For Those Who Could Not Attend
Ipswich Town 22 August 2018
Crowd 24,362
Referee Andy Duncan
Team :-
Carson, Bogle, Keogh, Tomori, Forsyth
Bryson, Evans, Mount
Bennett, Nugent, Lawrence.
Conditions. Pitch immaculate, dry hot and muggy (high humidity)

The first half was simply BORING. Derby started very brightly and for ten minutes we were treated to fast movement, precise and incisive passing and the thought that at last Frank had imposed his Chelsea style of play to Pride Park. Alas it only lasted a few minutes and Ipswich started to fight back to hold Derby to zero chances on goal. In the first half there were no shots on target from either side. The most serious event was an injury to George Evans that looked to be very serious. He was in a lot of pain and though he tried he could not carry on and was replaced by Ledley.

In view of the poor first half I have decided to mention the negatives only in passing and accentuate the positives. This account should be read with this in mind.

So we’ll pass over the first half and look at the much better second half after it appeared Frank had sent his team out early agin. We had to wait a few mounts for The Tractor Boys to come out. When they did Derby and Ipswich were much better. On 69 minutes following a corner won by Bogle picking up an arrrowed pass from the left by Tom Lawrence. From the corner the ball pinged around a little until Joe Ledley from just outside the area fired in a super strike that Bialkowski could not keep out. After the goal, Derby settled into a more relaxed mode and ten minutes later won a free kick just outside the area. Mount and Lawrence discussed who would take the kick. Lawrence pulled rank and fired in a shot which went just over or through the wall with the goalie able to get a hand to it which only bounced the ball high into the net.

After that Derby controlled the game well and we ran out 2-0 winners. The 3 points were well deserved but it not been a good performance.

Positives for Derby were:-
3 points,
A potentially great budding partnership between 2 youngsters Bogle and Bennett,
Forsyth back to his earlier excellent form at left back
The fact we won with Mount being largely ineffective
Keogh (no wind up) having a good game in spite of recent criticism, including from Ramdini,
Lawrence’s performance in spite of some usual mistakes
Bryson’s engine is re-tuned.
Quicker movement and passing.
Still in touch with the leaders in the table.

Negatives :-
The injury to Evans.
Poor games for Mount and Tomori.

Further positive for football :- A decent referee.

Three more points from Preston and we are sailing

Publish and be damned.

Reporting this for spam.

Decent assessment 3R - not too sure about the ref though?!

Those were the sort of games we SHOULD be winning - particularly at home. Ipswich were dire.

Hopefully a confidence- builder for Saturday.

Tell me, do you ever go out leaving your keys in trouser pocket, but unfortunately forgeting to put said trouser's actualy on?

Thus finding yourself arrested for outraging public decency and loitering looking stupid?

comment by Red Forest Bear ( Bear Knows) (U6288)
posted 25 minutes ago
Tell me, do you ever go out leaving your keys in trouser pocket, but unfortunately forgeting to put said trouser's actualy on?

Thus finding yourself arrested for outraging public decency and loitering looking stupid?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
🤣

Our build up play looked a bit better in training this morning, good turn out at Moor Farm too. 👍

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pssPXUABhb8

comment by Red Forest Bear ( Bear Knows) (U6288)
posted 1 hour, 6 minutes ago
Tell me, do you ever go out leaving your keys in trouser pocket, but unfortunately forgeting to put said trouser's actualy on?

Thus finding yourself arrested for outraging public decency and loitering looking stupid?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I've never been indecent in my long life.

Hi Baz.

I agree but we did win. and the ref was better that most we get in the Championship. Not perfect but then who is?

I see Gary is having his botty smacked again. 0-2 Wigan

Don't under estimate Wigan, could be this season's surprise team

Wigan have destroyed Soke. Villa scoring in the 95th minute to salvage a result for a change.

comment by AJisaRam1973 (U2100)
posted 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
Wigan have destroyed Soke. Villa scoring in the 95th minute to salvage a result for a change.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What are you on about AJ, Wigan won 0-3?

Three ex-Derby managers propping-up the league again, no wins and only three points between them from a possible 36 (8%), WTF.

Stoke didn't have one shot on target tonight

Sorry AJ, I misread your post

Tomori could he play holding MF when Davies gets back?

Discuss in break out groups please and report your findings back to us on post it notes.

Post-it note 1, from my working party.

Our group considered this hypothesis, when we first saw him v Leeds, Wellies.
However, the conclusions of our SWOT analysis were:-
Good idea generally.
He seems to have all the attributes.
Asking a lot of the lad to change position at this stage of his career.
Bit too experimental.
Prob won't happen.

comment by 2 Wellies (U6713)
posted 6 hours, 58 minutes ago
Tomori could he play holding MF when Davies gets back?

Discuss in break out groups please and report your findings back to us on post it notes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Never in million years, sorry. Not from what I’ve seen. He’d be no good when under pressure from other players, and hasn’t the composure on the ball or the ability to distribute and pick a pass.

Or a left foot. There are several others you’ld play there IMO.

This playing from the back depends on a ball playing centre half. McFarland and Stimac would be a good pairing but unfortunately we have no centre backs with the composure to do it.

John Terry on loan to show them how to do it perhaps.

I wouldn't want John Terry at our club if he paid us a £1M/week for the privilege.

Thank got we never got lumbered with James McClean either. Its alleged there was a punch-up in the tunnel at Stoke last night.

I wouldn't want Terry either but as a player he would benefit the team and the players around him. Davies is likely to be better for Tomori than Keogh. A fit Huddz withLledley as his back-up ought to be good enough at this level. I can't see Tomori playing in that role at all I'm afraid. Ben Pearson has always impressed me when I have seen him for Preston so I'm hoping he has a shocker on Saturday.

It was just a suggestion about JT.
It wouldn't be a loan anyway as he's a free agent but Frank can see the weaknesses in our centre halfs when it comes to making a pass under pressure.
Davies and Pearce are not the answer but the difference with those two is they know their limitations and just get rid.
So we have the situation where Franks way and the squads capability are incompatible.

So what is the answer?

Compared with GR, Frank is struggling (though less than GR) but we are still in contact with 6 points from 4 games, equalling that team down the road who think they are promotion material. It is enlightening how much the Lampard changes have improved players like Forsyth, Bryson and Bogle and we seem generally fitter than last season with more stamina.

Forsyth, similar to Keogh will have good and some great games. Slowly you're opinion will begin to change and just as you build an optimism they go into meltdown and make costly mistakes on a game by game basis.

Keogh's started early this season, Forsyth's had 2 good games from what I have heard (not seen) but can he be a player that plays at level of seven out of 10?


Thorne's best performance ( albeit before injury) was in the DM role with Hendrick and Hughes around him. Playing alongside Ledley, Huddlestone and a half interested Johnson, along with his own loss of form was always going to be an uphill struggle in the 'engine room.'

If he IS fit and Lampard no doubt is aware of his potential then he has to be considered for this position. Last season he should not have played for Derby and gone on loan to a League One team to build up his fitness and get game time.

(continued)

With options such as Bryson, Mount and possibly Duanne Holmes(?) playing alongside him, there will certainly be more energy in the middle.

Regards ball playing defenders, Hudds played in defence as well as midfield for Spurs, could he play alongside Davies possibly?

Defence

Bogle Huddlestone Davies Malone

Wisdom Tomori Davies Forsyth

Keogh and Pearce ideally moved on.

Midfield

Bryson/ Holmes Thorne/Ledley Mount/Johnson


Centre forward
Waghorn/Marriott/Martin

I thought Jerome did enough last season to stake a spot, but I feel Martin has something to offer if Lampard is going to stick to 4-3-3 ( as proven in the past) and between Martin, Nugent and Jerome that is who I'd pick as an option.

Get Terry in, if he's the man for the job.
Good professional and a great influence in the dressing room. I'm sure Frank wouldnt have him anywhere near the club, if that wasnt the case.
Dodgy maneuverings in the past maybe, but time to put old bias & grievances behind us.