Deadbat
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- Aug 6, 2009
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Not got time for a full report but a quick summary really. Really disappointing loss but we cannot say it was not coming 2nd half sadly and only one team looked like winning in the end. Not sure what happened 2nd half – it was a shocking performance on and off the ball. We just never turned up and sat back, stopped running, pressing and marking. We gave it away and even though they did not have tons of chances; they had 3 or 4 decent ones and you felt it was coming. After they scored other than the O’Connell chance, not sure we looked like coming back and they saw it out easily. Real shame as first half after the horror start; we were excellent and played some delightful football. We did everything well apart from the final ball. Indeed, the trend of the game was excellent stuff for the most up to the final third and then a shocking over hit or under hit ball. Only one decent final ball; Fleck and we scored.
Outside of this the service was appalling and all were guilty of this. Sharp seemed fed up. I felt the 2nd half was a performance that showed why we may struggle to keep up the top. We simply could not maintain the intensity and play of the first half and against a better side; they took control. As good as we were first half; we were as bad 2nd half. I am not sure anyone came out of any credit 2nd half. A lot saying the subs were wrong, but Wilder had to chance it. Duffy was a liability and did not get on the ball and defensively was not chasing back at all. Granted when he went off, we had no one in that area but he was not getting on it anyway. Coutts looked really poor when he came on and way off the pace. The likes of Washington is not a game changer at all. I got panned for being critical of him when he signed but he is a desperate signing. He is not better than a Lavery or Evans type for me. We don’t have many game changing options in those Duffy/striking areas but it was not the changes that cost us the game. We were 2nd best before and after in the 2nd half. Derby actually broke really well at speed all game and had a lot of chances. They may have been the inferior side first half but still had more clear chances than us and this carried on 2nd half. Henderson made 2 or 3 good saves and they missed some clear-cut chances. We played some lovely stuff but what is the point if we never get a good final ball in.
We are still joint top but today did worry me. The first half concerned me as much as the 2nd in some ways. We played tremendous but did not create any clear-cut chances at all. Then when we lost the momentum and intensity, Derby completely controlled the game and sensed they would win. I felt 2-1 was about right as Wilder said we did dominate more than they did in the respective halves but we did not make clear cut opportunities. Real shame as a bit more thought or accuracy in that final pass and we could have gone in 3-1 up at half time. As it was I still felt we would go on and win but we never came out of the dressing room. They stepped things up. It was not just tactically in terms of pressing us and forcing wing backs/cbs back but the attitude. They got on the ball, played higher up and turned us round. We were 5-10 yards off even in the final third. The time they had on the ball compared to us was clear. Not sure anyone came out and played anywhere near the level they had in the first. So, we lost and have some tough games coming up. The fans on the other side of the city will see we lost when we finally played a decent side and we now have to make sure we can prove we can put it behind us with two big performances at the Lane. Stoke will be a desperate side and that could go both ways. We certainly have to start better and put together a performance over the course of a game not just in one half.
Opponent man of the match – Mount was lively and got into little pockets. He was a Duffy type but with a better end product today. I thought that Waghorn was ok but Marriot was a real threat but he had service unlike Sharp.
Weak link – I think Carson looked ropey all game and the two centre backs are quite immobile but were not tested.
Henderson 6.5/10 – Shaky at times today. Came for two crosses and did not get there and nearly got caught out at the beginning with the kick out. Made one save for the cameras first half and then an excellent one second half.
Freeman 6/10 – First half very good and got forward and caused problems but second half nowhere near close enough to his man on a number of occasions. He was nowhere near on the cross for the goal and this had happened a few times before they scored.
Stevens 6.5/10 – Really good going forward in terms of runs and one twos but his final ball was hopeless. Overplayed often. He cut out one good chance first half but 2nd half he was slow to react so many times and they nipped in and got away from him.
Egan 6.5/10 – Another than did well for spells but half asleep on the goal and a key moment that cost us. Only had one man to mark too. Other than that, he was also slow to react to balls coming in. They won and had a lot of headed chances.
O’Connell 7/10 – Thought he was our best defender. He at least got to the ball first and was on the front foot. He made a few good blocks. He too at times was ball watching when crosses came in though.
Basham 6/10 – Mixed bag. Scored the goal and a few other decent runs but some comical moments when he was caught napping and gave them chances. Did this a few times and overplayed a little bit.
Fleck 6/10 – First half he made the goal with a great run but was one of our poorer players apart from that and he lost Bryson twice on the goal. 2nd half never got on the ball and lost runners. Not his best day aside from the great assist.
Norwood 7.5/10 – Probably a 9/10 first half. Some of the passes were outrageous as he sprayed it hard along the floor or pinged it a few feet off the ground. Made us tick and dictated the play. 2nd half gave it away and struggled when they pressed him and I felt was poor.
Duffy 6/10 – First half he got on it, got into areas and was good but 2nd half he looked slow and disinterested and him not chasing back meant they had an extra man in that area. People say we were poor when he went off but we were poor before he did and 2nd half he looked quite lazy. Shame as first half he was a key man.
Sharp 6/10 – Thought he tried hard with no service. Won a few free kicks and chased things down. Got into some great areas but nothing came into him. Felt a bit sorry for him today.
McGoldrick 6/10 – As above. He linked play a few times but also at times looked a bit lethargic and sloppy. He needed to hold onto it better. Had one chance which he hit straight at the keeper. Thought he may have gone off instead of Sharp really as felt the above was getting into better areas. The fact neither had a clear chance all game despite all the ball we had (first half) sums up how bad our end product was.
Subs –
Coutts – Poor. He looked sluggish and he did not pick up his runner a few times. Also, on the ball had no acceleration. Ok, when we are seeing games out but he is someone who will spring us onto the attack as he is not that type of player. Him and Norwood quite similar. Not sure how that it will work unless Fleck plays just in front.
Clarke – Won a flick on but other than he too had little service. Been a poor season so far.
Washington – Did he have a kick?
Wilder 6/10 – Bad start and non-event 2nd half. First half of course we caused them all sorts of problems and not sure he can be blamed for the terrible final ball or players switching off on the winner but they did change the tactics and we could not really cope. He had to change it but once again the subs actually made us worse – he does not seem to be making an impact with subs at the moment.
Referee – Thought he gave them every 50-50 all game. He barely gave us a free kick all game. Mind you 2nd half we never put a tackle in really and the other way not sure we drew a tackle.
Outside of this the service was appalling and all were guilty of this. Sharp seemed fed up. I felt the 2nd half was a performance that showed why we may struggle to keep up the top. We simply could not maintain the intensity and play of the first half and against a better side; they took control. As good as we were first half; we were as bad 2nd half. I am not sure anyone came out of any credit 2nd half. A lot saying the subs were wrong, but Wilder had to chance it. Duffy was a liability and did not get on the ball and defensively was not chasing back at all. Granted when he went off, we had no one in that area but he was not getting on it anyway. Coutts looked really poor when he came on and way off the pace. The likes of Washington is not a game changer at all. I got panned for being critical of him when he signed but he is a desperate signing. He is not better than a Lavery or Evans type for me. We don’t have many game changing options in those Duffy/striking areas but it was not the changes that cost us the game. We were 2nd best before and after in the 2nd half. Derby actually broke really well at speed all game and had a lot of chances. They may have been the inferior side first half but still had more clear chances than us and this carried on 2nd half. Henderson made 2 or 3 good saves and they missed some clear-cut chances. We played some lovely stuff but what is the point if we never get a good final ball in.
We are still joint top but today did worry me. The first half concerned me as much as the 2nd in some ways. We played tremendous but did not create any clear-cut chances at all. Then when we lost the momentum and intensity, Derby completely controlled the game and sensed they would win. I felt 2-1 was about right as Wilder said we did dominate more than they did in the respective halves but we did not make clear cut opportunities. Real shame as a bit more thought or accuracy in that final pass and we could have gone in 3-1 up at half time. As it was I still felt we would go on and win but we never came out of the dressing room. They stepped things up. It was not just tactically in terms of pressing us and forcing wing backs/cbs back but the attitude. They got on the ball, played higher up and turned us round. We were 5-10 yards off even in the final third. The time they had on the ball compared to us was clear. Not sure anyone came out and played anywhere near the level they had in the first. So, we lost and have some tough games coming up. The fans on the other side of the city will see we lost when we finally played a decent side and we now have to make sure we can prove we can put it behind us with two big performances at the Lane. Stoke will be a desperate side and that could go both ways. We certainly have to start better and put together a performance over the course of a game not just in one half.
Opponent man of the match – Mount was lively and got into little pockets. He was a Duffy type but with a better end product today. I thought that Waghorn was ok but Marriot was a real threat but he had service unlike Sharp.
Weak link – I think Carson looked ropey all game and the two centre backs are quite immobile but were not tested.
Henderson 6.5/10 – Shaky at times today. Came for two crosses and did not get there and nearly got caught out at the beginning with the kick out. Made one save for the cameras first half and then an excellent one second half.
Freeman 6/10 – First half very good and got forward and caused problems but second half nowhere near close enough to his man on a number of occasions. He was nowhere near on the cross for the goal and this had happened a few times before they scored.
Stevens 6.5/10 – Really good going forward in terms of runs and one twos but his final ball was hopeless. Overplayed often. He cut out one good chance first half but 2nd half he was slow to react so many times and they nipped in and got away from him.
Egan 6.5/10 – Another than did well for spells but half asleep on the goal and a key moment that cost us. Only had one man to mark too. Other than that, he was also slow to react to balls coming in. They won and had a lot of headed chances.
O’Connell 7/10 – Thought he was our best defender. He at least got to the ball first and was on the front foot. He made a few good blocks. He too at times was ball watching when crosses came in though.
Basham 6/10 – Mixed bag. Scored the goal and a few other decent runs but some comical moments when he was caught napping and gave them chances. Did this a few times and overplayed a little bit.
Fleck 6/10 – First half he made the goal with a great run but was one of our poorer players apart from that and he lost Bryson twice on the goal. 2nd half never got on the ball and lost runners. Not his best day aside from the great assist.
Norwood 7.5/10 – Probably a 9/10 first half. Some of the passes were outrageous as he sprayed it hard along the floor or pinged it a few feet off the ground. Made us tick and dictated the play. 2nd half gave it away and struggled when they pressed him and I felt was poor.
Duffy 6/10 – First half he got on it, got into areas and was good but 2nd half he looked slow and disinterested and him not chasing back meant they had an extra man in that area. People say we were poor when he went off but we were poor before he did and 2nd half he looked quite lazy. Shame as first half he was a key man.
Sharp 6/10 – Thought he tried hard with no service. Won a few free kicks and chased things down. Got into some great areas but nothing came into him. Felt a bit sorry for him today.
McGoldrick 6/10 – As above. He linked play a few times but also at times looked a bit lethargic and sloppy. He needed to hold onto it better. Had one chance which he hit straight at the keeper. Thought he may have gone off instead of Sharp really as felt the above was getting into better areas. The fact neither had a clear chance all game despite all the ball we had (first half) sums up how bad our end product was.
Subs –
Coutts – Poor. He looked sluggish and he did not pick up his runner a few times. Also, on the ball had no acceleration. Ok, when we are seeing games out but he is someone who will spring us onto the attack as he is not that type of player. Him and Norwood quite similar. Not sure how that it will work unless Fleck plays just in front.
Clarke – Won a flick on but other than he too had little service. Been a poor season so far.
Washington – Did he have a kick?
Wilder 6/10 – Bad start and non-event 2nd half. First half of course we caused them all sorts of problems and not sure he can be blamed for the terrible final ball or players switching off on the winner but they did change the tactics and we could not really cope. He had to change it but once again the subs actually made us worse – he does not seem to be making an impact with subs at the moment.
Referee – Thought he gave them every 50-50 all game. He barely gave us a free kick all game. Mind you 2nd half we never put a tackle in really and the other way not sure we drew a tackle.
