Derby County - v - Leeds United ***Matchday Thread***

[UbiqueLUFC33]

I know that at some point I will wake up and it will all have been a dream but for now it's worth enjoying. Not one but 2 unbelievable performances. In both games nearly all players were operating at a 8 or 9 out of 10 - something I cannot remember last season (or for about 20 before that). What a difference having a decent left back makes rather than last year's various donkeys. Cooper looks like a changed man, Saiz is considerably better for spending less time spitting and more time tracking back (and even tackling), the balance looks great with Phillips and Klitch giving Hernadez, Saiz and Alioski the freedom to break forward quickly. Saiz looks like he scares the **** out of the opposition's defenders and will inevitably draw many cards this season. As well as praising the new Messiah there should also be credit to the fitness coaches because the level of intensity is phenomenal and they keep it up for almost 90 minutes. Roofe was playing (and running) like a man possessed.

The only minor concerns are -

can we keep it up for most of the season?
do we have a big enough squad?
will we stay injury free?
we cannot afford needless bookings
BPF may be the new weakest link - but it's all relative; he's much better than the clown we had last year and there is a very good plan B on the bench.
I'm not sure if Bamford will ft into this style of play - time will tell.
Our desire to play it out of defence is commendable but, at some point, we will get caught out so we need to be flexible and adaptable.

Nonetheless a great start and we are THE team to watch across any League at the moment. Barcelona who?

MOT

[philipspark]

If the high intensity was as individuals, I think by Christmas we'd be knackered. After Stoke, the main comments I noticed was blow out.
After Saiz and Alioski pulling up with cramp, something that usually only happens after 90mins and extra time, I feared the worst at Derby. I think once everybody is used to the system, then high intensity as a team rather than individuals will be key. Every player backing up others, so sharing the workload. So along with the improved fitness of all, the team won't be working as hard as a collective
At Derby we didn't look knackered at the end, but I guess the more we score than less pressure.

[WTF11]

If the high intensity was as individuals, I think by Christmas we'd be knackered. After Stoke, the main comments I noticed was blow out.
After Saiz and Alioski pulling up with cramp, something that usually only happens after 90mins and extra time, I feared the worst at Derby. I think once everybody is used to the system, then high intensity as a team rather than individuals will be key. Every player backing up others, so sharing the workload. So along with the improved fitness of all, the team won't be working as hard as a collective
At Derby we didn't look knackered at the end, but I guess the more we score than less pressure.

Spot on

[george_kaplan]

First and foremost what you have to instill into the team is consistency and confidence.....the fitness will follow and not be a issue. I'd like to see how we react to a loss or two or going behind a goal or two. This is where I believe in the new guys tactics and where I also believe we will succeed. I read somewhere he scrutinize's every team we play.....as the season rolls on he will rest and bring in players.
Other teams will 'cotton' on to us of course but I believe with out new coach he will have the upper hand. Plan B won't be a problem.
"B".....meaning belief

[WTF11]

First and foremost what you have to instill into the team is consistency and confidence.....the fitness will follow and not be a issue. I'd like to see how we react to a loss or two or going behind a goal or two. This is where I believe in the new guys tactics and where I also believe we will succeed. I read somewhere he scrutinize's every team we play.....as the season rolls on he will rest and bring in players.
Other teams will 'cotton' on to us of course but I believe with out new coach he will have the upper hand. Plan B won't be a problem.
"B".....meaning belief

If you go back to last season, when we went ahead and then the opposition equalised, we all went into squeeky bum time, hoping we would hold on to a draw (and for the latter part of the season, failing to do so in the last 10 minutes of the game). Not so (so far).

Watched the first half from the get-go and we never looked even slightly likely to sit back and let the equaliser upset us, just back on with the plan to win, and the rest is history. The team is a different beast in every way to that which started so well last season, and if not for the goalkeeping mistake (which I sincerely hope BPF will NOT allow to eat away at him, he knows he was in the wrong place, learn from it and move on say I!), would have come away in all likelihood with a clean sheet (yes, there were a couple of hairy moments in the second half, thankyou Quest for the lengthy highlights!, but in 90 minutes?).

Agree 100% on the belief in and of the team (and Bamford had better "get on board" with the new system, because stamping your foot like a big kid and getting booked for a petulant silly foul simply isn't going to be tolerated (see Bielsas post match comments when asked about yellows))

[Rev72]

First and foremost what you have to instill into the team is consistency and confidence.....the fitness will follow and not be a issue. I'd like to see how we react to a loss or two or going behind a goal or two. This is where I believe in the new guys tactics and where I also believe we will succeed. I read somewhere he scrutinize's every team we play.....as the season rolls on he will rest and bring in players.
Other teams will 'cotton' on to us of course but I believe with out new coach he will have the upper hand. Plan B won't be a problem.
"B".....meaning belief

Hope all is well George - not seen you post for a while.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Interesting that we mix it up a bit though. It is mainly passes on the ground but getting forward quick. In the first two games we also hit the odd long ball either diagonally switching play or over the top which with the pace we have keeps teams guessing.

I think one one key to matching us is fitness and if other teams are not as fit then they may struggle.

once the players get very fit then burning out should be less of an issue as the same 11 won’t play every game (interesting how Jannson not played due to not being up to speed - for that read fit? - all our players look very lean).

the only thing which I think could stop the season in its tracks would be serious injuries to key players.

i wonder if Blackman will get a run - at 6 foot 6 he takes some beating.

all gravy though