How do we get result at Derby?

[barneyrubble]

Massive game tonight need to get back on track in league .Guess the team will be same as started against Norwich will be another big test in front of cameras,would like to see us play with 2 up front which would give Bobby less chasing to do and be sharper if chances arise.Will have to defend well whatever as they are flying at moment. Take a point now.

[daored]

16 minutes ago, Barney red said:

Massive game tonight need to get back on track in league .Guess the team will be same as started against Norwich will be another big test in front of cameras,would like to see us play with 2 up front which would give Bobby less chasing to do and be sharper if chances arise.Will have to defend well whatever as they are flying at moment. Take a point now.

Would be happy with a point, not sure if Wright is fit?

I hate to say it but I can see today being another Villa. 

[Assassin Reid]

Derby are due a loss and we're due a win. 2-1 to us I reckon. Reid & Pato to score..

The last time I made a proper prediction was the 3-1 away win at Ipswich. Got the score right and two of our goalscorers.

[Major Isewater]

We just need to concentrate and keep our energy level high . Easy really .

During our losing run we have not had the luck that perhaps we had before .

The last minute goals falling to us not the opposition for example.

We will come good again .

A win tonight would be absolutely massive . I would be happy with a draw though. Just so long as we get some reward for all the hard work the club are putting in .

Let's get the show back on the road .

 

COYR

[OldlandReddies]

Have a feeling LJ will throw spanner in works and go 3-5-1-1. That will mess Derby's plans right up. After result at Gate we should be going there confident of getting at least a point. Unlike the last few games I have a good feeling about this one. COYR's !

[Super]

5 minutes ago, OldlandReddies said:

Have a feeling LJ will throw spanner in works and go 3-5-1-1. That will mess Derby's plans right up. After result at Gate we should be going there confident of getting at least a point. Unlike the last few games I have a good feeling about this one. COYR's !

Not sure it will mess them up, they are a very good team on a great run.

[Ska Junkie]

On our 'A' game, we can beat anyone in this division. Let's have confidence in our side.

Out of interest, I reckon we might see Famara playing a part tonight.

Derby are a fine side but so are we. After a weeks' rest, we could get a result, certainly avoid defeat but we need to be 'at it'.

[Cider-Head23]

Three points tonight would be massive, especially as our league run in gets a lot easier after tonight.

Even a draw just gives us another point on the chasing pack ahead of the weekend. 

Type of game tonight, if were serious about mounting a promotion push we need to go there and get something. 

[ScottishRed]

This is a big game and to an extent may have an influence on where we end up this season.

Losing would leave a big gap to second - not a chasm, but a gap none the less.

Derby are a good side and they are going to be confident, however we are a good team and we need to show it tonight.

I would be tempted to play two up front in a 4-4-2 rather than a 4-4-1-1. No idea who should play up there with Bob - as has been said by many we are really short there.

We need to make a call on this soon as I doubt Fam and Milan will be back at 100% until late Feb.

[Redstreet]

6 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

This is a big game and to an extent may have an influence on where we end up this season.

Losing would leave a big gap to second - not a chasm, but a gap none the less.

Derby are a good side and they are going to be confident, however we are a good team and we need to show it tonight.

I would be tempted to play two up front in a 4-4-2 rather than a 4-4-1-1. No idea who should play up there with Bob - as has been said by many we are really short there.

We need to make a call on this soon as I doubt Fam and Milan will be back at 100% until late Feb.

Keep Vydra quiet ( Aidan ) and stop Russell ( Pack ) would be significant . Our away record is still exceptional so I have a good feeling about tonight . Derby are on a good run but the championship Is massively unpredictable . We have lost x 3 league games recently . Cardiff lost x 4 then bounced back . Our league position is still strong so if we can come out of tonight with a point , we go into the next games with win written all over them . COYR . 

[Bar BS3]

Tonight is a tough, tough game!

Let’s hope we can win, be happy with a draw and not over react if we lose..!

After tonight we will be through the hardest part of the season (on paper) 18 massive league games left and starting them within the play off positions, so all to play for to stay there! 

Win tonight and 2nd place is still a possibility! 

[cidered abroad]

A lot will depend on who plays in defence and what shape. We certainly won't go to park the bus so an early goal or two would be fantastic. 

I'm assuming no Wright, I don't think we'll go 3 at the back. 

Fielding

Smith, Flint, Baker, Mags

Brownhill, Pack, Walsh, Bryan

Reid, Pato

That looks the most solid starting eleven. Kent and Famara, if we're lucky,  to come off the bench. Lloyd Kelly as defensive cover. Is there any point in considering Taylor and Woodrow as subs to come on? 

We'll work hard but do we have enough form and legs to get a result? We'll see at 21.35.

[Davefevs]

Derby play a settled 4231, rotating the odd player or two game by game.

Last 4 games has been:

Scott Carson;

Andre Wisdom (Chris Baird), Curtis Davies, Richard Keogh, Craig Forsyth

George Thorne (Bradley Johnson), Tom Huddlestone (Joe Ledley)

Johnny Russell, Matej Vydra, Tom Lawrence (Andreas Weiman)

Sam Winnall (David Nugent)

The Players in brackets didn’t start the last game.

So where are the weaknesses, or if not exactly weaknesses, where can we at least try to win the battle.  Assuming we go 4411 (Bailey and Mags at full backs - Bryan LM and Pato off of Reid)

• Centre-Backs - Davies 32, Keogh 31 are both gonna be tested by Bobby’s runs down the side, but he can’t do it alone.  I suggest Derby might not play a high line as a result, which means we ought to find space in between them and the 2xDMs, or to the sides of the DMs, perfect for Pato.
• Huddlestone - one of the nicest passers of either foot at this level, but won’t want to get around the pitch.  If he does have the ball with time, then it’s got to be when we are in shape.  If we get our pressing triggers wrong, he’ll expose us.  Get them right and we can pin them back.
• Vydra - his ability to float into space and run past the last man will need keeping in check tonight.  I really hope Bailey Wright is fit because I think Korey is gonna have to do that tracking, and we’ll as denying the space between him and Flint / Baker, so Winnall (or Nugent) can’t get ball into feet and spring the runners.  
• Russell and Lawrence - be interested to see their starting positions tonight, e.g. how high they play.  In some respects if they play high it might force Wright and Magnússon deep, which is fine, because they defend as a priority.  It will mean we can create 1 on 1s for Bryan and Brownhill, especially if Pato can get on the ball facing up their CBs.

I think Derby will want to make the pitch as big as possible, but I don’t see us wanting to allow that.  We need an energetic performance tonight.  Our wide midfielders can play narrow, or at least one of them, to create the 3v2 on Thorne and Huddlestone.  If we can get our front 6 on the ball in the last third then we can be successful.  We need to make them play long to Winnall, not through the lines, but also ensure we track their forward three, who like to play on loose balls from half clearances where Winnall has contested the challenge and the ball drops in between defence and midfield.

Of course all of this might go out of the window if City or Derby play vastly different line-ups.

 

[Andy082005]

20 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

A lot will depend on who plays in defence and what shape. We certainly won't go to park the bus so an early goal or two would be fantastic. 

I'm assuming no Wright, I don't think we'll go 3 at the back. 

Fielding

Smith, Flint, Baker, Mags

Brownhill, Pack, Walsh, Bryan

Reid, Pato

That looks the most solid starting eleven. Kent and Famara, if we're lucky,  to come off the bench. Lloyd Kelly as defensive cover. Is there any point in considering Taylor and Woodrow as subs to come on? 

We'll work hard but do we have enough form and legs to get a result? We'll see at 21.35.

I think Wright will be playing tonight. I cant believe we would let a right back out on loan when our current two right backs are out injured

[Son of Fred]

2 hours ago, Barney red said:

Massive game tonight need to get back on track in league .Guess the team will be same as started against Norwich will be another big test in front of cameras,would like to see us play with 2 up front which would give Bobby less chasing to do and be sharper if chances arise.Will have to defend well whatever as they are flying at moment. Take a point now.

Maggers back to left back,Joe left mid & don't put Patto on the left!!

[Phileas Fogg]

This is the first game in a while there's been no mitigating circumstances. I guess you could argue Norwich, but we spent a lot of mental and physical energy against Man City a few days earlier.

For today's game we've almost had a whole week's rest and a full training week to prepare specifically for Derby.

They're a good side, but we're very good away. I predict a hard fought draw.

If we had another Villa result tonight (without any mitigating circumstances) I would be a bit concerned. I don't think that'll happen though.

We know we can beat Derby, because we have already beaten them. However they're a great side at the moment and have clearly improved since then. Their xG stats are awesome recently and steadily improving which indicates what a good side they are. We need Reid to be at his best tonight, pressing and harrying their defence. Keogh has an error in him, and if he plays I'd fancy Reid's chances of having at least one great opportunity.

[Davefevs]

13 minutes ago, Robert the bruce said:

Maggers back to left back,Joe left mid & don't put Patto on the left!!

Pato played most of the first part of the season on LM, and was more than fine, many on here posting positvely about his workrate, link-up with Joe etc.  We have adapted since Diedhiou got injured, and he’s shown how good he is as the no10.  But still more than capable of playing LM.

[downendcity]

Lock them in the dressing room?

[wendyredredrobin]

Sorry to say that I think we are going to get beaten tonight.  I've been quite impressed with Derby of late.

If we could come away with a point or even snatch a late winner, that would be great.

Recent league results have been veey disappointing and I am beginning to get that feeling of deja vu.

[Lew-T]

You never know, some of the posts in this thread suggest we’re at the wrong end of the table. We are 5th! We have lost a couple but the performances haven’t dropped, which is the main thing. 

We have to keep going and give our all tonight, we’re more than capable of doing Derby tonight.

[jj77]

How do we beat Derby?

I think we need to hold and give but do it at the right time. We can be slow or fast but we must get to the line. They can hit us and hurt us defend or attack so there's only one way to beat them, get round the back.

[slartibartfast]

L'm confident we'll get a result up there...........unless it's postponed, of course !  

[OldlandReddies]

Brum ripped them to pieces early doors and should have been in front so if we start quickly and not let them settle they could be vulnerable.

[Mr Popodopolous]

Aren't Derby quite a counterattacking side?

Cracking on and pressing them high, dunno...Pressing yeah but it could leave us vulnerable.

They average under 50% possession this season and Rowett never really values bossing the ball as a manager. An increasingly mooted- though taken up less- strategy is letting a side who are more counterattacking have more of the ball and challenging them to do more with it. Risky though.

Hard fought draw sounds quite plausible I reckon. Very much a result I'd take too!

[Phileas Fogg]

33 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Aren't Derby quite a counterattacking side?

Cracking on and pressing them high, dunno...Pressing yeah but it could leave us vulnerable.

They average under 50% possession this season and Rowett never really values bossing the ball as a manager. An increasingly mooted- though taken up less- strategy is letting a side who are more counterattacking have more of the ball and challenging them to do more with it. Risky though.

Hard fought draw sounds quite plausible I reckon. Very much a result I'd take too!

I would agree but I think after we played probably the best counter attacking side on the planet at the Etihad and gave a good showing we have nothing to fear against Derby by playing this way.

The key difference is that Man City want possession of the ball more than Derby but if anything Derby's style suits us far more as we're good in possession. 

My worry is Tom Lawrence on that left hand side who I really rate. Aside from him and perhaps Vydra and Russell on their day, there's nothing that is particularly intimidating about their line up.

If they play a similar side to their last match against Birmingham, I fancy Flint and Baker to cope with Winnall quite well. His strengths are also their strengths.

I think their defence looks vulnerable, especially to agile and busy players like Paterson and Reid.

[WECANDO]

Can remember sitting in the Dolman watching Lawrence get subbed and thinking he wasn’t much good. We have to get our game right and if we do, we can beat Derby and anyone else. COYRs.

[Phileas Fogg]

1 minute ago, WECANDO said:

Can remember sitting in the dolman watching Lawrence get subbed and thinking he wasn’t much good. We have to get our game right and if we do, we can beat Derby and anyone else. COYRs.

He is very good, the sort of player I'd love to have here. Quite similar to Paterson in some ways. 

[Spike]

They're on form right now, we're very much not and have been at the top end of the table and ended up fighting relegation. My biggest concern is how the lads are dealing with so many losses in a row and of the issue is getting to them. Teams who get promoted tend to have a bad patch of form and that's when you find out they have the right mentality to turn it around. This for me is our first real test in the league, bad form, tough opposition, the lads really need to avoid a Villa type game or it could be the beginning of a very hard second half of the season.

[Kid in the Riot]

Very difficult game. 

When you look at our performances away at the three other clubs in the play-offs - Wolves, Villa and Sheff U we have been battered in all three in truth and been pretty fortunate to come away with 4 pts from them. Mitigating circumstances for the Villa game, granted.

I think our players will be desperate to halt the run of defeats we are currently on but I also think Derby will be very keen to put down a marker on us, avenge the defeat at AG and near enough (IMO) put us out of the race for a top two finish.

I think we'll come under a lot of pressure tonight and I suspect we'll need the same kind of luck we had in the Wolves/Sheff U games if we are going to come away with something.

[Jin]

5 hours ago, Barney red said:

Massive game tonight need to get back on track in league .Guess the team will be same as started against Norwich will be another big test in front of cameras,would like to see us play with 2 up front which would give Bobby less chasing to do and be sharper if chances arise.Will have to defend well whatever as they are flying at moment. Take a point now.

Indeed, a big game tonight and 3pts will be very valuable but probably won't be horrendous if we don't get them.

I agree with the two up top but I'd like to see Magnússon returned to the starting 11 at LB with Bryan further forward. The dilemma then is how is the rest of the team going to set up? Will Paterson play up top? How will Walsh fit in? Will be interesting to see how we set up tonight.