U21's

Fantastic opportunity to watch professional football in a ‘park’ environment (except the fine pitch wasn’t covered in dog t—d) in a crowd interspersed with ex pros, scouts etc. I was stood next to Mark McGhee but I couldn’t read his notes.

A good game of football which Derby totally bossed without showing any real incisive penetration. It was 2-0 when I left after 85 minutes, to bomb back to deepest darkest Leicestershire; Derby scoring with a Jacob’s penalty and a Doyle close range knock in.

A lot of sideways passing but to be expected since there was no real target man available (Doyle and Bennett were up front).

It was a good team performance but my highlights and observations:

• Ben Davis ran midfield
• Jacobs has the unique ability to make you sit up when he gets the ball. His skills and trickery suggests he must be knocking on Cloughie’s door again?
• Tom Naylor looked very confident and impressed
• Sam Berry at left back was very composed and played the ball to feet. One to watch?
• Doyle – poor fella took a battering but still managed to keep going and tapped in late on for our second goal
• Cloughie throwing a cricket ball at Cosby... unfortunately he missed!
• A solitary figure doing extra training in the distance... I think it was Theo... he looked very lonely!?
• Bailey again didn’t really look interested