Villa v Derby

[DavesaRam]

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in his post-match interview Frank said that there would be some hard words spoken, but I think that the best method of correction would be to make, no force the team to sit down and watch a replay of the match time after time after time after time, for as long as it takes fro them to see how to pass the ball to a team mate, how to win the second ball, how to move the ball forwards quickly, how to take decisive action, how to take responsibility, how to try to make something happen, oh and how to actually play football.

It was summed up by their second goal. All that was needed was a simple forwards ball just clear of the defender to put Jack Marriott through on goal. Instead the ball went straight to the Villa defender, and three passes later the ball was in our net. All four goals demonstrated everything that is wrong about our game, and Villa carved us open with ridiculous ease over and over again.

For most of the game we sat far too deep, as if we were in awe, or even scared of Villa, although after the 3 - 0 defeat at Pride Park that may be understandable. But it wasn't that, it was that we showed no aptitude for passing the ball forwards, and no one wanting to take responsibility, choosing the safe pass every time.

We hardly ever challenged for the second ball, although maybe the players were thinking "what's the point?" Virtually every challenge ended up with a free-kick to Villa, with their players almost only needing to look down towards the ground and it was a free-kick. The referee looked suspiciously like Lee Mason, and performed like him - he was terrible, almost as bad as the Derby performance, giving them virtually everything on demand, and giving Derby virtually nothing. Hence for the first goal, there was a good suspicion of offside, both in the build up and in the goal itself. And late on Marriott was hurled to the floor, a blatant penalty, but true to form, it was not given. I didn't see the two-handed push on Wilson, although by then nobody cared much anyway. But in reality he didn't affect the result one bit. The best we could offer was a cross which the keeper caught on his goal-line and I think Wilson managed to get a shot off in the second half, and that was it. And how many times did we struggle for the next pass whilst at the same time completely ignoring Wisdom on the right wing in yards of space completely unmarked. We did the same once Bogle came on. He must of have gone 10 minutes before he got the ball, yet was always in open space.

Credit to Marriott, who achieved very little because of the almost total lack of service, but he never gave up right up till the end, chasing everything (while chasing nothing). Well done, Jack. And credit to Max Bird. What a cauldron to be thrown into for your first start. He did one or two bad passes, but was always looking for the ball, and always looking to move it forwards. At time he looked frustrated, like he was a Premier League player wondering why no-one was at his level. He can clearly see what needs to be done, but ends up staring at players who simply won't move into the positions they should be taking up by a matter of nature. And I was completely baffled to see that Roos had been dropped. I knew straight away that our defence would suffer, because his distribution and ability with his feet is way better than Carson's, and therefore gives his defence a degree of security. Credit to Carson for two superb saves in the second half - he really kept us in the game. 

This match is a prime candidate for Mel to give the travelling fans a refund, and take it out of the player's wages. These players are already, or well on their way to millionaire status, and the club throws money at them no matter how they play. If virtually any of the fans performed like that, they would be sacked at the first opportunity. They/we spend a large proportion of our income to support the team, and for what? to see this overpaid bunch under-perform yet again.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

I don't know what triggered, but at one point in the second half loads of stewards and police came to the front of our stand expecting us to kick off, so I went down to them and told them to go and have a cuppa, because we are from Derby, and we have no fight in us.


The tickets for this match were an early birthday present for my son, and all I can say is thank the Lord that it was an early present, because we still have time to get him something which he will enjoy.

[Ibby]

Embarrassing result ?

[North East Ram]

Well that was the first match thread I’ve ever started. Seems to be a lot of responses so think it went quite well. 

Cheers!

[Gerry Daly]

Your last sentence is the saddest bit of all DavesaRam.  Can see myself not being particularly bothered to go on Tuesday  

[sunnyhill60]

21 minutes ago, Gerry Daly said:

Your last sentence is the saddest bit of all DavesaRam.  Can see myself not being particularly bothered to go on Tuesday  

And miss the start of the revival!!

[Ramarena]

I said before the game that the midfield was far too light weight and I was sadly right.

I feel sorry for Bird as he gets a chance in a midfield that would struggle to cut the mustard in league 1.

The midfield has been wrong all season, even when we were playing well. We have skillful players in there but we don’t have the physicality and determination that is required in this division to compliment the skill/flair.

i think in some ways we have a collection of midfield players who are quite talented and would suit the Prem style of play much better than they would the champ.

I think the same goes for Frank, he wants to play a team/style that would be much better suited to the Prem than the champ, hence our good cup displays and good performances against newly relegated Prem sides earlier in the season.

I think Frank really needs to get his head around what it takes to do well in this division, if he is to go ahead with next seasons rebuild.......and it is a rebuild no matter what people say given the number of players that will be leaving and the number of players that will need to come in!  

 

[Will the Ram]

9 hours ago, David said:

Ok. But it is a fact, Forest and Birmingham lost and Bristol City only picked up a point. 

If you think I’m being deluded by not giving up on the top 6 until it’s mathematically impossible that’s fine, but I won’t. 

We have a run of home games now coming up, win on Tuesday we’re level on points with Bristol City again in 6th.

If you want to give up, say the season is over then great, each to their own.

I think because we’ve had games in hand some people start staying (me included including yesterday) “if we win our games in hand we’ll be x” but it rarely happens with us. We don’t take advantage of these situations usually. I see no reason why Tuesday will be any different.

At the moment we look lost and don’t look like scoring and we haven’t been able to defend all season so it’s pretty worrying combination.

I was there yesterday and I was one of the worst halves of football I can remember, probably since the Jewell era (although some of the football the end of last season was also poor).

[Will the Ram]

6 hours ago, WAGHORNY RAM99 said:

Just got back from the game and all I have to say is that was the most disgraceful performance I have ever seen( I started going to games from 08/09 onwards)  and I hope Lampard really lays into them and  finds away to make major changes to our pitiful midfield and overall lack of cohesion and organisation.

You just missed out on the fun that was 2007/08. Yesterday’s first half was quite similar tbh.

[Topram]

Just got home we was poo end off frank looks likes he not slept for a year 

[falconram]

Awful display, poor team selection but remember 9 of those who started all have contracts for next season.

The big hitters who folks complain about didn't even make the squad, Huddlestone's, Nugent,Bryson ,Johnson sub the list goes on .

Folks wants academy players you had them Bird,Bogle, Bennett, there coming through but they won't get you promotion yet.

The only thing form yesterday was watching just how easy Grealish makes a game look and what a fantastic goal he scored, remember a chap called Hughes , those were the days.

Season not over there's always the next game.

[Sith Happens]

2 hours ago, Topram said:

Just got home we was poo end off frank looks likes he not slept for a year 

That's what having kids does to you.

[Gone]

Time to stop this rotation nonsense. We aren’t Real Madrid, play your best team  and stick to it Frank. 

[Carnero]

Just now, TexasRam said:

play your best team

I'm not sure we have one!

[Gone]

4 minutes ago, Carnero said:

I'm not sure we have one!

Me neither but if we did I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include, Evans or Bennett. 

[Carnero]

Just now, TexasRam said:

Me neither but if we did I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include, Evans or Bennett. 

... and it does include Forsyth, Davies, Mount & Lawrence who are injured.

[Sparkle]

I went yesterday and yes a great day out apart from the football- well actually we didn’t participate in any.

an incredibly poor looking team to start with reinforced by thier lack of effort which left me and my fellow rams supporters dismayed- we are playing worse than poor relegation side

whilst everybody was poor it must be mentioned that most of that team are under contract next season!

many players have been poor on occasions this season but none more than Evans who I do not know how he actually gets selected from a football point of view

[Inglorius]

The most concerning thing for me which has already been picked up by a couple of posters was that the majority of the team yesterday are going to be under contract next year so is this the shape of things to come for next season?

[Gone]

23 minutes ago, Carnero said:

... and it does include Forsyth, Davies, Mount & Lawrence who are injured.

Agreed

[Ram8]

What a shambles, I’m sorry but Frank Lampard has meddled and messed about with the line-up yet again, weakening it without any semblance of an alternative tactical plan. 

What did Evans, Wisdom and Bennett contributed yesterday. Answer, absolutely nothing! 

Where is Huddlestone? Is he injured? Without his calmness and anticipation, and ability to receive and retain the ball in tight situations at CDM we are exposed and Keogh and Tomori are overrun.

Why is Waghorn dropped? He isn’t a £5 million pound player or a Chris Martin, but he provides some physicality up front. Jack Marriott, for all his selfless running, and opportunism, is completely ineffective when we have no midfield to provide him with service. Did not Lampard even look at what Chris Martin could offer, or is he incapable of judging a player’s value to a team, or their attributes and abilities? 

What has Roos done to deserve being discarded? 

I’m afraid that Lampard is revealing his naivety and flawed judgement of the players at his disposal.

Wisdom is incapable of passing forward. Bogle, for all his inexperience is far better.

What does FL see in Mason Bennett? No penetration on the wing, no goal threat. 

I’ll exempt Max Bird from criticism as he did appear to try his best in a difficult situation for an inexperienced 18 year old. And Duane Holmes was the only midfielder who was willing or capable of holding the ball or moving it forward.

But how on earth could FL believe that a midfield of Evans, Bird and Holmes was capable of dealing with players such as Jack Grealish, or providing sufficient creativity to break open Villa’s defence, containing the excellent Tyrone Mings. 

Grealish is premiership class, actually better than our own (loanee) Mason Mount, and has that rare ability to receive the ball anywhere on the pitch, retain it, and bring other team mates into play, giving the impression of making time stand still whilst he does it. Surely a future England player. 

A few people have mentioned Will Hughes, I know he’s gone and that might seem to be futile, but it does provide an illustration of the gulf in midfield class that has opened up since we lost him. 

Is Frank Lampard capable of recognising the massive mistake that he made in team selection yesterday, and restoring some semblance of balance to the team with the return of Huddlestone and Waghorn, and accepting that such as Wisdom, Bennett, Evans, Lawrence, Nugent, Bryson and Johnson have no further part to play in the remainder of Derby County’s season? 

On current evidence, perhaps not, but I hope I am wrong, because yet another change of manager would be a disaster for the club in it’s present situation. 

 

[Inglorius]

1 minute ago, Ram8 said:

What does FL see in Mason Bennett? No penetration on the wing, no goal threat. 

But how on earth could FL believe that a midfield of Evans, Bird and Holmes was capable of dealing with players such as Jack Grealish, or providing sufficient creativity to break open Villa’s defence, containing the excellent Tyrone Mings 

Maybe because he had no one else?