Derby v Villa match report | Vital Football

Derby v Villa match report

MadAmster

Vital Squad Member
A match of two halves........

1st half possession was roughly even but we managed to do more with it than they did. 8 shots to their 6 and we had 5 on target to their one. We really should have been in front at HT. Three of the five would have been Bennett assists if they had gone in, he worked like a Trojan defensively as well and still some say he isn't good enough. You will all be aware that I have always rated the lad. It seems Frank does too. If I'm wrong about the lad, I am in good company.

Second half, we weren't at the races. Villa were dominant and we can't complain about the result either. Two cracking goals and a well hit free kick. No blame for Carson with any of them either. The wall was there to protect the left hand corner, Carson had the middle and right side. The shot was simply too good.

FL thought complacency was the cause and he might be right. The previous 5 games had been teams who were top, a team unbeaten in 11 and on 4 straight wins and Chelsea. This was a Villa side packed with skill and that has been the case all season that has simply not been delivering and looking like 11 random players thrown together for the hell of it. The difference in them against us was that they actually looked like a team and they haven't been doing that all season. If they can replicate that they will soon be up at the sharp end of the table.

The first half was pretty well balanced, with Derby looking more threatening, while not being at their best. Knowing that we usually come out for the second half and up our game, I was OK about things at half time. Second half, and it was Villa who upped the tempo, and we struggled to match them. I felt that we needed to hold them for about 10 minutes or so, but the game turned on three appalling refereeing decisions. Marriott was bashed to the ground, right in front of the ref - nothing given. We attacked and their left back dived near his own corner flag, right in front of the ref's assistant - free kick to Villa. Another Derby attack, and their no. 14 dived in his own penalty area. There was no contact, but - free-kick to Villa. From that they broke and were given no, gifted another free-kick, and the first goal flowed from that.

At that point the game, as a contest, was over.

The really worrying thing is that, on top of the injuries we already had, we now have Fozzy, Hudds and Bennett to add to the list. I hope none of them are particularly serious. Hudds' one was obvious but didn't appear too serious. Bennett's is a hamstring and he could be ready for the next game or out for 6 to 8 weeks. Fozzy had been holding his knee during the first half. Same knee was the one that saw him replaced. His face appeared to tell the story of a man who has been here before and that a repeat of having another very lengthy time off recuperating was not something he savoured. I hope I am wrong in that.
 
Bet you’re glad this wasn’t your £500 mini break long weekend MA.
Hopefully it’ll be the wake up call we need and there’ll be no repeat against you know who.
 
Hope you're right rA. The Saturday evening is taken care of..... a Soul gig in Burton run by a couple of my old mates. Monday evening a time for red dog baiting and cheering all our goals. Now to make plans for the rest of the visit.
 
Bet you’re glad this wasn’t your £500 mini break long weekend MA.
Hopefully it’ll be the wake up call we need and there’ll be no repeat against you know who.
Need to get the players back and fit in the next week and a half, things were going fine but to have the wheels come off as they did against Villa is very worrying. We had no idea what to do against Villa, we were slow, no closing down and just looked a beaten team, even before Villa scored.
 
Need to get the players back and fit in the next week and a half, things were going fine but to have the wheels come off as they did against Villa is very worrying. We had no idea what to do against Villa, we were slow, no closing down and just looked a beaten team, even before Villa scored.

Agreed Bloomer. We also maybe need to consider alternatives.
Midfield was overrun and went AWOL against Villa.
Keep hearing encouraging things about Butterfield and Thorne’s U23 performances...maybe it’s their time. No disputing the talent available but it seems either a little lightweight or injury prone.
 
we were slow

That was my observation too, we didn't seem to have the pace we've seen in recent games both on and off the ball. Hopefully just a blip due to mental fatigue.

Another observation- 2 of their goals came from Keogh or Tomori being caught up the pitch, leaving Forsyth / Malone (can't remember which) to mark 2 players. Someone, probably Huddlestone on recent selections, needs to drop in and cover. Wouldn't surprise me to see Johnson get a start next game.
 
Bennett, hamstring. 8 weeks recovery plus 4 more to get fit.

Fozzy, another Cruciate injury. 9 months recovery plus 9 more to get properly fit. At 29 he may have played his last game for us.
 
That was my observation too, we didn't seem to have the pace we've seen in recent games both on and off the ball. Hopefully just a blip due to mental fatigue.

Another observation- 2 of their goals came from Keogh or Tomori being caught up the pitch, leaving Forsyth / Malone (can't remember which) to mark 2 players. Someone, probably Huddlestone on recent selections, needs to drop in and cover. Wouldn't surprise me to see Johnson get a start next game.
Yes, we need some tinkering with the defence, first the glut of own goals and then this debacle, where central defenders are not there when it counts. To be honest, someone needs to look at this risk and reward system when we play out from the back, don't know about anyone else but I am on tenterhooks when Keogh has it, playing his square and backward balls around some of the Championships better strikers/midfielders. I am always waiting for his customary cock-up that leads to a decent chance for the opposition, then we have his surging runs into the opposing half, his final ball is usually atrocious and leaves himself out of position. Have to say Cardiff's Morrison was totally correct on his assessment of Keogh and his plays.
 
Bennett, hamstring. 8 weeks recovery plus 4 more to get fit.

Fozzy, another Cruciate injury. 9 months recovery plus 9 more to get properly fit. At 29 he may have played his last game for us.
Feel really sorry for Bennett, he has been at the club for what seems like an eternity and has just made a bold bid to claim a permanent place in the attacking line-up, now it could be next season before he gets another chance....Fozzy has also just reclaimed some of the form he showed before his first injury and as you said, he could be running out of time to get back a starting berth for the Rams.
 
We also have no fit proper left back cover in the senior squad at the moment.

Malone to play is a shoe in, many will say, but is he?

It seems logical that he will be but Fozzy's misfortune might be Davies' way back in at CD and move Tomori to left back.

That would leave Malone as cover. However, if we play Malone, who is the backup? Tomori to play CD and move over to let Davies in if Malone has to be subbed? McDonald or even Sibley on the bench as Malone's cover? Bring Lowe back in January when his loan runs out? Olsson. How far off fitness is he?

No idea what FL will do but it will work out, whatever it is.
 
Agreed Bloomer. We also maybe need to consider alternatives.
Midfield was overrun and went AWOL against Villa.
Keep hearing encouraging things about Butterfield and Thorne’s U23 performances...maybe it’s their time. No disputing the talent available but it seems either a little lightweight or injury prone.

Huddlestone is a good central playmaker, his passing is the best in the club and probably in the league, but he just can't move, as Cloughie would say "his pace is deceptive, he is slower than he looks"...........We need Wilson to do a little more in and around that area. Not sure Butterfield is the answer, personally, I think Lawrence is wasted on the wing, he has proved he is better and scores goals when he takes up a central midfield position. Holmes, when playing to his best could replace Lawrence on the wing, Nugent would also be a replacement for waghorn now he is injured.
 
Gutted for Fozzy, to come back from two such set backs takes real courage imo. Hard to take and sadly, as MA said, maybe his last chance for us.
Wouldn’t have been sad to see him move on last summer but the way he’s fought back deserves praise and sympathy.
Sad about Bennett too. He’s put in a lot of effort but for one still so young he does seem very injury prone...I fear just eighty appearances for five clubs in seven seasons speaks volumes.
Agree with Bloomer about Lawrence...wasted on the wing...so much better played centrally as he seems to for Wales.
Would have no hesitation playing Tomori at left back - all the attributes - and we still have George Evans to come back...not sure what’s happened there.
 
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Last heard about Evans 2 weeks back in an FL interview. He is close to getting fit enought to play.
 
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