Bring on Ipswich, Bring on the Rowett Era! — Notes for Derby Monday, 27th Nov 2017 13:54 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday night’s game at Pride Park by delving into their forums. “Something special is happening here, I can seriously see us going up”, “We seem to be going from strength to strength. Long may it continue”, “I am starting to like what I see”, “Beat Ipswich and the automatic places are a possibility. I never thought I would say that at the start of the season.” “This is an absolutely fantastic result.” Derby head into Tuesday’s game on a run of form which has seen them lose just once in 11 games and seen them carve a path into the play-off places. That said, Saturday’s eye-catching 3-0 win at Boro was a result which still took many Rams by surprise. “This has to be the best away result we have had in a few years”, “This is what stability feels like. We are good now but we have the opportunity to get better”, “We have shown character under Rowett to win at Norwich, Leeds and now Boro. Something has changed this year, we are just so strong.” “Yes, yes, we won, but was it entertaining?” As was recently the case with Villa and Sheffield Wednesday, some Rams have criticised the manager’s “boring, boring football”, pining for the swashbuckling style of football played under Steve McClaren. Saturday’s win was a huge milestone in changing perceptions. “Did I miss something? I nodded off”, “We are so bad that we currently sit sixth in the league”, “The football isn’t good, it can be dire at some points but we are still picking up points”, “We all miss the McClaren football but ultimately it didn’t get us promoted. We’re trying something different now.” Gary Rowett“This is peak Rowett. We really should cherish this victory”, “Gary is no fool. Our league position is solid, the game is on and we are in it”, “He builds platforms to deliver a series of results and he gets the best out of all his players, knowing when to put an arm around them and when to call them out.”  Gary RowettThe 43-year-old former Burton and Birmingham boss replaced Steve McClaren in March and took a number of potentially unpopular decisions in reshaping the squad this summer, selling favourites Will Hughes, Tom Ince and Craig Bryson and signing the less exciting Tom Huddlestone and Joe Ledley. “We are a stronger side under Gary now and very hard to beat”, “He had only one transfer window to try and sort out the mess he inherited. He had a mixture of players who didn’t suit the same style of play. As a unit we were never going to win anything because we simply just didn’t fit as a team.” “People won’t accept Gary Rowett for his style of play, or for his selling Ince and Hughes and for not starting Chris Martin, but he’s here now”, “We are a solid side, so anyone who says Gary hasn’t done much is wrong. He’s getting the basics of hard work and the right attitude in place at the club again.” “It’s concerning that he felt the need to mention fan negativity.” Rowett highlighted people looking at performances instead of results after a recent win over QPR. “He’s getting sick of our Champagne fans demanding 2014 again. It’s time we had some collective patience and gave the guy a break.” Character, Solidity and Steel“I miss dominating possession and playing sides off the park”, “It isn’t great to watch and I will never be a fan of letting the opposition have the ball”, “We sit deep, defend and hit long balls”, “We look very hard to break down, which is a very good thing to have if you want to get out of this division.” “I don’t like sitting back in the way we do”, “You can see Gary has set us up well, he works a lot on shape in training and he has made us a team to fear on the break”, “Boro was another game of soaking up pressure and frustrating the opposition before hitting them with sucker punches.” Fans are wary of the cagier, more counter-attacking style of football being played under Rowett, but they feel that the manager is addressing a fundamental problem of choking when the pressure is on. This contributed to play-off defeats to Hull and QPR as well as a final-day loss to Reading in 2015. “For all the concerns people have about our playing style, we really do seem to be ruthless and very clinical”, “Our decision-making and game management have been questionable in recent years, but not now”, “We are winning and drawing games where before we would have crumbled and lost.” CarsonBairdKeoghDaviesForsythHuddlestoneLedleyWeimannVydraLawrenceNugent
Rowett has re-engineered the side away from the 4-3-3 shape which Derby were wedded to under McClaren. The starting line-up (above) for the wins over QPR and Middlesbrough had the same solid four-man defence and two sitting midfielders which characterised his time in charge at Birmingham. McClaren’s side was based on a mobile quartet of midfielders working off a static striker, often Chris Martin. Rowett’s solid base allows his attacking quartet, including a striker in the playmaker role, more mobility while expecting them to play a more energetic pressing game when out of possession. “Our full-backs defend first and foremost.” Rams have noted that centre-back Richard Keogh is the one player out of the back six most likely to break forward with the ball. Joe Ledley screens the back four with Tom Huddlestone more reliant on his passing ability to link play with the attacking quartet. “We don’t take the game to teams like we used to”, “With a back six we set up to play on the break, but the front four need to be busier and demand the ball more. We start too slowly and there is too much walking”, “The lack of movement is often apparent”, “We are desperate for legs in midfield.” Rams are still getting used to a less effervescent and more static style of play. “We have steel in the side and keep going to the end, but the biggest frustration is the lack of energy in midfield. We need a runner, a player who will pick up the ball and drag the team 10 yards collectively up the pitch.” The Attacking Quartet Derby’s wide players have played an important role in regulating the balance of the side. Andreas Weimann is seen as most dangerous operating on the right wing. With Tom Lawrence operating on the left and gaining confidence, the pair stretch back lines and link well with the central attackers. CarsonBairdKeoghDaviesForsythHuddlestoneLedleyLawrenceVydraJohnsonNugent
“I liked it better when we tried to score goals.” Rowett’s starting line-up (above) for the recent 1-1 draw at Fulham saw Lawrence stationed on right flank with the more defensively disciplined Bradley Johnson starting on the left with one eye on the threat from the Cottagers’ marauding full-backs. “We have four great forwards who offer different options which is a major plus.” Matej Vydra has hit a rich vein of form operating from deeper and linking play with David Nugent, who effectively is his strike partner. Sam Winnall is seen as an alternative to Nugent with a similar busy industrious style. Chris Martin has recently been used as an impact substitute to both hold up play and occupy tiring defences. He divides opinion among Rams being a favourite of many, and he’s better at holding up play than both Nugent or Winnall, but he is less effective at linking with the wider players or Vydra. Middlesbrough 0 — 3 Derby“I never thought I would see the day when we would thrash Boro. They are normally such a bogey team”, “If you are quick to criticise, you should be as quick to praise when it is due”, “Not a result we could have predicted or even dreamed of at the start of the season. We gave them a seeing to.” Matej Vydra opened the scoring from a counter-attack on 13 minutes and added a second from the penalty spot on 47 after Daniel Ayala caught him with a trailing leg. Ayala was dismissed following a second caution after an hour. Vydra completed his hat-trick on 63 capitalising on a mishit clearance. “Boro are having an absolute nightmare”, “They are in full retreat, down to 10 men, three goals behind and Garry Monk has just brought on another defender. Their fans are going mental”, “We frustrated Boro for the entire game, mugged them and scarpered off home with three points”, Derby 2 — 0 QPR“This is dull even by our standards”, “Please make it stop”, “That was an absolute bore-fest but we got the job done. QPR were easily the worst side I have seen here in a long time”, “We are the Cliff Thorburn of the Championship, grinding out results simply by boring the opposition to death.” “Well done Vydra but God are we poor. A decent team would be three up by now.” Vydra opened the scoring for the hosts in first-half stoppage time when firing home Andreas Weimann’s cross and Tom Lawrence added a second on 53 when he cut inside from the left and unleashed a 20-yard shot. “We were really deep in the first half, relying on Huddlestone’s long balls into big spaces”, “It was an absolutely bad watch. QPR were so bad that we should have been smashing them, but we were just as bad as they were”, “Any manager with tactical nous would watch that and know how to stop us.” Fulham 1 — 1 Derby“I will take that point based on the performance, we were on the back foot for most of the game”, “I wouldn’t say a good point, rather a lucky point”, “We are such a Jekyll and Hyde team, I can’t get my head around it”, “Apart from the first 15 minutes of the second half, our performance was terrible.” Oliver Norwood put Fulham ahead after half an hour from a freekick after Nugent handled the ball just outside Derby’s penalty area. Vydra equalised five minutes after the restart, calmly slotting the ball past Cottagers’ keeper David Button after being set up brilliantly by Lawrence in the build-up. “A great goal by Vydra and well played Tom Lawrence, 1-1, that was beautiful”, “We had no pace and no attacking threat apart from the spell after half-time. It’s a good job Fulham were poor at finishing”, “It wasn’t pretty and was often very frustrating, but we have found some resilience.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“Scott Carson was the unsung hero at Boro, making an outrageous save to deny Britt Assombalonga before we hit them on the break.” The 32-year-old former West Brom and Wigan man “is our best keeper since Matt Poom. He is incredibly reliable and has made a series of crucial saves this season”.  Scott Carson for former club Wigan“Carson makes world-class saves week in week out and seems very zoned in”, “He is a decent shot stopper but his distribution is poor”, “His kicking can be dreadful at times”, “His distribution from back passes dismays me and his failure to collect crosses has also caused panic in our penalty area.” “Andre Wisdom has done well this season and been man-of-the-match in many of our early games.” The 24-year-old July arrival from Liverpool “is strong and mobile but lacks finesse in passing”, “He is strong both physically and defensively but his forward passing is occasionally erratic at times.” “Wisdom doesn’t flap under pressure and stays on his feet”, “I don’t know why he won’t make more runs from his right-back position. The guy is a tank and it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t have an end product. Defences can’t deal with his pace and power. It always results in something positive for us.” “Chris Baird is one of our most intelligent players. He has a solid game at Fulham and was a positive to take from it.” The 35-year-old ex-Burnley right-back “keeps things simple. He’s confident, assured and tells his winger what to do”, “He has good defensive instincts but won’t maraud down the lines.”  Chris Baird“Being an attacking full-back is not Baird’s game”, “He was awful at Boro and looked shattered. He needed to come off”, “He looked like he needed a rest after three games in a week”, “He is a solid player who puts in really good challenges”, “He’s steady and unflappable, his solid unambitious self.” “Craig Forsyth is decent in the air, a strong runner and an erratic passer, and his confidence can be fragile at times.” The 28-year-old ex-Hornet left-back “is solid defensively but his passing has been diabolical at times”, He always has the odd dodgy pass or cross”, “A good defender who can’t pass.” “Forsyth was all over the show in our home defeat to Reading [a 4-2 loss earlier this month]”, “They rumbled us by pumping the ball in behind Forsyth time and again for their pacy wingers”, “At times he is an adventurous and marauding full-back, at others he looks leggy, slow and out of his depth.” “Playing alongside Alex Pearce is a disaster for any centre-back.” The 29-year-old ex-Royal has been a fringe player lately. “He can’t mark at set pieces and lacks power or agility”, “He is slow and poor on the ball, he panics when it is passed to him”, “His form deteriorated at the end of last season.” “Curtis Davies reads the game very well and is very rarely beaten in the air.” The 32-year-old ex-Hull centre-half “is solid defensively while offering mobility and composure on the ball”, “He makes solid sensible clearances and is a big reason we have had a very decent run of clean sheets this season.”  Curtis Davies for Hull“Davies and Keogh are probably the best centre-half pairing we have had in the last 10 years”, “He doesn’t have Keogh’s attacking output but he has been excellent lately”, “He is as solid as Keogh without the attacking and passing runs. His positioning is very good and he keeps things very tidy.” Richard Keogh“We would crumble at the back without Richard Keogh.” The 31-year-old ex-Coventry centre-half and one-time Town ballboy “is the world’s first overlapping centre-half”, “He has dragged us upfield for the umpteenth time and is our most creative player at times”, “He adds urgency and he gives opponents something to think about.”  Jordon Ibe and Richard Keogh“Richard the Lionheart”, “He has benefitted this season by not having substandard players around him, so he hasn’t had to desperately do all the defending himself”, “He’s the driving force he has always been, he never stops running and getting into positions where he can influence the game.” Central Midfielders“It’s nice to see George Thorne on, we need him back.” The 24-year-old ex-West Brom man has been used regularly as a substitute as he builds fitness after breaking his leg late on in Derby’s final league game of the 2016 season against Town. “Eighteen months out is a long time to come back from.”  George Thorne“Thorne looked sharp against Boro and even showed some pace. He wasn’t afraid to charge the ball down and is looking more comfortable”, “He never loses the ball and always does good things, he hit one great ball over the top to release Chris Martin late on against QPR. They couldn’t get past him.” “Joe Ledley has made a monumental difference to the backbone and overall solidity of our midfield.” The 30-year-old ex-Crystal Palace man was signed as a free agent in September on a short-term deal until January. “He’s just what we need, unflappable and steady-headed without being negative.” “Ledley has tightened up the middle, the pieces seem to fit”, “We are unbeaten with him playing, you can’t overstate his influence”, “He knows just where to stand and then amble to a point on the pitch which he next needs to occupy”, “He does everything for the team with not a shred of ego.” Tom Huddlestone“At his best, Tom Huddlestone passes with purpose and dictates the play.” The 20-year-old summer addition from Hull “is a very unique attacking threat that our team is built around with his passes”, “He’s a great passer and a powerful player but he is slow and he lacks mobility to play this system.”  Tom Huddlestone at Hull“Huddlestone has only one gear so he needs a couple of players around him with a few more”, “He gets bypassed when teams run at him, a statue with excellent long-range passing”, “He needs more players about running for him to pick out. He needs more targets for his pinpoint through balls.” Wide Midfielders and Wingers“I still don’t know Bradley Johnson’s best position.” The 30-year-old former Canary “is a box-to-box midfielder but we don’t play a system which requires this”, “He has the physicality but is not a player I trust with the ball in our own half”, “He’s more effective on the left and does his defensive work.”  Bradley Johnson attacking a Forest fan“Johnson is just about the most frustrating player in the squad. One game in five he is unplayable and marauds around midfield scaring the hell out of opponents and bagging goals for fun. The other four he might as well not be on the pitch other than when he gives the ball back to the opposition.” “Johnny Russell works hard and is direct. He’s mobile and okay in the air, but he lacks poise, stamina and a goal threat at the moment.” The 27-year-old ex-Dundee United man “isn’t technically as gifted as Tom Lawrence but he has improved in knowing when to have a run and when to keep it simple”. “Russell plays with passion and works his backside off”, “He carries the ball with speed but he slows down our attacks too often by taking wrong options or hesitating. He needs to be instinctive rather than thinking too much”, “He runs through brick walls but he lacks consistency and makes errors.” “Andreas Weimann’s best form in his career came as a right midfielder for Villa, so you must wonder why more of our previous managers haven’t tried him there. He gives us genuine width on that side, allows Huddlestone to use his passing game, and it allows Lawrence to play in his favoured position.” “Weimann is the assist king.” The 26-year-old “is a real catalyst when he gets his head right and thinks about his positioning”, “His touch is good and he is energetic as usual but it has more purpose now, he is stretching the field as a winger down the right side”, “He does fall asleep defensively.” Tom Lawrence“Tom Lawrence will start scoring regularly now. Ipswich next Tuesday you know.” The 23-year-old arrived from Leicester in August, for an initial £5 million which could rise to £7 million, after a highly successful loan spell at Portman Road. “Scoring that goal against QPR was like a weight lifted off his shoulders. He was transformed after that goal.”  Tom Lawrence at Town“Lawrence is always positive he makes great attacking runs with the ball and puts in lovely passes”, “He’s the sort of hardworking player Rowett likes and can beat a player with a move”, “He showed pace, agility and vision to set up Vydra’s goal at Fulham”, “He will know Mick McCarthy’s game.” Strikers“Sam Winnall offers little in overall play compared to our other strikers but he is a finisher.” The 26-year-old former Barnsley man is on a season-long loan from the Owls in a swap deal which also saw midfielder Jacob Butterfield go in the opposite direction. “An impact player who runs everywhere.” “Winnall is better off the bench when we are chasing a game”, “He cannot supply control when we need it”, “He is deadly from six yards but I haven’t really seen him dovetail with the other strikers in open play”, “He’s the younger version of Darren Bent and proving exactly why we need a poacher.” Chris Martin“I get the feeling that Martin is being phased out, brought on with 15 minutes left.” The 29-year-old ex-Norwich man “has great touch, passing and hold-up play but he’s stationary and tries to move the play around him”, “He gives us strength up top and win free kicks but he is a player with little pace.”  Chris Martin“Martin isn’t seen as a starter because we don’t have energetic players in midfield. We are looking to supplement that with high-tempo closing down from the front players, something which is not his strongest point”, “Gary Rowett doesn’t see Chris Martin as the be all and end all at Derby County.” David Nugent“Nugent is hard-working and mobile. He’s not fast, but he’s a finisher with a good football brain and links play well and he controls the ball very well.” The 32-year-old one-time Preston, Leicester and Pompey striker “is the classic ‘charge down the defenders and pounce on a mistake’ type of player.”  David Nugent“Nugent is a better footballer than most people give him credit for. He’s not just a finisher, he scares defences and works hard to make chances out of nothing”, “He must be awful to play against with that constant smile no matter what is happening”, “His scoring record against Ipswich is amazing.” Matej Vydra“Vydra has been lethal this season, there has been such an improvement under Rowett.” The 25-year-old ex-Watford man “is just a natural goal scorer. He is unstoppable”, “The thing that impresses me is his fantastic pace and how he uses it to run into some great positions through the channels.”  Matej Vydra and Berra“Vydra looked pretty clueless playing up front on his own. With another striker he is unrecognisable compared to last year”, “He’s often in and out of games but pops up with a goal”, “His general play is poor, the ball bounces 20 yards off his rubber shins. He’s a nuclear assault weapon when finishing.” Rams’ Views on ITFC and the Game“Ipswich are a bit of a bogey team and are absolutely horrible to watch”, “Ipswich is always an impossible game”, “Three points is the requirement at home to a mid-table side with a ropey away record. A point isn't the end of the world. A second home defeat in three would be annoying.” With 76 per cent of Rams predicting a home win and a mere three per cent forecasting a victory for Town, the mood going into the game is confident. The most popular forecast score is a 2-1 County win and fans are evenly split between Nugent, Vydra and Lawrence for the first home goalscorer. “I never enjoy our home games against Ipswich.” They are still mindful of our good record at Pride Park and are taking nothing for granted. “Let's not forget that our game in hand happens to be at home against Ipswich, the one team who can come to Pride Park at will and leave with the points.” “How many times have they brought us down to earth and dampened our optimism over the years, especially at Pride Park? Tuesday night will require patience, especially from the fans. Don't be surprised if it's a 0-0 bore fest at half-time if we don't score in first 10 minutes.” “We always struggle against Ipswich at our place”, “I was wondering when we last beat them at home so looked it up. It was under Billy Davies in the [2006] promotion season, last minute winner from Arturo Lupoli. We have drawn three and lost six of the last nine, it’s time to change that.” “Ipswich haven't had a clean sheet away from home this season in the league”, “Someone is due a right old pasting from us and I'm predicting this is the day we'll out-hoof the hoofers”, “Nugent has always scored against Ipswich. We simply can’t lose this, I work with so many Ipswich fans.” “It just has to be Tom Lawrence doesn’t it?”, “He'll be well up for this and has a point to prove”, “Tom was at Leicester so his opportunity came on loan at Ipswich. I think that he took that chance well. He's now at a club with bigger expectations and in many matches has a lot less room to play in.” WebsitesThe busiest Rams’ message-board is the friendly and well-informed RansTalk.
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