MATCHWATCH : Derby County (h)

[Uke]

Predictable response from Pauno, players not fit.

Yeah, cringeworthy.

It’s almost as if some had been unwell for a while, all at the same time, with a disease that does screw up your fitness…

So I do give him some leeway, but not much.

[Royal_jimmy]

All teams are struggling with Covid. Not just us. No excuses. We were 2-0 up with little time to go. We should be winning that but again bottled it.

New manager please

[Stranded]

Sadly, didn't think they were going to score until Southwood dropped one in the net, then the equaliser was inevitable.

The way we set up to defend leads means a mistake is more likely and when they happen, which they always do. Confidence disappears.

[windermereROYAL]

All teams are struggling with Covid. Not just us. No excuses. We were 2-0 up with little time to go. We should be winning that but again bottled it.

New manager please

7 comments that the manager must go in 4 pages, i think we get the message.

[Millsy]

Predictable response from Pauno, players not fit.

Yeah, cringeworthy.

It’s almost as if some had been unwell for a while, all at the same time, with a disease that does screw up your fitness…

So I do give him some leeway, but not much.

Really? Routine positive testing for covid is a world apart from actually being unwell with it. Young fit lads all being really badly affected by it at the same time. I dunno, it's possible I guess I don't know enough about it. If that is the case then we go back to debating whether it was negligent of the club not to be very strict with Xmas parties etc. Also it's almost crying wolf.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah, cringeworthy.

It’s almost as if some had been unwell for a while, all at the same time, with a disease that does screw up your fitness…

So I do give him some leeway, but not much.

Really? Routine positive testing for covid is a world apart from actually being unwell with it. Young fit lads all being really badly affected by it at the same time. I dunno, it's possible I guess I don't know enough about it. If that is the case then we go back to debating whether it was negligent of the club not to be very strict with Xmas parties etc. Also it's almost crying wolf.

None of them have played q competitive game for about three weeks.

No one expects players to be fully fit on training alone at the start of the season. And if you miss some of that training isolating, and especially with something like a heavy cold or worse, it's entirely believable they aren’t match fit.

Not that I thought they really looked like they lacked fitness for the most part. There were some loose touches and passes, and some leggy stumbling, but they were doing that when playing regularly.

Just sounds like a lazy excuse to me.

[Hound]

I thought swift looked very very lethargic - if anyone looked like they were suffering it was him. But he’s been on poor form for a few games now

Don’t buy it for the rest really, they lacked sharpness maybe, but then we’ve seen that performance a number of times this season

[Mid Sussex Royal]

All teams are struggling with Covid. Not just us. No excuses. We were 2-0 up with little time to go. We should be winning that but again bottled it.

New manager please

Lots are, I agree.

Not so much Derby who have named an unchanged side for 3 games in last week and had won their previous three, 2 against play-off sides.

I thought we ran out of steam completely after about 50 mins, and what Pauno said after made complete sense. In addition to not having played for 3 weeks, some players who started hadn't played for even longer.

Can't deny its a very disappointing end to the game but this isn't the same as QPR/Blackpool.

[Hound]

As an aside that’s 4 points in two massive games Southwood has cost us. That was really poor today, as Derby weren’t really threatening at all

Know he’s been generally very good and did well apart from that but he has to cut that out - not sure where that came from today

Azeez’s chance looked tough from behind the goal. Full speed and didn’t have much to aim at. Not seen it on tv yet though

Is there any updates anywhere on why we still have so many people missing? New injuries or still Covid?

[Zip]

We were lucky to get a point. We were thoroughly outplayed from the thirty minute mark but as with Blackpool somehow managed to take a two goal lead.
The biggest problem wasn’t our defence. Holmes and Dann had done well to hold out for so long.

Our midfield was pathetic. Swift should be embarrassed by his feeble efforts. Utterly woeful. Halilovic was only slightly better with another very poor performance. Dele-Bashiru offered very little.

Carroll showed most of our lot up with a terrific work rate regularly chasing down the opposition.
Arurana did well when he came on.

The second half was every bit as dire as Blackpool. The opposition totally dominated. Southwood was having a good game but that was a poor and costly mistake as it was v Hull. He should remain first choice but he can’t afford too many more errors like that.

As for 1871 they were as non existent as Swift. Thoroughly outsung by Derby’s terrific away support.

Had to believe that despite this long break we still have ten first teamers out. Absolute bunch of sick notes.

[Hound]

Yep swift, TDB and AH very poor today

Thought Araruna got an absolute roasting tbh - thought he looked miles off the pace. Ashcroft looked good though

Agree on Blackpool - it was as bad as that but Blackpool looked a far superior side to Derby who I thought were rubbish. No idea how they won 3 on the bounce before that

[Hound]

Genuinely where the fcuk are Drinkwater, Rino, Ejaria and McIntyre particularly? If they are still injured rather than Covid, serious questions to ask about the fitness team

[Snowflake Royal]

Yep swift, TDB and AH very poor today

Thought Araruna got an absolute roasting tbh - thought he looked miles off the pace. Ashcroft looked good though

Agree on Blackpool - it was as bad as that but Blackpool looked a far superior side to Derby who I thought were rubbish. No idea how they won 3 on the bounce before that

Thought Ashcroft looked suspect and out of his depth, whilst Araruna looked assured but understandably beaten by pace, but a pace that never really had control of doing anything with the ball.

Don’t think Ashcroft would have dealt with that pace any better.

[URZZZZ]

Thought we played reasonably well for the first 30 minutes. Fairly solid defensively but also a good balance up top. Hoilett was a decent threat for most of the game, couple of really good balls in for Carroll, who was also excellent for most of the game. As ever, as soon as we scored, the whole mentality changed and aside from the second goal (in which I have my doubts over it being a foul in the first place) and the Azeez breakaway chance, I don’t remember many more shots from us. I’ve highlighted our lack of shots all season and it was evident once again

Thought Ebosele, whilst looking raw, was a good threat off the bench for them. Derby had a lot of possession of the ball and had some neat and tidy players in the midfield but they didn’t do much with it until they brought him on, his direct running and crossing caused us problems

Thought all four of our players on the right hand side struggled a little today along with Swift. Most of the others did OK although concerned about Holmes’ flat foot defending for Derby’s second which seems to be a bit of a recurring theme. He does that quite a bit and I hope it’s something he can improve upon, I dare say Moore would have been criticised heavily if that was him for the equaliser

Southwood 5

Ashcroft 5
Holmes 6
Dann 7
Rahman 6

Laurent 6
Dele Bashiru 6

Halilovic 5
Swift 5
Hoilett 9

Carroll 8

Araruna 5
Azeez 5
Camara N/A

[Hound]

Yeah would agree with all of the above really. Also on the foul for the second goal. And thought Laurent a 7 and TDB a 5 but splitting hairs

[Once upon a time .]

The players not fit ! There’s always an excuse !
How about the excuse of “ I’ve told them to piss about , tip tapping it sideways and backwards In our own half till we lose it ! And avoid passing it forwards quickly at all costs !
As supporters does it bother you to see the opposition keep passing backwards . I know about retaining possession , but the skill of the game is to retain possession passing forwards ! You require little skill to pass backwards , the only way to lose possession then , is to do it so often that the opposition creat a pressure situation . ———- seem familiar at all ?

[leon]

Serious questions need to be asked about the entire Club. It's a fcuking shambles from the top down.

[Zip]

Thought we played reasonably well for the first 30 minutes. Fairly solid defensively but also a good balance up top. Hoilett was a decent threat for most of the game, couple of really good balls in for Carroll, who was also excellent for most of the game. As ever, as soon as we scored, the whole mentality changed and aside from the second goal (in which I have my doubts over it being a foul in the first place) and the Azeez breakaway chance, I don’t remember many more shots from us. I’ve highlighted our lack of shots all season and it was evident once again

Thought Ebosele, whilst looking raw, was a good threat off the bench for them. Derby had a lot of possession of the ball and had some neat and tidy players in the midfield but they didn’t do much with it until they brought him on, his direct running and crossing caused us problems

Thought all four of our players on the right hand side struggled a little today along with Swift. Most of the others did OK although concerned about Holmes’ flat foot defending for Derby’s second which seems to be a bit of a recurring theme. He does that quite a bit and I hope it’s something he can improve upon, I dare say Moore would have been criticised heavily if that was him for the equaliser

Southwood 5

Ashcroft 5
Holmes 6
Dann 7
Rahman 6

Laurent 6
Dele Bashiru 6

Halilovic 5
Swift 5
Hoilett 9

Carroll 8

Araruna 5
Azeez 5
Camara N/A

Agree with some of those but would say Holmes was worth a 7, TDB 5, Halilovic a 4 and Swift 3. Swift barely put any effort in and often lost the ball taking too much time deciding what to do.
I thought Araruna did ok and worth a 6. Rahman good first half but got beaten too often in the second half. Both goals came from crosses on his side of the pitch.
Once again it was far too easy for the opposition to put crosses into our box as we invited them on into our half.

[URZZZZ]

Yeah would agree with all of the above really. Also on the foul for the second goal. And thought Laurent a 7 and TDB a 5 but splitting hairs

Think TDB was better than AH and Swift but was on the 5/6 benchmark. Said it before but he really needs to add something to his game, personally think he’s a little bit too average. He’s young, so there’s scope for improvement but he doesn’t offer enough IMO

[CountryRoyal]

On a side note, their fans were properly muggy after the game and my girlfriend (probably rightfully told me afterwards rather than at the time) that one of them pushed her as we were walking back to the car.

Never really had a specific problem with Derby before but I will take great satisfaction when the pcunts go down.

Im all for the resurgence, I hope they take it to the last day - it’s the hope that kills you and it will make it all the more painful for them when they get relegated.

Though if they could beat Rotherham’s points total and be the worst team ever in two leagues that would also be good. Either or really.