Blackburn Rovers 3 - 1 Derby County

Hi, Terry (and all you other lads and lasses).

Just to take our points a bit further do you think the time has now come for WR to ditch his footballing approach in away games? It has worked really well at home but has clearly failed in away games. Should we be adopting more of a "hoofball" policy? I do not mean that literally but long balls over a defence can produce good effects as was even seen at Blackburn albeit rarely. We maybe need a bit more of the "head-it-kick-it" approach at the back. Personally I prefer the "footballing" approach from a purist viewpoint but right now can we afford to play that way, certainly away from home? It would mean playing Plange/Stretton up front assuming CKR will not be available.

Over to you.

Had they adopted that approach (as per WR half-time instructions) for just 10 mins we probably win that game.

comment by FinlandRam (U3621)
posted 52 minutes ago
Had they adopted that approach (as per WR half-time instructions) for just 10 mins we probably win that game.
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Yes, Fin. So frustrating!

I think with the current personnel in away games the tippy tippy at the back brings extra pressure on us. As stated I'd rather see 5 at the back which includes Stearman. Most Championship sides are a lot more physical than us and thats let us down away from home. As we're so thin on the ground up front I'm at a bit of a loss as to who I'd pick. Other than CKR there's only Plange who can hold the ball as far as I can see. Morrison has much improved of late so he's a plus. Lawrence has declined... especially away from home and has started to get involved in niggles with the opposition again. I agree Festy is a must... but I do like Ebiowei too.

We have nobody to hoof it too though, so it's just giving the ball away. When Forsyth plays, pinging it in his direction can sometimes work to an extent but that's about it when it comes to aerial challenges.

On Tuesday though Blackburn played a very high line. I didn't know why we didn't at least try lumping it over their heads down the channels and have somebody chase it. Probably if we had done that Blackburn would have dropped a bit deeper though.

As has been said we struggle to compete physically except at the back where we are robust. If we had been able to sign somebody up front who can make the ball stick a bit we would have been able to grind out a few more results away from home. Plange has done well but he hasn't got the muscle. Even before his latest injury CKR was not fit enough to do it regularly. We just don't have a strong enough squad.

Have Derby ever had a "big" squad in the physical sense?

It really is men against boys when it gets physical.

comment by Scouse (U9675)
posted about 2 hours ago
Have Derby ever had a "big" squad in the physical sense?

It really is men against boys when it gets physical.
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Paul Jewell liked big players, that was a great success. When we won the Championship in 72, Derby were the only team not to have a regular player over 6ft tall. It's skill that counts before size. Man City sometimes have just Foden and Sterling up front yet seem to score somehow.

I think it's usual to have 2 big centre halves in any defence...or maybe one big Centre Half and a speedy (Tomori) type. But the point I was making was that with our team being young - the lads arent strong physically. They're boys often against men. I can remember Robbie Savage saying this when he first started playing 1st team that he was in awe of many of the blokes in the teams as they were virtually all mature blokes. Our guys are typically 20ish and not fully grown / filled out. It's just how it is atm.
I can remember some years ago, we were in the Prem....during the time Darryl Powell was playing. During this period I went once to see Notts County play and was amazed at how little "power" there was in the play - yet you always tend to think of lower league as being really physical. Whilst the top Prem teams do perhaps have more skillful players ....they will also have that degree of physicality too.

Just to make it clear - what I'm hoping for is a different approach to away games. I was not exactly advocating for permanent hoof-ball as such. I'm thinking, for example, of our draw at West Brom. A bit more of that in the second half at Blackburn would have helped enormously. Yes, it's boring, but, effective. We have lost, what, our last six away games? Just think what six draws would have done for us! It still may not be too late to slug out for draws away from home provided our home form is maintained. My only hesitation centres on whether we are good enough to play in two different styles depending on where we are playing. But whatever happens I strongly agree that Stearman should be added in defence.

Administrators have now issued an open letter to supporters which tells us ------- nothing.

Festy to sign for an Italian club in a few days.

Isn't it all just great!