Derby 5 v 0 Brentford -Verdict

Rams made a few changes from Saturday and gave Smith, Eustace and Sammon a run out. Our opponents made wholesale changes and it proved to their downfall.

This was a stroll and looked like a training match.

Conor Sammon grabbed a brace of goals and might have had another when he saw an early effort cleared off the line.

Chris Martin was masterful upfront and looks the part up front. Another two goals bringing him up to five for the month.

Adam Smith had a very good game at Right Back and he will be snapping at Keiron Freeman's heels for the chance of a league start.

Will Hughes scored a beautifully taken goal and his retention by the club is proving to be a must, especially as Hendrick is rumoured to be out for the next few games.

All in all it was job done. Round three awaits and a visit to the KP to face Leicester.

Stats #dcfc v #bees

Possession 51%-49%

Shots 24-11

On target 8-2

Off target 16-9

Corners 7-4

Fouls 9-6

Man of the match - Chris Martin

1.   Grant - 7

2.   Smith - 8

6.   Keogh - 7

25. Buxton - 7

3.   Forsyth - 7

7.   Coutts - 7

14. Eustace - 7

4.   Bryson - 7

19. Hughes - 8

9.   Martin - 9

18. Sammon - 8

Subs

26. Legzdins

10. Ward

11. Russell

12. Jacobs - 7

16. Davies - 7

17. Freeman 

20. Bennett - 7

Goals, Cards etc.

Goal scorers

Chris Martin 7

Craig Bryson 6

Johnny Russell 5

Conor Sammon 3

Will Hughes 3

Jamie Ward 3

Michael Jacobs 1

Mason Bennett 1

Jake Buxton 1

Zak Whitbread 1

Assists

Craig Bryson 8

Ben Davies 2

Keiron Freeman 2

Adam Smith 1

Conor Sammon 1

Craig Forsyth 1

Richard Keogh 1

Keiron Freeman 1

Chris Martin 2

Will Hughes 2

Jamie Ward 1

Michael Jacobs 1

Mason Bennett 1

Cards, yellow unless stated.

Paul Coutts 3

John Eustace 3

Keiron Freeman 2

Chris Martin 3

Craig Forsyth 2

Jeff Hendrick 1

Richard Keogh 2, 1 Red

John Eustace 4

Will Hughes 3

Lee Grant 1

Yeovil 0 v 3 Derby - verdict

A good victory at a side hungry for their first ever championship victory.

Freeman again had a good game in defence. He is really making a great effort to claim the right back slot his own.

Yeovil were uncomfortable against the Derby midfield. Hughes again showing maturity with his game, Bryson putting in a performance that we come to expect of him. Hendrick limped off on the latter stages of the game and will perhaps be rested in the Capital One Cup game against Brentford.

Forsyth was better than last week, but I still maintain that he's a midfielder. 

It's good to see Jamie Ward back in the starting line up. He adds a spark to it and creates more chances for our forwards. Of the forwards, Russell took his goal well and Martin showed us that he is an immensely skilful front man. If he plays like this every game, he could easily hit 15 goals. 

Yeovil are far from being one of the stronger sides we will meet this season, but games like this were lost only too recently. It's now important to build on this and by build I mean a convincing win v Burnley. 

Match stats #ytfc v #dcfc

Possession 50%-50%

Assists 0-2

Corners 8-6

Offsides 0-2

Shots 6-11

On target 3-7

Off target 3-4

Fouls 14-14

Yellow cards 1-2

Man of the Match - Keiron Freeman

1.   Lee Grant - 7

17. Keiron Freeman - 8

6.   Richard Keogh - 7

25. Jake Buxton - 7

3.   Craig Forsyth - 7

8.   Jeff Hendrick - 7

19. Will Hughes - 8

4.   Craig Bryson - 7

10. Jamie Ward - 7

9.   Chris Martin - 8

11. Johnny Russell - 7

Subs

26. Adam Legzdins

2.   Adam Smith

7.   Paul Coutts - 7

12. Michael Jacobs

14. John Eustace - 7

16. Ben Davies

18. Conor Sammon - n/a

Will Hughes, Speculation

Last season a youngster emerged straight form the Derby academy to become a first team regular. Will Hughes is hus name and since then he has been scouted on a regular basis by many top clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and even Barcelona. Only this week he has been mentioned in nearly every tabloid with Liverpool apparently about to submit a bid of £6-10m depending on which rag you read.

We are talking about a talented young player who has undoubted skill and should he continue to improve, will no doubt get a full England cap in the future. However, there many stories of talented young players failing to live up to their early promise. Indeed, Gareth Bale found the going tough in his early days at Tottenham and was at one time said to be heading back into the Championship with Nottingham Forest.

The best single scenario for Derby is perhaps that he is sold for a large fee and loaned back. There is no point in such a player moving to simply warm the bench or play reserve team football. Will Hughes does need regular first team football.

At this stage Rams manager Nigel Clough has confirmed that no formal bids have been made and he expects Hughes to still be a Rams player when the transfer window closes. He has been accused by some fans of talking up a move, but when the media continuously link the player with a move away a manager will respond.

He has been talked up by the much respected writer Henry Winter and former England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce. I myself, have seen every second of his playing career and my thoughts are that He is

 the most gifted young player that I have ever seen at the club. He will no doubt move on at some stage for big money. However, if he is to realise his potential he needs looking after. Too many young pros fall by the wayside. You only have to look at former Manchester City player Michael Johnson for a perfect example.

Will seems to be a young man with a good wise head on his shoulders and as I understand he doesn't even have an agent at this time. Whatever happens in the future I hope it sees a successful one for him and we watch him in the white shirt of England in the not too distant future.

Derby 0 v 1 Leicester verdict

Thought that we should have had a point in this game. Leicester were very solid in defence, but Mostly ineffective in attack.

Derby had their fair share of the ball, but simply didn't create enough for the front men to use. Schmeichel in the Foxes goal won't have many easier afternoons. All Derby's efforts went wide or were handled easily by Schmeichel.

Chris Martin continually falling to the floor when he came into contact with a Leicester player was embarrassing at times! 

Too much play down the middle and very little coming down the wings. Paul Coutts when he did move out right was easily dealt with by Schlupp.

Morgan owned the ball every time it was played into the box. To play against these type of defences it's no good playing too many high balls. Morgan will eat them all day.

Ward added a bit of spark into the attack when he came on and surely will start at Yeovil.

Forsyth again had a poor game in front of his home fans, but Freeman continues to impress and improve game by game.

With only Michael Jacobs who was on the bench, a natural wide man in the squad, perhaps some investment in a winger wouldn't go amiss.

The goal followed a corner that shouldn't have been. Buxton was shoved over and the result was a corner that Coutts hit off the line into Grant which resulted in the ball dropping over the line. Grant twice came to Derby's rescue during the first half.

Stats dcfc v lcfc

Rams Man of the Match - Keiron Freeman

Possession 58%-42%

Shots 15-8

On target 5-3

Off target 10-5

Corners 7-4

Fouls  10-13

Yellow Cards 1-2

Ratings

1.   Lee Grant 7

17. Keiron Freeman 7

6.   Richard Keogh 6

25. Jake Buxton 6

3.   Craig Forsyth 5

7.   Paul Coutts 7

8.   Jeff Hendrick 6

4.   Craig Bryson 7

19. Will Hughes 7

9.   Chris Martin 5

11. Johnny Russell 7

Subs 

10. Jamie Ward 7

18. Conor Sammon 6

Not used

26. Adam Legzdins

2.   Adam Smith

12. Michael Jacobs

16. Ben Davies

14. John Eustace

East Midlands Xl

Peter Shilton (Leicester, Forest, Derby)

Viv Anderson (Forest)

Roy McFarland (Derby)

Colin Todd (Derby, Forest)

Stuart Pearce (Forest)

Alan Hinton (Forest, Derby)

Archie Gemmill (Derby, Forest)

John McGovern (Derby, Forest)

John Robertson (Forest, Derby)

Kevin Hector (Derby)

Gary Lineker (Leicester)

Having been a fan of Derby for over 43 years, I have seen some great players not only for us but also our rivals Nottingham Forest and the other club Leicester :) I'm not meaning to be rude to fans of Notts County, Chesterfield or Mansfield, but none of their players make my first eleven.

The above eleven is whom I consider to be the best players from 1969-present day and I'm no doubt others will have their own opinions.

Who makes your team. I will publish all teams that are submitted.

Battle for the Right Back Spot.

Prior to the season starting, many fans were upset with the new that John Brayford had been sold to way Cardiff City. A fee of £1.5m rising to £2m was agreed and Brayford was on his way to the Premier League side.

Having played under Nigel Clough at Burton Albion he then moved on to Crewe and then was re-signed by Clough for Derby. He became an instant hit with his link up play with whoever was p,axing on the right wing for The Rams and went on to become a player of the Season winner.

Brayford isn't an easy sort of player to replace. Tom Naylor filled in whilst he was injured a couple of seasons ago, but a natural successor was needed not just to cover, but to step up to it when he eventually moved on.

Last season it became apparent that Keiron Freeman, a product of Nottingham Forest's academy was going to either face another spell in their reserves or be loaned out possibly to Notts County again should he have signed a new contract with the reds. Understandably this must have frustrated the Wales Under-21 international and rather than sign a new contract, he joined Derby.

Despite managers singing his praises during his loan spells, he was not seen as a player ready to step it up and become a first team regular in Nottingham.

Initially he was mainly used in the Under-21 / Reserve team for Derby, but he played a few cameo's from the subs bench and then covered at both full back positions when either Gareth Roberts or John Brayford were injured.

When Nigel Clough brought in Tottenham's Adam Smith on a full season loan many thought that Freeman may miss out on staking his claim for the Right Back spot, but after a good solid game against Blackburn he held the position for the away trip to Brighton and had a great game.

It might be frustrating for Smith, but the competition for a vital position in the team is healthy and is indeed showing the depth in a position that many thought we would struggle to fill.

A Foot in Both Camps - Derby and Leicester

Played for Both, Derby and Leicester

Below is a list of players who have played for both Derby and Leicester. It's not comprehensive, but includes most of those who have worn both shirts.

Peter Shilton

Mark Wallington

Russell Hoult

Gary Mills

Gary Charles

Roger Davies

Willie Carlin

Billy Hughes

Steve Howard

Matt Oakley

Paul Kitson

Phil Gee

Ian Ormondroyd

David Nish

David Webb

Jacob Laursen

Bobby Davison

Johnny Morris

Robbie Savage

Gerry Daly

Marc Edworthy

Gary Rowett

Lee Morris

Dean Sturridge

Jack Bowers

Chris Powell

Ian Wilson

Spencer Prior

Chris Makin

Jordan Stewart

Paul Dickov

Brighton 1 v 2 Derby - Verdict

The Rams got their first ever victory at the Amex thanks to a great team performance throughout.

Forsyth and Freeman were outstanding in the full back positions and provided some decent balls to the front men. Freeman especially timing a great pass to Martin for Derby's second goal.

Jake Buxton was brilliant alongside Richard Keogh in the centre of the defence. Despite any limitations Buxton may have, he is a good honest pro who is rising to the challenge of regular starts with some great displays. Many more like this one and Nigel Clough may hold back on bringing in another centre half.

What looked to be a midfield diamond formation worked well and although we only had one recognised wide man. There was plenty of width provided.

Derby's midfield oozes quality and once again they bossed the middle of the park for greater periods in the game.

Chris Martin bagged a couple of goals in what must be his best performance in a Rams shirt to date. He took both goals well and certainly is providing a presence up front.

Performances like this demonstrate why some have the Rams as dark horses for promotion.

The stats

#bhafc v # dcfc

Possession 49%-51%

Assists 1-2

Corners 6-6

Offsides 1-1

Goals 1-2

Shots 10-8

On Target 4-2

Off target 6-6

Fouls 14-14

Yellow cards 3-5

Ratings

Man of the match - Chris Martin

1.  Grant - 7

17. Freeman - 7

6.   Keogh - 7

25. Buxton - 8

3.   Forsyth - 7

7.   Coutts - 7

4.   Bryson - 7

8.   Hendrick - 7

19. Hughes - 7

9.   Martin - 9

11. Russell - 6

Subs

10. Ward - 6

14. Eustace - 6

Not used

26. Legzdins 

2.   Smith

12. Jacobs 

16. Davies

18. Sammon

Match verdict - Oldham 0 v 1 Derby

Derby managed to win a League Cup game for the first time since the night Nigel Clough was appointed manager. That night of course saw them defeat Manchester United and this time it was a trip to the North West where a Michael Jacobs goal was enough to hold off a determined Oldham side.

Six changes were made to the side with Adam Smith and John Eustace both making their full debuts.

John Eustace was very influential and ran the show in midfield. He's an experienced professional and highly regarded by fans of his former teams. He might just play a bigger part this season than most fans anticipated.

The goal was created when a Eustace ball found Conor Sammon who knocked it into the area for Michael Jacobs to hint into the roof of the net.

Oldham were a side who seemed determined to add to the scalps of Nottingham Forest and Liverpool from previous cup clashes and were a lively looking side, however the Rams proved to be just too much for another night of cup glory.

#oafc v #dcfc

Possession 48%-52#

Assists 0-1

Corners 4-7

Offsides 3-1

Shots 12-13

On target 4-4

Off target 8-9

Offsides 8-9

Fouls 15-13

Yellow cards 3-2

Attendance 5000 with 876 from Derby

Rams player Ratings

Man of the match - John Eustace 

1.   Grant 6

2.   Smith 7

6.   Keogh 7

25. Buxton 7

3.   Forsyth 7

7.   Coutts 7

8.   Hendrick 7

14. Eustace 8

16. Davies 7

18. Sammon 7

12. Jacobs 7

Subs

9.   Martin 6

18. Hughes 6

Not used

26. Legzdins 

4.   Bryson

11. Russell

17. Freeman

20. Bennett

Match verdict Derby 1 v 1 Blackburn

Derby 1-1 Blackburn

Derby kicked off their 2012/13 with a draw against a Blackburn.

All new signings bar Adam Smith and John Eustace were in the starting line-up and I think it's fair to say that they all played okay.

Craig Forsyth did have a few nervy moments and gave the ball away a few times. I have stated before that I see Jamie Ward more of a striker rather than a wide man and he failed to effectively link up with Forsyth. Michael Jacobs would probably be better suited to the role on the left wing.

Keiron Freeman put in some good tackles at right back, but he is a defender 100%. He's probably better than John Brayford in the tackle, but as yet does not carry the threat going forward. Adam Smith is reportedly more in the Brayford mould and could carry out the attacking threat and provide the overlap for a right winger. That's if we play one! In my opinion, you cannot play Hendrick on the right! Hendrick, Hughes and Bryson are all worth their starts, but I'm afraid three into two doesn't go! Nigel Clough needs to rest one! Rotation may be the only way to keep all three happy, but I don't expect to see Hughes rested voluntarily.

Hughes once again gave a performance that belies his lack of experience. I'm sure he will be watched on a weekly basis and if he is not snapped up by a premier club by January, I will be amazed.

Russell and Martin gave us a glimpse of what they are capable of up front and with more games under their belt they will I'm sure come up with the goods. Sammon and Ward could provide a different option too. Whoever is playing as striker would benefit from natural wide men providing the service rather than the square pegs in round hole approach that we are currently using. I say currently because Sunday was not the first time that we have used a central midfielder wide! Paul Coutts is naturally a centre midfield player, but has proved he can play the wide role.

Finally Richard Keogh again gave a captains performance in the heart of the defence. Jake Buxton has filled in admirably alongside him, but the need for another Centre Half is evident for all to see. Barker and O'Brien are still some way off returning and will need plenty of practice matches once they are deemed ready to return to action.

Stats

DCFC V BRFC

Possession 46%-54%

Assists 0-1

Corners 7-7

Offsides 1-0

Shots 15-20

On target 5-4

Off target 10-16

Fouls 11-15

Yellow Cards 1-2

Attendance 21,188 with 746 visiting fans

Ratings

Man of the Match - Will Hughes

1.   Grant 7

17. Freeman 7

6.   Keogh 7

25. Buxton 7

3.   Forsyth 5

8.   Hendrick 7

4.   Bryson 6

19. Hughes 8

10. Ward 6

9.   Martin 7

11. Russell 7

Subs

14. Eustace 6

7.   Coutts 6

18. Sammon n/a

Not used 

26. Legzdins

2.   Smith

16. Davies

12. Jacobs

SISU and the Pie in The Sky (Blues)

April 2005 and I was amongst the Derby fans witnessing us getting walloped 6-2 by Coventry City at the last ever game at Highfield Road. The Sky Blues turned it on big style in the farewell fixture at the old stadium.

Highfield Road was a good ground to visit it had atmosphere and was a tidy stadium. The atmosphere was electric that day and the home fans even applauded us Rams fans who stayed for the full ninety minutes. It was of course a good season overall for us as George Burley led us into the play-offs.

Coventry moved into the Ricoh Arena the following season and once again we were on the end of another spanking. Despite taking an early lead and going in level at the interval, we got hammered 6-1 this time.

Who would have thought that Coventry City, a club that has boasted players like Willie Carr, Darren Huckerby, Chris Cattlin, Cyrille Regis, Bill Glazier, Ian Wallace etc would today be fighting for their very existence.

Playing home games over thirty miles away in Northampton, owned by SISU ( Or a company linked with them), they find themselves homeless and deducted another ten point after having their cva rejected!

The owners do say that they have a three year plan to return to the city in a new stadium. Is this the same owners that have let them go to the dogs. Going to the dogs may well be taken literally too! One of the locations that is on the short list is Brandon Stadium. This is the home of Coventry Bees Speedway Team, Stock Car Racing and Greyhound Racing.

It's quite a barmy choice to be honest! Miles from the city and will alienate fans of The Bees who also support the Sky Blues. Make no mistake it's virtually impossible to house all of these sports in the same stadium.

What those outside of Coventry wonder is why some sort of agreement over the rent at the Ricoh cant be found.

Should the new stadium ever be built, what happens to the Ricoh Arena? It's a smart up to date stadium that is a natural setting for Premier League Football.

SISU came close to owning Derby County a few years ago and the happenings at Coventry paint a picture of what might have happened had Peter Gadsby and co had not bought us.

I really feel for those Sky Blue fans who have supported their club through thick and thin! They deserve better and I hope that a messiah is found before their club is listening to the final nail being hammered into their coffin.

Pictured below are Highfield Road, The Ricoh Arena, and Brandon Stadium.