When Did the Rot Set In?

30th January Bielik Injury

26th September v Blackburn Rovers

19th July 2020 v Leeds

Covid Lockdown.

Mount, Wilson and Tomori rejoining their parent clubs.

Appointing Frank Lampard with 3 top quality loan signings to paper over the cracks.

Martin getting sent off after being fouled in the Burnley penalty area.

GSE

Gypsy's Curse

I can't remember being as depressed in a long time as I am right now with Derbaydos FC. It's the collective whole, being worse than the sum of it's parts that's frustrating af.

We've had new manager bounce, I feel we were very unlucky in losing Bielik, had Covid not happened and had Rooney not eaten as much as he did during lockdown I wonder if things might have been different.

The most infuriating thing for me has been our lack of care and quality on the ball. Under Lamps I felt like he'd just throw another attacker on and get carried by Wilson's goals. I was a fan of Cocu but in hindsight the possession game allowed us I think to be lazier in our passing accuracy. Teams would just stand off us and wait for us to run out of ideas.

I think had Bielik not got injured we'd be mid table now, but again that's an exceptional player carrying the team. Rooney to be fair has tried to stop the rot with a mixture of pragmatism and defensive solidity. Now I feel though we're regressing as a side.

Watson's movement and passing accuracy stands out like a ridiculously healthy thumb. I don't think our players are as bad as the team makes them look, but there's a collective inability to do the basics. Think this was one of Nigel Clough's mantra's.

We can argue about setup, system and style of play and imaginary players that would make it all better, all day long, but for me, the simplicity of making a pass to a teammate, on their most dominant foot and in their stride needs to come first.

All else follows and it worries me that in what the 4/5th most competitive league in the world, we can't actually find our men. Even if we're playing hoof ball out of necessity, we still need to be able to do this.

That said...


....................Marshall........................
Byrne...Wiz....Tengi...Clarke...MF/LB
.............Watson......GS/JK.................
....Roberts.....CKR/LG........TL/Joz/JK

I feel like Tengi can switch between CB and HM which gives us flexibility 4-3-3/3-5-2

Waggy can come in for Roberts if we need more muscle.

Or the less flexible

..................Marshall....................
NB........AW.......MC............LB/MF
...................Bird............................
..........Watson........JK/GS..............
..Roberts.....CKR/LG......TL/Joz/JK

Try and use Sibley as a sub in a diamond. I think JK out wide offers us something too, can tuck in and allow LB to bomb on and is a goalscorer.

There's a case for being more direct and competing physically but I will have none of it. Covid and Derby County have made for a harrowing year and I want to be entertained, I want to see courage, I want to see off the ball movement, I want to see teams change to counter us, I want to see shots on goal, I want to see triangles and diamonds and opposition players struggle with overloads and man to man marking, I want to see forward passes, backward passes to go forwards, interchangeable seamless flowing football n above all I want to see hope.

That tomorrow maybe a brighter day....please learn to pass the flucking ball with care, imagination, tenderness and accuracy. The foundations of tempo.

Let the rot become the Mycorrhiza out of which free flowing football can grow again. I don't want to be another 5hit Forest. I want to be in the garden.