Derby(away)predictions

[robinrover]

The tough games keep coming
Maybe we will grab a draw here
2-2

[AucklandRover]

I think this will be a tight game. So tight, I think I'll opt for 0-0!

[champs95]

I think this will be a tight game. So tight, I think I'll opt for 0-0!

Villa was a tough game, we looked a better side, and I thought they where lucky. Where did 5 mins of injury time come from?
Yes, some hard games.
But the sides facing us have a tough game aswell. And not all of them will have spent millions more than us, like Villa. To actually be no better. And none of these sides have Bradley Dack. We do.

I'll let everyone else worry about Derby. I'm going to let Derby worry about us.


I'm looking forward to seeing the team. I feel Reed will play centrally with Bennett. That's got to be that way forward. Reed is real quality. Exactly what we needed. And I think he will play Palmer, bring Armstrong inside and drop Graham.

[AucklandRover]

Villa was a tough game, we looked a better side, and I thought they where lucky. Where did 5 mins of injury time come from?
Yes, some hard games.
But the sides facing us have a tough game aswell. And not all of them will have spent millions more than us, like Villa. To actually be no better. And none of these sides have Bradley Dack. We do.

I'll let everyone else worry about Derby. I'm going to let Derby worry about us.


I'm looking forward to seeing the team. I feel Reed will play centrally with Bennett. That's got to be that way forward. Reed is real quality. Exactly what we needed. And I think he will play Palmer, bring Armstrong inside and drop Graham.

I think each substitution is a mandatory 30 seconds, which probably accounts for most of the extra time.
Reed's performance seems to have attracted a lot of praise. Ironically, I gather Smallwood had his best game of the season too. It's a big call to drop Graham, but he did play 95 minutes, so it's quite possible. On the other hand, TM has made it clear several times that the new players have to FORCE their way past last season's group, which seems to have lifted the latter's determination - just as he intended.
The other player who must be in contention on form is Rothwell, but - as I said - he and Reed have got to make an unanswerable case for inclusion.
The nice thing is the number of options now. For example, I would be interested to see the following team in action:
Raya
Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Williams
Bennett Rothwell Reed Bell
Dack
Armstrong.

I don't think for a minute it will happen, but that is a very pacy, skilful XI. You wouldn't want too many high crosses, though!

Champs, I still don't know why you're feeling so aggrieved. It is simply REALISTIC (nothing more) to acknowledge that there are some very good teams in this Division. That isn't putting Rovers down, as you seem to think: it is a matter of fact. And I don't even think that's the main reason to be cautious. We have used mainly the same players as last season and we are doing well. Yet remember what a battle it was, at times, a level down. I think what people forget is that we are talking about professional players of roughly equal standard. The real or perceived superiority of individuals is cancelled to some extent by the simple fact of eleven against eleven.
Norwich beat Boro at the weekend; Rotherham beat Derby. Saying let Derby worry about us is fine, but it would be silly for us not to worry about them too. They have a strong squad; they have a manager who will probably have a good career, given the qualities he showed as a player; they will be smarting after the Rotherham setback and looking to prove something. All causes for concern. That ISN'T negativity. It's just a balanced assessment of our prospects.
On top of that, let me return to my hobby-horse: the game may well be decided by a piece of luck or a refereeing decision. It's isn't always about who plays better or who has the better manager.
I still think the most likely pattern for us this season, on the balance of probabilities, is (roughly) "win one, lose one, draw one" - though not necessarily in that order.

[Despair]

2 - 1 .

[champs95]

there are some very good sides in the Division. I am aware of all of them Auks. I will also acknowledge who they are.
But I will also throw my own club into that.

[champs95]

I trust TM. I trust he will work hard with the lads to have a very strong game plan. One that normally works. Because I trust the manager, I trust that we will have a game plan. Which may or may not come to fruition. You need an element of luck. And the rest is down to how hard you work, and how much you believe in yourself.


You get excited about Lampard. I will let them worry about us. Because I trust our manager to come up with a plan, more often than not. Not because I underestimate them, because I believe in what we are doing. To the point I am willing to book time off work, go over and enjoy an way day, and spend my hard earned money. If we don't get the right result.
I rate Derby, I rate Lampard. I am aware they have spent a load more money than us. Mostly of rubbish, who wouldn't get in our side.

I was told our side would find it hard in the Champ. Our side from Div 1 would not be able to compete vrs Champ sides?
I was told we would struggle.
I have seen every game thus far and apart from Bristol City I think we have nothing to fear. And I am happy to back my side, as we are every bit as good as anyone we have played.
Including Villa who like Derby, have spent millions upon millions upon millions more than us, and I thought we matched Villa in every department. And we have a better player than any of these sides in Dack.
Our entire 11 that matched villa all played in Div1 last season. The ones I was told would struggle to match such sides. Well we did. And we are.

But I'm excitable and talk crap ..............

[AucklandRover]

I trust TM. I trust he will work hard with the lads to have a very strong game plan. One that normally works. Because I trust the manager, I trust that we will have a game plan. Which may or may not come to fruition. You need an element of luck. And the rest is down to how hard you work, and how much you believe in yourself.


You get excited about Lampard. I will let them worry about us. Because I trust our manager to come up with a plan, more often than not. Not because I underestimate them, because I believe in what we are doing. To the point I am willing to book time off work, go over and enjoy an way day, and spend my hard earned money. If we don't get the right result.
I rate Derby, I rate Lampard. I am aware they have spent a load more money than us. Mostly of rubbish, who wouldn't get in our side.

I was told our side would find it hard in the Champ. Our side from Div 1 would not be able to compete vrs Champ sides?
I was told we would struggle.
I have seen every game thus far and apart from Bristol City I think we have nothing to fear. And I am happy to back my side, as we are every bit as good as anyone we have played.
Including Villa who like Derby, have spent millions upon millions upon millions more than us, and I thought we matched Villa in every department. And we have a better player than any of these sides in Dack.
Our entire 11 that matched villa all played in Div1 last season. The ones I was told would struggle to match such sides. Well we did. And we are.

But I'm excitable and talk crap ..............

I don't recall anyone saying you talk crap (except, perhaps, Saxo when you and he had fallen out).
If you remember, I actually argued that we SHOULDN'T change the team too much because I felt the existing players deserved a chance.
I agree that no-one has looked measurably better than us so far, but we got outplayed by Millwall for 20 minutes, and by Bristol City for 45. That's not a criticism. It's going to happen, because - as I keep saying - there will be many tight games, and we won't always come out on top. Sometimes, we'll look good; on other occasions, we'll lack fluency.
I think it's still too early to call Dack the best player in the Division. That can only be judged over a whole season. I have to say, though, on the evidence so far, it is going to prove extremely difficult for us to keep him. Luckily, I imagine the buy-out price is very, very high.
From my perspective, what's most encouraging is that we have done so well with the "higher quality" players (I hope) still in reserve.
As for Derby, I reckon this will be a different kind of test from the Bristol City game, which was pretty open. I think we'll be on the back foot quite a bit, and rely on speedy counter-attacks. That might mean a front three of Palmer, Dack and Armstrong, with Bennett and two holding players in midfield.
Alternatively, we might see just Dack and Graham in front of a four-man midfield. You can make an argument for both scenarios - and for a 3-5-2, come to that.
I wouldn't even be surprised to see Craig Conway starting, with he and Bennett doing two jobs out wide. I think Mowbray still rates Conway more highly than the fans do.

[champs95]

I don't recall anyone saying you talk crap (except, perhaps, Saxo when you and he had fallen out).
If you remember, I actually argued that we SHOULDN'T change the team too much because I felt the existing players deserved a chance.
I agree that no-one has looked measurably better than us so far, but we got outplayed by Millwall for 20 minutes, and by Bristol City for 45. That's not a criticism. It's going to happen, because - as I keep saying - there will be many tight games, and we won't always come out on top. Sometimes, we'll look good; on other occasions, we'll lack fluency.
I think it's still too early to call Dack the best player in the Division. That can only be judged over a whole season. I have to say, though, on the evidence so far, it is going to prove extremely difficult for us to keep him. Luckily, I imagine the buy-out price is very, very high.
From my perspective, what's most encouraging is that we have done so well with the "higher quality" players (I hope) still in reserve.
As for Derby, I reckon this will be a different kind of test from the Bristol City game, which was pretty open. I think we'll be on the back foot quite a bit, and rely on speedy counter-attacks. That might mean a front three of Palmer, Dack and Armstrong, with Bennett and two holding players in midfield.
Alternatively, we might see just Dack and Graham in front of a four-man midfield. You can make an argument for both scenarios - and for a 3-5-2, come to that.
I wouldn't even be surprised to see Craig Conway starting, with he and Bennett doing two jobs out wide. I think Mowbray still rates Conway more highly than the fans do.

Good post. I'll respond on my lunch a bit later.
I'm not arrogantly saying Dack is the best player in the division. It has some very good players in. I just refuse to be drawn into what the experts say and that's it. I've seen Grealish a few times. He's a ponce. A show pony. Yet I'm told he is one of the best around. Villa turned down £40m.
From what I saw, and actually Dack didn't have that great of a game. Bit he looked a class above Grealish. And a class above anything they had. And let's not forget, they have spent a fortune. We haven't.
I'm sure there are plenty about, all I'm saying is, who is actually better? Grealish ain't.

[Saxo1man41]

Derby 0 Rovers 2.. Armstrong 2 on the counter.