For Those Who Could Not Attend.
Fulham FC Friday, 21st Feb 2020
Team:
Hamer, Wisdom, Davies, Clarke, Forsyth,
Rooney, Bird, Knight, Shinnie
Waghorn. Lawrence.
Substitutes:
Josefzoon, Martin, Marriott, Sibley, Roos, Bogle
Referee, Darren Bond
Attendance: 25442
This will be a test for the Rams. Fulham are up there with the challengers. Derby are mid-table as decreed by results over three quarters of the season. We are about to see how Derby will meet the challenge.
The first half was very lively with Derby having the better of it. Fulham defended well - especially the goalkeeper. Derby created 2 or 3 chances and he pulled off some really terrific saves to keep them out. Fulham too launched a few attacks which Derby’s defence handled well, restricting Fulham to only quarter chances with Mitrovic well under control. What was heartening was the way Derby “ratted" (as Craig Ramage would have had it) with several players ganging up to win the ball back. They went in to the interval at 0-0 though Derby had been the better team. The scoreline owed a lot to their goalkeeper.
The second half continued much like the first with Derby playing the better football. The defence was solid and the midfield polished and energetic. Rooney directed events brilliantly. There were many inch perfect, milligram weighted passes and they created several good chances. The resulting attempts were brilliantly saved rather than fumbled by the striker. There was always an element of what seemed like luck involved, in that the keeper was always just in the right position and able to keep the ball out of the net. Then after another brilliant pass by Rooney and some powerful penetration by Waghorn in Fulham’s penalty area a defender appeared to use his arm to stop Waggy from breaking through on goal. Darren Bond blew for a penalty. Rooney would have had legitimate fears of the goalkeeper saving his shot given how many super saves he had already made. The old fox therefore decided on an unorthodox approach. He gently chipped the ball rather than use is normal power shot and Rodak was duly beaten.
The goal seriously enlivened Fulham and for a while they piled on the pressure relentlessly. Derby’s defended well though until - in a very crowded goal mouth, Mitrovic received the ball, made just enough space and fired in a low shot to Hamer’s RH corner. I have to say the goal was deserved but it came from a quarter chance - you can see why Mitrovic is the Championship’s to scorer and why Fulham are challenging Leeds. Play went on and Rodak continued to keep Derby out. A draw was a fair result in the end and Derby can be pleased with their performance against a very strong and well organised side. For Fulham it will seem like 3 points dropped whereas it was simply their goalkeeper and a superb Mitrovic finish that earned them just the one point. For Derby there were many good performances and no bad ones. Philip Cocu is surely setting us up for a strong finish and forming some fine careers for Derbys’ youngsters. There was a good blend of youth and experience playing under the superb influence of Wayne Rooney who was easily Derby’s MOTM whilst Rodak was assuredly MOTGame.
The ref was good, as always with Darren Bond.
I came away from the game very satisfied and encouraged by some excellent Derby performances especially by Rooney, the mid-field Field Marshall.
For Those who Could not Attend
posted on 22/2/20
comment by Rameses, Kom op jij Rams (U7190)
posted 8 minutes ago
I thought Shinnie was disciplined and stuck to his task well.
There where a couple of times when there was a opportunity for him to get it forward early but I believe his brief was safety first.
It’s hard to Shine in that role and his hard work largely goes unnoticed by those with a limited football brain.
But I guarantee he got a pat on the back from Cocu for his efforts.
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You mean Shinnie's hard work in avoiding the ball. It isn't hard to shine in that position. I remember a certain blonde teenager who shone in that position. Mainly because he made an attempt to get near the ball. I was giving Shinnie the benefit of the doubt in the first 20 minutes as he was involved but then spent the bulk of the game being bypassed by the ball and Fulham players. I will always give credit where it is due but have yet to see much to give credit for.
You seem to be offering the "Kings New Clothes" defence of Shinnie.
posted on 22/2/20
“I will always give credit where it is due but have yet to see much to give credit for.”
To be fair Spart, you don’t have the greatest eyesight.
posted on 22/2/20
Not without glasses no I agree Vidal but Shinnie is easy to spot. The Fagin lookalike who is never anywhere near the ball. If you want to find him look somewhere near the centre circle where he likes to have a jog.
I used to complain about Johnson's poor distribution and silly tackles but Johnson at least contributed something when on form. I just don't think Shinnie has much more to offer and what he offers is poor to average.
posted on 22/2/20
There are certainly plenty of options for that spot. Evans is fit again, Huddlestone will come back at some point and there is Knight and Sibley. I think Knight is not very effective on the right but if we played Martin he could be a Bryson for the modern day. Cocu doesn’t seem to think Sibley is quite ready which is a pity to me but I’m sure he knows best. I agree that like Bradley Johnson, Shinnie is there to stop the opposition playing rather than creating much himself, and he isn’t as good as Johnson at it, but I thought he did his job last night and limited Fulham’s midfield which is very strong.
posted on 22/2/20
I dont see Evans as an improvement on Shinnie as DM. I watched him for 60-70 mins in that position for the u23s yesterday and he didnt influence the game enough for a first team player.
Compare his performance to Calvin Phillips for Leeds u23s against us earlier this month. He totally ran the 2nd half and it took an excellent defensive display from us to keep them out.
I personally think Evans a better CB than DM, but I not sure he would improve us greatly there either.
posted on 22/2/20
I agree Ang. He’s mediocre at almost everything.
I think there are real signs of development. How far away from challenging next season are we? Te Wierek to come in, ideally we keep Clarke or we need a replacement. Wisdom, Forsyth if he stays and Bielik when fit are back-up centre halves. We have plenty of full backs and fantastic midfield options. We could do with a proper winger for Mitchell-Lawson to understudy. Unless we lose one of our strikers we look OK there, maybe a raw loanee with pace. A new keeper. Three or four players. It sounds a lot but should be manageable, I don’t think we need superstars in those positions, just pegs of the right shape. The future looks bright.
posted on 22/2/20
I share your optimism.
However I think I will wait for Spart's decision on our new continental CB, before I get too carried away
posted on 22/2/20
comment by Spart-Derby really are the best says red dog. (U4603)
posted 3 hours, 41 minutes ago
comment by Rameses, Kom op jij Rams (U7190)
posted 8 minutes ago
I thought Shinnie was disciplined and stuck to his task well.
There where a couple of times when there was a opportunity for him to get it forward early but I believe his brief was safety first.
It’s hard to Shine in that role and his hard work largely goes unnoticed by those with a limited football brain.
But I guarantee he got a pat on the back from Cocu for his efforts.
___________________________________
You mean Shinnie's hard work in avoiding the ball. It isn't hard to shine in that position. I remember a certain blonde teenager who shone in that position. Mainly because he made an attempt to get near the ball. I was giving Shinnie the benefit of the doubt in the first 20 minutes as he was involved but then spent the bulk of the game being bypassed by the ball and Fulham players. I will always give credit where it is due but have yet to see much to give credit for.
You seem to be offering the "Kings New Clothes" defence of Shinnie.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I too thought Shinnie had a good game and he did exactly as instructed by Cocu to contain a very lively attacking force. And Spart, whenever Will Hughes played as DM he didn't shine. I remember in a play-off game v Hull City he played there and most of us thought it was a big managerial mistake. Shinnie may be bit lightweight but he is a tough little bogger.
posted on 22/2/20
I wish we could get this EFL points docking out of the way now. It is clouding the rest of the season.
posted on 24/2/20
If we can keep Rooney next season is looking tasty.