David Nugent gives Derby some needle to skewer stilted Nottingham Forest

[swaledale]

In the East Midlands derby both Derby County and Nottingham Forest fans have their own happy place, a recent game they can recall and smile. Forest have Ben Osborn’s last-minute goal at Pride Park in 2015; for Derby it is the 5-0 win a season earlier. This particular edition was not quite that good for the Rams but it will do for now. Derby beat Forest on Sunday with goals from Matej Vydra and David Nugent, and this was a game in which statistics told bigger lies than the most dishonest of conmen.

Forest had 57% of possession, had more shots, more shots on target and completed more passes. But ask anyone who witnessed the game which team controlled it and there will be only one sensible answer. This was a lesson in the perils of sterile domination; Forest passed the ball around for 90 minutes while Derby helped themselves to two goals and three points.


Matej Vydra takes 24 seconds to inspire Derby to win against Nottingham Forest
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There are basically two ways to combat a team who try to pass out from the back, as Forest do: either press high and pressure them into mistakes or sit back, let them knock the ball around as much as they please, then pick them off. Derby tried option two with a dash of option one and it worked a treat. Their manager, Gary Rowett, noted after the game that Forest often pass the ball well but do not hurt their opponents in the final third of the pitch. That was certainly the case here.

It helped that Derby took the lead after 24 seconds. Vydra collected the ball from a throw, ran across the box and shot low and powerfully into the bottom corner. Vydra, whom Rowett said could be the best No10 in the Championship, has scored nine goals in eight games for three different clubs against Forest. “Maybe he just doesn’t like red,” said Rowett.


Guardian Sport football

[Andy_Faber]

Typical Swale elitism, plagiarising a better piece of journalism than DDD

[swaledale]

Touche, if you cant beat them join them, or at least show how it should be done.

[mistaram]

Nice one Swales pmsl