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What I.Saw: Happy With The Point!?
What I.Saw: Happy With The Point!?
Sunday, 17th Feb 2013 13:02 by I.Saw

Saturday morning, the promise of the Rams and the Wolves to come later, the early hours spent car hunting.

Gleaming in the sunlight, a metallic blue Ford Sportska, polished to within an inch of its life showed off the myriad of deep scratches perfectly. Cave drawings by neon Neolithic man.

A Peugeot 307 in excellent condition with full service history lacked a door lock, being picky perhaps, but the prime piece of automobilia was the Citroën in Stanground where they’d actually gravelled the car park round the car. “Moss on your steering wheel Sir – No Charge” Yes looking for a cheap reliable car is fun. And that’s before the insurance.

Onto the match, taking our seats the sun still shone. Which was a pity because “He that shall remain unwashed” in the next seat really honked. It was bad enough even in the sub zero’s of winter but yesterday he was humming! You wouldn’t wish him on the Forest.

Clough brought in Michael Hoganson for the suspended Gareth Roberts at left full back, a quick change of the ends and with the big screen showing a close up of Will Hughes’ socks, which should put the kit washing department to shame (assuming they don’t wash their own in the Financial Fair Play arena) the Rams kicked off.

After fifteen minutes of long ball head tennis, Derby playing 4-4-2 settle and bring the lower deck into play. Sweet neat interplay, triangles, keeping possession, work the ball to the edge of their area then across and back and across again. We lack a cutting edge.

Wolves battle hard, Kevin Doyle a handful in the air and Jamie O’Hara forcing Adam Legzdins at full stretch to save. Karl Henry’s elbow precedes most of his challenges and eventually the Wanderers skipper is deservedly shown a yellow for arriving later than the proverbial first class post.

Will Hughes adds to Mr Salisbury’s book for persistent infringement akin to Ken Dodd and his tickling stick. And the game trundles along requiring little concentration.

Half time goalless and we breathe again as the air is fresher outside the East Stand.

Second half we revert to 4-5-1. We look less likely to concede, we look just as likely to score, which isn’t saying much really, it’s down to interpretation of the glass half full or empty syndrome.

Some farcical decisions prompted the comment from behind “The Officials’ Aren’t Watching This Game” which even if true, could you honestly blame them?

Eventually a change comes. Will Hughes leaves and Michael Jacobs joins. There’s half an hour left but rather than play Jacobs wide left where he has been most useful, he’s despatched to play on the right wing with Paul Coutts moving inside to retain the 4-5-1 formation.

Dean Saunders response as the game progresses is to throw on strikers to try for the three points. We decide on the draw, time wasting Legzdins showing no urgency at all.

In increasing darkness, the stand lights on presumably for Health & Safety reasons but the floodlights not the game falls to one final chance.

Jacobs running into the box is brought down in the penalty arc. Much shuffling and inching backwards later and Jamie Ward fires the free kick low through the wall and Carl Ikeme drops and saves perfectly, the ball smuggling into his midriff. Salisbury blows the final whistle and the ground empties predictably quietly.

Afterwards, Clough is happy with the point, Wolves are fighting for their lives, he claimed the stats on the Hull game showed we would have little left in the tank. He thought Jacobs could have done more and that Will had a sore groin which is why he went off.

So in conclusion those below us are fighting for their lives we are lucky to get anything. Those above us are better than us have more money better players and we are lucky to get anything (Hull Brighton and no doubt Watford on Saturday).

One wonders who we can actually stand a chance against or even beat.

Answers Nigel please?

 

Rams Player Ratings:

Legzdins 7

 Did what was required two good saves and what was not (timewasting).

Freeman 7

 Solid and fought well, lack of height never really showed and got forward well.

Brayford 7

Standing in at centre back like a true professional.

Keogh 7

Withstood the aerial challenge and helped out with an inexperienced back four.

Hoganson 7

His debut, quick distribution forward, keen in the tackle, helped by Ward playing deeper second half, a game he can be proud of.

Coutts 6

Off the pace the game bypassed him by mainly.

Hughes 5

added very little, needs a rest (Jacobs 7 played on the right rather than left, created opportunities, should start IMO).

Hendrick 6

A quiet game marginally the best of the midfield but by a very small margin.

Bryson 6

Capable of so much more.

Sammon 6

Works hard and whilst you can’t fault his effort he is not a sole striker.

Ward 7

Buzzed and flittered but no end product.

 

Photo: Action Images



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