Match Thread: Wednesday Vs Forest, Sponsored by Wayne Rooney's Derby County's League One promotion push | Vital Football

Match Thread: Wednesday Vs Forest, Sponsored by Wayne Rooney's Derby County's League One promotion push

Pope John XXIII

Vital Football Legend
A unique situation in my 20 odd years of fandom; a game I desperately want us to lose but am afraid we wont be able to. I'm not sure how often the confluence of the footballing god's could possibly create such a situation.

A win for Wednesday at lunchtime puts all the pressure on Derby; they would have to win at Swansea (who, lord knows, can he relied on to undeservedly beat us but not to do so against anyone else we need them to beat). A win for forest and Derby are effectively safe at lunchtime, barring an increasingly unlikely three game winning run for Rotherham.

It's unfair, in that Derby will know what they need to do. That said, so do Wednesday.

Forest must send a full side to Hillsborough and take this game seriously. A bit of experimenting is acceptable, but it's up to us to make sure we uphold the integrity of the division. It's also important that, wanting to lose aside, we put in a performance for fans; season tickets went on sale the other day. Something of a vacuous offer, to spend £400 on a ticket we have no idea whether we would be able to use and for a product that I doubt any of us would remotely want to be "entertained" by on this season's evidence.

However, we all know what will happen; we'll do our bit and lose; Swansea will field a weakened side and throw their game. Rooney will do all the interviews triumphant as having "saved" Derby.

Wednesday - strengths, style of play
Unfortunately, Wednesday are shite. They have some great players and on their day can be excellent. But their day comes very rarely and the six point deduction has weighed heavily.

They do not dominate possession (averaging 46% which is really low). They have a very small shots per game rate of 9 (we manage 11.4, which is average; our problem is that those shots all go wide or are daisy cutters). That said, they have actually managed one more goal scored than us.

Their pass completion is more that of a long ball team at 70% and their defence is poor but not atrocious; 58 goals conceded is nowhere near the worst and is fairly on par for the relegation fight (our 43 is very much the outlier).

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Fortunately for our ambitions, we are shite at set pieces, we are shite at taking the lead and utterly appalling at getting into dangerous areas. We also have plenty of players who like to needlessly dawdle on the ball, so to maximise Wednesday's advantage here we should definately be playing Knockaert.

They like to attack down the right, so feels like today is a good day for Bong's unique style of welcoming defending.

Formation and players

Wednesday tend towards 3 at the back. There have been many different formations but most amount to 3-4-3. This is what they played last week

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Josh Windass is their top scorer with 9 (can you imagine a player with nearly double figures) and key player overall with 5 assists as well. Definately the one to watch, he plays across the attack and midfield but has been most effective as a number 10 or on the left of a front three. He has a brilliant cross on him.

Callum Paterson is another winger-cum-striker who actually can play anywhere, even right back. He has 7 goals and 3 assists. Big lad, Scottish, has a bit of the Kenny Burns about him.

I always fear Jordan Rhodes. He has 7, mostly from the bench. You have to build the side around him and have two up top for him to work, but he loves scoring against us so let's hope he plays.

On the wing in one capacity is likely to be Adam Reach, another traditional tormentor of Forest who kind of plays the wingback role. 5 goals and 3 assists shows his success.

Barry Bannen remains one of the best players in the division on his day in central midfield, and is Wednesday's highest rated player over the season by a mile (at 6.88, which is nothing special- for comparison Cyrus Christie has a fractionally higher rating). Bannon has 5 assists to his name and also loves playing us.

We might see Kadeem Harris as well, who is one of their other key assist makers.

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Funnily enough, in our squad you can't discern any key players at all. Assist and goals are spread very evenly (and sparsely) across the squad.

Form
Unfortunately, their form is horrific and, deduction or not, they deserve to be in trouble.
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3 wins in 16 games, all against reasonable but not amazing sides. They've had their share of tough games but have not made the most of the easier ones.

In fairness, they haven't had any games as easy as playing Nottingham Forest right at this moment.

On form against us we are on more fertile ground for a loss too; Wednesday have won 9 of the last 15 games between the two sides (stretching to 2015) and losing just two.

Weather
It will be another cold and cloudy 8°c in Sheffield today, for what I suspect will be our last trip to Hillsborough for a year or two.

Prediction
I want us to lose only if Swansea do their job, and the problem is, I don't think they will. I think if we win, Derby will relax and lose. If we lose, Derby will win against a disinterested Swansea
 
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Excellent review Pope, but I want Derby to stay up.
I would miss the local derby banter and joshing.
Always the two most anticipated games every season.
 
I am a bit on the fence about this one. On the one hand I want us to be playing Derby next season but on the other it’s been a long time since I really enjoyed a Derby game. They are always cagey and niggly affairs with little quality.

There’s also the grief they gave us last season and when we were in league one so I would quite happily see them drop for a couple of seasons...

Our players are on the beach already though so I can’t see past a Wednesday win.
 
Wednesday are utter dog shit that’s the main problem. If Wayne Rooney’s Derby don’t go this season they’ll go next season with a points deduction & no money from Mel or this boxing guy.
 
If we lose it might be the least pissed off any of us has ever been after a defeat, might be more annoying to win. We've looked poor for most of the season surely we won't turn it on today and look like a decent side?
 
Definitely a first- choice team selection. Why Hughton cannot give Jenkinson, Bong and Arter a turn is a mystery. And it would be good for Michael Dawson to play in his last game, and score the own goal that puts Derby in it.
 
In a fit of needless stupidity, I have just renewed my season ticket online.

What is the betting on my level of regret for that by early afternoon?

Did you get your refund taken into allowance?

I have read elsewhere that the Club are only just crediting peoples accounts from the February games, and some people claim to have paid and the full amount was taken from their account, with no credits taken into allowance.

Most people I know have had no issues, but I thought I would ask.

I would not take any notice of what has happened this season or what happens in the last two games.

Everything start afresh in two weeks time.

And as for the experts writing Hughton off; these are the same experts who wrote Ameobi off, and look what an unmitigated disaster he turned out to be in his target winger role.
 
Definitely a first- choice team selection. Why Hughton cannot give Jenkinson, Bong and Arter a turn is a mystery. And it would be good for Michael Dawson to play in his last game, and score the own goal that puts Derby in it.

He is not picking those players because they will have not have a future at the Club and Hughton does not come across as the type of manager to give game time out of sympathy.
 
Did you get your refund taken into allowance?

I have read elsewhere that the Club are only just crediting peoples accounts from the February games, and some people claim to have paid and the full amount was taken from their account, with no credits taken into allowance.

Most people I know have had no issues, but I thought I would ask.

I would not take any notice of what has happened this season or what happens in the last two games.

Everything start afresh in two weeks time.

And as for the experts writing Hughton off; these are the same experts who wrote Ameobi off, and look what an unmitigated disaster he turned out to be in his target winger role.
I got £109 off, and my bank alert showed I paid the correct amount after the deduction. Altogether cost £255, which is excellent if you assume we'll actually see the games

The credit is easy to apply- it comes up as an option when you put the ST in your basket and you just need to click that you want it applied
 
He is not picking those players because they will have not have a future at the Club and Hughton does not come across as the type of manager to give game time out of sympathy.
It is for the reason that they have no future that they ought to be playing in this game.
 
not sure i have ever wanted us to lose a game but i do today.. not just cos of the sheep potentially going down but cos ive had enough of hughton, hes just total garbage.
 
A very good review, Pope.

We appear to have started with a slightly different formation - 433 - which is certainly worth trying. We have made a solid start.

Like others I have mixed feelings on this one!
 
In a fit of needless stupidity, I have just renewed my season ticket online.

What is the betting on my level of regret for that by early afternoon?
utter madness. no way im sitting through another season of dogshit.. The transfer window needs to be massive for me to come back now, and that means players like Grabz gone, not just incomings.