Derby County (A)

[Rizlar]

2 minutes ago, woolli said:

Great post. I still think its a " system" issue in this league. Would much prefer dedicated full backs and dedicated winger/wingers, who with regards to full backs, who can actually tackle, and wingers, who can actually take players on and get decent crosses in. Our " wing" backs are neither, they aint good enough defensively, and are not good enough to be wingers. I like Ogbeta, but his crossing, in general was woeful yesterday, with the exception of Bods chance. Back to basics for me, but we all know Evatt wont change.

Spot on Wolli . 

[nantwichwhite]

This game reminded me of a game at Mollinuex in the late 70s where we dominated but lost that game 1-0 too. There was a frosting of snow on the pitch and at half time the Wolves side  was green and ours still white. Wolves won promotion that year and we didn’t.

Let’s face it their keeper had a blinder and a young talented player left his man and we paid the price, I don’t think he will be doing it again.

Ian Greaves’ side has a similar style and philosophy to the current one, for both Managers the method was everything. It took three seasons to gain promotion to the then First division. The board kept faith with Greaves and were rewarded in the end. Taking the emotions out of it I am sure IF we do fail to win promotion the board will do the same. 

[gonzo]

1 hour ago, radcliffe white said:

That last play off spot looks an interesting finish, still think Blackpool might sneak it 

They are way too inconsistent at the minute. The knives are well and truly out for Critchly.

Yesterday was a shit show apparently. Infighting in stands and players getting told to fuck off at full time.

Hope and pray its not them.

[Zico]

53 minutes ago, Tombwfc said:

 

In our first season in L1 we finished 9th. If last year we'd finished 8th and this year 7th, I wouldn't have considered that progress just because we improved our finishing position. If Newcastle or Chelsea spend £500m in the summer, finishing a couple of places higher than they do this year isn't progress.

Last year we won a trophy but fell short in the playoffs. Were we to win nothing and fall short in the playoffs this year, that isn't good enough progress given we're another year into Evatt building the team he wants, the league is weaker and we've spent circa £1m on players.

Even Evatt's own expectations have him managing in the Premier League in three years time, so not getting us out of this league with this squad, this season, is failure.

Caveat: I like Evatt overall and we're still more than capable of getting promoted this season, so all is certainly not lost.

We lost in the play offs last year 

It's now only progress if we win the play offs 

[only1swanny]

8 minutes ago, Zico said:

We lost in the play offs last year 

It's now only progress if we win the play offs 

We hit the playoffs relying on loan players and very little squad development. 

Progress is hitting the playoffs with our own squad, against opponents that have also progressed. There's a pack at the top, and they will start to become a mainstay at the top. 

 

 

[noxid]

Most of our losses in the big matches recently have started with us missing a sitter which would have forced the opponents to change tactics and open up more as they looked for an equaliser. We could have then exploited them further. Yesterday was the same. It was not a world class save as I've seen written on here. Bod missed from 1 yard out. His header had no direction and not enough power. Although not a great example, don't think Harry Kane would have missed it. The problem all season is that we do not have a goal machine and with Dion out for the last seven games it's become more evident. None of our forwards are good enough.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

Ultimately it comes down to whether we get enough points overall; however the inability to take sufficient points in these games looks likely to cost us.

If it does in the end, then despite the quality of play etc, we simply won't have been good enough over the season.

I've not trawled through these pages, but I did see a comment about how they put a midfielder on for a striker and it improved them.

It that the sort of subtle pragmatism that we're still missing to be the amongst the top dogs.

[Wanderlust]

9 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Ultimately it comes down to whether we get enough points overall; however the inability to take sufficient points in these games looks likely to cost us.

If it does in the end, then despite the quality of play etc, we simply won't have been good enough over the season.

I've not trawled through these pages, but I did see a comment about how they put a midfielder on for a striker and it improved them.

It that the sort of subtle pragmatism that we're still missing to be the amongst the top dogs.

Midfielder was put on to man mark Sheehan who was bossing it. Still, we were better than Derby so I don't know what the meltdown is about. We created the better chances but were missing our most ruthless striker through injury. We had most possession, shots etc etc and they hardly troubled us at the back.

Fact is we were unlucky, and that happens in football.

The difference was this "goal"...and the officials failure to spot the blatant handball.

[Zico]

18 minutes ago, only1swanny said:

We hit the playoffs relying on loan players and very little squad development. 

Progress is hitting the playoffs with our own squad, against opponents that have also progressed. There's a pack at the top, and they will start to become a mainstay at the top. 

 

 

It's winning the play offs

[gonzo]

Their in game changes won them that game and us having two front men who can't score goals.

 

[deeane Koontz]

7 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Ultimately it comes down to whether we get enough points overall; however the inability to take sufficient points in these games looks likely to cost us.

If it does in the end, then despite the quality of play etc, we simply won't have been good enough over the season.

I've not trawled through these pages, but I did see a comment about how they put a midfielder on for a striker and it improved them.

It that the sort of subtle pragmatism that we're still missing to be the amongst the top dogs.

Be intresting if we could try having one striker as a focal point (especially since we're short on options) and have an extra advanced midfielder who gets in the box for our crosses and linking. He seems dead set on having two there though.. no matter who.

 

[Zico]

Just now, gonzo said:

Their in game changes won them that game and us having two front men who can't score goals.

 

Make that 3 with CJ 

I get the need to make changes but I've never felt he's come on and made us better or got us over the line 

He's scored 0 goals in 32 league appearances

In contrast Gayle has come in at derby and got 3 in 5 

He won a penalty at Barnsley if that counts 

But I can't think of anything else

 

[RUREADY2ROLL]

Just now, gonzo said:

Their in game changes won them that game and us having two front men who can't score goals.

 

We were level when he decided to bring on Cameron Jerome ffs. Then the final substitutions killed off any chance of a comeback - yes we were unlucky and by far the best team up to their goal but it’s likely that a shitter team will get promotion and we will be starting next season in league one again. If we don’t go up and stick with Evatt I will be taking up another pastime 

[Tombwfc]

2 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

Midfielder was put on to man mark Sheehan who was bossing it. Still, we were better than Derby so I don't know what the meltdown is about. We created the better chances but were missing our most ruthless striker through injury. We had most possession, shots etc etc and they hardly troubled us at the back.

Fact is we were unlucky, and that happens in football.

The difference was this "goal"...and the officials failure to spot the blatant handball.

 

According to the BBC, they had 10 shots to our 6. 3 on target each. 6 corners each. Us ahead 54-46 in the possession stakes. They had one goal to our none.

They needed a striker to get them over the line and signed an aging cast-off on a free. He's scored three goals in six matches (before getting injured yesterday... other team's also suffer injuries). We spent £750k on the L1 POTY who's got two in twelve.

Let's not become Moral Victory FC. We have plenty of advantages of our own to make the most of.

[Spider]

12 hours ago, Zog1 said:

See the example above for a happy clapper.

See this example for wrist slasher 

[wakey]

19 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

 

The difference was this "goal"...and the officials failure to spot the blatant handball.

Ironic as he loved handballs that ref.

[gonzo]

10 minutes ago, Spider said:

See this example for wrist slasher 

Deffo @LH white

[Biggish Dave]

Derby were very good at the dark arts, no wonder they get plenty sent off against them. Going down feigning injury when we got well on top to disrupt the play etc.

Thought we played very well to be fair but needed to be winning game like that

[tomski]

4 minutes ago, wakey said:

Ironic as he loved handballs that ref.

Was unreal the amount he blew up for us on handballs then to miss that.

[deeane Koontz]

Wiliams might need to shave 10-15 seconds off those long throws if we're behind in injury time 

[RUREADY2ROLL]

3 minutes ago, deeane Koontz said:

Wiliams might need to shave 10-15 seconds off those long throws if we're behind in injury time 

Another idiotic tactic them long throws when we are losing

[barrycowdrill]

Personally just sick to death of coming out of the games that really matter with nothing. Whether they be local games or games against rivals in the race. 
 

In any other games you go thinking ‘weve got a really good chance today’ but I never feel like that in these games. Simply, I don’t trust the players. Whether they have a mental block, fear of failure, an inability to deal with the pressure I just don’t know. But it’s happened far too often recently to feel any other way 
 

yes we get a lot of plaudits but it’s generally off the opposition managers once they’ve turned us over. But I’d like to feel every now and again just how Warne and his players will be feeling today. Satisfied the points are in the bag no matter how we got them. 
 

I’ll be absolutely delighted to be proven wrong of course but I have very little faith the manager, coaches and players can guide themselves through and manage periods of it not going all our own way over 3 games in the play offs which are probably the highest pressured games they will play in against similar levels of opposition. 
 

Yes we win more games than we lose because we’re better than the majority of other teams in the league but when the heat is on they melt. Simple as that 

Edited March 17, 2024 by barrycowdrill

[radcliffe white]

4 minutes ago, Biggish Dave said:

Derby were very good at the dark arts, no wonder they get plenty sent off against them. Going down feigning injury when we got well on top to disrupt the play etc.

Thought we played very well to be fair but needed to be winning game like that

But all promoted sides in recent years SW, Plymouth, Rotherham, Wigan etc all good at the dark arts and did the job

As I’ve said many times this is L1 football which just needs the basics doing correctly and there isn’t the need to complicate things up with this possession based football we’ve seen under IE, yes at times like Tuesday it’s a good watch and we was rampant but you can’t sustain them levels of intensity all season

we was miles the better side but they will continue to grind wins out to get them over the line, I genuinely thought IE would’ve learnt from last season 

[Mounts Kipper]

5 minutes ago, barrycowdrill said:

Personally just sick to death of coming out of the games that really matter with nothing. Whether they be local games or games against rivals in the race. 
 

In any other games you go thinking ‘weve got a really good chance today’ but I never feel like that in these games. Simply, I don’t trust the players. Whether they have a mental block, fear of failure, an inability to deal with the pressure I just don’t know. But it’s happened far too often recently to feel any other way 
 

yes we get a lot of plaudits but it’s generally off the opposition managers once they’ve turned us over. But I’d like to feel every now and again just how Warne and his players will be feeling today. Satisfied the points are in the bag no matter how we got them. 
 

I’ll be absolutely delighted to be proven wrong of course but I have very little faith the manager, coaches and players can guide themselves through and manage periods of it not going all our own way over 3 games in the play offs which are probably the highest pressured games they will play in against similar levels of opposition. 
 

Yes we win more games than we lose because we’re better than the majority of other teams in the league but when the heat is on they melt. Simple as that 

This is why I’m worried about our play off hopes, no trust in this bunch of players to win when it really matters. 

[tomski]

1 minute ago, barrycowdrill said:

Personally just sick to death of coming out of the games that really matter with nothing. Whether they be local games or games against rivals in the race. 
 

In any other games you go thinking ‘weve got a really good chance today’ but I never feel like that in these games. Simply, I don’t trust the players. Whether they have a mental block, fear of failure, an inability to deal with the pressure I just don’t know. But it’s happened far too often recently to feel any other way 
 

yes we get a lot of plaudits but it’s generally off the opposition managers once they’ve turned us over. But I’d like to feel every now and again just how Warne and his players will be feeling total. Satisfied the points are in the bag no matter how we got them. 
 

I’ll be absolutely delighted to be proven wrong of course but I have very little faith the manager, coaches and players can guide themselves through and manage periods of it not going all our own way over 3 games in the play offs which are probably the highest pressured games they will play in against similar levels of opposition. 
 

Yes we win more games than we lose because we’re better than the majority of other teams in the league but when the heat is on they melt. Simple as that 

Well summarised.

I think we only win games by having better players.

Its very rare we win a game by tactically outwitting anyone, say like Maloney did to us.

Jerome was coming on at that minute yesterday whether it was 3-0, 0-3 or 0-0. The fact we have 2 weeks off would not even have remotely played a part.

No calling anything or anyone as we’ve 7 or (now hopefully) 10 big games left. 
 

Rest up and pick Stevenage off and keep going to the end.