26,302 spectators saw a very evenly matched game which ended at 1-1. From the start it was evident that these two sides were running ‘even steven’ in the league. There was no discernible difference between them. Non-partisan viewers will have enjoyed a game in which much skill and endeavour by both sides was on display. No-one anywhere on the pitch, including the ref, had a bad game.
They showed equal amounts of possession, skill, tempo and effort. There was a difference however and this was in the cost of putting the teams together. I imagine Derby’s team cost 10 times more than Preston’s, a fact which will cause MM a bit of heartache. There is a law in football team management which says “Expenditure will increase to fully use up the money available without necessarily improving performance".
As for Derby fans there will be much gnashing of teeth and calls for resignations though I hope there are no such consequences. As a fan who, two or three games ago, accepted that play-offs were unreachable, the action needed now is to find our best players and formation. Keep Mac and encourage the changes he needs to introduce. The formation and some individuals worked quite well last night. Baird was magnificent in spite of a couple of harmless mistakes. He could look like captain material He had an immaculate game in central defence and a few times, during the panicky last 10 minutes. I saw him trying to urge our defence forward as they had started to defend too near our area, giving time and space to their very attack minded mid-field and forwards. In the end it was that and the lack of wit to keep simple possession and dance in front of the corner flag.
But there were a lot of positives. A much higher attacking tempo. More forward rather than sideways movement and some good performances all round. As usual a solid back four. Good wing-backs. Ince worked hard and was spent before the end. JR was busy and a constant thorn in Preston's side. Vydra, for the first time looked as if he might become worth his £8m price tag and at only 24 could be a real force in the future. I liked Nugent now his match fitness improves, so that to me seems like the core attacking force almost all sown up. Johnson and Butterfield were back to their best and it will be hard to fit Our Will in there. But when Camara and Bent came on there was an immediate severe weakening of the team and that is surely a pointer to any close season moves.
After being in front by the first Vydra goal, it came as a huge disappointment when Preston equalised after 95 minutes. It was a scrambled goal but it was no more than they deserved with their never-say-die performance. I was as gutted as the players and the rest of Derby fans when the goal was conceded, but on the whole it was a very entertaining game with plenty of good things on view.
For Those Who Did Not Attend
posted on 9/3/17
I wonder if Spart is turning into TEG with his conspiracy theories. They do seem to share the same unwavering belief in their own particular view of the world. Having seen Neymar's free kick it is difficult to see how this could have been "arranged" other than by tremendous skill on Neymar's part. The penalty was certainly dodgy but the winning goal was also a great bit of skill by Neymar to lift the ball over the defence and a very good controlled finish.
People, especially gullible ones, do love a good conspiracy theory though.
posted on 9/3/17
Meanwhile, hope at last for 666.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-39215235
posted on 9/3/17
I can see why he doesn't go to the match now.
posted on 9/3/17
Eveyone laughed and laughed at TEG and then suddenly it's confirmed that our smart TV's actually ARE being used to monitor us and our thoughts, and suddenly we question why TEG just suddenly disappeared; was he humiliated, or did he awaken on a tropical island surrounded by flamingos in bowler hats...?
I love Greggs, me.
#PuddingsOUT #SavouriesAreTheFuture
posted on 9/3/17
I just said it was suspicious Vidal, especially when someone bothers to phone someone telling them what the score will be. We will see if there is any investigation in to betting patterns.
I don't possess a smart TV. It says something about the 21st century when people buy inanimate objects smarter than themselves. Whether the claims of Wikileaks are true are yet to be proven. Personally I doubt them even if the technology exists.
How would TEG have known the difference were he wake up on an Island surrounded bty flamingos in bowler hats. His grasp of reality was tenuous at best.
posted on 9/3/17
The logical inplay bet to put on would have been 6-1 as that is what was required to qualify. As 5-0 was quite a popular bet before kick off
posted on 9/3/17
When someone tells you to put your house on the unlikely score of 6 1 you have to wonder do they have some knowledge of other things which might be happening.
posted on 9/3/17
At 3-0 I said to my son that 3-3 or 6-1 were the likeliest results. I thought PSG would certainly score and might pick Barcelona off. They very nearly did so, missing 2 good chances. It was a fantastic game. Had it been fixed of course, the goals would have been scored much earlier. If you leave until a couple of minutes to go you need to be pretty sure of Barcelona's finishing, unless you have arranged for PSG's defenders to kick it in their own net three times.
posted on 9/3/17
100
posted on 9/3/17
comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 7 hours, 11 minutes ago
At 3-0 I said to my son that 3-3 or 6-1 were the likeliest results. I thought PSG would certainly score and might pick Barcelona off. They very nearly did so, missing 2 good chances. It was a fantastic game. Had it been fixed of course, the goals would have been scored much earlier. If you leave until a couple of minutes to go you need to be pretty sure of Barcelona's finishing, unless you have arranged for PSG's defenders to kick it in their own net three times.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Apparently PSG only completed FOUR passes in the last ten minutes, and three of those were straight from kick-offs after Barca scored.
Seems legit