v Derby County (h) - 8/11/25 12:30pm ko

[arbitro]

A real worry for me going forward is that, starting at Nobbers on November 21st we have ten league games before the end of the year.

Given our wafer thin squad and the rate at which we are picking up injuries it is really going to stretch our meagre resources.

Ismael might have to integrate a few young players although his apparent reluctance to do so could hinder us.

 

[KentExile]

5 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

I'm sure Pickering has filled in at CH and done ok.

The man doesn't have a clue.

Ribeiro also spent 2 seasons playing on the left of a back 3 in Poland

Edited 2 hours ago by KentExile

[K-Hod]

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Unnecessarily abrasive.

Why arent you having a go at people ridiculously blaming Pears for the defeat today?

Hedges is shit.

At least Im consistent in my view and dont change my mind back and forwards every 5 mins whenever someone has a couple of ok games.

But if you like him at CB or anywhere else for that matter, knock yourself out - it's a game of opinions.

It’s only a joke, no need to take it so hard.

[Penwortham Blue]

Really disappointing today after 3 good wins. Obviously, the injuries are a real blow but we played into Derby’s hands, far too pasif, slow and laboured in the first half and then conceded two really poor goals. Second half was a little better but we could have played until Christmas and still not scored from open player, we just have no offensive creativity or threat when needing to break down a resolute defence. The least said about our non existent threat from set pieces and long throws the better, we simply never make first contact and how Gueye didn’t manage to get a shot in on the Derby goal at the death, simply abject.

[joey_big_nose]

1 minute ago, arbitro said:

A real worry for me going forward is that, starting at Nobbers on November 21st we have ten league games before the end of the year.

Given our wafer thin squad and the rate at which we are picking up injuries it is really going to stretch our meagre resources.

Ismael might have to integrate a few young players although his apparent reluctance to do so could hinder us.

 

Yeah, this is when things start to get real... only position where we have any depth is left back/ left wing back where we have four players covering that area... Every other position. I guess a few options at number 10 (Cantwell, Mori, Henricksson). But every other position if someones out then we're playing someone out of their preferred role.

[Kjell]

Ismael: "If we had played with Yuri or Pickering, we would've had problems in the air defensively."

It seems like a strange remark after a game where we lost two air duels that allowed the opponent to score.

[aletheia]

4 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

We've carried on today like we played in the second half against Bristol City.

Where's the team gone that played in the first half

So short sighted Rev. Derby defend far far better than Bristol. We were allowed to play first half against Bristol and took full advantage. Derby are well drilled and made life very difficult -doulbed up on de Neve and Albeiousu. 5 across the back, 3 in front  of that and no space to play in. Got their goals, and just sat in, worked extremely hard to nullify us. You have to have special players or sheer physicality to open up a side like that.

Also, Bristol played far better in the second half, pressed us more and did not allow us to play as well as the first half.

[B16Rover]

13 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Ribeiro also spent 2 seasons playing on the left of a back 3 in Poland

In fairness, the Polish league is infamously more technical and less 'lump it' than the championship 

[Penwortham Blue]

3 hours ago, 1874 said:

Why only 4 mins of injury time. First minute of which was used up by derby subs

I was staggered with that, I was expecting 6 or 7 as a minimum. The penalty must have been 3 minutes stoppage at least.

[RTM08]

16 minutes ago, Kjell said:

Ismael: "If we had played with Yuri or Pickering, we would've had problems in the air defensively."

It seems like a strange remark after a game where we lost two air duels that allowed the opponent to score.

In addition to the fact that we lost aerial duels in every area of the pitch consistently for 90 minutes. 

[roverblue]

Derby looked the best side to come to ewood so far this season. Would love to have a team like that, battled for everything, great in the air and defensively rock solid.

We on the other hand were abysmal first half and then Derby just let us have it second and we created next to nothing. Set pieces are atrocious we had what felt like endless corners, free kicks and throw ins all hitting the first man.

We are in big trouble still despite a few recant wins. Just an overall lack of quality or depth in the squad and a manager who isn’t good enough.

Ryan Hedges as a centre half when you have 3 defenders on the bench is just ridiculous. Gudjohnsen and Henrikson totally anonymous may as well have not been on the pitch. Couldn’t have picked a MotM all poor today.

Edited 1 hour ago by roverblue

[KentExile]

15 minutes ago, B16Rover said:

In fairness, the Polish league is infamously more technical and less 'lump it' than the championship 

Regardless, he has had 2 full seasons (very recently) playing in the exact position where we were missing a player, and Ismael chose instead to play Hedges there instead, who isn't exactly physical (beyond having an engine) either

Edited 2 hours ago by KentExile

[simongarnerisgod]

1 minute ago, roverblue said:

Derby looked the best side to come to ewood so far this season. Would love to have a team like that, battled for everything, great in the air and defensively rock solid.

i thought they were limited in ability but very impressively organised,gudjohnson did`nt get anything out of their back two,though i suspect it might have been different if we had a nippy striker to bring on against them

[Waggy76]

21 minutes ago, Kjell said:

Ismael: "If we had played with Yuri or Pickering, we would've had problems in the air defensively."

It seems like a strange remark after a game where we lost two air duels that allowed the opponent to score.

He is a very strange fella !

Another Venky apologist !

[Penwortham Blue]

2 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

One thing that did look surprisingly okay was Hedges at LCB. If we did that again I could live with it.

He was pretty decent defending on the deck and in the air, and as youd expect offered a bit driving forward with the ball. BBD was on his side and did nothing.

That said might be that Derby just didnt really attack much in open play all game, relied on set pieces, so not really tested.

Thought Hedges was our best player today, by some distance. Think he has a future as a decent LWB.

[Penwortham Blue]

2 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Must just be me, I thought Hedges was abysmal at Bristol and whilst he didnt make any major errors today he looked exactly what he was - someone playing completely out of position.

Why can't we play the young lad Atcheson, an ACTUAL centre back in that position?

Like with Tronstad, think you’re a real outlier on this. He played really well midweek and was our best player today.

[Tomphil2]

22 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Derby looked the best side to come to ewood so far this season. Would love to have a team like that, battled for everything, great in the air and defensively rock solid.

We on the other hand were abysmal first half and then Derby just let us have it second and we created next to nothing. Set pieces are atrocious we had what felt like endless corners, free kicks and throw ins all hitting the first man.

We are in big trouble still despite a few recant wins. Just an overall lack of quality or depth in the squad and a manager who isn’t good enough.

Ryan Hedges as a centre half when you have 3 defenders on the bench is just ridiculous. Gudjohnsen and Harrison totally anonymous may as well have not been on the pitch. Couldn’t have picked a MotM all poor today.

Very solid, very unspectacular, great at the basics and an impressive forward line.

Everything you'd expect of a Eustace team with real backing.

[Gamst]

3 minutes ago, Tomphil2 said:

Very solid, very unspectacular, great at the basics and an impressive forward line.

Everything you'd expect of a Eustace team with real backing.

Not backing Eustace really was criminal. Even more criminal than the failure to back JDT before him. I doubt he expected a war chest either! Modest investment and new contracts for key players would have been sufficient. An excellent man manager who is also tactically able. Stumbling into finding the perfect manager to give us the best chance of defying the odds and getting promoted and then rapidly pissing him off to the extent that he leaves whilst the team are in the the playoffs for a team in the relegation zone is embarrassing. Eustace winning at Ewood today with the same robust no nonsense winning football he had us playing this time last year is humiliating. I hate losing as much as anyone, but it’s hard not to appreciate the poetic justice that has been served up to Rudy and Pasha. A husk of the club we once were in every single facet. 

[B16Rover]

39 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Regardless, he has had 2 full seasons (very recently) playing in the exact position where we were missing a player, and Ismael chose instead to play Hedges there instead, who isn't exactly physical (beyond having an engine) either

My joke was I'd imagine the Polish league is much more physical than ours in terms of defending aerial balls etc.  it's not a trait I associate with Hedges

[Exiled_Rover]

44 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Derby looked the best side to come to ewood so far this season. Would love to have a team like that, battled for everything, great in the air and defensively rock solid.

We on the other hand were abysmal first half and then Derby just let us have it second and we created next to nothing. Set pieces are atrocious we had what felt like endless corners, free kicks and throw ins all hitting the first man.

We are in big trouble still despite a few recant wins. Just an overall lack of quality or depth in the squad and a manager who isn’t good enough.

Ryan Hedges as a centre half when you have 3 defenders on the bench is just ridiculous. Gudjohnsen and Henrikson totally anonymous may as well have not been on the pitch. Couldn’t have picked a MotM all poor today.

Curious you'd say that - consensus around me was they were a very thuggish side that were fortunate to have such a weak ref and were lucky to leave with all three points.

Eustace has spent a hell of a lot of money to be playing that style of football.

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

Was the minutes silence messed up? I always thought in the past it started and ended with the last post but they did it from the refs whistle, when he whistled again the crowd roars as they do but then during that the last post started.

Yes, our fans do not listen.

They explained there'd be a poem, then a minutes silence, then the last post.

They cheered through the last post because they're morons. 

 

[alcd]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

A real worry for me going forward is that, starting at Nobbers on November 21st we have ten league games before the end of the year.

Given our wafer thin squad and the rate at which we are picking up injuries it is really going to stretch our meagre resources.

Ismael might have to integrate a few young players although his apparent reluctance to do so could hinder us.

 

Post match comment from VI that "have to wait" doesn't indicate that he'll be back anytime soon. Does this medical/physio team have a clue? 

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

And that IS 'the project'.

It's the current 'project'. As Broughton and JDT found, it's liable to change on a whim.

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Waggy76 said:

The one  thing that worries me , I cannot see Norwich or Sheffield United getting relegated , so that leaves 2 out of Rovers, Oxford , Portsmouth or Swansea ..

I suspect Toth will be gone in January and possibly Cantwell !

Who's buying an injured GK in January?

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

A real worry for me going forward is that, starting at Nobbers on November 21st we have ten league games before the end of the year.

Given our wafer thin squad and the rate at which we are picking up injuries it is really going to stretch our meagre resources.

Ismael might have to integrate a few young players although his apparent reluctance to do so could hinder us.

 

The question is; are any of them good enough?

If you're throwing youngsters of the standard of Montgomery into the starting XI you're on a hiding to nothing.