Catch Up!

Since the last post we have seen a Capital One Cup defeat 1-3 at home to Chelsea, a home draw 2-2 with Norwich, a 4-0 away win at in form Birmingham and then a home win 2-0 versus Leeds.

No disgrace into losing to Chelsea. We should feel aggrieved though by the sending off of Jake Buxton in the scond half. Yet again a match official getting a big decision wrong. 

The home draw with Norwich saw us second best to a team that should be doing far better than it is. A point we were lucky to get despite being ahead twice.

On to Boxing Day, it was a relief to see us take apart a team that has been in good form recently. Jordon Ibe had his best game in a Derby shirt so far. His goal was absolute quality! 

Its reassurring that after disappointing results that we have bouncebackability! Sign of a real real team with good management and real team spirit!

The Leeds game was far from a classic, but we did at last beat a team that is physical and not afraid to roug things up. Once again Ibe was impressive on the left. A crowd of over 31,00 for a night game that is being shown live on tv was pleasing too.

Twelve wins and a draw in our last fourteen games with Leeds is a very good record too.

Saturday sees a break from the league and we host Conference side Southport in the FA Cup. Perhaps a chance for some fringe players to get a start?

Middlesbrough 2 Derby 0

Live in front of the TV cameras, The Rams failed a big test against Midddlesbrough and were given the run around by former loanee Patrick Bamford.

Conceding an early goal, we never looked likely to get anything out of this game. If it wasn't for Lee Grant pulling off some class saves, a real drubbing could have occured.

Grant aside the display was woeful and quetsions are being asked, rightfully, if this team is good enough for automatic promotion?

Leeds away was poor, this was poorer!

Questions to ask about the side include-

Our full backs have no real competition, do we need players to pull them out of their comfort zone?

Just who is our best centre half to partner Richard Keogh?

The holding midfield role, do we play Mascarell because he is better at moving the ball forward or do we use Eustace who is good at assisting the defence better?

Do we play Bryson and Hughes or Bryson and Hendrick?

Who are our best wide men? Ibe, Russell, Dawkins and Ward usually to choose from!

Chris Martin has no serious competiton for the strikers role either. For those who say we should have brought Bamford back, Steve McClaren was interested in bringing him back, but understandably he wanted regular football in his natural role of striker and not playing wide.

Tonight we have a break from the league with the visit of Chelsea in the Capital One Cup. Its the cup so anything can happen!

Derby 3 Brighton 0

It was good to see Derby get back to winning ways and Chris Martin finding the net again. Brighton must be sick of the sight of Martin.

From the ninth minute to the twentieth the Rams killed off the game.

Three great goals! A well placed shot by Martin, one from Johnny Russell and a bullett of a header from Martin had the game won inside of twenty minutes.

Our visitors rarely threatened and Darren Bent was anonymous for much of the game.

To be honest the final seventy minutes were an anti climax though we did go close a couple of times to increasing our lead.

What was pleasing was the fact that our defence coming off with a clean sheet despite the absence of captain Richard Keogh.

Simon Dawkins has been a plus recently too! Although he isn't the quickest of players, he does hold on to the ball well.

Tomorrow we face a very tough looking clash at Middlesbrough.

Like us they have their eye on promotion and to win at The Riverside Stadium is going to be a very tough ask! Patrick Bamford has been in good form for them and who would bet against him scoring against us! 

A win there though would show real intent and go towards justifying our tag of promotion favourites.

Leeds 2 Derby 0

It was unlucky 13 for Derby as their unbeaten run came against Leeds. The previous twelve clashes had ended with The Rams winning eleven and drawing the other.

It was a poor, lacklustre display from Derby and bore litlle resemblence to the performances from other recent fixtures.

Very little was offered in attack and we never looked like scoring.

Leeds didn't look much better. They were however physical and became the latest side with that style of play to get the bettter of us.

If we are going to extend our stay at the rop of the table, we are going to have to cope with physical sides like Leeds and Millwall better.

Another concern for Derby was Richard Keogh going off injured late in the game. He is unlikely to play against Brighton and our defence will play a likely untried pairing of Jake Buxton and Ryan Shotton.

Brighton will come

determined to erase the memories of two league defeats and two play off leg defeats to us from last season.

For us, we need to get the promotion vehicle back into top gear.