MackworthRamIsGod Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 The one thing Steve McClaren managed to get right when he was here the first time, his midfield was constantly strong, Hughes/Thorne/Hendrick/Eustace/Bryson. The midfield always seemed well balanced whoever played and we have lacked that for a long time, until now. Bielik, Knight and Shinnie are a formidable trio. Shinnie is a battler, infact last night he was an absolute warrior, knight will run through walls and showed last night he 'almost' has goals in him. Bielik is as close to George Thorne as I've seen in a Derby shirt, if he had the chance to play a season in the prem with us he would move on for big big money. All we need to do now is find goals within that midfield and I think the longer the 3 play together in the system we are playing Knight will start scoring for fun, like Bryson. They are certainly 3 reasons to be cheerful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaspode Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Durden Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 I don't think Shinnie particularly will even be classified as free scoring - still remember his miss against Forest earlier in the season. He's more of a cover every blade of grass type of player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whoneedshuls Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 5 minutes ago, Tyler Durden said: I don't think Shinnie particularly will even be classified as free scoring - still remember his miss against Forest earlier in the season. He's more of a cover every blade of grass type of player. He’s a grafter him and beilik should be first names on team when fit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatRam Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Bielik is gonna have a huge future and prob play for a big club unless we can hold onto him ? only thing “missing” from his game is goals. If we can get beilik some goals and let him carry on being the main man we’ll do well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodley Ram Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, MackworthRamIsGod said: The one thing Steve McClaren managed to get right when he was here the first time, his midfield was constantly strong, Hughes/Thorne/Hendrick/Eustace/Bryson. The midfield always seemed well balanced whoever played and we have lacked that for a long time, until now. Bielik, Knight and Shinnie are a formidable trio. Shinnie is a battler, infact last night he was an absolute warrior, knight will run through walls and showed last night he 'almost' has goals in him. Bielik is as close to George Thorne as I've seen in a Derby shirt, if he had the chance to play a season in the prem with us he would move on for big big money. All we need to do now is find goals within that midfield and I think the longer the 3 play together in the system we are playing Knight will start scoring for fun, like Bryson. They are certainly 3 reasons to be cheerful. spot on @MackworthRamIsGod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramsbottom Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Tyler Durden said: I don't think Shinnie particularly will even be classified as free scoring - still remember his miss against Forest earlier in the season. He's more of a cover every blade of grass type of player. But that's what we've been missing. Things under Cocu were (slightly) improving when Shinnie was in the team. Every team needs a battler. I think Knight will definitely get 10 goals from midfield if he starts the majority of games. Like Bryson he can ping it from outside the box, but he's got that canny ability to be in the right place, at the right time to stick a rebound away... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuwtfly Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 The midfield trio last night is the biggest indicator that this is not a Steve McClaren team. It's a Rooney team. And it's a Rooney 4-3-3. A McClaren midfield trio would like have one holding midfielder who was able to dictate play (Bielik) and then two mobile, creative midfielders (say, Knight + Sibley, or Knight + Holmes). A Rooney midfield trio appears to sacrifice one of those attacking midfielders for a much more combative midfielder to disrupt opposition and give the playmaker (Bielik) more of an opportunity to dictate play. Shinnie was absolutely perfect for that role. I still haven't fully processed what we saw last night as it was such a surprise to me. But needless to say, of was fantastic. (P.S don't let David see this) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Clough Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 57 minutes ago, Nuwtfly said: The midfield trio last night is the biggest indicator that this is not a Steve McClaren team. It's a Rooney team. And it's a Rooney 4-3-3. A McClaren midfield trio would like have one holding midfielder who was able to dictate play (Bielik) and then two mobile, creative midfielders (say, Knight + Sibley, or Knight + Holmes). A Rooney midfield trio appears to sacrifice one of those attacking midfielders for a much more combative midfielder to disrupt opposition and give the playmaker (Bielik) more of an opportunity to dictate play. Shinnie was absolutely perfect for that role. I still haven't fully processed what we saw last night as it was such a surprise to me. But needless to say, of was fantastic. (P.S don't let David see this) The closest to Mac's Thorne-Hughes-Bryson midfield is Bielik- Bird-Knight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Nuwtfly said: The midfield trio last night is the biggest indicator that this is not a Steve McClaren team. It's a Rooney team. And it's a Rooney 4-3-3. A McClaren midfield trio would like have one holding midfielder who was able to dictate play (Bielik) and then two mobile, creative midfielders (say, Knight + Sibley, or Knight + Holmes). A Rooney midfield trio appears to sacrifice one of those attacking midfielders for a much more combative midfielder to disrupt opposition and give the playmaker (Bielik) more of an opportunity to dictate play. Shinnie was absolutely perfect for that role. I still haven't fully processed what we saw last night as it was such a surprise to me. But needless to say, of was fantastic. (P.S don't let David see this) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadioactiveWaste Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 I think we now have balance and options. Bielik shinnie Knight worked well last night, but combinations with Bird, Sibley or Holmes could also be effective. Bielik would be the hardest to be without for any length of time, but I think Bird-Shinnie could probably cope with Knight giving the legs to it. OK we're probably lacking star dust in terms of creativity ( until Sibley regains his magic from his first few starts) but I think we're getting to having a competent and competitive midfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jram Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 I wonder if he will sacrifice a more defensive member of the trio (probably shinnie) against Rotherham given we’re likely to have a lot more of the ball and they obviously lack Swansea’s quality through midfield May drop knight and play sibley as a ten or knight and bird as a more attacking two. Doesn’t really matter, we’re going to have to rotate anyway with all these games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millenniumram Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 Think the midfield is probably the most important area of any team - you can’t defend properly with a weak midfield, and you can’t attack properly without some creativity in there. It’s vital you get that area right. Going against the grain slightly, I’m not sure we have just yet, despite the good result last night. I think we’d get more out of Knight if he wasn’t the furthest midfielder forward - in other words, if he played where Shinnie was playing yesterday. If you add Sibley in there for some goal threat, you’ve got a very balanced midfield imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampage Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 3 hours ago, Jram said: I wonder if he will sacrifice a more defensive member of the trio (probably shinnie) against Rotherham given we’re likely to have a lot more of the ball and they obviously lack Swansea’s quality through midfield May drop knight and play sibley as a ten or knight and bird as a more attacking two. Doesn’t really matter, we’re going to have to rotate anyway with all these games Same team stops Rotherham scoring. We should get chances and score a couple. Too good a combination to make unenforced changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampage Posted December 17, 2020 Share Posted December 17, 2020 3 hours ago, Jram said: I wonder if he will sacrifice a more defensive member of the trio (probably shinnie) against Rotherham given we’re likely to have a lot more of the ball and they obviously lack Swansea’s quality through midfield May drop knight and play sibley as a ten or knight and bird as a more attacking two. Doesn’t really matter, we’re going to have to rotate anyway with all these games Winning the next two with unchanged team would be nice. 6th bottom is the next target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamNut Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 I’m losing faith in Bird. He can have good moments but the faults in his game don’t seem to be seeing any improvement. compare to knight - I can’t see any faults in his game - although maybe more goals would be the icing on the cake My preference is now knight and Sibley with Bielik. bird will have to sit on the perch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie Greenwood Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 On 18/12/2020 at 08:19, RamNut said: I’m losing faith in Bird. He can have good moments but the faults in his game don’t seem to be seeing any improvement. compare to knight - I can’t see any faults in his game - although maybe more goals would be the icing on the cake My preference is now knight and Sibley with Bielik. bird will have to sit on the perch. Bird is dropping down the pecking order Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srg Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 On 18/12/2020 at 08:19, RamNut said: I’m losing faith in Bird. He can have good moments but the faults in his game don’t seem to be seeing any improvement. compare to knight - I can’t see any faults in his game - although maybe more goals would be the icing on the cake My preference is now knight and Sibley with Bielik. bird will have to sit on the perch. It's not about losing faith. Everyone goes through ups and downs, and growing pains. Remember when Bird looked hopeless against Scunthorpe and got taken off at half time, only to become integral later the same year. It happens with young players, you'd be a mug to write off Max Bird of all people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Buckley’s Dog Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 Too many times in the last few years we have looked powderpuff in the middle of the park. Lost count of the number of games we lost without putting a tackle in. The 3 who started midweek won’t get bullied and will put their foot in and let the opposition know that they are there, which is a refreshing change. Along with CKR, on Wednesday we bullied them. When was the last time a Derby team physically muscled out an opposition - not for a while I would suggest. We need to leave the 3 as they are. Sibley/Holmes can be subbed on if we need more going forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jram Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 1 hour ago, Steve Buckley’s Dog said: Too many times in the last few years we have looked powderpuff in the middle of the park. Lost count of the number of games we lost without putting a tackle in. The 3 who started midweek won’t get bullied and will put their foot in and let the opposition know that they are there, which is a refreshing change. Along with CKR, on Wednesday we bullied them. When was the last time a Derby team physically muscled out an opposition - not for a while I would suggest. We need to leave the 3 as they are. Sibley/Holmes can be subbed on if we need more going forward. My only concern would be the amount of minutes they’re playing I know they’re young as a three but I have vague, poorly understood notions of “loads” and “minutes in legs” and, to my layman mind, it seems like we’re heading for an injury hit January I wouldn’t mind a little rotation for that reason, especially against weaker teams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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