Night guys

Can't believe that last half hour. How to go from 3 points to none, one sent off and a booking spree. Then evil triumphs at Brentford and Elland Road. Not a great day all in all.

comment by 🏁 AngVanDerRaam 🏁 (U17428)
posted 13 minutes ago

Nothing to add. Just wish it wasn't a drink free night

I'm still dry...

https://youtu.be/O0tNBc2n5s8

The experts have now decided that it was a back pass, so the ref was correct. It is a miracle that Rooney didn’t see a card for in the ref’s face antics.

I was pleased Martin scored, he is our best forward.

The first half peed me off the most, we were toothless when we should have been ruthless.

Finally we get a team that lets us play and doesn't press us at all. To say they were ripe for the picking is disrespectful to all edible flora that has ever existed.

This was the chance to see what Cocu ball is about and it was a bit worrying.

Communication I think is the key problem for this Derby side on and off the pitch. We seem to have no idea what to do in the final third of the pitch even against an unorganised defence, our only threat seems to be on the counter and with a midfield of Holmes n Bird and Rooney at 10, we weren't exactly set up to win the ball back.

Seeing Rooney try and press along with the huff and puff and heavy touches of Waggy, was such a waste of his talent. It's embarrassing the wavelength, balls and touch of Rooney compared to the rest of our side.

I'm not expecting our players to be world class but we can coach wavelength, movement and passing patterns. First touch is harder to coach but can be practiced. We struggled to overload, create angles, switch play quickly, run across players or show any signs of knowing how to break down a defence that played lots of players behind the ball.

Nobody offered Bird any angles so he went backwards, Holmes was anonymous and all it was, was predictable play down the flanks, with predictable crosses, or running down blind alleys or decent balls from Rooney to imaginary world class players that play on a field far far away from the likes of Luton or Derby's.

Rooney then dropped deep to try and get on the ball I presume this was his own doing and not tactical. Suddenly we seemed to have a bit more ingenuity. Why we didn't then switch Holmes further forward and Rooney deeper or make a half time sub that allowed for this I don't know. This worries me too the seeming lack of urgency to change things, when we're well off it.

This was a poorly picked and poorly set up side for the opposition we were playing against IMHO. I think Wisdom looked good but worry about our ability to be organised at the back in the absence of Curtis Davies.

On the subject of organisation I think Cocu has the overarching philosophy right, but he doesn't seem able to communicate this vision and "HOW WE ACHIEVE IT", to the players. If he can do it then he doesn't seem to be able to do it with the urgency fans and I presume owners want.

I feel like we're missing an attacking coach or someone that can put a bomb up the arris of our timeline to being competitive. Someone that can motivate and translate and get us on the same wavelength, reading the same script and knowing our lines. We can do the improv when we have the basics down. I just think we need to move the ball quicker and be a little more inventive in our off the ball movement and we could find that extra gear relatively easily.

We're better than this, how much I don't know, but I'd at least expect players to look like they know what they're supposed to be doing, to have an idea, even if they can't pull it off.

At the moment it feels like they're all a bunch of ants told to wander about aimlessly until they score a goal or find a leaf and then follow the pheromone highway back home.

I think I've been patient this season, as I could see some foundation stones being put in place and felt like we had another gear to hit, for the first time I'm wondering if this team has the capacity to find that gear. Today was ripe for the taking and we hit reverse.

Then the 2nd half happened.

3rd and 4th gear on Friday please. We can save 5th until April.

COYR

WGT

N like Britney I still believe, just a bit pi55hed off waiting.

Cocu us maybe quite a bright guy, but even so doesn't realise that most of our players are a thick as pig5hit, particularly Waggy?

Our best and most successful formation is the diamond, why Cocu went away from that puzzles me. We need 2 up front and we need Martin to get hold of the ball and keep it. Waghorn's first touch is getting funny, I've seen plenty of lower league players who can trap a ball. I do like his work ethic though.

I though TL was playing a bit better in the first half, but in the second I didn't notice him doing anything at all. The subs needed introducing earlier and he should be transfered.

I've watched the Lowe incident again and I think it was a deliberate back pass. Hamer should have kicked the ball up field, he was a fool to pick it up. Lowe didn't really push the ref and I think he was unlucky to be sent off, but I don't know if he said anything. Also I didn't see the ref signal Hamer that he could pick it up.

I'm sick of the constant criticism of refs, it is a difficult job and most of them do well. The ref last night seemed OK, but he is blamed in some circles for our defeat.

The one thing Cocu has got going for him is introducing young players into the team, I think this is good. The rest of his management isn't too good. I've said before, if you are going to make a cake you have to use the ingredients in the cupboard.

It wasn't a deliberate back pass - he got a bit of a shove which caused it. But it certainly LOOKED like a back pass and as Hamer was about to pick it up I was shouting "No!" Lowe's furious reaction confirmed it wasn't his intent but I don't really think the ref could be blamed. It was sheer stupidity on Hamer's part to take a risk when he could so easily have simply cleared it with his feet.

But we were 3-2 down already and I agree with Cocu that the defending was completely unacceptable. After Rooney's goal you could see the team collectively decide that the game was won. I also think we are far better served with Martin and Marriott up front and Rooney behind. Maybe it leaves us a bit exposed in midfield but otherwise we are toothless. Surely we can find three midfielders to do a decent enough job in there. I actually thought Lawrence showed good intent last night and carried the ball well on occasions but I would have him as a sub if we can't swap him for an upgrade. It would be madness to sell him for the sake of it just with our current dearth of creative players.

Huddz/Bird

2 of Knight/Shinnie/Holmes

Rooney

Martin Marriott

Just watched the highlights and have to agree, why not boot the ball out if it gives the ref a split decision to make?

If Lowe got a straight red that's him out for three games and Malone back. I'm concerned we make struggle to get a result against Stoke given they're finding some form at present.

Why do we continually be the charitable side when a club is on poor form?

I think Cocu got it wrong with selection for this game, given the volume of attacks and corners Luton were managing we definitely needed to stop their winger Harry Cornick.

I agree Lawrence needs to be on the subs bench to given us a decent option with subs. We need to stop using him as a winger, he's wasted there.

Worst thing about last night is losing Lowe for 3 games.

I also think that Rooney's attitude toward referee's recently is rubbing off others which is why Lowe felt he could rough up the man in the middle last night.

I like that Rooney is showing passion but he is no longer a star amongst stars. He's a star amongst impressionable young men and he needs to check his own behaviour.

I reckon Rooney thinks that refs will feel so honoured to be on the same pitch as him that they will be grateful for any observations he might pass their way. In reality they are doing the opposite - making sure they aren't seen to be favouring the elder statesman of the game. I don't think Lowe's sending off can be blamed on Rooney though, he just lost his rag in the heat of the moment and it's all his own fault. I also don't think Rooney is getting in the ear of refs much more than is the case with a great many players, but the cameras and fans are constantly focusing on Rooney all of the time so it attracts attention and comment.

A couple of good posts son.

I wonder if Cocu might think about playing Forsyth at left back while Lowe is on holiday? I can't stand Malone and never have, he is a very poor player.

I would rather have Forsyth at left back than Malone.

Right then, we'll have Forsyth at 3, Martin at 9 and leave TL out. That's the way to beat Stoke.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted about an hour ago
I would rather have Forsyth at left back than Malone.
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Shinnie can plays there if no room in midfield. Aberdeen weren't wrong.......

If Shinnie plays at left back it will be a statement about the future of Malone and Forsyth. One thing I can say is that they will all be better in that position than Ashley Cole.

I would definitely like to see Shinnie back in the team. Yesterday there was only Knight who showed any hint of feistiness. Maybe it would be harsh on Holmes to be dropped to the bench but Shinnie and Knight would be a decent pair of ratters in the centre. I’d have Forsyth at left back. He’s better than Malone and also gives us a bit more height defending set pieces. I thought Wisdom had a very decent game but he’s not as good in the air as Davies.

Ratters! That was the phrase I was looking for. Rodent didn't quite work............

I think Holmes could do with a break, especially given the loss of his friend, Jordan Sinnott.