stephen pearson

[uttoxram75]

A bit harsh on Pringle, he is a young player who the managment feel has potential, he has only started 3 or 4 games and hasnt looked that out of place. Im sure he isnt eating up that much of the wage bill having come from Ilkeston.

Its the old non-league nige bigotry.

Nige signed him from Ilson therefore he is cr@p.

The fact that he has not looked out of his depth and appears to be a reasonable squad player is totally overlooked.

[Silver]

One of the frustrating things about supporters and journalists pontificating about where the manager went wrong in picking and setting-up the team is that their suggested teams never actually have to play the game and prove them right or wrong, they are always convinced they would win or at least put on a better performance. It's funny how all these people, who know better, have never been given a chance to manage a professional football team....... I'm not saying that with hindsight Clough wouldn't have played it different, but I'm sure that he made his selection from working with the players in training through the week, in full knowledge of who were carrying knocks and with the benefit of nearly 30 years of playing with and managing footballers. Maybe, just maybe, if he had played Savage instead of Pearson or Kuqi over Moore we would have lost 4-0 and have Savage suspended for the next game along with Barker turning a very winnable game into something we may lose because we have most of our spine missing.

No team will ever win every game (just ask Chelsea :-) ) and Clough will get things wrong, but also no team can rely on 11 players and will have to call on squad players or rely on rotation from time to time. Clough has done nothing wrong here, he put out the team he thought was best set-up to get a result and we lost, that happens and will happen again. Breath, step back, look at the fact that we have lost only twice in 11 games and have won enough points to move us to 4th due to Clough's decisions. I used to post on the DET about how amused I was at the reaction to every game, win one and we are going to be Champions and probably move on to be the first club side to win the World Cup, lose one and we are certainties for relegation and probably be in the Conference within two season because that will lead to financial melt-down etc.

If Clough and, as other's on here have pointed out, previous managers', think that Pearson is the best option then I believe we should support him. I know many of our so-called loyal supporters appear to need a scapegoat at the club to blame when things don't go to plan but I cannot see for the life of me how they think they are supporting and helping the team when so many of them choose to boo and generally undermine the confidence of the players the manager selects often before they have kicked a ball.

For what it is worth, I watched most of the game on a dodgy on-line feed on Saturday and, given the slagging Pearson got on here and other sites before kick-off, paid particular attention to him. He wasn't our best player, but he was far from the worst he did tackle, he did pass, and many passes went to white shirts and when he went off our overall performance and shape seemed to deteriorate rather than improve. I also took a look at the player scores given by three Sunday papers yesterday, Pearson was very much in the average category in all of them and didn't get the lowest Derby score in any, not the most accurate of assessments but the view of three impartial observers.

We also have to remember this is a player easing himself back into the first team after injury. If Clough picks him I will support him regardless of if I would have picked him if I was in Clough's shoes. I will judge the manager on his results over the course of the season and not because of who he picks in individual games. I certainly remember his father getting slagged off for some of his selections; several of those players went on to be key members of a championship winning side or two.

[ramsbottom]

As I said after the Portsmouth game I couldn't see Pearson fitting into this system and it looks like it's the case. I'm not at all smug about this as it's cost us three points and may well cost us more this season.

I just can't for the life of me see what The Poisened Dwarf, Jewell and now Nigel see in him :confused: He's only able to make the simplist of passes, he's not much of a dribbler, he can't shoot, doesn't tackle, can't cross and his decision making is terrible. All he has is pace and stamina, he'd make a great 400m runner but a footballer he is not.

If he gets better and chips in with a few assists and goals I'll take it all back but for now he shouldn't be anywhere near this team :mad:

[PeteDerby]

You're right, Silver. But it's just opinions and, you know, fans debating a match and all that.

Derby's fortunes shifted from being an attractive team to an effective team when Kuqi and Bueno came in. There's nothing NC could do about the Bueno change, of course, but the handful that is Kuqi, and the fired-up enthusiasm that is Savage was a proven winning formula.

Just look at how effective Howard was in terms of being a nuisance all afternoon. OK, he didn't score, but then Kuqi doesn't score that often; but he occupies the defenders and creates space for others.

IMO, we missed both Savage and Kuqi, hence the points I made.

[StaffsRam]

Just look at how effective Howard was in terms of being a nuisance all afternoon. OK, he didn't score, but then Kuqi doesn't score that often.

Didn't he put the penalty away? :confused:

[Silver]

As Pete says - different opinions of the same game

[Hartley Hare]

Pearson needs game time in order to get his fitness up after a long injury lay-off, he's come on as sub for 20 minutes a few times, but needs a start if he's going to make any real progress and be in a position to add meaningfully to the squad.

Question:- Does Nigel pick him to start a home game, and risk Pearson being subjected to the massed ranks of the boo-boys if he puts in a performance which is below his potential? Or does he pick him in an away game at a time when we've picked up at least 2 points more from the previous 2 games than he was expecting (so we're ahead of the manager's schedule) and can risk dropping a couple of points (or 3) in a game which should have no more nor less significance for the fans than the games v Preston, Reading, Middlesboro (i.e. no local rivalry, whatever certain sections of the Leicester fans might want to think), but the fans will expect us to win given our recent form and performances?

Who'd be a manager, eh?

If Clough rates Pearson then he has to find opportunities to get him match fit. This, in his opinion, was one such opportunity. Reserves games won't do it. In the short term (i.e. the match result) it didn't work out. In the longer term (i.e. player fitness, squad readiness to play when needed) it may well have been a useful step, but only time will tell. I don't think that Saturday's game will have had any material effect on the Scunny match (other than the suspensions for Barker and Moxey which may well have happened with or without Pearson). Scunny is another day, another opponent, another battle.

We lost the game this week. We mope for as short time. We get up. We move on. We are Derby.

UTR!

[Hartley Hare]

IMO, we missed both Savage and Kuqi, hence the points I made.

I think the absence of Savage, the introduction of Pearson and the deployment of Green alongside Bailey was what hurt us. We lost all fluidity and momentum through the middle of the pitch, and they covered us well enough down the wings. The responsibility does not lie with Pearson alone.

But who wold have thought 12 months ago that we'd be reflecting on a performance and result that was poorer for the absence of Savage? There are times when a player's value and reputation can be enhanced by them not playing - maybe this is one of those times.

[Alph]

Whatever anyone makes of Pearson, i hope no one goes on to treat him the way some people treated Teale.

Good or bad, he's wearing our badge and giving the effort. That might not be enough to sing his name from the stands but it's surely enough to allow him to do his best and not stomp all over his efforts in a chorus of boos.

I sometimes think if Teale one day scores a 90th minute winner against us then i might actually give a chuckle. Did he deserve all that jeering he got from some people?

I find Pearson the most frustrating footballer though. He makes me furious. His positioning on Saturday was horrific. But it has to be said Cywka was as bad in the second half. As was Commons. Neither of them offered their full backs much in either defence or attack.

No, Saturday will be forgotten in no time. A bad day at the office for almost every player.

[Hucknall Ram]

sav can play one and a half games a week and that's pushing the boat out, pearson as well as pringle should be offloaded, neither are any good whatsoever and have spent enough time at the club taking wages for my liking.

So you want get rid of a 21 year old, who was captain of the reserve league winners last season, who was also young player of the year last season and also (I guess I admit) be on a low wage? IMO he's been a useful squad player.

[Alph]

I never really saw much in Pringle last season (i didn't see much of him tbf)

But this season he came off the bench (could of been vs Watford?) and he just gave our team a whole lift. He had energy, strength, good touch and was intelligent. Got a real good look at what people see in him.

I like the look of him. Just keep giving him the experience when we can and i'm looking forward to seeing how he ends up. Looks alright.

[Cliche_King]

I know many of our so-called loyal supporters appear to need a scapegoat at the club to blame when things don't go to plan but I cannot see for the life of me how they think they are supporting and helping the team when so many of them choose to boo and generally undermine the confidence of the players the manager selects often before they have kicked a ball.

I think there's an element of frustration rather than looking for a scapegoat - and for that reason you can't blame people for booing, it's an instinctive rather than considered reaction.

We've had, for the season so far, a team that's fully capable and technically gifted enough to play an attractive attacking passing game - what every fan of every club wants to see. When a player is added to that mix that clearly doesn't have the same ability to play the game in that way then it's frustrating. Added to that Clough's stance that Pearson is perfectly suited to this style of play and it worries me that the joy from watching Derby play this way this season may be derailed by a single player.

Pearson's strengths:

Pace

Movement

Work Rate

Pearson's weaknesses:

Passing

Awareness

Vision

I don't think he has the right attributes to fit this style of play and that's based on his entire Derby career, not just one inept performance where he's still clearly suffering from lack of match practice.

[ramsbottom]

Pearson's strengths:

Pace

Movement

Work Rate

Pearson's weaknesses:

Passing

Awareness

Vision

I don't think he has the right attributes to fit this style of play and that's based on his entire Derby career, not just one inept performance where he's still clearly suffering from lack of match practice.

Exactly, he was found out in the Prem season as a footballer who can't really play football. Pick anyone of us off this forum and i'm pretty sure we could run around the park for 90 minutes. If that was the requirement for a pro footballer a lot more of us would be one...

[CapeTownRams]

fact is that NC was just looking for an excuse to get Pearson playing again. Sav could have p,kayed 45 mins at least - maybe we wouldnt then have lost our shape and conceded the firts goal and got ourselves into half time 0-0.

NC asks whetehr barker would have still brought the ball out and lost it if sav had played. Well, maybe if he'd had someone to lay it off to who was in the defensive mid then it might not have happened.

Explain to me how Ben pringle was good enough against Ipswich and then gets dropped against leicester - a far more important game for the fans and the team.

I think the fact isnt really that sav was dropped as such - just that it was a premeditated action on NC's part just to get Pearson a game. If he needs a game to get fit then play a reserves game - dont risk it in a local derby. stupid. No, the big mistake wasnt dropping sav it was playing that useless cart horse Pearson...Mr. shirker...Mr. i can't tackle (too scared to !), cant shoot, cant head, cant dribble, cant pass, cant pass.....oohh..but let's not forget the infamous "energy". yep, theres been none of that in our team recently has there !?!? doh !

madness.

[EastKentRam]

I disagree with most here about Pringle. I think he offers very little to the team and is never guna make it at this level. He seems to be just stuck in any position across the midfield when we're low on numbers, i dont see what he brings to the side. That home game against Cardiff when he was bought on and stuck on the left wing, it was embarassing watching him trying to beat his man and put a cross in. Against Ipswich he was nothing more than average, works hard but doesnt offer anything on the ball. Fair enough keep him for the near future due to our lack of numbers but i dont think he'll ever be a decent Championship midfielder.

[Cliche_King]

I disagree with most here about Pringle. I think he offers very little to the team and is never guna make it at this level. He seems to be just stuck in any position across the midfield when we're low on numbers, i dont see what he brings to the side. That home game against Cardiff when he was bought on and stuck on the left wing, it was embarassing watching him trying to beat his man and put a cross in. Against Ipswich he was nothing more than average, works hard but doesnt offer anything on the ball. Fair enough keep him for the near future due to our lack of numbers but i dont think he'll ever be a decent Championship midfielder.

Agree with you EKR on you comment about Pringle's role in the team, although admittedly I didn't see him against Ipswich.

Is he a better option than Pearson though? You have to say he's pushing him close even when you take Pearson's experience into account.

Simple answer is neither are ideal in this system.

[Alex W]

every little helps, he can't beat a man and tbh he doesn't offer anything, he isn't really young and it is quite clear he isn't good enough.

He can beat his man believe me, but he needs to be played on the wing to do it.

He's a decent squad player on next to nothing. I'm happy with him here.

[EastKentRam]

Agree with you EKR on you comment about Pringle's role in the team, although admittedly I didn't see him against Ipswich.

Is he a better option than Pearson though? You have to say he's pushing him close even when you take Pearson's experience into account.

Simple answer is neither are ideal in this system.

When picking either on the left side of the midfield i couldnt choose between the 2, both poor players. With Pringle there's the option of putting him in the holding role, although he's limited on the ball he does put himself about which i suppose does add something that Pearson doesnt.

[rammieib]

Why change a winning team to put Pearson, a player very little of us rate, in? I think thats the crux of the argument here. People say that we can afford to lose a game and we need to give him game time, but why drop players on form, and contributing to a winning team, for the sake of giving Pearson game time? Thats what confuses me!

Green, Commons and Kuqi have midweek games but Savage doesn't - if you're telling me a player who came off against Portsmouth, came off against Ipswich couldn't play 60 minutes against Leicester (Thus Allowing Green to play in a role where he makes runs beyond the backline, something Pearson doesn't do!), and then have a week to recover, there is something wrong.

I care about every game, and I don't buy into the squad rotation too much. I prefer to play the strongest team every game.

[Alex W]

Why change a winning team to put Pearson, a player very little of us rate, in? I think thats the crux of the argument here. People say that we can afford to lose a game and we need to give him game time, but why drop players on form, and contributing to a winning team, for the sake of giving Pearson game time? Thats what confuses me!

Green, Commons and Kuqi have midweek games but Savage doesn't - if you're telling me a player who came off against Portsmouth, came off against Ipswich couldn't play 60 minutes against Leicester (Thus Allowing Green to play in a role where he makes runs beyond the backline, something Pearson doesn't do!), and then have a week to recover, there is something wrong.

I care about every game, and I don't buy into the squad rotation too much. I prefer to play the strongest team every game.

I think you have to remember that Savage is 36, and that even that level of game time could result in him getting burnt out. And at his age, that could result in injury to him, which we can't afford.