Wilko Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 So, pre-season is almost over and the season begins in five days time. But what have we learnt so far? I've done a couple of articles on my blog which you can read.... HERE >>>>> www.ashleywilkinson.co.uk. I'd appreciate it if you could read these guys and let me know what you reckon, put a lot of time into analysing the pre-season so far, here's some thoughts below. Obviously analysing results isn't going to help us find a precedent, theme or underlying situation for this season but what about performances, signings, etc. Everyone has their own opinion on the signings and it's clear we haven't quite signed the "five or six experienced Championship players" that Nigel wanted but what about the likes of Bryson, Maguire and Ward? Players who seem to have impressed in pre-season. The injury list is extremely worrying. What the hell is going on in pre-season where we can see almost an entire squad on the physio table with pulled muscles? The new formation, for the most part, seems to be working. Each friendly has seen us keep possession for the majority of the game and hopefully we'll see more of that, the early success last season saw us play that sort of football. What do you guys think? We in for a decent season with a seemingly effective formation or are our lack of real stellar signings going to affect us this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 The football has been pretty good. We've looked the better side in all our friendlies that i've seen (all except Exeter on Ramsplayer). People might knock the opposition but you can only play what's infront of you. One concern is that despite this we've not taken enough of our chances. The formation sacrifices too much for me. Again like last season, there's too much freedom for the opposition infront of our defensive line. Last season that was down to perhaps Savage not having the legs and Bailey being a bit weak in the tackle. But with just 1 sitting there.... Some of the best bits about the games imo, S Davies - Looks fit, technical, fairly versatile, and has a powerful left foot. Cywka - Been completely different to every other player. He can beat defenders! Croft - Fit and raring to go. About time. B Davies - Looks pretty technical and much more relaxed. O'Brien/Riggot/Ball - Look to be able to provide able cover. Brayford/Ward - Look like they did last season. Maguire - Looks a tidy passer and has good movement but... Formation has at times 7 men around the opposition peno box Bad bits imo, Tyson - Could of done with coming in and proving a point. Missed some good chances. The longer he waits the more difficult it will become obviously. Even in friendlies considering his unique circumstance with our fans. Roberts - feels he has a point to prove. Still looks ropey at times. Could be a weak link?(really want him to do well) Bailey - Class player full of knocks and niggles. Be available!! Maguire - ... sometimes a simple pass or first touch is beyond him. Does the hard stuff well and fluffs the easy bits. He'll frustrate if he doesn't concentrate 100% Formation exposes defence. Especially to quick attacks. Plenty of time to put things right. We didn't start well last season apart from Leeds (a). We found some form though. Just didn't carry it on. August wont prove anything. Still time to make and learn from mistakes. Pretty box to box football has been gunned down a bit by a lack of finishing quality at one end and a defence looking a bit disjointed and lost at the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perky1106 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We have made some great signings up front that have the potential to be creative, and clearly can dominate possession in the final third as you said. But, once again it's clear that injuries are going to be our achilles heel (no pun intended) and it's going to cost us League places. We can blame training methods but how did John Brayford play every minute of last season and Steve Davies barely appear? I think we are just unlucky and we seem to have a lot of glass players. That's something we can't blame GSE or Nigel for, even though I know they will be the scapegoats when we lose on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagerbob Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 whilst i am mostly happy with the signings as i think they will improve us, I am still frustrated at the injury situation. I also am disappointed that of our many forward options we know have that there isn't a proven goalscorer in there. If we fail to take many chances next season then that is what people will point to. I also think we have failed to replace savage. If he does end up using people like bryson in the holding role, it only proves that Mr clough has failed to bring in a proper defensive midfielder. When barker was signed, people knew who he was, he was a good centre half at this level, the same goes for Shackell, people who saw him last year thought he was a class above. I just wish DCFC could sign a central/holding midfielder of the same ilk, and a centre forward along the same lines. Yes it would cost money, but cost cutting, is not how we compete with the leicesters, forests and hulls of this division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Btw, enjoyed reading your blog mate. Agree with you a lot too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p.shilton Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Analysing Pre-season is pointless beyond us having picked up injuries. Nothing has mattered thus far and even if Villa put 10 past us all that will have changed are the fitness levels of the players and the amount of days left til the season actually starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bris Vegas Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Analysing Pre-season is pointless beyond us having picked up injuries. Nothing has mattered thus far and even if Villa put 10 past us all that will have changed are the fitness levels of the players and the amount of days left til the season actually starts. You don't think it will play on the players mind, winless in 4 against 1 League 1 team and 3 League 2 teams and then Villa hitting 10 past us.. I've got news for you mate, we've tried to win everygame.. This fitness malarky is bull, you can get fitness by playing an 11 a side game in training (we physically can't as half our players are knackered).. The idea of playing lower league teams is to build confidence (preerably by winning) and trying out or improving certain formations.. Lower League sides play against higher opposition for many reasons (a day out for the fans), to try out againt tougher opponents is a great way to better yourself and to practice the element of perhaps soaking up pressure and counter attacking. We've played lower opposition to win games and improve confidence, and we haven't done it.. People saying that pre-season means jot are the same people who probably think we'll be top half this season. When we inevitably get beat by Villa I garauntee half our team runs out against Brum frightened, like rabbits in the headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeds Ram Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 it is a well written piece even if i don't agree with it's points necessarily :D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 You don't think it will play on the players mind, winless in 4 against 1 League 1 team and 3 League 2 teams and then Villa hitting 10 past us.. I've got news for you mate, we've tried to win everygame.. This fitness malarky is bull, you can get fitness by playing an 11 a side game in training (we physically can't as half our players are knackered).. The idea of playing lower league teams is to build confidence (preerably by winning) and trying out or improving certain formations.. Lower League sides play against higher opposition for many reasons (a day out for the fans), to try out againt tougher opponents is a great way to better yourself and to practice the element of perhaps soaking up pressure and counter attacking. We've played lower opposition to win games and improve confidence, and we haven't done it.. People saying that pre-season means jot are the same people who probably think we'll be top half this season. When we inevitably get beat by Villa I garauntee half our team runs out against Brum frightened, like rabbits in the headlights. If we won every pre-season friendly I'd still say they mean jot. Its just an opinion that I, (and some others apparently), have had for many,many years based on a lifetime of supporting Derby. Experience tells me that the way we perform in friendlies has no impact on how the following season pans out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curb Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 If we won every pre-season friendly I'd still say they mean jot. Its just an opinion that I, (and some others apparently), have had for many,many years based on a lifetime of supporting Derby. Experience tells me that the way we perform in friendlies has no impact on how the following season pans out. If that's the case why bother analysing it then? eg. Ben Davies looked decent against Burton, but then you can argue that he ought to because that's the standard he's used to playing against, in the Championship the game will be faster, he will be given less time to get the ball under control and look up, his poor fitness levels will be shown up. So are we not allowed to discusse pre-season because it's 'meaningless', similar to the theory that we can't discuss a player until he's played 600 games and had a testimonial for us? Can we only discuss pre-season games if we have something positive to say? Or can we openly discuss the games honestly and say we've had some good possession (which you'd expect given the opposition), but can't hit a barn door with a badger's arse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I was debating with bris his opinion that we will go down based on his views of the friendlies. I have'nt commentated or analysed any games because I have'nt seen any. I certainly have'nt said we should'nt argue, discuss, debate about how we've played........feel free:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srg Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 FYI, the apostrophe goes after the 'n' in words like shouldn't and couldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaunTheRam Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 You need to have a word with Glick - in his letter he refers to Shackell turning down a host of club's - demonstrating shocking apostrophe syndrome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curb Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I was debating with bris his opinion that we will go down based on his views of the friendlies. I have'nt commentated or analysed any games because I have'nt seen any. I certainly have'nt said we should'nt argue, discuss, debate about how we've played........feel free:rolleyes: OK, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 FYI, the apostrophe goes after the 'n' in words like shouldn't and couldn't. Its a long time since my O Level english! [sIZE=1]don't be a grammar cun't[/sIZE]!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scarlet Pimpernel Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I was debating with bris his opinion that we will go down based on his views of the friendlies. I have'nt commentated or analysed any games because I have'nt seen any. I certainly have'nt said we should'nt argue, discuss, debate about how we've played........feel free:rolleyes: I have only seen the Exeter game live. In that game we were lethargic and lacklustre. We tried to keep possession with short passing in the first half but players were not technically up to it and kept miss-controlling the ball then passing backwards to retain possession rather than playing the "killer pass". As a result hardly any shots on goal. Maguire has trouble beating his man and tries to bundle through too often. Shackell looked very good. Roberts looked to have poor control. Didn't seem comfortable receiving the short pass from Fielding. Often either played us into trouble or chipped it down the line to nobody. Second half we played a longer ball down the channels for Tyson to get on the end of (which he did). At that stage however Steve Davies was playing left back and we had no real threat in front of goal. Bryson was very quiet. Apart from that we were average. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 The Exeter game was the worse of the lot to be fair. Played more long balls in that match than in any of the others combined. Maguire is better than that too. In the Exeter game i saw all the bad bits of his game. The wreckless easy passes, the half arsed first touch. The bundling runs. Your completely right about the Exeter game though. Nobody came out of that game with any credit really except more game time. Very poor. But the other friendlies show the players being sharper. Much more inventive and on a better level of understanding. Maguire's half arsed easy stuff happens less often and his movement on the edge of the box is pretty decent. Not sure he can go past player like Cywka though. Just a good mover. So i agree with you on him too. There were times in the other games you could see a team beggining to gel, enjoy their football and were working on the shape. We dominated the games in between the two boxes. Exeter had none of that. Nigel was frustrated in the interview afterwards. Think everything he wants to gain from friendly games was absent from that match. Chin up Oh, and how poor was Roberts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Scarlet Pimpernel Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Regarding Roberts I see that the DCFC website is talking about Kilbane starting against Brum. Is that due to Roberts dead leg or lack of ability? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 FYI, the apostrophe goes after the 'n' in words like shouldn't and couldn't. FYI, We could'nt give a feck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcfcdavecov Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 FYI, We could'nt give a feck! Like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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