Derby County F.C. v Sheffield United F.C.

[jono]

Forget Wolves (for now) 

we start 2018 in a promotion position. 2 points clear and +7 GD on our nearest rival. Anybody unhappy ? I'm not ... not one little bit COYR

perspective .... and we still have huge potential to polish/organise the squad and the team set up for further improvement  

 

[ossieram]

Are fans from the Sheffield clubs more retarded than from other cities? 

Against Wednesday we had idiots throwing smoke bombs into the South stand and my mates lad got clipped by one. Today when United scored we had at least 3 bottles of beer launched across. We had a copper stood in the divide watching and filming the Derby fans and even when the bottles flew over he stood watching the Derby fans and didn't turn around until a few of us had a go at him.

[Carl Sagan]

15 minutes ago, Zag zig said:

Noticed a few comments about George and I’d agree with you he could be key, but even when he came on today, I watched run in midfield on a break, to run back as part cover on the right at one point and as we tried to break again, he looked knackered. So might be wrong, but I reckon Rowett had sensed his energy levels after Ipswich were not right up where they would do him justice.

As for today, their 5 in Midfield bossed it, as Johnson and Huddlestone struggled to keep pace just like at their ground earlier in the season. As much as Russell and Weimann tried to help, the Blades moved the ball well. Don’t really think it would have mattered which two were in the middle, we just didn’t have their energy.

We’ll be fine though, Birmingham away 2 weeks off, plenty of time to catch our breath and go again, hopefully with Thorne and Ledley back fully in contention.

Thanks for the assessment from the game. Perhaps we just need more bodies in midfield when playing against a 3-5-2. One thing I'm a bit disappointed with this season is that Callum Guy doesn't seem anywhere near contention, when I thought our lack of midfielders would have seen him come through. In his Ipswich interview Rowett said Hanson had been ill for a couple of weeks so it's fair enough he wasn't called upon.

But, as you say, we now have a breather and have to hope everyone's fit and raring to go for the Brum game, giving Rowett yet more selection headaches.

[Zag zig]

36 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Thanks for the assessment from the game. Perhaps we just need more bodies in midfield when playing against a 3-5-2. One thing I'm a bit disappointed with this season is that Callum Guy doesn't seem anywhere near contention, when I thought our lack of midfielders would have seen him come through. In his Ipswich interview Rowett said Hanson had been ill for a couple of weeks so it's fair enough he wasn't called upon.

But, as you say, we now have a breather and have to hope everyone's fit and raring to go for the Brum game, giving Rowett yet more selection headaches.

Had Ledley been fit, I left wondering if 4-3-3 might have been a good option to combat them. Someone else earlier mentioned Ledley has defensive awareness and reads the game (most games compensates for any lack of pace at this level). Maybe keeping Johnson in but out wide, whilst sacrificing Weimann might have done the trick on another day? Just speculative musings on my part. They over ran us fair and square, we just about kept shape, my evidence for believing that, would be how many shots they had on target - not many! Though I had line of sight of one that just drifted wide in the second and time seemed to stand still when it went through bodies with Carson barely having sight of it.

Guy Im not one of the u23 watchers to comment with any degree of knowledge, Hanson from what I’ve seen previously doesn’t seem good enough to dispose a few in front of him now. I’d play Johnson ahead of him in any formation, if any of Thorne, Huddlestone or Ledley are struggling; the way I see it. Perhaps Hanson needs to move on too, his career here seems to have stalled and I like his grit and no nonsense approach, just don’t see him as the right fit for a Rowett team.

To get a point and play average at best, with Cardiff and Bristol losing makes that breather not such a bad couple of weeks.

[Mafiabob]

1 hour ago, eddie said:

Causality being what it is, there is no way of predicting how it affected the result in the slightest. We might have run out winning comfortably - or been on the wrong end of a hiding.

Russell should have been on the sidelines as he had the physio on, never went off the pitch and continued, then the penalty incident.

As I always say, refs make mistakes. This was rather beneficial at the time to us. 

[Millenniumram]

Well that was ******* terrible, but we could be brizzle fans! Johnson in the holding midfield role was a catastrophic mistake, took us right back to the early season days of just hoofing it with no direction. Praise to Huddlestone tho, who despite the moans of people around me was by far the man of the match for us, did both his and Johnson’s job, superb showing. Despite the issues when we actually got it to our attack we looked dangerous, vydra was excellent as was Nugent and Russell in patches as well.

Our problem came in distributing, a problem not uncommon to us recently but more pronounced today. Carson again, even tho he is a great shot stopper, needs to practice his kicking. Forsyth again gave away some very slack passes and I maintain him as a weak link, Baird was also very poor unusually today, completely left his man for the goal and just couldn’t find a derby man all game really. Johnson was utterly dire as well, hope we don’t see him in cm again, it simply doesn’t work.

But, against a team as good as Sheffield United, we can be pleased as Well as counting ourselves lucky, to escape with a point. We’ve actually gained ground which is quite incredible, just need to pull together a run of wins now starting against Birmingham and see if we can hold onto that second place. Come on derby, let’s not **** it up this year!

 

[Mafiabob]

I stand corrected, player receiving treatment doesn’t have to go off if the player who fouled him has been cautioned. Referee was right 

[Boycie]

The only two things I remember from today was Russell needs to do miles more work defensively, he doesn’t help out his defensive partner enough, he doesn’t spot the danger enough in my opinion. Maybe it’s easier sitting high up in the stand and seeing a bigger picture?   He did well to win the peno, and some of his runs from midfield were good too.

Forsyth, his confidence seems to be very fragile, it’s if it’s bi polar? Does some really good stuff one game, bombs forward, gets some killer crosses in. The next game he looks like he’s scared out his skin and just want to get rid of the ball.

Now, I think he’s a good player and no doubt a good lad also, but he needs to believe in himself, he’s proved  he can do it, you can do it Craig! ??

Oh! Three things! Curtis Davis, spoted a pass being made first half and steamed the back line and snuffed it out, fantastic reading of the game. My man if the match.

[PodgeyRam]

20 minutes ago, Mafiabob said:

Russell should have been on the sidelines as he had the physio on, never went off the pitch and continued, then the penalty incident.

As I always say, refs make mistakes. This was rather beneficial at the time to us. 

I think the rules have changed this season. If player is fouled and needs treatment then he doesn't have to go off, he gets to stay on the pitch. I don't think he handballed it in the build up either.

[Derby blood]

Not a great game today, loved Mr Rowetts honesty after the game, he really does tell it like it is, and I just hope he stays with us for many a seasons to come, Davis was my man of the match, and I am very happy that we are still second after today's game, hope Ledley is back soon, he does all the dirty stuff, which can go unnoticed by some, can not wait till Friday night now, hope we do ourselves justice, I am sure we will. Still very confident that we will get the job done this season, and return to the premiership.

[Rev]

10 minutes ago, Mafiabob said:

I stand corrected, player receiving treatment doesn’t have to go off if the player who fouled him has been cautioned. Referee was right 

We all knew that, but had too much respect for the referees friend on here to say!

[Mafiabob]

10 minutes ago, PodgeyRam said:

I think the rules have changed this season. If player is fouled and needs treatment then he doesn't have to go off, he gets to stay on the pitch. I don't think he handballed it in the build up either.

Just found out. Decent rule change that

[archied]

Ok negatives first

Worst we have played for a while but was a carry on from Ipswich second half

don’t know why we take vydra off so often as we seem to lose that buzz around energy and pace through the middle 

yes I know it was only ten minutes but it’s clear Martin needs to move on ,he is a fish out of water and looks like he is on slo mo and the style we play now require the front players to play with an intensity the he just can’t keep up with,

positives

we did not lose , we gained points on third and fourth and it’s likely that Ledley will be fit for next league match 

[G STAR RAM]

2 hours ago, coneheadjohn said:

As a massive fan of Martin myself Kash I thought I’d run my opinion of today past you.

Having seen that today and how we play I think he needs to move on.Our style of play is not suited to him at all.

There’s no one near him to flick play in feed off and there was no one more than me wanted him to come and start back heeling people in and smash a 25 yarder in...I think it’s over☹️

That is exactly the point I was trying to make..but obviously you put it much more eloquently than I...well played.

The only games which MAY suit Martin is when teams come and park the bus against us and we need effective possession further up the pitch.

When we use our A game Martin will be nowhere near as effective. That's not a criticism of him or Rowett, just how I see the situation. 

[RoyMac5]

42 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

The only games which MAY suit Martin is when teams come and park the bus against us and we need effective possession further up the pitch.

When we use our A game Martin will be nowhere near as effective. That's not a criticism of him or Rowett, just how I see the situation. 

Yep, we only play one way as does Martin.

[G STAR RAM]

1 minute ago, RoyMac5 said:

Yep, we only play one way as does Martin.

I wouldn't say we only play one way, refer to Ipswich performance.

Would certainly say our most effective way of playing is completely different to anything that Martin offers us though.

[BramcoteRam84]

Didn’t see the game as still down under but looking at the line up not really surprised.

Johnson has proven time and again he can’t play in the 2 with Huddlestone but sounds like today we didn’t really have another option. If Thorne was fit to start he would’ve done given his performance at Ipswich.

Playing Johnson in the 3 means you sacrifice Russell, Weimann or Lawrence which vastly reduces the creativity of the front 4 but sometimes can be useful away from home. He’s done alright this season but it’s hard to fit him in, we won’t progress with the likes of him in the team with inferior technical ability.

Also, bemused as to why Wisdom and Winnall didn’t keep their places in the team today. Maybe too many changes from the manager today. But 8 points from 4 games over Christmas is solid promotion form so we should be happy with that.

[Ninos]

1 hour ago, archied said:

Ok negatives first

Worst we have played for a while but was a carry on from Ipswich second half

don’t know why we take vydra off so often as we seem to lose that buzz around energy and pace through the middle 

yes I know it was only ten minutes but it’s clear Martin needs to move on ,he is a fish out of water and looks like he is on slo mo and the style we play now require the front players to play with an intensity the he just can’t keep up with,

positives

we did not lose , we gained points on third and fourth and it’s likely that Ledley will be fit for next league match 

You clearly know nothing about football if you didn’t think Martin was excellent today. The problem was the rest of the team not playing to his strengths.

[Steve How Hard?]

2 minutes ago, Ninos said:

You clearly know nothing about football if you didn’t think Martin was excellent today. The problem was the rest of the team not playing to his strengths.

[Ninos]

17 minutes ago, BramcoteRam84 said:

Didn’t see the game as still down under but looking at the line up not really surprised.

Johnson has proven time and again he can’t play in the 2 with Huddlestone but sounds like today we didn’t really have another option. If Thorne was fit to start he would’ve done given his performance at Ipswich.

Playing Johnson in the 3 means you sacrifice Russell, Weimann or Lawrence which vastly reduces the creativity of the front 4 but sometimes can be useful away from home. He’s done alright this season but it’s hard to fit him in, we won’t progress with the likes of him in the team with inferior technical ability.

Also, bemused as to why Wisdom and Winnall didn’t keep their places in the team today. Maybe too many changes from the manager today. But 8 points from 4 games over Christmas is solid promotion form so we should be happy with that.

Agree. Thought Wisdom was superb last match / in fact he’s incredibly consistent every time out.