High noon at the iPro. (scans better than at High noon at Pride Park). With a full crowd of 32,600 and both teams on a bit of a run of form - unless you ignore the 9 men phenomenon. With the added incentive that a win for Derby would raise their league position from 11th to 5th - so tight is the spread of points, great things were expected by the faithful. And by now, with the release of Hendrick and Martin and injuries to Blackman, Olsson and Christie, Derby have an almost optimum squad size. The team almost picks itself and we have a few good replacements in case of injury and no-one plays in fear of making a mistake and losing his place.
As usual the pitch was immaculate and it was a perfect day for football. Derby started a bit nervously as did Forest, but less so. They looked dangerous on the break and the match nerves meant that Derby gave the ball away regularly. Carson looked well in command though and Baird/Pearce/Keogh/Olsson with BJ in front of them, all were very solid. For the most part they held off Forest's attacks and when they didn’t there was the goalie.
Bradley Johnson reacted to a filthy hit from Osborn and was lucky to stay on the pitch. But it looked as if the ref understands, A - About the tension involved in derby games and B - The tendency for Forest players to try to get opposition men sent off. Sensible official.
Derby gradually started to control the game more and more and, when they took a corner from the right someone in a Derby shirt got a head to the ball which then hit Bendtner's head and looped over the goalie. I think it was BJ but couldn’t be sure. A useful slice of luck again, but maybe deserved from the excellently whipped-in corner kick.
Second half was a different game, Derby controlled and dominated and it seemed as if Forest heads had gone down, though it might have been that it was just much better play from Derby, attacking down the wings and through the middle, that overwhelmed the enemy. Olsson and Russell and Hughes down the left. Baird, playing like a master, and Ince down the right. Hughes and Ince and Russell playing down the middle. Forest just couldn’t handle that sort of play and it was not a surprise - though it was very welcome that Ince took a milli-metre perfect pass from Baird - beat several Forest defenders - some of them twice I thought, and chipped the ball past Stoikovich for our second. By then Forest were a spent force and it was not long before Hughes hit another gem of a pass to Russell and his blocked shot was put in by Hughes.
Man of the Match - for me - Hughes, Ince or BJ or Keogh or Baird or Pearce or Russell or Carson. - Couldn't decide. A great performance by everyone. Including the Referee.
For Those Who Did Not Attend
posted on 12/12/16
I greatly recommend it before it changes too much. It is changing rapidly I believe. The advantage of Vietnam for Westerners is that the economy is well geared up for sophisticated tourists whilst still being really foreign and picturesque. And the French grounding from their colonisation days has meant that bread, croissants and cooking generally are first-rate.
A small word of warning not to be taken too seriously, is that they regard westerners as being put there to rip off and exploit. When you consider they were more sorely mis-used at western hands it's only getting their own back. You just need to watch it and accept small losses as justified. Plus a very clean and modern airport that makes Gatwick look like an ex French territory.
posted on 12/12/16
comment by thriceRamdini (U20410)
posted 3 minutes ago
Plus a very clean and modern airport that makes Gatwick look like an ex French territory.
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You mean, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, (insert any UK airport).........................
Nice place by the sounds of it 3R, getting Mrs Scouse to Vietnam might be a bit of a struggle though!
posted on 12/12/16
Anybody want a few selected photographs let me know email address if that is allowed on 606.
posted on 13/12/16
I recommend if people have time, to get in Laos and Cambodia too.
Sapa, Mekong Delta and Ha Long bay are stunning too as long as you don't try punching jellyfish in the head.
Yeah agree it's a good time to go now before it changes a lot, think Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and hopefully not but could be on a crash course for some geo-political beef with China.
posted on 13/12/16
We did not do Sapa as it might have been a bit chilly in Nov for us oldies. But it does look stunningly beautiful. My holiday philosophy is different from that of 2W. We like to experience things in depth and try not to flit about. Get to know the area and a few individuals - and this enhances the experience for us. I'm sure though that seeing as much as possible is very tempting. The answer is to go for a month. we were told it is very hot and sticky in the summer. Late November was plenty warn enough for us.
posted on 13/12/16
Sounds great 3R. Mrs Fin and I were due to go last year but had to cancel a few weeks before due to family emergency. Might be a while now before we can resurrect the trip but still hope to go.
posted on 13/12/16
Sorry to hear than Fin.
posted on 13/12/16
I was being a bum traveling the world 3R, took 6 weeks to do Nam and Cambodia wimped out of Laos cos the kids were still young, but probably shouldn't have, them were in days when I was a bit more footloose and fancy free.
posted on 13/12/16
Yes 2W I guess you were very lucky. But it's all in there somewhere and the benefit of it. I travelled a lot for my work. India, China, Japan, Korea, USA, Canada and Europe, plus Russia, Chechoslovakia Bulgaria etc I was lucky to take my wife a lot of the time - but like a fool. I always put work first. We certainly had some good times and saw some sights.
Now I'm retired I don't have the energy necessary. But we surely enjoyed Vietnam.
posted on 13/12/16
I'd love a job as a football correspondent going to far flung random places where football is being played, even if the standard is not much better than a Forest side.