Tag Archives: Raul Albentosa

14th March – Rams dig deep for crucial point as Bruiser takes a bow

14 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by in Championship

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14th March

Norwich City     1          Cameron Jerome 31

Derby County    1          John Ruddy (o.g.) 66

Sometimes a point is a bitter disappointment.

Last Saturday, for instance.

Sometime a point is a terrific result.

Today, for instance.

On the back of three disappointing results and visiting the division’s form team with a squad diminished by injury the Rams did very well to take a point, a point that may just be crucial come the season’s end.

Pre game discussion inevitably centred upon Jamie Hanson’s first team debut, one of two changes to the team that played Birmingham last week.

A Friday training injury to Omar Mascarell enabled the impressive academy player to step into the defensive midfield position that is so important to our style of play.

And how well he played in such a crucial game. Initially the Norwich midfield dominated but as the game went on Hanson got more involved and showed he is a player of poise and promise.

Talk in the week of either or both of George Thorne and Chris Martin being involved in some way proved not to be the case and what once felt like a deep squad is starting to look skimpy as injuries take their toll.

Our other change was a swap with Ryan Shotton coming in at right back for Cyrus Christie, a change happening increasingly regularly for away games, presumably for greater defensive solidity offered by the former Stoke City defender.

The hosts dominated possession in the early periods of the game without creating any clear cut chances and the Rams worked hard with players tracking back. There were notable defensive interventions from both Johnny Russell and Jamie Ward.

Rams had a spell of greater possession from 25 minutes or so in with Hughes and Ward featuring and looking to create something. Our only decent attempt on goal at this time came with a Will Hughes shot going over.

Just as it felt as if we had subdued the hosts, Cameron Jerome gave them the lead on 31 mins after Hoolohan and Olsson combined well to get behind our line and set up the big striker for a tap in.

Good work by Johnny Russell after a quickly taken free kick on 40 minutes almost created a chance for the Rams, the opportunity just failing for the lack of someone to tap the ball in, the hosts clearing away from danger.

With results in other games going against us we needed a big second half and the Rams started promisingly, again without really creating any clear cut chances, but nearly were authors of our own downfall in giving away a needless corner on 55 minutes after a phase of messing around with the ball in defence.

Jamie Hanson lived up to his nickname of “bruiser” after a clash of heads with Alexander Tetty left the Norwich man prone on the turf and gained the debutant a Terry Butcher tribute head bandage.

It was our debutant that created our equaliser from an unexpected source, John Ruddy turned around a Tom Ince shot round for a corner. Jamie Hanson’s corner was then bundled into the net by Ruddy to bring us level. The credit for the goal may go to the Norwich keeper but in spirit this was a debut goal for Hanson.

Johnny Russell worked as hard as ever throughout the game, proving to be a nuisance, he struggled to find threatening positions with the ball but his work rate off the ball was as terrific as ever and he kept the Canaries defence occupied throughout.

Jamie Ward was similarly hard working and committed and it is good to see him getting back to his early season form.

Until they started lumping the ball forward towards the end of the game the Canaries were subdued for much of the second half and credit to the Rams for that. However it took a superb save from Lee Grant, keeping out a Jerome free header from no more than six yards, followed up by great save even later in the game from a shot from Norwich substitute Gary Hooper to preserve this point.

This was a good gritty and pleasing performance from the Rams in the second half, disciplined and organised.

As if we did not have enough injuries to worry about Johnny Russell took a kick to the face from the already booked Russell Martin that left blood splattered all over his face and questions being asked about why his Scottish international team mate did not get his marching orders.

Steve McClaren mused afterwards that JR has a broken nose so we can look forward to another outing for the phantom of the opera mask soon.

Raul Albentosa is looking increasingly at home and made a crucial tackle to stop Gary Hooper late on – the defensive strength we so crave could well be resting on his shoulders.

This Norwich team has by far the strongest squad at its disposal in this league and have easily been the best team I’ve seen at the iPro this season, so for us to emerge from Carrow Road with a point is a big boost at a time of the season when both the injuries and the worries have been piling up.

Played GD Pts
1. AFC Bournemouth 37 +39 69
2. Watford 37 +31 69
3. Middlesbrough 37 +31 69
4. Derby County 37 +29 67
5. Norwich City 37 +31 66
6. Brentford 37 +11 62

       

24th January – Formation rotation as Rams prevail in Derbyshire Derby

25 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by in FA Cup

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24th January

Derby County 2    Darren Bent 20, Will Hughes 82

Chesterfield 0

The FA Cup provided some relief for the Rams after last Saturday’s disappointments though this game was never as straightforward as the 2-0 scoreline may suggest.

It was not so much as rotation of players that Steve McClaren employed as a rotation of formations. We set up in a 3-5-2 arrangement in the first half, changed to a 4-4-2 diamond in the second half initially and then reverted to a 4-3-3 later in the game.

The Boss explained after the game that the experimentation was very much part of the game plan to see how we performed away from our normal 4-3-3 structure.

When you think about it this was quite a risk to our involvement in the FA Cup considering that Chesterfield proved themselves to be a very capable side, but the chance to work on that much demanded “Plan B” proved to be both useful and successful.

Personnel wise Raul Albentosa came in for his debut, Kelle Roos was in goal, Jeff Hendrick started and Darren Bent made his first start with Johnny Russell, Lee Grant, Jamie Ward & Craig Bryson missing out.

The prospect of using Albentosa, Keogh & Buxton in a back three had been suggested by a number of fans in forums and social media and it was interesting to see it being put into practice – it felt very late 1990’s and Jim Smith all over again.

The new system almost came unstuck immediately though with only a good block from Cyrus Christie preventing Armand Gnanduillet getting a shot on target from inside the six yard box in the first couple of minutes.

Chesterfield were composed and impressive opponents, looking comfortable on the ball and pressing us when had possession.

The right side of our defence with Christie and Richard Keogh in place looked shaky and Chesterfield obviously thought so too as their attack tended to focus on that flank.

Keogh missed a routine header on the quarter hour that almost let in the troublesome Gnanduillet who could not take advantage and that let off was compounded shortly afterwards when we took the lead.

Jake Buxton won a towering header from an Omar Mascarell corner and there poaching from inside the six yard box Darren Bent planted a header into the net for his first Rams goal.

The Rams created little else in the first half and did not look totally secure at the back. Having said that I was impressed with our first look at Raul Albentosa, the big centre half winning a number of defensive headers and looking composed on the ball.

Early days I know, but he looks powerful and skilled and I think he will be challenging for a start very soon.

More experimenting after the break with Johnny Russell replacing Albentosa and the team shuffling into a 4-4-2 diamond shape with Russell partnering Darren Bent up top with Chris Martin at the advanced point of the diamond.

For me this set up worked well. It showed that Darren Bent provides a different threat for us, playing on the edge of the defence and looking to break on a through ball. As well as his first half goal the Villa loanee could have, and should have, bagged two more.

A superb through ball from Chris Martin sprang Bent and although Tommy Lee in the Spirites goal made a fine save he should have scored. 

A similar chance later for Bent in the half was again saved by Lee and while it was disappointing not to see him score more than his first goal it was promising to see his eye for position that puts him in the right place.

Chris Martin is an intelligent footballer and playing in a different position in the second half gave him the chance to show this in a different way. His through ball for the missed Darren Bent chance was superb and while I would not want him playing in that position on a more permanent basis ( Will Hughes since you ask ) he fitted in smoothly and created space and opportunities for Bent and Russell to feed upon.

Will Hughes was our best player throughout the game, creative, bright and hard working and it was him that put the game beyond doubt, stealing the ball just outside the Spireite area, gliding on and smoothly firing home.

Our young midfield talent is on a good run of form at the moment and with others injured or off form we are very reliant upon him.

Talking of injuries it was worrying to see Johnny Russell only last 19 minutes before being replaced in some distress. It was a surprise to many to see him appear considering the tight hamstring Simmo confirmed he was suffering from and if he is out for a few weeks we will miss him badly.

Next up is Blackburn on Tuesday and will we revert to 4-3-3 with the two wingers left standing (and not training with Burton or on loan to Notts County) Jamie Ward and Simon Dawkins ? – or will we be tempted to polish the diamond with Martin & Bent upfront and Will Hughes pulling the strings?

My money is on the diamond….