up to games running professionally and that's not a professional thing that was done there.

If that was another teams manager you'd be having a field day.

What do you think the referee would have said? Go on lads, go and have another go at getting the names of your own starting 11 right.

Little things matter.

[Ambitious]

Biggest over reaction to anything ever?

I'd say that's the biggest over reaction to an over reaction ever :-)

One thing I'm certain of Ambitious is that the manager has to be present in the referee's room when handing in the team sheet, maybe he didn't write it but he's got to be there. 

Come on sunshine, you know me a little bit by now, you know that I know my stuff at least a little bit, I'm not someone who spouts garbage for the sake of it.

I just don't see the big deal, mate. 

I sometimes write the wrong date when I fill out forms, for example, and I'm not quite ready to condemn myself to failure just yet. 

If he wrote Chris Baird eleven times, we'd have a new song to sing: oh, we all dream... 

[Kernow]

Managers always talk about blocks of fixtures

If you'd looked at the fixtures and seen Bolton away and then two home games against Charlton and MIddlesbrough, what points target do you think Paul and the board would have set?

5? let's be realistic and not over positive.

If yes then we're two points behind target already, now those points seem tiny, 2 little points that's all, no need to panic.

But two points dropped over 3 games is a margin that I'm not entirely comfortable with.

So say we set targets in blocks of 3 matches at a time, and lets say for the first 3 games the target was indeed 5. You're telling me that because we're two points (one goal) short of hitting this target, you're extremely worried?

Our next 3 games are Brum away, Leeds at home and Preston away. Lets call the target 5 again. So if we go and get seven points from those games, then what?

We're not going to hit the 'target' for every block of games, we'll be under at times, and over at times.

The thing I'm worried about is the amount people are worried after three games. One lackluster performance, one game where we did everything to win the game and on another day would've, and a third against one of the best sides in the league where most would have taken a point anyway. Calm down. 

[Alph]

The fullbacks need the wingers to overlap and vice versa. We pushed it wide to the full backs time and time again and our midfielders and wingers just stood and watched, knowing full well that Warnock and Shotton lack the pace to go around a defender and would have to play it back inside. Weimann finally clocked this and started overlapping Warnock, leading to us reaching the byline in dangerous crossing positions on a few occasions.

 

It all just seemed a bit weird. 

All the forwards went inside. Thorne kept pushing the ball up for fullbacks and Boro pushed them back. Then we try the other side. Then the other. Then back again. 

If we're using the flanks to stretch them then let's have some more bodies out there. 

If we're stretching the play to try and make room in the middle then let's chuck some passes into our renowned focal point. 

I didn't really get the plan? 

But it worked in the end I guess because it was a ball straight down their throat that ended with a sitter. 

Didn't realise the slight luck in their goal. I thought Downing passes it but it was a shot?

[Alph]

Five out of the six players with the most touches in the Championship on the night played for us. The other one was Henri Lansbury. 

Our back four and Thorne... That is. 

Always likely to be the case when a team is happy to sit behind the ball though isn't it? 

I doubt Boro would be quite so well thought of as a tight solid team if they were happy for attackers to move the ball about. 

Henri Lansbury eh? Check them out, Using midfielders!! This is new!!

[Cam the Ram]

It all just seemed a bit weird. 

All the forwards went inside. Thorne kept pushing the ball up for fullbacks and Boro pushed them back. Then we try the other side. Then the other. Then back again. 

If we're using the flanks to stretch them then let's have some more bodies out there. 

If we're stretching the play to try and make room in the middle then let's chuck some passes into our renowned focal point. 

I didn't really get the plan? 

But it worked in the end I guess because it was a ball straight down their throat that ended with a sitter. 

Didn't realise the slight luck in their goal. I thought Downing passes it but it was a shot?

Friend went past 2 of our players and then went to shoot with his weaker right foot, fluffed it and it dropped straight to Kike who buried it. Little bit annoying that their goal came from something as lucky as that when we restricted them to so few key chances 

[eddie]

Don't want to sound negative, but I fear for Warnock up against Boro's wide players.

He played Adomah off the park.

[Ambitious]

Do you have a link to these stats? 

I've got access to a opta database so just looked on there.

Thorne - 124
Shackell - 107
Keogh  - 104
Baird - 103
Warnock - 95
Lansbury - 95

Worth noting, Keogh only lost possession five times. 

We had nearly 200 more touches - 828 - than any other team on the night. 

Only two teams lost the ball less than us on the night, both of which had a lot less touches than us. 

We had 237 more accurate passes - 568 - than any other team on the night. That's an unbelievable stat. Middlesbrough managed just 226 accurate passes, for a reference. 

194 forward passes - the fourth highest in the league. 101 backward passes - comfortably the most in the division. 

The most final third passes in the division on the night - 177 - Middlesbrough the least - 84. 

[ronnieronalde]

So say we set targets in blocks of 3 matches at a time, and lets say for the first 3 games the target was indeed 5. You're telling me that because we're two points (one goal) short of hitting this target, you're extremely worried?

Our next 3 games are Brum away, Leeds at home and Preston away. Lets call the target 5 again. So if we go and get seven points from those games, then what?

We're not going to hit the 'target' for every block of games, we'll be under at times, and over at times.

The thing I'm worried about is the amount people are worried after three games. One lackluster performance, one game where we did everything to win the game and on another day would've, and a third against one of the best sides in the league where most would have taken a point anyway. Calm down. 

I'm very calm Kernow, the days of me getting tense about a result or a game of football ended the second Nigel wasn't involved. I need emotional involvement to care deeply.

The points don't really bother me Kernow, the performances don't worry me overly. I think the squad is very good for this level, possibly too good. I didn't say I was extremely worried at all about points or performances.

I did say I was incredibly worried about getting the team sheet wrong, it's such a basic detail yet such an important part of football.

What worries me is that the guy in charge hasn't picked a side in his life. I don't think I'm being nasty or anything like that, I keep saying I hope he finds his feet quickly. I keep saying I want Derby to go up but that something isn't quite right.

I'm not keen on the new set up, manager and/or recruitment team, I just haven't quite worked out yet which one is having the most influence on set up and style.

Maybe I should stop being honest?

My gut feeling is that Paul is a little bit out of his depth, I can't put my finger on why, I can only say I've been consistent since he was brought in

It's a huge gamble to appoint a coach and expect him to manage and it's a gamble I've seen go both ways.

Derby were so close to going up in the last two seasons that I'd have preferred a steady hand rather than a calculated gamble on a relative unknown.

Again I'll stress I hope I'm wrong, but I'm a cocky little git and I don't think I've been wrong about much when it comes to judging the state or mentality of the team/squad/staff over the last couple of seasons.

[Rampage]

Ince could have done better by cutting off friend on his way to taking a shot.We had seven against two in the box when they scored but nobody got tight on players.

[eddie]

Be interesting to know what Thorne's pass completion was. I thought that his distribution was the worst that I'd seen it, especially in the second half.

[Ambitious]

I'm very calm Kernow, the days of me getting tense about a result or a game of football ended the second Nigel wasn't involved. I need emotional involvement to care deeply.

The points don't really bother me Kernow, the performances don't worry me overly. I think the squad is very good for this level, possibly too good. I didn't say I was extremely worried at all about points or performances.

I did say I was incredibly worried about getting the team sheet wrong, it's such a basic detail yet such an important part of football.

What worries me is that the guy in charge hasn't picked a side in his life. I don't think I'm being nasty or anything like that, I keep saying I hope he finds his feet quickly. I keep saying I want Derby to go up but that something isn't quite right.

I'm not keen on the new set up, manager and/or recruitment team, I just haven't quite worked out yet which one is having the most influence on set up and style.

Maybe I should stop being honest?

My gut feeling is that Paul is a little bit out of his depth, I can't put my finger on why, I can only say I've been consistent since he was brought in

It's a huge gamble to appoint a coach and expect him to manage and it's a gamble I've seen go both ways.

Derby were so close to going up in the last two seasons that I'd have preferred a steady hand rather than a calculated gamble on a relative unknown.

Again I'll stress I hope I'm wrong, but I'm a cocky little git and I don't think I've been wrong about much when it comes to judging the state or mentality of the team/squad/staff over the last couple of seasons.

Would you swap Clement for Nigel Clough if the deal was on the table? 

Genuine question - everyone has their own opinion on both. 

[Mafiabob]

Biggest over reaction to anything ever?

I'd say that's the biggest over reaction to an over reaction ever :-)

One thing I'm certain of Ambitious is that the manager has to be present in the referee's room when handing in the team sheet, maybe he didn't write it but he's got to be there. 

Come on sunshine, you know me a little bit by now, you know that I know my stuff at least a little bit, I'm not someone who spouts garbage for the sake of it.

Well I can guarantee your wrong... Doesn't have to be the manager at all... Assistant manager, player liaison officer (yes there's someone employed at teams with this "title") 

 

As a ex ref on Saturday afternoons... I  remember physios etc bringing it in. Will admit rules were probably a tad more relaxed...

 

Also I imagine the officials would be relaxed with whoever brings the teamsheet in.... Feel free to read any referees autobiography... Or contact Jeff Winter or Malk Halsey on Twitter...

 

One things for sure the manager doesn't have to be the one who hands the teamsheet in....

 

[Ambitious]

Be interesting to know what Thorne's pass completion was. I thought that his distribution was the worst that I'd seen it, especially in the second half.

We had comfortably the highest pass completion in the division, with 84%, and Thorne recorded 85%. 

Keogh, Shackell and Baird all better. 

[Alph]

Friend went past 2 of our players and then went to shoot with his weaker right foot, fluffed it and it dropped straight to Kike who buried it. Little bit annoying that their goal came from something as lucky as that when we restricted them to so few key chances 

Ah was it Friend? Need my eyes checking. 

I thought it was a pass too but just saw Clements interview. 

Martin could have done with more luck on his header. Looked like they're keeper lost it but got it back

[eddie]

We had comfortably the highest pass completion in the division, with 84%, and Thorne recorded 85%. 

Keogh, Shackell and Baird all better. 

I guess I'm judging him by his usually impeccable standards. Too many 'Hollywood' passes, and a few into Row Q.

Most unlike him.