Back from the game - Derby

[Ferris]

Whilst on the subject of full backs, just how bad was their right back Anderson? Couldn't stop chuckling all game, worse distribution than Sonko post injury.

Great catch to stop the ball going out of play though tbf.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Whilst on the subject of full backs, just how bad was their right back Anderson? Couldn't stop chuckling all game, worse distribution than Sonko post injury.

Great catch to stop the ball going out of play though tbf.

I expected him to call for a mark and then kick for touch.

[Only one Trevor Morley]

good performance, but frustrating defesively. harte and mills look equally poor defending so why not play the man who will at least get 10 goals for us? mills is so irritating as he never learns..... how many times has he now overhit corners....

ledge and karajan were very good. but most praise has to be with alfie.... why on earth did someone else not take a chance on him. he always looks like he'll score, has fantastic positional awareness and most importantly he is a clever footballer, he is always spotting runs and trying different things. and he gives 100%. Its been a while since I've been so instantly impressed with a new player. Already he is the striker who you cant see being dropped. not bad given hes only been with us for less than 2 months.

[melonhead]

Mills is a liability. Bring back Harte for the next one.


HRK is going rapidly downhill.


.

point 1: how is that goin g to help!point 2: eh?!
most of the rest of your post about right

[melonhead]

And there was me thinking that Mills had quite a good game tonight - apart from being muscled off the ball too easily for their second goal. He adds a lot more than Harte in an attacking sense - apart obviously from free kicks and he is also better defensively much of the time. Ian Harte is very skilful but I think a lot of you have forgotten that he is very slow.............

Derby were well organised and you can see why they are near the top this season.
.

agreed on mills- apart from he(and possibly Fed) being culpable for the two goals, and the second he was pulled over for, he put some good balls into the box, albeit often with no one in there, i think it was his delivery that nearly got us a goal with le fondres header in the 1st half(have no idea how that was kept out) hes about 50-50 on delivery, and imo thats ok.

but jeez does he need to work on his positioning, and general defending.
im so not loving the idea of putting harte back in there unless hes really improved in training


as for your last point- i thought they were one of teh most awful sides ive seen at teh madejski this season, or any other tbf

[melonhead]

6 points from a possible 18 at home. Is that right?

Yeah it really is abysmal, can't understand the optimism honestly. Whats even more worrying is that nearly all the teams bar boro have been really poor.

Southampton last season were a division below us, on paper we should be stronger. That won't stop people logging on here on saturday if we hang on for a 0-0 and claiming its a good point. Sign of the times im afraid.

surely the optimism stems from our very good away record, and the fact that once we sort out that home form we'll be unstoppable!


or summink

[melonhead]

Southampton are top because they have momentum, just like norwich did. Their squad isn't spectacular other than lallana and lambert, we should be looking to beat them at home. Its 12 games gone and they are far from runaway champions. 6 points out of a possible 18 at home is abysmal, how does that rank in the home form table anyone know?

one thing we are good at is stopping peoples runs!

if theyve been playing shit for ages- they beat us. if theyve been playing great for ages, we beat them....


thats what im telling myself anyway

[melonhead]

Not writing Mills off, but we really don't seem much tighter than when Harte was playing. As much as Griffin is likeable, we've really benefitted from having at least one pacy full-back in Cummings. Personally I'd jettison Mills and give Harte another go. That freekick in stoppage time was crying out for a bit of quality, that frankly doesn't exist anywhere else in the squad.

works out about the same defensively as harte- worse positioning/general defensive nous, but has the pace to often make up for it.
not as good as harte at set pieces, but who is(though Hartes corners were also awful)
but he gets forward more, works very well with the winger, and keeps the oppositions FB/Wngers pinned back with his positive running

works out about teh same. its clearly our weakest area though.

[melonhead]

The real problem is that unless we're behind and chasing a game, or the game is about to end, we don't play directly enough or with enough urgency to score.

think thats it

need that intensity, directness and confidence throughout the game

[Hoop Blah]

I've not really read the rest of the thread but the main things to come out of last nights game for me are...

Le Fondre, he played really well (even without his goals) and is starting to look like a very intelligent little player with a good touch and vision to go with it. His goalscoring is obviously his main strength but he's showing he's capable of much more than that. Last night he looked our most intelligent and most natural forward since Doyle left.

Kebe, it's taken him a long time to get back in contention for the team (after being a slight doubt for the game after his injury) but if that's all he's got then I can see why they didn't rush him back. At times he looks so dangerous but for long periods he's just poor or perhaps just disinterested (I always think that's a cop out excuse and unfair criticism but last night I wasn't so sure).

Mills, what he brings to the team in athleticism and ability to join in going forwards means he's more suited to this team than Harte. However, if he doesn't improve his use of the ball then I can't see how McDermott can stick with him. It's odd, because he's got a decent left foot and can obviously see and execute the right ball but he's far to inconsistent when doing it. It's as if McDermott has a blind spot when it comes to signing left backs!

[melonhead]

double hatrick!



enjoyable game, like the boro game we dominated possession, and just need a tweak to get us a bit more penetrative.
defence looks much better now they are building partnerships and understanding, and the improvement in the middle of the park is huge recently. lots of room for more improvement too, which i see as a good thing.

fed-6 let the ball underneath him for their first,slow to cover the far post for the second, didnt really have a lot to do
cummings-7 calm assured, growing with every game
pearce-6 did well in the air, improving on the ground
gorkss-7 good captain material, so solid, knows exactly what hes doing, just what we needed, great purchase
mills-5 thought he played well going forward, but cant hide the fact that both goals came from his area
kebe-6 usual first game back from kebe- but looked up for it and fit, tackles, and going up for headers
karacan- 8 great game, always available, rarely gave it away, broke up their play really well
liegertwood - 8 great game, back to his best now imo
HRK-8 had the beating of them all on that side all game, got in some decent balls, hes a proper player now imo
church-6 ran his heart out as usual, but not much to show for it
le fondre-9 MOM, what a purchase, ran his nuts off, always held teh ball up, even with a player on his back
the boy is class


improvements all over the pitch, we are getting there- i just hope the crowd dont get on their back if we lose to saints who are ahead of us on the curve(currently)

[Woodcote Royal]

A few more random observations.

Kebe was THAT close to getting a touch on Alf's first that I thought is was going to be disallowed.

Church, whilst not to the standard of his immediate predecessors is certainly not "shit".

I believe Jem played himself back into the starting XI last night. A bundle of energy and no misplaced passes.

Woodcote has not lost the art of bringing his old prejudices into current topics.

Credit to Woodcote, he managed to go a whole post without mentioning Coppell or people inhabiting his backside.

Hopefully the therapy's working.

For prejudices read opinions that others disagree with.

It was great to attend my first match of the season and I got their and back without threatening to vandalise anyones car. Result.

[Royal Rother]

In contrast to (some of the) recent posts Mick Gooding thought Mills was a lot better last night and was impressed with Derby.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Thought it was a good enough performance. Much better than the dross of Watford and Barnsley a few weeks ago. The back four, despite conceding two goals, is getting better and better. The people who are calling for Mills to be dropped need to realise that he is better than Ian Harte.

Adam Le Fondre took both of his goals with fantastic composure and ease. Looks like another Cureton type player.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

Pleased that our unbeaten run continues and its clear we are playing with more freedom now. However after a decent couple of clean sheets its a little bit back to square one defensivly. At the back its a real mixed bag, Gorkks and Cummings have certainly looked formidable yet they are let down by the pedestrian and uncultured Pearce and clearly lacking in ability and one afoot wonder Mills. If there's one cock up Mcdermott has made its signing a succesion of weak left backs. Williams was always a risk, yes Harte was a bargain given his set pieces but was very short termist given his pace and even his dead ball situations drying up, and well Mills is so one footed its embarrassing, lumps it to nowhere, is not a strong player,gets caught out position and is not even that quick to rectify bad mistakes. It says something that Harte back in the team is a serious option.

We have clearly got a Cureton esque player in Alfie, but someone with a touch more class i'd say. If we can get the wingers (Kebe when fit particularily) on song and the RB/LB's in support then he will be very dangerous. Not sure the same could be said about Church and that 2nd striker spot really is up for grabs, if only RFC could get Manset fit!!. Pleased with an improving Ledge though still cant see the whir of excitement with Karacan who was largely annoymous, Tabb no worse right now. If Derby end up where they are come the end of the season it highlights how poor the Championship is, they are defensivly poor and no real threat from the middle of the pitch - good timewasters though! On to Southampton then, considering we should have got 3 points last night this is not easy at all against a side playing without fear and we have struggled at home against the Saint recently. Still if we can defend as a unit we definately have a chance to extend this unbeaten run.

[RobRoyal]

+1 to most of Bob Bottler's post.

Tbh, we're a midtable side on the evidence of our defending for the first goal and - despite Alfie's sharpness in front of goal - you wonder where else a steady supply of goals might come from because Church has all the killer instinct of Winnie the Pooh. HRK looks to be shaping up to fill next year's black hole. Mills has absolutely no composure.

Happy enough with a decent point, happy enough with the fighting spirit which has grown in spades since the Watford debacle, happy enough with 14th place with this team and not absolutely ruling out BMc squeezing a wee bit more out of them.

yet again the RFC voice of positivity

Midtable security with the possibility of a bit better if McDermott gets the best out of the players? I hardly think you can descibe that as a negative outlook.

[Hoop Blah]

In contrast to (some of the) recent posts Mick Gooding thought Mills was a lot better last night and was impressed with Derby.

Really? I thought Dellor was saying Mills was pretty good but that Gooding was a bit non-commital on him, which by his tone implied he didn't think he'd done much to warrant Dellors change in opinion.

[melonhead]

In contrast to (some of the) recent posts Mick Gooding thought Mills was a lot better last night and was impressed with Derby.

agree on mills, but simply cant see how he thought that about derby

[Royal Rother]

HB - Re Mills / Gooding... I only heard about 10 mins of commentary towards the end but that was what I came away with. Maybe his thoughts evolved into something less positive in review?

[Royals-lad14]

why is everyone having a go at mills? harte is by far worse. i thought mills had a decent game, harte is too slow to get into position anyway so why have a go at mills' positioning least he has some sort of pace too keep up with the play. i wouldn't put harte in the side at all.