Derby vs Blackburn

[StensonRam]

I'm starting to wonder whether we should be doing better with the players we have, beginning to think Franks hit the wall

[macstheman]

Oops, lost my post.!
FL should be summoned to explain that performance. I am sorry, but that was utterly bereft of any fight, urgency, class or skill. No, I am not happy and feel sad for those fans who went, reimburse them Mel!!

[AdiSalisbury]

I'm starting to wonder whether we should be doing better with the players we have, beginning to think Franks hit the wall

Beginner's luck ran out? Maybe.

I think if we had that elusive commanding midfielder then things would be different. In games like that, its the experienced players that should rally the side, no blame on the youngsters from me. Yet again, Bryson and Keogh, offer **** all leadership, and Cole couldn't rally a gnats erection.

[macstheman]

I can accept us not being good enough but I cannot accept a complete and utter failure to give everything for the shirt! Half of them (at least) did not appear interested, they should crawl into a corner and be sprayed with cowdung then they might realise just how **** they were!

[wessoram]

I can accept us not being good enough but I cannot accept a complete and utter failure to give everything for the shirt! Half of them (at least) did not appear interested, they should crawl into a corner and be sprayed with cowdung then they might realise just how **** they were!

That was probably the worst performance I've witnessed this season. Poor opposition on a bad run and we put in a shift as bad as that.
Too many players out of contract at the end of this season who couldn't be bothered.
We will end up mid-table with NC form of win 1, lose 1, draw 1 between now and end of season.
We've struggled to be consistent all season and now look to be throwing it away when Villa, Bristol and even Sheff Weds are on good runs. Boro have lost 6 on the spin and have overtook us tonight.
RD still questioning why Marriott not playing and so am I. Would you take off Waghorn and Mount and replace them with Bennett and Nugent ?
Top 6 has gone. Time to blood some of the young guns ready for next season?

[ramAnag]

Beginner's luck ran out? Maybe.

I think if we had that elusive commanding midfielder then things would be different. In games like that, its the experienced players that should rally the side, no blame on the youngsters from me. Yet again, Bryson and Keogh, offer **** all leadership, and Cole couldn't rally a gnats erection.

How many seasons have we been missing that ‘commanding midfielder’ though Adi?
It was nearly solved with Thorne until he turned out to be made of glass. You, I and just about everyone else on here and at Pride Park knows what the problem is but it hasn’t been addressed. So bloody frustrating!

[Andy_Faber]

How many seasons have we been missing that ‘commanding midfielder’ though Adi?
It was nearly solved with Thorne until he turned out to be made of glass. You, I and just about everyone else on here and at Pride Park knows what the problem is but it hasn’t been addressed. So bloody frustrating!

That was embarrassing to watch, what a crock of sh*t. I don't even think we need a 'commanding midfielder', the midfielders and forward thinking defenders we have just need to be given basic instructions/advice like 'we are aiming in that direction', 'your team mates are in blue' and 'the other team might challenge for the ball'. I don't know how we can even rate our forwards when service from midfield is so poor, and it seems like the sideways-passing-til-we-lose-it syndrome has returned. Trouble is, I've watched 22 games this season either at the ground or on TV and we've only been significantly better than that in two of them, I really think we've rode our luck to be even where we are in the table, and deserve to be lower. Thanks God Forest lost

And a question. How much are we paying Ashley Cole? Totally anonymous and below ordinary IMO

[MadAmster]

The better side for the opening 5 minutes of each half and then........ nothing.

Just about all of us have said at one time or another that we don't have enough bite in midfield. Last night was yet another glaring example. Every loose ball was closer to one of theirs than one of ours. Every ricochet seemed to go in their favour. They had more movement all over the pitch. When you look at the teams' League position you could be excused for thinking they had swapped kits for the evening. They say you need some luck to win. Blackburn had it in spades last night and that was mainly down to their work rate aand physicality.

It was back to the old system of standing off, not pressing and not harrying and when we did not doing it anywhere near enough. On the other hand, when we got the ball they were biting at our ankles to get the ball back. In our faces and forcing us into mistakes............ and it worked. They got away with quite a lot IMO and the ref let them. Having said that, in the opening 15 he was very pro Derby in his decision making. Then the crowd and their players got on to him and he seemed to flip "allegiance". I will give one glaring example of not cracking down. The ball was lofted towards the D of their area. Mount goes for it and gets hit from behind by one of their CD's. The defender is running forwrads, jumps and leads with his left forearm which hits Mount on the border of head and neck. That in itself is painful enough and then Mason injures his upper arm and/or shoulder in the resulting fall. The ref played advantage which was fair enough but, at the first opportunity after that, he should have booked the defender.

As a unit, we had way too much space between the lines which made passing more difficult and interceptions by them much easier and it showed. When we did get forward, 99% of the time we tried to go through the middle where it was as crowded as the M25 in rush hour. Why?

Basically we got muscled out of it again.

Roos - not at fault for either goal but did flap at a couple of balls he should have caught.
Bogle - good game
Keogh - good game
Tomori - good game
Cole - OK. Complains too much for me. The worst example was the waist high tackle about 20 minutes from the end. Linesman flagged and got a veral broadside from Cole. Not the forst time in the game he had a go at an official for getting it right. That needs to stop.
Bryson - huffed and puffed but that was about it. Lucky not to get booked on 2 occasions. He has a special place in many Rams fans' hearts but I think Kilmarnock is calling him and he should heed the call
Johnson - Conspicuous by his absence. Invisible for long periods in the game
Mount - Not a good game for him but he did take a lot of clattering. Head//shoulder/arm injury then the leg injury.
Lawrence - a couple of flashes but that was it
Waghorn - ran about a lot but to no great effect
Wilson - put himself about to no avail and showed yet again that, in a physical game, he is way too easily nudged off the ball and that will stop him becoming a top player IMO. Unless of course he beefs up

Nuge had no time to make a difference and the jury is out on whether he still can make a difference.
Holmes came on but didn't get into the game
Bennett did OK but couldn't make the difference last night

I reckon we had two good chances last night. First half Wilson got a chance, played the ball with his left and then pulled a left foot shot wide. His huge preference for his left was the problem. IMO he ought to have done one of two things. Either hit it first time with his left or take it on his left and hit it with his right. In both situations aiming towards the left hand post.

The other was a great chest down from Bennett to Lawrence whose shot forced the keeper into conceding a corner.

On to Saturday. FL will ring the changes IMO. He should. Why? Because Bolton will play the same physical game that Blackburn did. That Millwall did twice. That Rotherham did at their place. etc etc.

[mistaram]

How many seasons have we been missing that ‘commanding midfielder’ though Adi?
It was nearly solved with Thorne until he turned out to be made of glass. You, I and just about everyone else on here and at Pride Park knows what the problem is but it hasn’t been addressed. So bloody frustrating!

RA we've never resolved it since Eustace finished I won't go on about last night there for all to see total shambles Just feel cheated that you spend money and time and they play like frightened schoolgirl Bosses from the first whistle and don't get me on about Lawrence What to do about the midfield well the best I've seen this season is Reece James on loan at Wigan from Chelsea 19 played 40games this season for them and ran the show against us Surely we can get him in loan next season Well another season finished because this lot won't get anything at Brum Brizzle or Swansea I said we'd finish 12th in August seen nothing to change my mind Don't get putting any money on them to beat Bolton either we look knackered, over trained, I suspect

[ramAnag]

RA we've never resolved it since Eustace finished I won't go on about last night there for all to see total shambles Just feel cheated that you spend money and time and they play like frightened schoolgirl Bosses from the first whistle and don't get me on about Lawrence What to do about the midfield well the best I've seen this season is Reece James on loan at Wigan from Chelsea 19 played 40games this season for them and ran the show against us Surely we can get him in loan next season Well another season finished because this lot won't get anything at Brum Brizzle or Swansea I said we'd finish 12th in August seen nothing to change my mind Don't get putting any money on them to beat Bolton either we look knackered, over trained, I suspect

Feel for you mista...hard to spend time and money on watching lacklustre performances like that.
Personally I think the signing of Ashley Cole has been a total nonsense. Best left back in the country? Once upon a time probably but it was a long while ago and his signing just seems like a bit of an ‘old pals act’.
Think we’ll thrash Bolton because the pressure is off and this lot are ‘bottlers’ who can play when there’s no pressure but collapse when the going gets tough.
You’re right about Eustace but plenty moaned about him in the same way as plenty moan about Keogh now.
That commanding midfielder doesn’t have to be expensive...remember when Jim Smith signed Robbie van der Laan? Plenty moaned then but what a signing...he was worth ten of Bryson, Cole and Johnson put together...oh for a signing like that in the summer.