For Those who Could Not Attend. Wednesday 21st February 2018
Visitors - Leeds United
Referee Keith Stroud
Attendance: 27,934
Weather/Conditions. Fiarly mild and dry
Pitch Condition. Perfect for football.
Team. Carson, Baird, Keogh (Captain), Davis, Olsson,
Huddlestone, Thorne, Lawrence, Wiemann, Vydra, Nugent
Subs. Mitchell, Jerome, Palmer, Pearce, Forsyth,
It was a hugely tense and exciting game. Leeds' new manager, or the Clough/Revie rivalry of the 70's, motivated them to play with a lot of passion egged on by the well drilled Leeds crowd who chanted and sang all night long with Derby's genteel crowd easily drowned out.
However, none of the recent muted starts for Derby. They started with purpose, energy and tempo right from the start. So much so that they completely dominated the game but again they just could not score. Fine margins is(are) what kept them out. Crosses flashing across the goal with Derby players just an inch from getting the vital touch. Nugent had a shot which, if it had been 2 inches lower would have gone in off the bar rather than careening back into play - and to a Leeds player. Leeds launched just one attack. A long pass over our midfield to the right winger Dallas who, whilst the pass was still in flight, had his first touch well planned to clear Olsson and then to put in centre right onto Lasogga 's head to guide it passed Carson. 0-1 and totally against the run of play. It was a soft goal let in by a defence that had never been threatened. Derby continued to dominate and just before half time Huddlestone lobbed one over the Leeds defence for Weimann to collect the ball and fire in a shot under the oncoming goalkeeper. Much relief all round and a feeling that after the break Derby would surely restore sanity to see off what had been an inferior Leeds team.
It was not to be however, Leeds came out full of running and effort and again I have to mention the 3000 fans, singing in great unison in the S E corner. Not that Derby had eased off. It was just a more determined Leeds than the first half. Derby were still creating chances. There was one, when a long through pass was being shepherded out by the Leeds left back. Wiemann was having none of it and he flashed after it at an impossible speed, reached the ball just as the defender was seeing it over the line, took it off him to then find Nugent in yards of space and no pressure and he just had to score. I was already celebrating the lead, but somehow Nugent tamely produced a shot/centre which went harmlessly out of play. I could have wept.
Leeds then brought on Alioski and Saiz and they had an immediate effect, creating some searing runs on our goal though Derby continued to create as well. GR brought on Jerome for Nugent and later, Palmer for Ledley and Johnson for Lawrence. Within a few minutes Derby had a free kick in a promising position. Palmer claimed it and tamely hit the wall. It rebounded into space and Alioski found himself one on one with Carson who blocked the first shot only for the ball to sit up nicely for a diving header into the goal.
A fine margin again to the wrong side. In at the death, Palmer partly redeemed himself for his crazy free kick by equalising from close in. But if he had kicked better, we would have been chasing a winner rather an equaliser for the last 10 minutes.
My MOTM was Weimann but Lawrence ran him close. We still haven't solved the left back position. To me, neither Forsyth nor Olsson quite give us enough, either defensively or in attack. Most of Derby's team played well with lapses. Nugent was weak and a bit lacking in confidence though that is maybe me just bearing a grudge for his glaring miss. In general the central defence were solid with Olsson our weakest. Baird was sound as usual. and the midfield performed well. The big positive was Lawrence who was much improved all round. We lost vital ground to Cardiff but we are still in with a shout. Glad February is out of the way,
For Those Who Could not Attend
posted on 22/2/18
Very well said Vidal. I utterly agree with you.
posted on 22/2/18
comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 5 seconds ago
666, the defence has been excellent this season. Obviously you want no mistakes at all, ever, but perhaps this is unrealistic. I thought Keogh’s switching off for the first goal was absolutely awful and out of character. Carson was also culpable although less so and he has been terrific overall. When I say they stood out I meant they were especially surprising and disappointing because of the great consistency those players have shown all season. Olsson makes more mistakes generally so his was less shocking to fans though also very poor. Keogh and Carson remain very much in credit overall and have been crucial in digging out so many clean sheets that have led to some perhaps undeserved wins. Hopefully last night was a one-off from the pair of them. Left-back remains a big concern though. I wonder if Rowett might consider sticking Baird there as the least bad option available for now.
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Hopefully a one off from the pair of them, sure, but we all know MistaKeogh embodies the under-pressure-bottler that has become almost synonymous with any decent season we have so we just have to hope Curtis and Carson can get back to bailing him out. I'd certainly consider bringing Baird into the middle to restore Wisdom, and Fozzy for Olsson but we all know what'll actually happen.
#RowettOUT
posted on 22/2/18
Recall Max Lowe from wherever the hell he is because the two being paid good money to do it will cost us again.
posted on 22/2/18
Tbf a mate of mine that watches shrewsbury says Lowe isn’t excelling there. He’s steady but not outstanding.
Hope it was ok last night Igor
posted on 22/2/18
Can’t believe so folk want to sack Rowett.
What good would that do and who would replace him and do better
posted on 22/2/18
comment by GRIFF....fair price for football fans...not alot to ask for? (U3408)
posted 8 minutes ago
Can’t believe so folk want to sack Rowett.
What good would that do and who would replace him and do better
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Wassa.
posted on 22/2/18
Villa and Fulham have dropped points in the past few days. I wonder if the villa fans are on Bruce’s back as much as Derby fans are on Rowetts back.
posted on 22/2/18
comment by thriceramdini12 (U21438)
posted 5 hours, 6 minutes ago
comment by 666 ⚽️ #team666 (U11795)
posted 12 minutes ago
25 shots, 4 on target tells the story for us. Nobody who understands football can be surprised by MistaKeogh's woeful display and whilst I fully expect Olsson to be droppedd for his display last night, it's also guaranteed thst the starey-eyed halfwit will get to keep the shirt, the armband, and the affections of the simpleminded of the Rams contingent.
When your strikers aren't scoring and your defenders make basic errors, getting a point was testament to the efforts of the others. The stats say we should have been 3 points better off but the things that matter most were badly executed last night.
Bad day at the office, there's no legislating for it, and we move on.
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Sorry I didn't notice the real culprit for our dropping 2 points. Of course it was all Keogh's fault. We would be better playing a blank instead of him. Drat that manager for not realising all he has to do is drop his captain. It's time he went. GR has a hell of a lot to answer for. A blind man could see Keogh is just hopeless and a total liability.
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Griff, I don't see anybody suggesting we gat rid of GR. I hope you don't think my ironic, not say sarcastic, response to a typically provocative 666 comment was serious?
posted on 22/2/18
comment by thriceramdini12 (U21438)
posted 5 hours, 6 minutes ago
comment by 666 ⚽️ #team666 (U11795)
posted 12 minutes ago
25 shots, 4 on target tells the story for us. Nobody who understands football can be surprised by MistaKeogh's woeful display and whilst I fully expect Olsson to be droppedd for his display last night, it's also guaranteed thst the starey-eyed halfwit will get to keep the shirt, the armband, and the affections of the simpleminded of the Rams contingent.
When your strikers aren't scoring and your defenders make basic errors, getting a point was testament to the efforts of the others. The stats say we should have been 3 points better off but the things that matter most were badly executed last night.
Bad day at the office, there's no legislating for it, and we move on.
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Sorry I didn't notice the real culprit for our dropping 2 points. Of course it was all Keogh's fault. We would be better playing a blank instead of him. Drat that manager for not realising all he has to do is drop his captain. It's time he went. GR has a hell of a lot to answer for. A blind man could see Keogh is just hopeless and a total liability.
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Griff, I don't see anybody suggesting we get rid of GR. I hope you don't think my ironic, not say sarcastic, response to a typically provocative 666 comment was serious?
posted on 22/2/18
Seen some comments on other social media’s where folk want him sacking.