Swans v Derby | Vital Football

Swans v Derby

K

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
It’s the final home game as the season draws to a close. Nothing but pride in it for us, but a massive game for Derby. I hope we are up for it.
Our defence is woeful, but in attack we look the real deal.
Let’s hope that we can keep this team together in the summer, sort out our defending, and with a few additions go for it next season.
 
Last 6 games:
Swans WWLWWD 13pts
Derby DLWDWW 11pts

Derby last 6 away games LLDLDW F7 A12 Pts5
Swans last 6 home games WWWWWD F17 A7 Pts19
 
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Derby might suit us playing a better style of football and hopefully we won't be under pressure from set plays. We need to close them down on edge of the box as they score plenty of long distance wonder goals.

Looking at the form of both that you posted, they don't win many away from home and despite not having anything to play for, let's be right up for this one and finish off at home with a win!
 
Agree. We have to watch Wilson with his long range Lampard-esque shots.

1st Dec 2018 Derby 2 - Swans 1
Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson's brilliant brace for Derby County condemned Swansea City to a third successive league defeat for the first time since 2009.
Wales forward Wilson hit both from outside the box, the second after Oli McBurnie's defensive slip.
A Fikayo Tomori own goal gave the visitors late hope, but it was in vain.
 
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GP on tonight’s match:

“We want to try and win, that's the way to approach it.

We want to play well and finish the season in a good way.

We have got better and taken a step forward these last two or three months and we have to look at the bigger picture in terms of how we have developed and the circumstances around the club.

But we want to win. Of course, I would be lying to say it is the same as if we had still been going for the play-offs because it is not.

But it is still our last home game, so we want to finish with a win. We want six points from the next two matches if we can.

So not too much changes, we respect that it is a big game for them and we respect the league.

It's a tough competition over 46 games so we have a professional duty to do our best because come the season you want to know everybody has done their best and whoever finishes in those top places has deserved it."
 
Derby manager and ex-Swans player Frank Lampard when asked about the Swans only having pride to play for:

“I think it is a real hard one to gauge what that will do to the nature of the game.

I certainly don't think it will make them relaxed or not caring. They are professionals, the pressure coming off can sometimes benefit you in terms of freedom

They have a very good manager, they have made a lot of progress particularly in the back end of the season.

No manager or club is going to want to throw that away, so they are going to want to keep going to the end of the season.

Whatever way you look at it, it is a really tough game for us.

On the face of it, a draw would not be a bad result for Derby - against a side that is unbeaten at home in the league this year - though it would open the door for Boro.

I want to go there and set up a team to try and win. It is difficult to do anything but that in football, particularly the way we are at the moment.

We have a nice run going, so we are going there to try and win the game.

I know it's tough, I know a point might be a decent point for us but the first intention is to try and win."
 
The ”nice run going” he is referring to must be their home form, 1 defeat in 10 games. Their away form is not that clever, not having won away this year until they beat promotion rivals Bristol City away last Saturday 0-2 for only their second away win in 10 games, although they did draw 4 of those games as well.
 
They looked a decent, well-drilled and dynamic side in the first half. They had a well-drilled press that we couldn't play through but we did look lethargic at times, with a number of losses of possession and sloppiness.

Thankfully that changed in the 2nd and we finally made a game of it. Changed to a back 3, Grimes was superb at LCB and it was good to see John perform well. He seems to suit a more attacking role as he has looked uncomfortable and vulnerable when up against it defensively. Sheff Wed away comes to mind.

Routledge also superb and well placed to equalise. Apparently he was upset at the end suggesting that he won't be offered a new contract. He's done more than enough to earn another year surely?
 
We were truly awful first half and looked as if we were playing a testimonial. It was inevitable that Derby scored and lucky for us it was only one.

One change from the Hull match, “stroller” MacKay came in for Dyer, and stroll he did, contributing nothing to the match and was replaced at half time, what a bad buy he’s been, why does he keep on getting selected. Our midfield was non existent as a result, with Byers also struggling as well.

Their goal came in the 21st minute, and yes conceded from a corner yet again. Veteran centre back Keogh unchallenged at the far post headed the ball over the static Nordfelt and into the net.

John replaced Naughton and Fulton replaced MacKay at half time, and the change was immediate. I was shocked by John, he made such a difference to negative Naughton, who had offered no threat going forward, always passing back. He linked so well with James down the left and was a threat every time he had the ball, he was like an extra winger, well done to him. Fulton too was really good and we were back to our old selves, laying siege to Derby’s goal.

We actually scored from a corner, McBurnie’s header pushed onto the bar by Roos, and Routledge hitting home the loose ball on 66 mins. James was puzzlingly replaced by Asoro on 84 mins, who then made zero contribution, another poor buy.

Shame we couldn’t quite get the winner but our second half display augers well for next season.
 
GP:
"Derby were the better team first half. They deserved to go in 1-0 up; probably could have been two because they were the better team.
It wasn't from a lack of trying on our part, sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say the opposition are better.
Second half I thought we responded well. I was pleased with Fulton and John’s introduction and I thought we were the better team in the second half.
So in the end maybe a draw was a fair result. They're a good team and I can see why they're in the play-offs."

Frank Lampard:
"I thought we controlled the game and were aggressive without the ball, but our final movement wasn't quite right and at half time I rued the fact we weren't two goals to the good.
Credit to Swansea, they changed it second half, played some good football and we have to accept the point."
 
Swansea 1 - Derby 1
Possession: 57% - 43%
Shots: 12 - 13
On target: 6 - 4
Corners: 4 - 8
Fouls: 7 - 16
Bookings: 3 - 4
Attendance: 18,434
 
Kevin’s post: “Routledge also superb and well placed to equalise. Apparently he was upset at the end suggesting that he won't be offered a new contract. He's done more than enough to earn another year surely?”

I read on one of the forums that Routledge was crying at the end, hinting that it was his last game, although I didn’t see it myself.
I can’t believe it if they’ve decided to release him? He has transformed our side since his introduction at the turn of the year, together with Dyer, and fully deserves a new contract of at least a year.
 
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