Team for Derby

[Six Pack 93]

5 hours ago, kirku said:

You're watching the wrong sport

I meant any forward  in our squad could do it  - does a one-two with Buendia  - in fact gives it back to him at an awkward height, luckily Buendia has the skill to make a bad pass look good - then got back into the middle unmarked to score, our entire squad could do that.  You guys would get excited over kids playing marbles - he ain't any good !!

[Six Pack 93]

11 hours ago, Dr Greenthumb said:

What about the game against forest? He was exceptional

Apologies Dr Greenthumb - yes it was the Forest game that he scored that goal not Birmingham

[chicken 2,624]

18 minutes ago, Six Pack said:

I meant any forward  in our squad could do it  - does a one-two with Buendia  - in fact gives it back to him at an awkward height, luckily Buendia has the skill to make a bad pass look good - then got back into the middle unmarked to score, our entire squad could do that.  You guys would get excited over kids playing marbles - he ain't any good !!

So if any forward in our squad could do it, how come Vrancic hasn't?

I like Vrancic as a player, a really slick passer, but Farke is right. He hasn't got the legs to get from end to end. He can still be influential, but there is no way he would have scored that goal last night. He'd never have flicked it on to Buendia like that nor followed up for the finish.

To prove a point both Vrancic and Dowell both have 3 goals so far this season. Dowell mins per goal is therefore more or less half that of Vrancic's. Another comparison worthy of throwing in is that McLean has scored 3 goals and contributed 4 assists, one less than Vrancic, and only made two more appearances, but is typically played as more of a holding midfielder.

As I said, I like Vrancic and part of me would like to see him stay to help us when he is the sort of player we need on the pitch. But will he want to stay as a squad player or move on to somewhere he will be a regular starter? Dowell, for me, is more of a Stiepermann replacement, he'll take it past players with a bit of skill. Vrancic doesn't always attack the box, he seems happier moving the ball around. But we need that middle player of the AM three to link up and almost be the 2nd striker at times. Vrancic isn't really that. He's much more a midfielder.

That has certainly been beneficial in some games, and we almost then play a 4-2-1-3 as he sits deeper than Cantwell and Buendia, but it doesn't give us the fluidity we saw last night. The movement of our attacking 4 players just bamboozled them. Who do they mark? If Pukki makes a run and Dowell drifts into space, who picks him up? Does it create more space for Buendia? For Cantwell. It was just brilliant.
 

[Six Pack 93]

37 minutes ago, chicken said:

So if any forward in our squad could do it, how come Vrancic hasn't?

I like Vrancic as a player, a really slick passer, but Farke is right. He hasn't got the legs to get from end to end. He can still be influential, but there is no way he would have scored that goal last night. He'd never have flicked it on to Buendia like that nor followed up for the finish.

To prove a point both Vrancic and Dowell both have 3 goals so far this season. Dowell mins per goal is therefore more or less half that of Vrancic's. Another comparison worthy of throwing in is that McLean has scored 3 goals and contributed 4 assists, one less than Vrancic, and only made two more appearances, but is typically played as more of a holding midfielder.

As I said, I like Vrancic and part of me would like to see him stay to help us when he is the sort of player we need on the pitch. But will he want to stay as a squad player or move on to somewhere he will be a regular starter? Dowell, for me, is more of a Stiepermann replacement, he'll take it past players with a bit of skill. Vrancic doesn't always attack the box, he seems happier moving the ball around. But we need that middle player of the AM three to link up and almost be the 2nd striker at times. Vrancic isn't really that. He's much more a midfielder.

That has certainly been beneficial in some games, and we almost then play a 4-2-1-3 as he sits deeper than Cantwell and Buendia, but it doesn't give us the fluidity we saw last night. The movement of our attacking 4 players just bamboozled them. Who do they mark? If Pukki makes a run and Dowell drifts into space, who picks him up? Does it create more space for Buendia? For Cantwell. It was just brilliant.
 

Thanks for your reply Chicken - some really good points ! In theory it would work a treat and against Huddersfield with all that movement it did work. But we don't play Huddersfield every week. Vrancic would have done it for us - he has demonstrated this many times in the past. We all know he's not a No 10 but the movement of Dowell is not as fluid as you say - I think you may be right he probably has the intelligence - but lacks the ability & physicality.  The stats show he scored the same amount of goals with fewer minutes - but I watch the players & look at stats.  The opposition needs to be weak for Dowell to succeed, Vrancic has done it for us when we needed him to. But besides Vrancic - in my opinion Steipermann, Hernandez & Martin (when fit) are better to start than Dowell.

[horsefly 4,298]

14 hours ago, TheGunnShow said:

I want to see Six Pack's mother-in-law run.

I think she's a bit busy training with Usain Bolt.

[Surfer 1,547]

Was Dowell the best of our supporting attackers last night? No clearly not, Emi Buendia was by a mile. Did Dowell match Todd Cantwell ? No, but he was closer to Cantwell than Cantwell was to Buendia. Is Dowell improving each game? Yes. 

So play him, he needs time to reach the level of understanding the others have with each other. 

[splendidrush 700]

If Dowell isn't up to the job, why is DF persevering with him?...... I'm waiting for someone to say that they don't trust the Coach.😱

[City fan 78]

21 hours ago, Mello Yello said:

Gotta give that astro-turf hair Granny Banger's team a reet good whoopin'.......

I do think as Derby manager he's on borrowed time.....

Choked on my breakfast with that comment, Granny Banger. Thanks 😂😂👍

[Move Klose 303]

10 hours ago, Six Pack said:

I meant any forward  in our squad could do it  - does a one-two with Buendia  - in fact gives it back to him at an awkward height, luckily Buendia has the skill to make a bad pass look good - then got back into the middle unmarked to score, our entire squad could do that.  You guys would get excited over kids playing marbles - he ain't any good !!

This is hilarious that you actually believe this 🤣

[Six Pack 93]

4 hours ago, splendidrush said:

If Dowell isn't up to the job, why is DF persevering with him?...... I'm waiting for someone to say that they don't trust the Coach.😱

But DF has to play him doesn't he ? - those guys jumped in feet first and bought Dowell before trying him out (loan). All good playing these easy games with he likes of Buendia & Cantwell in the team - the results will always go our way. See how well he does without those two and against a team with decent players - it'll be Watford away all over again ! 

[Ian 1,129]

Do people never learn? Judge a player early and then, when the player improves, refuse to admit you were wrong and double down on your stupidity...

To be fair, the same thing happened when Vrancic came into the squad, with Todd over the course of this season, and numerous other players.

[jaberry2 550]

4 hours ago, splendidrush said:

If Dowell isn't up to the job, why is DF persevering with him?...... I'm waiting for someone to say that they don't trust the Coach.😱

Dowell needs to offer more, but certainly does the ability and will only grow as a player. We wont see the best of him till next season now after a full pre season.

[TheGunnShow 5,940]

Just now, jaberry2 said:

Dowell needs to offer more, but certainly does the ability and will only grow as a player. We wont see the best of him till next season now after a full pre season.

Exactly this. We've had enough players in this team who took their time to get used to things. Messrs McLean, Rupp, Vrancic, Cantwell, Krul, Hanley, and Stiepermann could well all be chairing that group.

[jaberry2 550]

7 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

Exactly this. We've had enough players in this team who took their time to get used to things. Messrs McLean, Rupp, Vrancic, Cantwell, Krul, Hanley, and Stiepermann could well all be chairing that group.

People will always write off players who dont perform quickly. The truth is Dowell was out for a long time and looked very good before that injury. He needs to get back to that level, which will take more than 3-4 games.