Ricardo's report v Derby

[ricardo 7,328]

I don't know if it was the Xmas pudding but I woke up this morning with a bad feeling about this game. It was a fine day for late December and conditions should have been just right for our passing game so I put my uncomfortable feeling down to pre match nerves.

With Godfrey moved to left back and Zimmerman back in it looked good enough and indeed the early play was most encouraging with the ball being sweetly passed about leaving the visitors mostly chasing shadows. Hernandez was looking tricky down the left and an early cross picked out Cantwell but the City midfielder couldn't get any power on his header and it drifted wide. Carson then had to keep Hernadez out with his feet as City continued to press.

There was little going the other way until a long ball caught Zimmerman out for speed and Derby were given a free kick five yards outside the box. Thankfully the wall did it's job and City were soon back on top with Derby unable to get the ball out of their half. Patient play earned a chance for Tetty as we approached the twenty minute mark but his powerfully struck effort was a couple of yards wide.

City were completely dominant at this stage and Godfrey had a good chance from a corner but his header flew over. However the same player deservedly gave the home side the lead with a sweet strike from Stiepermann's low cross. At this stage I began to think my bad feelings were mistaken and even more so when Vrancic carried the ball out of defence and laid a beautiful ball through to Pukki. One touch and a low shot was speeding past Carson's left hand to double the lead on the half hour.

It looked to be just a matter of how many but as we moved up to half time the City defence began to be troubled with fast runners from midfield and we seemed to lose our grip on the game.  A short corner from the right was played in and only half cleared to the edge of the box where Tomori hit a cross shot against the underside of the bar and the ball bounced up and in.

Now it was a different game and City looked vulnerable to Derby's pacey attack. It should have been seen out until the break but yet again we conceded at a crucial time. Another corner from the right was not cleared out of the box and it fell nicely for mount to strike an equaliser hard and low through a ruck of players. Oh dear, and it was all looking so easy and that uncomfortable feeling came back with a vengeance and despite a sip of one of Scotland's finest products I couldn't shake a sense of despondency. My son's comment of "at least it's been entertaining", went unanswered.

When we resumed there was a scramble in the penalty area at both ends and then long minutes of disjointed stuff where neither team could gain dominance. Hernandez still looked dangerous whenever he got the ball but equally there were nervous moments when the City defence looked stretched.

With just over twenty minutes left the home side began at last to gain a measure of ascendancy and Derby had to defend a series of corners and free kicks. Then it was Vrancic again who started a move and made a lot of ground to be on the end of it but couldn't find the power in his shot to trouble Carson. As we moved into the final ten minutes Stiepermann hassled the ball off a defender and got the ball to Hernandez. I don't know if it was a shot or a cross but the ball flew beyond the far post where Pukki crashed it into the net to set off mayhem in the stands.

That should have been it with just a little bit of sensible game management but fate decided to play a hand when there was a partial floodlight failure. After a few minutes dithering the ref took the players off as we awaited someone to put a new 13 amp fuse in.

At this stage other games were coming to a close with Leeds and WBA both losing. Oh yes, what a time to get three points.

I was beginning to wonder if we were going to get an abandoned game but thankfully someone must have nipped over Morrison's for a packet of fuses because the lights came back on at about five past five. Trybull came on for Vrancic as we resumed and City began to sensibly play out time, or so it seemed until they made a mess of numerous chances to clear the danger down their left. A cross then appeared to evade everybody until a Derby forward bundled the ball in at the far post  to bring the game back to all square. Rhodes then came on for Pukki and we all prepared for another late onslaught.

Unfortunately it was all happening at the wrong end as Zimmerman failed to clear a bouncing ball and Marriot was left with only Krul to beat. The City keeper was out quickly but the chip over him was on target and  Derby were ahead for the first time. Srbeny now entered for the tiring Stiepermann as City desperately went for broke. I thought Cantwell had done it when his hooked shot looked like going in the corner only for Carson to make a great save and tip it round the post. Then from the corner Rhodes crashed a shot against the underside of the bar but this time it stayed out. I tried to give it a bit of "Yellows, Yellows" at the final whistle but I confess I felt a bit flat. Hernadez, my MOM.

That was about it and when we traipsed out my son's comment of "well, you can't say it wasn't entertaining", was answered by "I was well entertained at eighty one minutes, but at full time, not so much". If we get to April and are disappointed, it will be games like this that we will look back upon and wonder how it might have been different. Shipping seven goals in two home games is a worry and that has to be addressed with urgency.

 

I've just had my tea but somehow I still have that bad feeling, I wonder what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I think that sums it up perfectly Ricardo. There is a worry about shipping goals at home. 

I posted this earlier before kick off:

Far more nervous with home games than away days. Just hope we can get in front and give the new line up the confidence to knock it about. Derby will be nervous. Their only consistency has been their inconsistency so we have to be wary of which Derby turns up.

A bit prophetic as it turned out apart from staying in front.

It sounded as if Godfrey did well at left back. Is that correct Ricardo? If so that helps with the injury problems.

I wondered if you would nip out and get your bicycle lamp to help out. Now we all wish the game was abandoned until later in the year.

•  

[Chelm Canary 404]

As soon as that floodlight failed I had a terrible feeling. 

3-4 was ringing in my head during the long delay. I kid you not. 

[sonyc 5,481]

Thanks Ricardo. I wasn't confident before this match but at 3-2 I felt it was our game and our time to threaten the top spot. Leeds & W Brom were losing too. So in the space of just over 10 minutes it had all but evaporated.

 

Perhaps the bad feeling is that we've been lucky for quite some time ....or it's a sense of going back to those Alex Neil days when we scored lots but our defence was a collander. And as you've pointed out many times, you cannot win the league letting in so many goals.

But ...we "go again" in 3 days and we can channel our grief and disappointment into a fighting 3 points at Brentford. Then we have some real chances again at home, all before we meet Leeds. And apparently, they had a shocker today. It can happen. And do you know, you cannot see Farke not applying himself to getting this sorted.

Later night report for you with the floodlights!

 

[Van wink 2,994]

"I've just had my tea but somehow I still have that bad feeling, I wonder what it is."

 

Wind

Follow my grandads advice and breath in through your mouth and out through your bottom.

That will sort it.

Edited December 29, 2018 by Van wink

[ricardo 7,328]

4 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

I think that sums it up perfectly Ricardo. There is a worry about shipping goals at home. 

I posted this earlier before kick off:

Far more nervous with home games than away days. Just hope we can get in front and give the new line up the confidence to knock it about. Derby will be nervous. Their only consistency has been their inconsistency so we have to be wary of which Derby turns up.

A bit prophetic as it turned out apart from staying in front.

It sounded as if Godfrey did well at left back. Is that correct Ricardo? If so that helps with the injury problems.

I wondered if you would nip out and get your bicycle lamp to help out. Now we all wish the game was abandoned until later in the year.

•  

Godfrey wasn't the problem. I don't like pointing fingers but safe to say Zimmerman wasn't at his best by a long chalk today.

[Helsinki canary 240]

Thanks Ric, a good summary as usual, agree with the MoM, once he gets moving no one can stop him, he just rips the teams apart. Offensively we look supreme in this league, defensively, 7 goals in 2 games at home is not acceptable and needs to get sorted urgently otherwise heads will drop and teams will know we are there for the taking. 

[ron obvious 1,495]

Ta very much again ricardo. I echo your thoughts; I do wonder if a bit of freshening up is required, even at the expense of sacrificing a sublime first 35 minutes for something more organised & frugal. But I'm not sure we can really play any other way.

I think our main problem is the loss of form of Cristoph & Timm as a pair; a few matches ago they were covering brilliantly for each other. Time to give Grant a go maybe.

 

[Chelm Canary 404]

There was a point in the first half where klose and Zimmerman had about 5 yards on Marriott but he comfortably flew past both of them to get to the ball first. 

If it wasn't for a last ditch tackle, he was in. 

At that point, I realised we had a serious problem in this game. 

EDIT - sorry it wasn't a last ditch tackle. He was in and should have buried it.

Edited December 29, 2018 by Chelm Canary

[Van wink 2,994]

Zimmerman pulls out during the warm up only 3 days ago and Farke says he is struggling to walk, yet plays a full 95 mins today, Klose comes in for him on Wednesday for the whole match and Farke says he had only wanted him to play 30 or 40 mins max (yet Hanley was on the bench on Weednesday and didnt even come on as I recall?)

So today we go with Klose and Zimmerman and Hanley still on the bench? Not sure why if both CH's are struggling.

We have played a lot of games recently and have several players who are not fit, carrying knocks or appear to be mentally tired, Cantwell being an example of that today imo.

Not sure what the answer is.

 

 

[Crabbycanary3 994]

I thought Godfrey did a good job filling in. The Ref was pretty poor, but was not the reason we lost.

Agree about Zimmerman, just not his day. Derby didn't win that, we lost it, with what seemed like a total lack of belief when their first goal went in, off the bar. The crowd went quiet and we didn't seem to  believe in ourselves (the team that is) for a while after that. Stiepperman, Godfrey and Cantwell seemed very tired later on. 

The 2nd half, our midfield was off the pace, and we gave the ball away too many times.

'One of those days'

Positives? The football we played for the 1st half an hour was superb. Leeds and West Brom, would have been expected to get 'better' results against their opponents today, than we would have, against Derby

[Van wink 2,994]

"Stiepperman, Godfrey and Cantwell seemed very tired later on."

 

Hate to say it but Godfrey seemed to be holding his hamstring and looking towards the bench towards the end.

Edited December 29, 2018 by Van wink

[The Bristol Nest 513]

Godfrey did a job. Just not his position. We were weak down that channel.

[Chelm Canary 404]

May sound like a ridiculous comment, but Max Aaron's in a central defensive position would have been better suited to cope with the blistering pace that klose and Zimmerman couldn't. 

I noticed Hernandez often dropped off and was our last man at some of our corners and set peices. 

It was clear we knew that was going to be a problem. 

 

Edited December 29, 2018 by Chelm Canary

[westcoastcanary 173]

The fitness team usually get decisions right but, given DF's comments about why Zimmermann had to be withdrawn before the game on Wednesday, and how he seemed not to be moving with his usual fluency today as the game progressed, it looks like a misjudgement on someone's part. That said, there may be something we don't know about Hanley that makes him still short of 100%.

Edited December 29, 2018 by westcoastcanary
Typo

[Crabbycanary3 994]

Other positives : Rodriguez got sent off, and if it stays, he gets a 3 match ban. Gayle has a hamstring injury

[Peanuts 150]

54 minutes ago, Chelm Canary said:

There was a point in the first half where klose and Zimmerman had about 5 yards on Marriott but he comfortably flew past both of them to get to the ball first. 

If it wasn't for a last ditch tackle, he was in. 

At that point, I realised we had a serious problem in this game. 

I felt exactly the same when I saw it. Much as I love Klose and Zimmerman, neither of them has ever been accused of having much in the way of pace.

[ron obvious 1,495]

55 minutes ago, Peanuts said:

I felt exactly the same when I saw it. Much as I love Klose and Zimmerman, neither of them has ever been accused of having much in the way of pace.

That's why the communication between them is so important. The recent disruptions through injury/ illness have certainly not helped.

 

[pete 318]

Same feeling of trepidation for me so much put £20 on Derby in the hope my lack of success in punting on football would ensure a home win.  at 2-0 and romping it looked like this was a mug punt.  A bet I didn't want to win but 13 undefeated seemed unlikely.  The £66 takes the edge slightly off the disappointment.  Just need to start a new run but need to improve defensively. 

[Capt. Pants 4,194]

1 hour ago, Peanuts said:

I felt exactly the same when I saw it. Much as I love Klose and Zimmerman, neither of them has ever been accused of having much in the way of pace.

Indeed. And one of the solutions to our defensive woes is to bring back Hanley, who's even slower. The main problem is as I see it is the 2nd ball. From corners we just don't seem able to clear our lines, with players slow to react or out of position. We need an organiser in there, none of the defenders, or Krul, seem capable of doing that.

[nutty nigel 7,506]

2 hours ago, pete said:

Same feeling of trepidation for me so much put £20 on Derby in the hope my lack of success in punting on football would ensure a home win.  at 2-0 and romping it looked like this was a mug punt.  A bet I didn't want to win but 13 undefeated seemed unlikely.  The £66 takes the edge slightly off the disappointment.  Just need to start a new run but need to improve defensively. 

You probably had the same £20 bet on Games 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 which were also unlikely. My bet is that you're quite a few quid down Pete.. 

[Red Rufus 56]

My bet is that Pete talks drivel !

[GJP 79]

10 hours ago, Capt. Pants said:

Indeed. And one of the solutions to our defensive woes is to bring back Hanley, who's even slower. 

Hanley is actually pretty quick. Perhaps deceptively so. When he's in his stride he covers the ground much quicker than Klose or Zimm.

[Herman 9,696]

1 hour ago, Red Rufus said:

My bet is that Pete talks drivel !

You'll win that bet, but the odds will be terrible.😀

[Badger 2,405]

Thanks Ricardo. The game ruined my evening as I really thought that it was a waste of three points - especially after we played so brilliantly in the first half-hour.

I thought that we had sorted the corner situation out

[Capt. Pants 4,194]

55 minutes ago, GJP said:

Hanley is actually pretty quick. Perhaps deceptively so. When he's in his stride he covers the ground much quicker than Klose or Zimm.

Yes fair comment. If Hanley is to be brought in then he'll need a couple of games against Brentford and Portsmouth to get match fit before the big one at WBA. He hasn't played for so long.

[ricardo 7,328]

Zimmerman has improved this season but yesterday he looked more like last seasons edition. Unless there is a problem we don't know about then the reluctance to bring Hanley back is a puzzle.

[GJP 79]

Thought Vrancic played some absolutely sublime football yesterday. Especially that first half. He took Derby to pieces.

He also worked very hard. Although he was tiring I thought it was a mistake to take him off. Trybull is very slow and can struggle to adapt to the pace of the game, and Derby were obviously going to push forward with energy.

[Badger 2,405]

I saw Vrancic do the rolling hands signal to be substituted - agree that some of his passing is sublime.

[Crabbycanary3 994]

Zimmerman seemed to run down the tunnel, immediately at the final whistle. Could have been major disappointment, or he was quite ill, but if so, that would beg the question as to why they couldn't bring Hanley on for 25 mins or so. 

We needed freshening up after an hour yesterday.