[madsteve]

This was a pretty entertaining game where we played some good football against possibly the best team in the division.

Hutchinson was moved to CB to cover for Lees with Lopez and Bannan returning to midfield. Palmer replaced Hunt at RB. We set up narrow in midfield, using the FBs for width. This meant that we nullified Thorne & Johnson, who have been dominating most matches and took control of the match. Palmer found great space on the right and put in a series of great crosses. We just lacked someone to get on the end of them.

We created three or four opportunities from distance in the first half, the best being Wallace's volley that appeared to be arrowing into the top corner until Grant tipped it over.

Second half, Derby got into the match more & it was more even but for me the overriding factor was that our back four rarely looked troubled. Our only moment of concern was when Westwood inexplicably handled a sharp Loovens back pass and Johnson smashed the free kick from 16 yards against the bar. The fact that Westwood only made one routine save in the whole match tells the story of how solid we were defensively & how Lees was barely missed.

Hooper replaced Joao late on but by then we were tiring in midfield & creating less. Pudil had probably our best chance from 15 yards but blasted it wide. Loovens had a free header from a corner but put it wide.

Westwood - 6
Palmer - 7
Hutchinson - 8
Loovens - 7
Pudil - 7
Lopez - 7
Lee - 6
Wallace - 7
FF - 7
Bannan - 6
Joao - 6
....................................
Hooper - 6

Stat Attack:

Goals: None

Assists: None

Tackles: 5 - FF, 4 - Bannan, 3 - Hutchinson, 2 - Lopez, Lee, 1 - Loovens

Interceptions: 3 - Hutchinson, Pudil, Lee, 2 - Loovens, 1 - Palmer, Lopez

Clearances: 4 - Loovens, Hutchinson, 3 - Pudil, 2 - Lee, 1 - Westwood, Palmer

Attempts: 3 - Wallace, 2 - Lee, 1 - Loovens, Pudil, Bannan, FF, Joao

Attempts On Target: Wallace - 1

Key Passes: 2 - FF, 1 - Wallace, Lopez, Bannan, Joao, Hooper

Dribbles: 2 - Palmer, 1 - Wallace, Lopez, Bannan

Dispossessed: 3 - Lee, 2 - Bannan, Joao

Bad Control: 4 - FF, Joao, 2 - Lopez, Lee, 1 - Hutchinson, Bannan, Hooper

Crosses (accurate in brackets): 10 - Palmer (0), 6 - Wallace (3), Bannan (1), 4 - Pudil (0), 3 - FF (0), 2 - Lee (0)

Passing Accuracy (total passes in brackets):

Loovens - 94% (32)
FF - 89% (36)
Hooper - 88% (8)
Bannan - 85% (59)
Lee - 84% (32)
Hutchinson - 82% (34)
Pudil - 81% (37)
Joao - 79% (18)
Lopez - 76% (49)
Wallace - 68% (38)
Palmer - 65% (34)
Westwood - 32% (31)

The stats show that we passed the ball much better than we have been recently and that we were dispossessed less than in any match this season.

A lot of grounds for optimism. The midfield functioned pretty well without Hutchinson against a top side & if we perform like that every week then we should be in the promotion shake up in May.

[Jacko The Flopsy Piglet]

I quite enjoyed the game yesterday, despite the lack of goals or too many near misses. Felt we were a bit guilty of trying to walk the ball through a crowded edge of the box. I can see why Derby don't let many in, they defended the penalty area, especially the corner of the six yard box very well. I can't agree about Palmer though, I though too many of his crosses hit the first man in the first half and by the end of the second he looked quite forlorn after each attempt went too near the keeper or nowhere near anyone in blue and white. Thought Hutch did a very good job at centre-half but still managed to pick up another stupid booking chasing a loose ball that he was never going to get to. I'm not sure about the awarding of a free kick against Westwood for handling the ball. When I went on a referee's course a few years back I was told the keeper should be allowed to save the ball with his hands in a situation where a back-pass is heading on target and he doesn't have time to do anything else. Still, it's all down to interpretation and maybe I was wearing my blue and white specs. I'm sure I would have been appealing loudly if it had happened at the other end!

One final point, if many of our players drop a level when Nuhiu plays I think the opposite is true when Bannan plays. Lee played better than he has done for a while, as did Wallace (although he's still a bit nesh), and Lopez played as well as I can remember for us.

[Owlkev71]

Just a side note, FA Cup 3rd Rnd draw tonight, 7-7:30pm on BBC2. We are ball number 35

[Imre varadi]

on that note , does anyone want to do the facup thread ? i said i would but i cant , mum wont let me !!

[Owlkev71]

Lees out 4-6 weeks according to the Sheffield Star.

[peiowl]

I care as much about the fa cup thread as I did for that other stupid cup.

Who cares?

Excepts CC who played his best players out in that Stoke game and imre who keeps banging on about silverware. Go clean some knives and forks imre. Do you use those in Mexico???

---

Lees out 4-6 weeks according to the Sheffield Star.

And all on account of that bloody rotten cup!!!!!

[madsteve]

Just see the SKY TV coverage. See they gave Palmer MOTM and kept raving about the quality of his crossing & criticising Joao for not making the runs to get on the end of them.

[St Charles Owl]

I thought Palmer had a good game, but according to the stats he had 10 crosses and none of them were accurate!! Now I suppose an accurate cross is one that finds one of our players, so I would assume that either he is crossing aimlessly or badly or our players in and around the box are not doing enough to get onto the end of them. I would imagine its a combination of all three. Whatever the reason though, both him and Pudil need to make better use of the crossing opportunities they get each game, getting the FBs forward is a key part of our set up so they have to be able to get in more good crosses if we are going to be effective with this set up.

[Statesideowl]

Lees out for that length of time, especially now, is a right hoof in the knackers.

Loovens seems to be losing it a bit, Turner and Sasso as the 2 CB's over the festive period might be the way to go. Dielna possibly?

[St Charles Owl]

Lees out for that length of time, especially now, is a right hoof in the knackers.

Loovens seems to be losing it a bit, Turner and Sasso as the 2 CB's over the festive period might be the way to go. Dielna possibly?

Can't do anything until they are all fit anyway.  Turner has had a setback but not heard what or how long and Sasso is just coming back from injury isn't he??  Hutch played well alongside Loovens yesterday and Lopez did ok in the Hutch role in midfield, so maybe that is the way forward until we get at least Turner back.