28000 witnessed the game and the pitch was in fine shape on a cold, raw winter’s day. It is a pity the Derby team was not in such fine shape. At least in the first half. This was the worst Derby performance I have ever witnessed. They were terrible, slow, uninterested and Bristol were big, strong, quick and wanted to win. The first goal came from a corner and the other through attacks down the middle. I thought Johnson was seriously out of position due to his misunderstanding of what a defensive midfielder should be doing. He played almost as a third central defender which allowed Bristol to attack in numbers that overwhelmed our defence. But nobody in a Derby shirt did any better.
Bristol, in contrast, passed the ball accurately and quickly such that Derby were always a few yards too late. In less than 15 minutes they scored and it was thoroughly deserved. Soon it was 2-0 and just before half time it was 3-0 and it looked as if The Rams’ season was over. There seemed no way back and it looked impossible to recover such a huge points gap to make the top six.
What Steve McClaren said at half time should be preserved and used in every motivation manual on the planet. It reminded me of the 4-4 draw with Ipswich on his first game as head coach. This time he must have blasted them and then sent his team out early, perhaps to allow them to savour the general gloom that had descended on Pride Park. Just like with the 4-0 Ipswich half time score, this brought about a much changed attitude and endeavour. Bryson clearly was not fit and had returned to the team too soon. And Johnson had been very, very poor such that it was not long before Mac removed both of them to make room for Anya and Butterfield. As he came off, Johnson took off his shirt and threw it into the dug-out in a show of either frustration or petulance.
But the team was much improved and thanks to an inch perfect cross by Baird, Bent scored a lovely diving header to lift the Derby team to even greater efforts. Soon after, someone (Baird again?) crossed this time for Ince to score with his head. I don’t recall him doing that before.
Following more pressure from The Rams, with brief Bristol skirmishes down the middle and a couple of incredible Bristol misses, Ince was upended in the box and we won a penalty.
There is always an air of trepidation with Derby penalties these days, but Bent made no mistake even though the 6 ft 6 " goalie guessed the right way to dive, he just could not hold the power of the shot. After that Derby tried and tried in the short time left and almost lost the game in so doing. I don’t know who, but one Bristol attacker managed to scoop the ball over Derby’s bar when it was infinitely easy to score. He will have nightmares about that for the rest of the season. and there was one tackle/block late on when Keogh literally flew 10 yards across the pitch to nullify an attacker who found himself with yards of space and only Carson to beat. Somehow he got there and we were saved.
Keogh was my MOTM. Hughes, for him had a disappointing game and despite some wayward lapses, Camara caused havoc in the Bristol defence as did Anya also. Ince and Bent were good and so was Baird. He attacks less than Cyrus, but delivers some fantastic passes and crosses. Pearce and Olsson were good but our midfield lacked stability. But it was an exciting match and Derby fans eventually went home not quite dismayed.
For Those Who Did Not Attend
posted on 13/2/17
The last three games I have seen we have conceded from far post corners. I am certain Neil Warnock must have noticed so McClaren better get some coaching done and PDQ.
Will we be able to hold out to Cardiff who play a very simple but occasionally effective game of putting the ball in the box and let's see what happens?
posted on 13/2/17
Colin will be Colin tomorrow. There will be a time wasting extravaganza.
posted on 13/2/17
comment by 666 ⚽️ (U11795)
posted 6 hours, 11 minutes ago
McClaren set up the team and then changed it when it wasn't working; that's what he's paid to do, to put the club first over the individuals. Everyone here knows I'm a fan of #CB4 but if he deserved subbing then he should be subbed, no question about it.
If they weren't fit, which seems to be the consensus regarding both Bryson and Will, then that's a poor decision by McClaren. He was obviously desperate for a result on Saturday having put himself and the club in the centre of the FA Cup 5hitstorm in midweek and may have taken risks that he shouldn't have, but both Hughes and Bryson were apparently panting hard after about ten minutes. With Johnson dropping too deep (why BJ rather than de Sart?!!) that left the centre defended by Hughes and Bryson and neither of those is comfortable in that role; we all know it, why doesn't McClaren? With BJ too deep and offering no midfield assistance, we were effectively with the same midfield pair that saw Pearson sacked.
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A reasonable, well balanced comment, 666
See, you can do it, when you take the plank out of your eye !
posted on 13/2/17
comment by 🏁AnglianRam🏁 (U17428)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by 666 ⚽️ (U11795)
posted 6 hours, 11 minutes ago
McClaren set up the team and then changed it when it wasn't working; that's what he's paid to do, to put the club first over the individuals. Everyone here knows I'm a fan of #CB4 but if he deserved subbing then he should be subbed, no question about it.
If they weren't fit, which seems to be the consensus regarding both Bryson and Will, then that's a poor decision by McClaren. He was obviously desperate for a result on Saturday having put himself and the club in the centre of the FA Cup 5hitstorm in midweek and may have taken risks that he shouldn't have, but both Hughes and Bryson were apparently panting hard after about ten minutes. With Johnson dropping too deep (why BJ rather than de Sart?!!) that left the centre defended by Hughes and Bryson and neither of those is comfortable in that role; we all know it, why doesn't McClaren? With BJ too deep and offering no midfield assistance, we were effectively with the same midfield pair that saw Pearson sacked.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A reasonable, well balanced comment, 666
See, you can do it, when you take the plank out of your eye !
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So I'm allowed an opinion today because it accords with your own..?
How gracious of you.
posted on 13/2/17
comment by 666 ⚽️ (U11795)
posted 14 seconds ago
comment by 🏁AnglianRam🏁 (U17428)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by 666 ⚽️ (U11795)
posted 6 hours, 11 minutes ago
McClaren set up the team and then changed it when it wasn't working; that's what he's paid to do, to put the club first over the individuals. Everyone here knows I'm a fan of #CB4 but if he deserved subbing then he should be subbed, no question about it.
If they weren't fit, which seems to be the consensus regarding both Bryson and Will, then that's a poor decision by McClaren. He was obviously desperate for a result on Saturday having put himself and the club in the centre of the FA Cup 5hitstorm in midweek and may have taken risks that he shouldn't have, but both Hughes and Bryson were apparently panting hard after about ten minutes. With Johnson dropping too deep (why BJ rather than de Sart?!!) that left the centre defended by Hughes and Bryson and neither of those is comfortable in that role; we all know it, why doesn't McClaren? With BJ too deep and offering no midfield assistance, we were effectively with the same midfield pair that saw Pearson sacked.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A reasonable, well balanced comment, 666
See, you can do it, when you take the plank out of your eye !
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So I'm allowed an opinion today because it accords with your own..?
How gracious of you.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course you're allowed it !
Doesn't mean I always have to concur, though
posted on 13/2/17
Never suggested otherwise, except obviously it all means nothing anyway as neither of us went, so it's all moot.
posted on 13/2/17
I went and I'm beginning to wonder about Pearce.
I think when Martin loses his speed he could become a centre half. John Charles made that move and it worked well. I think a fat horrible bloke who played for us a few times did the same thing when he was at Birmingham or Notts Forest, but that wasn't so successful.
posted on 13/2/17
Do you mean Burns?
posted on 13/2/17
I thought Pearce was a bit off his game on Saturday but that seems to happen to all players - except Jake Buxton?
posted on 13/2/17
Yes Ramdini I do mean Kenneth!
Quite right about the great Bucko