Foul weather means a cancelled tennis programme and a chance to get the log fire going and watch the match.
Felt very flat after Blackburn match, just impotent, making it hard for ourselves, not quite savvy enough to find a way through.
For beginning of this match felt a bit flat too, not fast enough on break, all Derby players back and just not savvy enough to find a way through.
Firpo didnt last long and Wober comes on, one of the players that left us when going got tough along with Aaronson.
Everyone purring about Tanaka and he is good, but in last few matches made some clumsy challenges that have led to us conceding, but him and Rothwell so much more progressive than Ampadu and Gruev and one wonders if Gruev ever gets to be a starter in this side again.
Rothwell has transformed from Sunday league lookalike to much more time on ball, always looking for forward pass, and unlike Gruev who always positioned himself in such a way that it made it hard to pass to him, Rothwell really makes himself available and is pivotal to us right now.
Bogle would bomb forwards but made some poor decision making with his distribution, Rodon and Struijk looked relatively comfortable at the back such was the good job teh midfield was doing and a Derby side that didnt threaten much.
The match was hyped as having a lot of history between us, but really apart from a few years under Clough, and the Lampard season, Derby are largely irrelevant to us, just another team to make up the numbers in the Championship.
Aaronson ran around a lot, had one good turn and that was about it and Piroe also rather anonymous, leaving it to Solomon and James to provide some sort of excitement.
Rodon seems to have cured his weird sticky out hair with a new hair cut and it yielded rewards with a headed goal from a corner, well done to him to scoring his first goal for us and calming the unease that we might struggle again to work out how to unlock an utterly average defence.
A delivery from the right, gets slight deflection and Wober on hand to tuck in a second. Farke done a really good job to deal with Gnonti last season and Wober and Aaronson to make good use of them for the squad but I can't really warm to them and don't feel the same congratulations to Wober as for Rodon.
No desperation in subs now, can freshen things up in second half, the usual 70ish minute subs see Piroe stay on to be joined by Joseph and Solomon restoration ed for Gnonto.
Many felt Joseph would be on fire this season but his goal haul has been disappointing and not sure how useful this season is for his development with him now getting less first team minutes.
Between the two of them (Piroe and Joseph) it doesn't feel like we have a goal machine. Piroe takes his chances but he doesn't really create chances if that makes sense and with a lack of pace an physical presence, he yields a good return, but still think we're missing a real physical presence with pace up front.
Lots of talk of a 10, which Aaronson isn't, imagine what we could do with a Pablo pulling the strings so that we attack just that little bit quicker.
James didn't have his best game, but still dangerous and for me symbolises the exact opposite of Wober. A player who has given a lot for this club despite being treated badly and I think might just end up as a cult hero player in years to come, especially if we get that player up top with pace and physical presence to take advantage of what James can create.
So, excellent home form continues, we've survived what some thought were season ending problems with injuries to Ampadu and Gruev and it feels like we know more of what it takes to get promoted, it feels like ours to lose at this point.....
Thoughts from today
posted on 8/12/24
Morning all🌞.
Fantastic result which is really everything for me at the moment. Great to get a response to the loss at Blackburn. Also, absolutely delighted for Joe Rodon (had to happen sometime😁) and Max Wober; I hope Max feels closer to the club now👍.
posted on 8/12/24
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 14 hours, 51 minutes ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 39 minutes ago
You play tennis through the winter?
Dedicated.
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I run my own club, but today was woeful, a rare treat to stay home, get the log fire going and then stand in rain and watch my daughter play Hockey in the afternoon...I so rarely get to see her play!
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You got any padel courts?
posted on 8/12/24
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 14 hours, 51 minutes ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 39 minutes ago
You play tennis through the winter?
Dedicated.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I run my own club, but today was woeful, a rare treat to stay home, get the log fire going and then stand in rain and watch my daughter play Hockey in the afternoon...I so rarely get to see her play!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You got any padel courts?
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Absolutely not, its like a football fan if they love rugby!
posted on 8/12/24
There is no way Firpo starts the next game so it was good for Wober to get a goal and some decent minutes.
I hope Farke gives him a chance next game, any player willing to work deserves a second chance in his situation and he was always going to get his chance cause that is just how injuries work in a busy championship season.
posted on 8/12/24
Good result today for us with West broms draw. Quite a table forming.
posted on 8/12/24
comment by Mattyp (U8926)
posted 2 hours, 20 minutes ago
There is no way Firpo starts the next game so it was good for Wober to get a goal and some decent minutes.
I hope Farke gives him a chance next game, any player willing to work deserves a second chance in his situation and he was always going to get his chance cause that is just how injuries work in a busy championship season.
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Playing Wober v Boro would be madness. Doak is absolute handful, he's on loan from Liverpool. Would run Wober ragged imo. Even Firpo will have his work cut out
posted on 8/12/24
comment by Shaun M - supercalifragilisticOrtaisatrocious (U9955)
posted 55 minutes ago
comment by Mattyp (U8926)
posted 2 hours, 20 minutes ago
There is no way Firpo starts the next game so it was good for Wober to get a goal and some decent minutes.
I hope Farke gives him a chance next game, any player willing to work deserves a second chance in his situation and he was always going to get his chance cause that is just how injuries work in a busy championship season.
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Playing Wober v Boro would be madness. Doak is absolute handful, he's on loan from Liverpool. Would run Wober ragged imo. Even Firpo will have his work cut out
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Completely disagree, wober is a far better defender than Firpo.
Exactly the type of defender, who could put Doak off, a moody little arrogant b@stard, who doesnt like it up him.
While he certainly is very talented, as with all Liverpool youngsters, he’s over hyped.
Yes he could rip Wober to bits, but he aint going to have much of the ball, and we need to push him back
posted on 8/12/24
Wober could be a good asset rest of the season if he keeps his place. He’s played leftback a lot in his career, better defender than Firpo and adds some more height for set pieces
I was thinking about Firpo when Wober came on, is Firpo actually better going forward? Because Wober did everything that Firpo normally does, we didn’t miss him when he went off
posted on 9/12/24
Wober played 25 games for Frankfurt last season, who are currently lying second in the Bundesliga. If I remember correctly the only reason he's still here was the disagreement in valuation between the clubs. I also remember, apart from an unfortunate own goal, he had a reasonable World cup.
All teams in the EFL have to be respected, but I do wonder somewhat when I feel that I'm reading about CL players and teams, not teams and players plying their trade in the English second tier.
posted on 9/12/24
... to put it in context, I feel on aggregate, we have the best squad and loads of options off the bench.