Match Thread - Blackburn Rovers v Derby County - Friday 16th April, 6pm

[rynny]

17 minutes ago, Spanish said:

hindsight is great.  They were a big side and there was likely to be a mismatch somewhere.  That's the thing with goals easy to pin pint what could have been done differently don't you think?  That was straight off the training ground.  Gallagher arrives latish to the near post, runs into his marker takes a step back and the corner, if good, lands on his head.  If it doesn't work the corner gets swung into the centre.  Freekick for me it was premeditated, looks soft but it depended on Gallagher fouling his marker

It isn't hindsight. Not been impressed with our defensive set up from set pieces for a while, in fact,  since we stopped looking a threat from our own set pieces. 

[Jimbo Ram]

2 hours ago, HorsforthRam said:

Thought bringing on Buchanan for Forsyth gave us nothing going forward (I assume that’s why he was brought on) and drove us backwards if anything. At least Forsyth tries to play it forward and has the odd good cross but Buchanan was constantly looking to pass back and not take any responsibility going forward. I wish Festy could play left back! Looks to be on the front foot. The pressure of where we’re at is too much for Buchanan at his age 

Isn’t Buchanan older than Festy ?

[Spanish]

10 minutes ago, rynny said:

It isn't hindsight. Not been impressed with our defensive set up from set pieces for a while, in fact,  since we stopped looking a threat from our own set pieces. 

I remember Keezy (no the best example I will grant you) playing for Eire and Nial Quinn was commentating.  Somehow or other K was left in the centre of defence with 2 unmarked attackers, he chose to mark one and of course the opponent saw him do this and passed to the free one.  Quinn went ballistic, twit .  It has to be hindsight because you don't know how else it would have played out.

I wouldn't argue with the failings in our defence tho

[DavesaRam]

Here is my take on the proceedings:

It was a really good match to watch, and for once Rooney sent us out on the front foot, and after a slow start, we looked really good. I assume the line-up was dictated by who was fit enough, but it completely threw Blackburn who didn't know how to deal with us. We were a joy to watch going forwards.

Much of the comment has been about the ref's major decision costing us a point, but although not as terrible as we normally get, he made a number of critical errors, right from the beginning. Joswiack was given a hell of a whack from behind which threw him off the pitch - there was no attempt to [play the ball, and it included two hands on his back, and it was right in front of the ref who gave nothing. He also did nothing about the defender deliberately stamping on Joswiack's foot on the edge of the area, when it should have been a red card - and again there was no intention of playing the ball. Effectively he said to Blackburn do whatever you want to Joswiack, it's fine by me. He disallowed CKR's goal, presumably for a push on the defender, but completely ignored the push by Gallagher on Tom Lawrence when he scored his goal. And no, we wouldn't have been given the penalty if we were already ahead at that point - we are Derby County. We don't get penalties.

But in the end the deciding factors were of our own making, with two really poor pieces of defending. 5' 10" Lawrence against the biggest player on the pitch - was that before or after Byrne had broken  his neck? I can't remember. But it shouldn't have been Tom marking him. And it was another of those moments where you just knew it was going to be a goal. I got the "know" as the ball was being put down vaguely near the corner circle. And the substitutions sent out the message "It's all right lads. I know you've worked really hard and been really good, but now you can stop all the passing and moving, and simply lump the ball up to the big man. IT killed the game, because Blackburn know how to deal with high balls to a big man. So sadly we were undone by Wayne trying to be a tactical genius. Ho hum!

The only change we needed was Ebosele for Lawrence, who was done in by the end. And the peno decision - it couldn't have been because the ref wasn't sure - the defender went into the tackle with just his right leg out, but then swung his left leg across to make sure he got the man. 

There are plenty of performance to be happy about. Despite the flack, last night was Bird's best performance for a while. Yes he did pass sideways, and backwards on occasion, but plenty of times he surged forwards with the ball. No we didn't get a "George Thorne grass-skimming defence splitter", but he did plenty of positive things, and seems to have turned a corner. Joswiack did really well - like Johnny Russell he is great at holding on to the ball until other players arrive, although similarly his attacking end product is not so good. Like Roberts, he suffers with "Not-shooting-itus", because they are both one-footed, and are therefore constantly trying to get the ball onto there good leg, which is easy to defend against. Why these one-leggers don't seem to do anything to improve their weaker foot, I don't know.

We are a whole load of points short because of refereeing decisions, but most of our trouble has been from the insistence of not pressing and harrying the opposition, not going onto the front foot, and worrying to much about what the opposition might do. Last night showed us what happens when we simply rock up and do our own thing - it caught Blackburn out cold.

So where from here? Well, regardless of where we end up, lets go to the end of the season with the attitude we started last night's match with. I didn't lie the result, but it was enjoyable watching us at least having a go. Long may it continue - well, for the last few games anyway.

coyr

[DCFC1388]

32 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

Here is my take on the proceedings:

It was a really good match to watch, and for once Rooney sent us out on the front foot, and after a slow start, we looked really good. I assume the line-up was dictated by who was fit enough, but it completely threw Blackburn who didn't know how to deal with us. We were a joy to watch going forwards.

Much of the comment has been about the ref's major decision costing us a point, but although not as terrible as we normally get, he made a number of critical errors, right from the beginning. Joswiack was given a hell of a whack from behind which threw him off the pitch - there was no attempt to [play the ball, and it included two hands on his back, and it was right in front of the ref who gave nothing. He also did nothing about the defender deliberately stamping on Joswiack's foot on the edge of the area, when it should have been a red card - and again there was no intention of playing the ball. Effectively he said to Blackburn do whatever you want to Joswiack, it's fine by me. He disallowed CKR's goal, presumably for a push on the defender, but completely ignored the push by Gallagher on Tom Lawrence when he scored his goal. And no, we wouldn't have been given the penalty if we were already ahead at that point - we are Derby County. We don't get penalties.

But in the end the deciding factors were of our own making, with two really poor pieces of defending. 5' 10" Lawrence against the biggest player on the pitch - was that before or after Byrne had broken  his neck? I can't remember. But it shouldn't have been Tom marking him. And it was another of those moments where you just knew it was going to be a goal. I got the "know" as the ball was being put down vaguely near the corner circle. And the substitutions sent out the message "It's all right lads. I know you've worked really hard and been really good, but now you can stop all the passing and moving, and simply lump the ball up to the big man. IT killed the game, because Blackburn know how to deal with high balls to a big man. So sadly we were undone by Wayne trying to be a tactical genius. Ho hum!

The only change we needed was Ebosele for Lawrence, who was done in by the end. And the peno decision - it couldn't have been because the ref wasn't sure - the defender went into the tackle with just his right leg out, but then swung his left leg across to make sure he got the man. 

There are plenty of performance to be happy about. Despite the flack, last night was Bird's best performance for a while. Yes he did pass sideways, and backwards on occasion, but plenty of times he surged forwards with the ball. No we didn't get a "George Thorne grass-skimming defence splitter", but he did plenty of positive things, and seems to have turned a corner. Joswiack did really well - like Johnny Russell he is great at holding on to the ball until other players arrive, although similarly his attacking end product is not so good. Like Roberts, he suffers with "Not-shooting-itus", because they are both one-footed, and are therefore constantly trying to get the ball onto there good leg, which is easy to defend against. Why these one-leggers don't seem to do anything to improve their weaker foot, I don't know.

We are a whole load of points short because of refereeing decisions, but most of our trouble has been from the insistence of not pressing and harrying the opposition, not going onto the front foot, and worrying to much about what the opposition might do. Last night showed us what happens when we simply rock up and do our own thing - it caught Blackburn out cold.

So where from here? Well, regardless of where we end up, lets go to the end of the season with the attitude we started last night's match with. I didn't lie the result, but it was enjoyable watching us at least having a go. Long may it continue - well, for the last few games anyway.

coyr

I agree with every word except your last paragraph. Id rather dislike watching us and our play and see us win like Wycombe away that play nice and lose like vs Reading, Norwich & Blackburn - but I get what you mean and for what its worth I think next season if Rooney is still here that is how he will want us to play most games. 

[BondJovi]

1 hour ago, DCFC1388 said:

I agree with every word except your last paragraph. Id rather dislike watching us and our play and see us win like Wycombe away that play nice and lose like vs Reading, Norwich & Blackburn - but I get what you mean and for what its worth I think next season if Rooney is still here that is how he will want us to play most games. 

Derby don't often do last minute winners, so when they do it is a glorious feeling. The Wycombe win was not that. It was horrible. There have been plenty of dull matches in recent seasons but you can at least see some element of technique. I hope to never witness that tripe again. Not sure any professional should have been paid for that. I get your point and sometimes you need to win ugly, but that was beyond ugly.