United 1 Derby 1- summary/ratings

[Deadbat]

Not much to say about the game generally as it’s all been said above. As an aside, if you want to talk and read about one of our games the Deadbat report thread is the best place to do it on the net. High quality match report and comments.

A few comments on players then.

Donovan really showed up Wilder’s short sightedness over selection. I’ll accept Chong has done better this season than last but BBD, who was excellent 3 years ago in a harder league, has been largely woeful. There is no justification for his continued selection at present. Wilder can be assured that the fans will not care if he’s dropped.

Also, after Chong and BBD both showed clear improvement after switching wings v Lincoln, why on earth was this not tried at some point? That just strikes me as daft.

Another good display from Phillips although he was too deep in the first half. I think saying it was an error for the goal is a little harsh: it was two against one and he had to stretch. But he was on his own as Arblaster disappeared into the Jamie Hoyland/ Paul Thirwell/Bobby Ford black hole. Where was he? A defensible selection after last week’s good game but he was back to early season nothingness.

Hamza was a straightforward bad selection. I know McGuinness was concussion protocoled but the FB formation at the end of the Bristol C game showed the answer was Burrows and McCallum. Derby spent most of the first half targeting Hamza and although he didn’t do too badly he was all at sea for a goal, again.

After what we have seen the section of BBD and Hamza on Friday is indefensible, unless BBD goes up front in Bamfords absence.

I don’t think Bamford was that good but we cannot spare him, he scores. A brave goal too. I see it’s been said it was another game which didn’t suit Cannon. No game suits Cannon. Everyone has big lads at the back.

Every time we see Derby or Luton I see Carlton Morris busting his arse for his team. I don’t expect Cannon to be a Carlton Morris type player, but we can expect him to put in Carlton Morris type effort.

W4 D4 L4. Going to be like this all season. Defeat on Friday is nailed on, but we will pick up other points soon after.

Cheers for the comments Rev. Not sure about high quality in describing my match reports!

 

[S64 Blade]

A depressingly accurate summary of the tactical ineptitude we have once again had to witness.

Anyone with a modicum of football intelligence knows 2 playing against 3 in midfield means you have less of the ball and are open to the opposition running through you. Add in Arblaster is not a combatative DM and you are left with Phillips on his own. The one factor CW did get right post match was that first half only Phillips and Cooper deserved any credit.

Time and time again this season its staring the manager in the face 4-4-2 doesnt work against a 4-2-3-1. Apart from the fact we dont have robust pacy forwards what is the point of hoofing it forward when the best header of a ball offensively in the team, McCallum, is dropped.

When is the manager going to realise with the players he has at his disposal playing with a midfield 3 is the solution? Wrexham up next play with a 3. You can only surmise its intransigence in trying to prove Canon will come good one day. Will never happen with the way we play.

CW is becoming isolated from reality and the growing anger at his selection decisions is now untenable. He was right the first half was poor so why didnt he make the substitutions of Peck and Donovan at half time. His assertion we werent losing 3 or 4 nil to justify this non action confirms his mind set of safety first. All this talk of wanting to see front foot football is meaningless. We havent seen it for over a season now with formation obsession hindering the ability to move forward.

Tangangas inability to cope with robust forwards is becoming a problem. In this divison you need an aerial beast at the back. We have Moore to cope with next game and Mcg coming back may be the only alternative.

As for Donovans performance CW now has his answer. Play your main threat from the off.

The only positives were Seriki coming back and Campbells cameo. He has to put in that level of performance every game now especially if Bamford is out for a while.

Its frustrating to watch because with a few tweaks in tactics, formation and selection this team has the ability to move up the table. Is CW capable of accepting play to your teams strengths not the oppostions? If Canon, Choudhury and BBD start next game we will have the answer.

Given the players we have, I don’t get why, if he’s intent on playing a 4-4-2 we don’t have a diamond 4 in midfield, rather than playing wingers who aren’t really wingers. We’ve only got Donovan who’s an actual winger and we know he doesn’t like playing him, so what’s the point?

Having a midfield set up like the 2005 Milan team that had Gattuso-Seedorf-Pirlo-Kaka.

A diamond 4 would at least add some fluidity and flexibility into the middle of the pitch and suit the midfield players we have far better IMO.

 

[232 Bramall Lane]

If we don't play Donovan from the start against a team like Derby then who does he start against?

 

[Esteban Cambiasso]

Some harsh scoring there pal .. they are a dogged physical side & I think some ppl came today expecting them to roll over .
Thought we were ok first 20 mins in a tight game & then they bullied us until HT .
Once they went 1-0 up they went from 442 to 541 & we really struggled to break them down .
The sending off which was more than merited as he’d twated Bamford in the first half & ref & Lino had completely missed it & then followed it up with two nailed on yellows . The introduction of Donovan & Seriki after the red completely transformed the game & their keeper won them a point .

Cooper 8
Burrows 6
Kitching 7.5
Tanganga 5
Choudhury 5 ( Seriki 6.5 )
Chong 6
Arblaster 3.5 ( Peck 6 )
Philips 8
Diaz 3 ( Donovan 8 )
Bamford 5 ( Campbell 3 )
Cannon 5 ( Ayew 3 )

Cannon 5... Campbell 3 .... Tell me you didn't watch the game without actually telling me you didn't watch the game

 

[sitwell]

For all the stick McGuiness gets, I think he is a better player than Tanganga. I dont think Chong is as bad as people make out, but BBD and Cannon are terrible.

 

[Bladesince59]

BBD, Chong, Cannon and Hamza can bugger off for me.