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Tag Archives: blogging101

25th October – A chore, like a visit to the dentist

02 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by petekobryn in Championship

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0pts, blogging101, Derby County Football Club, Rams, Top of the League, Uwe Rosler

25 October 2014

Derby County           1              Wigan Athletic          2

 John Eustace 45                           James McClean 69, 83

Welcoming Wigan Athletic as visitors is proving to be as pleasurable as a chore, a visit to the dentist or sitting a particularly tricky maths exam.

 Following on from their 1-0 win on New Years Day Uwe Rosler’s Wigan arrived and again made themselves at home imposing their physical strength on the Rams and winning the least welcome guests of 2014 award hands down.

 Wigan appeared to have mastered the art of shutting us down and closing off all of the avenues that we can exploit so well. They are a big physical team who worked exceptionally hard to prevent us having any time and space on the ball. It is difficult to comprehend their league position on this showing though clearly playing at the Ipro is to their taste.

The start to the game did not bode well – Wigan were quick out of the blocks and spent the first five minutes dominating possession and pinging the ball around our penalty area.

Wigan’s pressing made it increasingly difficult for us to play the ball out from the back, something that clearly unbalanced our play, they also allowed Zak Whitbread to take the lions share of possession from Jack Butland and exploited his difficulties in getting play moving.

 This was not solely down to the centre half, who made a number of important tackles and interventions in the game, as Will Hughes & Craig Bryson were completely crowded out in the first half while Jordan Ibe flickered and only Johnny Russell played with any verve and in such a way to pose any questions.

 It was an unusual game in many ways, for long periods Scott Carson’s howitzer like clearances from the Wigan goal were their only creative outlet and for a while a cat & mouse games developed at goal kicks as most of the Wigan players would drift over to one side of the pitch only for Carson’s mortar shell to be launched to the other side trying to isolate a defender one on one – which nearly worked at least once.

For all of the lack of flow and attack Jordan Ibe had one decent chance to put us ahead as he wriggled into the penalty area but fired into the side netting.

Uwe Rosler was a constant and loud presence in the technical area – managing to mix up angry barks at officials and players with winning smiles when it looked like he was about to receive a reprimand. His position close to the touchline lead to what looked like it was going to be the most notable incident in the first half when Johnny Russell battling for the ball with Figueroa was sent flying straight into the Wigan manager, sending him clattering to the ground like an upended skittle….much to the hilarity of the fans, and to be fair, the man himself.

Just as the first half was winding down referee Robert Madley awarded Wigan what looked to me a highly dubious penalty for handball. Step forward Jack Butland to round off an excellent first half for him at the Ipro by saving Tavernier’s penalty and a minute later John Eustace was stabbing into the Wigan net from short range following an excellent Russell free kick. We were 1-0 at half time and that felt good (and unexpected)

Derby swapped Ibe & Hughes for Dawkins and Hendrick at half time and this seemed to be recognition of Wigan’s physical superiority and for the first fifteen minutes of the second half the Rams were on top, with Simon Dawkins to the fore and carved out half chances that, had one been taken, would have closed the match out as another three points.

Sadly though from approx. 65 minutes, I could sense Derby’s momentum fading away and Wigan in turn stepping up. Sure, the two Wigan goals were scrappy with a touch of fortune but save for an injury time free kick from Chris Martin that just whistled past the post there was no real response from the Rams.

Steve McClaren’s growing frustration was clear to see on the sidelines but this was one game that our team spirit and will to win was not able to retrieve.

Still top thanks to other results it was still a thoughtful walk back to the car. Do we have a problem at home games now? – Perhaps too early to jump to that conclusion but a telling reminder that the Championship is the league that always surprises.

 

 

21st October – Bloomin’ Lovely at Bloomfield Road

28 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by petekobryn in Championship

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3pts, blogging101, Jack Butland, Rams, Top of the League

21st October 2014

 

Blackpool 0                             Derby County   1

                                               Chris Martin 81 (pen)

Chris Martin with his tenth goal of the season fired the Rams to the top of the Championship for the first time this season.

Our terrific run goes on and whichever way you look at it will put a smile on your face if you are a Ram.

 1 defeat in 16 games in 2014/15 

12 games unbeaten 

6 clean sheets on the trot which, as Radio Derby informed, us was the first time we have done this since 1912.

By the way ….this was the set of results 102 years ago

Derby County 2 Chelsea 0

Derby County 1 Nottingham Forest 0

Leicester Fosse 0 Derby County 1

Fulham 0 Derby County 0

Derby County 4 Gainsborough Trinity 0

Barnsley 0 Derby County 2

How we miss Leicester Fosse and Gainsborough Trinity…..

Five changes for this game on a foul and windswept night as the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo washed over the country.

In came England U-21 keeper Jack Butland for his first game in goal since joining on loan from Stoke following the injury sustained by Lee Grant in the later stages of Saturday’s 3-0 win over Reading.

He was joined in the team by Johnny Russell who replaced the injured Jamie Ward, Jeff Hendrick who replaced Craig Bryson, Ryan Shotton who replaced Zak Whitbread and Omar Mascarell who started his first league game of the season as John Eustace joined Bryson and Whitbread on the bench.

The Rams played against the howling wind in the first half and Ishmael Miller again gave the Rams defence problems, this time in a Blackpool shirt rather than the Yeovil Town shirt we saw him in last season.

This is a Blackpool team trying to play catch up against the odds as the owners of the club have starved the team of investment and August 2014 opened with only eight players registered on the staff. Mid October finds the Tangerines not surprisingly bottom of the Championship but showing signs of life as their recent win over Cardiff showed.

Derby experienced a good test here but as the game wore on the Rams increasingly dominated both possession and play as Blackpool increasingly pulled players behind the ball.

Johnny Russell took his chance of a full 90 minutes well and was a busy and constant presence in attack, won the crucial penalty and also had a later chance to press home the margin of victory but was unable to convert. The popular Russell has created a number of goals so far this season but found the net himself only once. Clearly in the box seat to replace the injured Jamie Ward in games to come a regular start may see him recovering his scoring touch.

Cyrus Christie added to his growing list of impressive performances particularly going forward, and is proving to be an excellent addition to the team. To see how comfortably he has stepped into the gap left by Andre Wisdom is to see a difficult problem solved very well.

The selection of Omar Mascarell to start this game which may have understandably been considered to be much more of a “John Eustace” kind of game was interesting and points to his acclimatisation to the English game since his arrival from Real Madrid. He did well and had a tidy game with flashes of his eye for a killer pass.

The raucous and consistently loud 1800 Derby fans were a constant backdrop to the game as the Rams came through a potentially tricky test very well with the reward of being able to top the table tonight.

It is only October and no medals are handed out now, but it is great to be top !

 

18th October – Reading the runes on another 3pts

28 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by petekobryn in Championship

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Tags

3pts, blogging101, Chris Martin, Derby County Football Club, Rams

18th October 2014

 Reading 0                                 Derby County 3

                                                 Chris Martin 18 & 79

                                                 Jordan Ibe 38

 Experience tells us that a trip to play Reading at the Madjeski Stadium is rarely a pleasant experience – our last seven visits have ended as follows

D 0-0

D 2-2

L 1-2

L 1-4

L 0-3

L 0-1

L 0-5

Indeed, previous to this game we had won only 9 of our total 36 games against the Royals so to come away from one of our more bogier of bogey grounds as we did today with 3 points in a 3-0 win is particularly pleasing.

The season continues to develop well – now unbeaten in 11 games since that 2-3 defeat to Charlton this win saw us move up into second place in the table and try out one of the automatic promotion places for comfort….it feels just our size don’t you think ?

Indeed, after Chris Martin put us into the lead early on with a rare headed goal for the Rams, one of such untroubled simplicity as he escaped some non existent marking that it would have had us raging with frustration had we conceded it, the Rams sat at the top of the table for approximately four minutes until Watford took the lead at Hillsborough and took top spot.

I was so tempted to take a screen shot of that league table but it really doesn’t matter after eleven and a quarter games does it ?

This was a good away performance that yet again underlined the importance of Chris Martin to our team moving, as he did, onto 9 goals for the season with his brace. A couple of other decent chances were also spurned by him but although Lee Grant was kept busy and Pavel Pogrebnyak really should have scored to pull the score back to 1-2 (which could have seen the jitters that were starting to show really go into overdrive) our ability to put away our chances, and Jordan Ibe’s goal was a lovely piece of skill it should be noted, helped keep the underpowered Royals at arm’s length throughout.

A feature of this season has been our improving defensive record and this game saw us keep a clean sheet for the fifth successive game an impressive achievement, particularly when the central defence has seen changing partnerships of ;

Keogh & Shotton vs Reading in the League Cup

Keogh & Whitbread vs Bolton

Keogh & Shotton vs Bournemouth

Keogh & Whitbread vs Millwall

Keogh & Whitbread then Shotton & Whitbread vs Reading today

Keogh’s departure with what seems to be a head injury would call into question his place in the side to play Blackpool on Tuesday but with Jake Buxton back on the bench and Jake Whitbread and Ryan Shotton having been part of the team this season we have available a depth of choice that has not always been the case in previous seasons – just what is needed if a promotion push is to become a reality.

It looks like Jamie Ward will be missing for sure against Blackpool and there are questions also about the fitness of Lee Grant after he took a knock late on and also Craig Bryson. The depth of choice in the squad at central defence is also visible in other positions though and it is good to see the Rams with a choice and depth of players.

More of the same against a Blackpool team fighting against the odds of sever under investment and bizarre ownership decisions (that takes us back doesn’t it ? ) on Tuesday night would be very welcomed

 

 

George on the mend….

26 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by petekobryn in Off the field

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blogging101, Derby County Football Club, George Thorne, Rams

8th Ocober 2014

George on the mend….

During the League Cup ( I find it difficult to call it anything else , mainly because of the bewildering turnover of sponsors….Milk Cup, Rumbelows Cup, Carling Cup, Coca Cola Cup…..) win over Reading I was chatting to the chap next to me about George Thorne.

 He had happened to bump into the injured midfielder in the car park at the iPro and was recounting with a smile the news that Thorne was hoping to be back in training by the New Year.

 These darkening evenings of October seem an age away from the summer time when us Rams, smarting from that mugging at Wembley, sought to “take the positives” (as that awful phrase goes) by trying to do our bit to ensure that George Thorne signed up permanently from the Baggies.

 That was an unusual and fevered time as twitter accounts of all and sundry, the player himself, Brett Wilson, John Vicars were bombarded with tweets encouraging the deal to be done.

 For a while it looked as if the Rams were getting into a battle of wills with the Baggies and this was a concern remembering how they responded to Peter Odimwinge wanting to join QPR. Holding him to his contract and forcing him to cool his heels at the club until eventually selling him to Cardiff City in the next transfer window did not bode well.

 However the Rams managed it, and at a guess money had quite a bit to do with sealing the deal, this was a crucial transfer for Derby not withstanding the shock of hearing about George’s cruciate knee ligament injury sustained against Zenit St.Petersburg four days after signing.

Considering how important he is to the structure of the team the Rams have coped well without him to reach this international break in 4th place with 20pts from 11 games. His ability to pick a pass from the base of midfield as well as breaking up opposition play was key to our push to Wembley last year and he also proved he had an eye for goal as well scoring against both Doncaster & Brighton.

 If we are to see George Thorne back in the team at some point during 2014-15 it will feel like a new signing again….again. As admirably that John Eustace has covered for his absence thus far and as promising as Omar Mascarell is, the prospect of seeing Thorne back in action is both hugely encouraging and would be a boost to our hopes of promotion.

 Get well soon now George….

Views from this Ram

21 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by petekobryn in Uncategorized

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Tags

blogging101, Derby County Football Club, Rams

Derby County Football Club – It’s been a life long attachment, addiction, blessing, curse, it really has.

Any fan will recognise those feelings, experiences and emotions in following the fortunes of Derby and all of the pleasures and pain that have been our reward.

Forty years and more now have I been a Ram and this collection of thoughts and observations captures some ups, downs, delights and disappointments of following the only club I possibly ever could

Pete Kobryn 

 

 

Views from this Ram

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