Derby County v Watford

[BondJovi]

Surely then we could have done the same deal with a right back....

[Diag Ram]

I want Clough to suceed as much as the next guy, but I'm losing patience as he keeps making the same mistakes in his tactics and team selections:

1. Green CANNOT play right back. All the opposition manager has to say is "If Green plays right back, just channel it all down the left flank, I could do a better job at right back, that's got to be good for a goal." He's been at fault for two soft goals in the last two games, and also for the goal vs Leicester. Why is Clough the only one who can't spot this pattern? Get Naylor in at right back, he can't be worse, and if so why did we bother signing him?

2. We CANNOT pass the ball into the net, we have no threat whatsoever when we try this. All the other team needs to do is stand in front of our players and they don't have a clue. Too predictable, no imagination= no goals.

3. Hendrick is dreadful. He can't keep living off that goal against the Red Dogs. His first touch is very poor, even for our player's standards. Him and Carroll were absolutely appalling yesterday, both should be benched in favour of Bryson and Bailey in midfield.

4. Why, oh why can't we take a throw in? I reckon it was part of Watford's game plan to give us a throw in, as we're s**** at them.

5. We have no imagination going forward, we spend most of the game passing from midfield, to Barker, back to Frankie. We won't score when most of our possession is in our own half!

6. Our team is one of the weakest (physically) I've ever seen. Davies is the only player capable of holding a ball, or beating a player consistently.

I'll end on a couple of positives though, as has already been said, Buxton and Shackell played very well yesterday. The board need to see that Shackell won't stay if we don't show ambition, sod the FFP crap, by the time that comes in we'll be so far behind our rivals it will take 5-10 years to build a decent squad to challenge. We don't deserve that. It's time for investment, we need 2-3 first team players (LB, striker and RM) and 3-4 decent back ups and then we'd have a decent team!

And breathe.... 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':o' /> <<< deep breath

[Hucknall Ram]

Would agree with you apart from number three

[Leeds Ram]

But if he had closed down there would have been an easy pass that would have put one of their players clean through due to Barker being out of position having rushed up to make an easy interception/clearance and fecking it up. He didnt commit himself and slowed the attack down which should have given time for the defence to recover from Barker's mistake

Barker made the mistake for the second goal not the first.

[davenportram]

Must have got my goals confused then -

.

[AndyB]

I'm sorry but this sort of post really annoys me. Buxton did not put a single foot wrong yesterday. Ok his distribution was poor at times but not much worse than we normally see from our centre backs.

I also though Shackell did well at left back.

So why exactly did playing Buxton at centre back cost us the game?

From where I was sat the goals came from Green and Barker.

I like most others am fed up of seeing players played out of position but to try and put the blame at the door of a player who did nothing wrong does not make sense. Instead why are we not asking why we have taken Noble and Carroll on loan in recent months instead of a full back.

Buxton may not have done much wrong for Buxton, but I don't believe he (or Doyle) are Championship quality and I don't understand why they get picked when we have other fit players who could come into the 16. In my view having Buxton at Centre Back unsettled the defence as a whole and I would much rather we played 4 decent players in the back 4 than play Buxton. I have nothing against him, I just don't believe he is good enough. Fair play to him he always gives 100%, but then I would always give 100% if I played but I wouldn't want Clough to pick me either!

[G STAR RAM]

Buxton may not have done much wrong for Buxton, but I don't believe he (or Doyle) are Championship quality and I don't understand why they get picked when we have other fit players who could come into the 16. In my view having Buxton at Centre Back unsettled the defence as a whole and I would much rather we played 4 decent players in the back 4 than play Buxton. I have nothing against him, I just don't believe he is good enough. Fair play to him he always gives 100%, but then I would always give 100% if I played but I wouldn't want Clough to pick me either!

May not have done much wrong for Buxton?! What did he do wrong then?! He did not look out of his depth at all yesterday so obviously is good enough for the Championship. As for saying him playing unsettled the defence, what were the alternatives? Play Roberts even though he was injured? Just play with 3 players in defence? What is your view on Barker costing us the second goal? Is he good enough for the Championship? Would you like him dropped now?

[Diag Ram]

Buxton may not have done much wrong for Buxton, but I don't believe he (or Doyle) are Championship quality and I don't understand why they get picked when we have other fit players who could come into the 16. In my view having Buxton at Centre Back unsettled the defence as a whole and I would much rather we played 4 decent players in the back 4 than play Buxton. I have nothing against him, I just don't believe he is good enough. Fair play to him he always gives 100%, but then I would always give 100% if I played but I wouldn't want Clough to pick me either!

Never been a big fan of Buxton myself, but he came into the team yesterday and proved a point. Maybe he deserves a second chance, whilst Brayf and Roberts are injured give him a run and see how he goes.

[davenportram]

Roberts isn't injured!!!! He was ill overnight and will be back for Tuesday

.

[AndyB]

Thank god for that!

[Ambitious]

How can anyone say Buxton is a bad player? it's a myth... he has never ever looked anything other than competent at this level. He isn't a million pound player, nor does he have a foreign name but play him against any striker in the championship and in the air he'll win the battle 9/10 and on his first start comes off with the MOTM award, outplaying 2 million pound defenders with ease.

If Barker had played like Buxton there would of still been calls of 'Barker is a top championship defender' and if Buxton had played like Barker did yesterday people would of been asking for his head on a plate.

sad but true.

[AndyB]

Barker is by far the better centre half in my opinion, not based on one game but seeing quite a lot of both of them.

[Donny Ram]

I agree with most of Diag Ram's comments above, many of the things we had looked to have improved on have re-appeared in our game.

The main issues for me are:

Lack of options in the final third of the pitch

Bad final ball / delivery

Poor throw ins

Poor distribution by goal keeper

Players out of position (nowt to do with strength in depth - play Tom Naylor, Green isn't a RB)

Players on loan who ARE NOT better than those they are standing in for based on current performances

As I said, many are similar to those listed by Diag Ram.

Moan over and let's get behind the lads on Tuesday night. COYR

[Ambitious]

I agree with most of Diag Ram's comments above, many of the things we had looked to have improved on have re-appeared in our game.

The main issues for me are:

1. Lack of options in the final third of the pitch

2. Bad final ball / delivery

3 Poor throw ins

4. Poor distribution by goal keeper

5. Players out of position (nowt to do with strength in depth - play Tom Naylor, Green isn't a RB)

6 Players on loan who ARE NOT better than those they are standing in for based on current performances

As I said, many are similar to those listed by Diag Ram.

Moan over and let's get behind the lads on Tuesday night. COYR

1. We finished with 4 strikers on the pitch, lack of quality maybe... lack of options most certainly not.

2 Ben Davies put in several dangerous balls, all poorly used.. more of a case of not using that ball, than the actual ball into the box

3. can't really comment, throw ins are throw ins... unless you've got someone with a hammer throw, go short... probably blame the options made than the thrower in question.

4. poor distribution? once or twice maybe, on the whole... can't complain.

5. Naylor isn't a right back, therefore making your comment about playing players out of position mute.

6. players on loan who are better than the current lot? on what evidence, the own goal scored by addison or the sitter missed by addison? Maguire playing 12 minutes contributed nothing for portsmouth, Crofts doing alright in Scotland and Atkins wasn't doing to bad, can't comment now though.

My annoyance is with the central midfield picks, Carroll just isn't good enough at the minute he is lightyears behind Hendrick who is also a young player and on occasions has to cover for the ever wandering spurs man. the lack of balance in midfield also isn't helping.

[Diag Ram]

1. We finished with 4 strikers on the pitch, lack of quality maybe... lack of options most certainly not.

2 Ben Davies put in several dangerous balls, all poorly used.. more of a case of not using that ball, than the actual ball into the box

3. can't really comment, throw ins are throw ins... unless you've got someone with a hammer throw, go short... probably blame the options made than the thrower in question.

4. poor distribution? once or twice maybe, on the whole... can't complain.

5. Naylor isn't a right back, therefore making your comment about playing players out of position mute.

6. players on loan who are better than the current lot? on what evidence, the own goal scored by addison or the sitter missed by addison? Maguire playing 12 minutes contributed nothing for portsmouth, Crofts doing alright in Scotland and Atkins wasn't doing to bad, can't comment now though.

My annoyance is with the central midfield picks, Carroll just isn't good enough at the minute he is lightyears behind Hendrick who is also a young player and on occasions has to cover for the ever wandering spurs man. the lack of balance in midfield also isn't helping.

The problem is we only look dangerous when we put a cross in, and even then it's 50:50, and because we're obsessed with short passes we don't put that many in.

The number of throw ins we lose is embarrasing, we get pressed and then lose the ball almost straight away. Again stems from the obsession of keeping passes short, but its predictable and easy for the oppostion to deal with.

Fieldings kicks are very poor, we only look like winning any that Davies gets under.

Think Donny meant we've got players in on loan like Carroll who don't make us better. Those out on loan can stay out IMO as they were poor for us, but then again, with the likes of Addison and Maguire maybe we're guilty of giving them the same judgement as many of us did Buxton before Saturday.

Got to hope for a change for Tuesday, COYR!

[randombc]

Barker made the mistake for the second goal not the first.

To be fair his point still stands.

On the original post, i do agree what you say, I would have Bailey in there over Carroll and Hendrick, I think Bryson and Bailey compliment each other well, one breaks down play, while the other helps dictate play, and Bailey is by far our best passer in the team.

As for signings, we need another tricky winger, one who can play on the other side of midfield, can't just rely on 1 or 2 players (Davies and Ward) as being able to create chances. Look at successful teams i.e. Reading or Southampton, they have numerous players who can create chances. For Reading they have Church, Hunt, McAnuff, Le Fondre, Robson-Kanu, Kebe, the list goes on. Any of these culd walk straight into our midfield, which for a second top supported team in the championship is a rather poor thing to say.

Also, it's come to my attention that Mr Clough will not pick a team based on ability, but rather who has there head further up his backside. This is emphasized with Bailey compared to Carroll. That is all.

[Hoggy]

For Reading they have Church, Hunt, McAnuff, Le Fondre, Robson-Kanu, Kebe,

+ Cywka

[G STAR RAM]

Buxton may not have done much wrong for Buxton, but I don't believe he (or Doyle) are Championship quality and I don't understand why they get picked when we have other fit players who could come into the 16. In my view having Buxton at Centre Back unsettled the defence as a whole and I would much rather we played 4 decent players in the back 4 than play Buxton. I have nothing against him, I just don't believe he is good enough. Fair play to him he always gives 100%, but then I would always give 100% if I played but I wouldn't want Clough to pick me either!

Now do you understand why Buxton gets picked? Didn't lose a single header against Tudgay whereas Shackell was beaten in the air nearly every time....oh and he scored tge winner.