It goes without saying that the home defeat by Doncaster Rovers on Saturday was very disappointing, very disappointing on so many different levels.
Without wanting to sound disrespectful to a very well run and decent football club, Doncaster Rovers really are a team we should be beating, particularly at Pride Park Stadium. And after consecutive positive home performances against Coventry City, Reading and West Bromwich Albion, plus a confidence boosting couple of away games against Preston North End and Watford, I fully expected Derby County to get that victory.
But it wasn’t to be at Pride Park Stadium. Defensive frailties and individual mistakes came back to haunt Derby County as the Rams lost 0-2 in a game where we dominated possession but failed to create many chances.
Doncaster Rovers must’ve gone home to the Keepmoat Stadium in absolute ecstasy because as soon as Billy Sharp gave Doncaster Rovers the lead they were content to sit back deep and soak up the pressure, not that there was much pressure and very little soaking involved. In the second half, Doncaster even sacrificed a striker for an additional central defender, at which point the sponge of their defence really did start to dry out.
Derby County saw lots of the ball, and passed it around quite neatly at times, but mainly sideways and backwards, with some forward passes, but very little creativity or quality in the attacking third. Far too often the delivery of the cross into the danger area failed to clear the first defender or sailed into the grateful hands of goalkeeper Neil Sullivan. And there wasn’t just one offender, they were all at it: Gary Teale, Robbie Savage, Dean Moxey, Paul Connolly, even Lee Croft when he came on as substitute.
Even before the half-time whistle sounded, the Rams had resorted to punting long balls forward, which was strange because, with two little men up front in Paul Dickov and D. J. Campbell, we weren’t going to win too many balls in the air. And then, when the double-substitution came early in the second half, it was two little men off to be replaced by two big men in Rob Hulse and Chris Porter.
We should have done better. We should have done a lot better.
But that game has gone now and the only good news is that the relegation zone didn’t get any closer. Derby County remained seven points above the drop zone, after the weekend’s fixtures, which highlights what an opportunity missed it was.
On the downside though, we did drop a place to 18th in the Coca-Cola Championship.
It’s Christmastime and attention now turns to Boxing Day and the visit of Blackpool. The Tangerines, under Ian Holloway, are defying the odds this season and are a lofty 8th in the league table. Their home game was postponed at the weekend so they will arrive at Pride Park Stadium more rested than the Rams.
Against Doncaster the bad habits returned and cost us the game. Against Blackpool, Derby County cannot afford a repeat, so the Rams need to forget that debacle, and take confidence from the previous four performances.
Blackpool will represent a difficult task, they are on the brink of the playoffs because Ian Holloway has got them playing good football and picking up results.
Derby County will need to be at their best but, if they are, I can see the Rams winning the game. Have a good one, Derby County!
Finally I’d like to thank everybody who reads my column and wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Have a good one!
Stuart Hughes
22nd December 2009
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