oldishowl

Interesting you say that. I know you don’t mean just because of their formation but the way we are defending late in games I think there is an argument for us bringing another centre half on and going 3/5 at the back. We panic a bit under pressure late on and we need to make sure we are more solid when the opposition start throwing more attackers on and more balls into the box. They brought two good forwards on last night and we didn’t change so we’re one on one at the back. This was why I wouldn’t have made the Harris change unless he was injured. I would have saved it and brought Börner on , after about 70 mins. I realise I am in the minority here , some think he is too negative already

It would have been a very quiet ground without our fans last night.

I always have a problem when a defender’s first instinct is not to clear the ball. As a defender you get in a position to clear the ball or make a tackle. If you then realise you have time you might be able to bring it under control or shield it out. Odubajo does the opposite. Tries to shield it, get his body in, do a little dance then it seems to dawn on him he ought to be clearing the ball. By which time of course it is often too late

Nuhiu is quite simple to understand. Bring him on when we are attacking , chasing a game, and other players get around him and he is effective. Bring him on when we are defending, being pushed back, and he gets isolated and he is ineffective . All to do with his lack of mobility

It’s as if people forget there are two teams on the pitch. It’s not always down to us what happens, the opposition changes things as well. We came out second half against Brentford and looked a different team . We gave our players and manager credit for that. Derby , who have a good home record, will have got a half time verbal lashing last night, the manager will have made some adjustments and yes we struggled to cope with it. At no time did I think our manager had said sit back and play for a 1-0.

We have this debate every time it comes up. The switch wasn’t in itself because we were devoid of goals it was the plan. Carlos was perfectly happy to play 60 mins at a very slow tempo with Bannan and Wallace nominally wide to just control the football. He would then bring an extra forward on , move FF and Bannan and most importantly lift the tempo. We changed from slow tempo to a high press, keeping teams in their own half and the whole side became more attacking and we scored more goals. Everybody remembers Lee, FF and Bannan chasing around like mad men. No team could play that pace for 90 mins, and we were far from the fittest! Looking as us now. You cannot play Bannan wide in our current high tempo style, wouldn’t work. Look at the tracking the wide players do. We would have to change our tempo and try and control the ball more. However our squad are now struggling with the physical side of our current style. Last two games some players have looked dead on their feet. The front two and 4 midfielders are covering an awful lot of ground pressing teams and I don’t think we can keep playing this way unless we rotate more of the fringe players. Are they good enough.? From a Bannan perspective he is spending too much time chasing people down rather than passing the ball. I expect a change in formation for Saturday, especially with Hutch missing.

Well he will have to do something creative on Saturday. Hutch and Odubajo out and a team looking more tired as each game comes along. Obviously Palmer will start but I expect other changes too, might try something different system wise

I don’t understand how people have him down as a defensive manager. We went away tonight and played 442, two strikers, two proper wingers and Bannan in midfield. Apart from Harris which in theory was like for like, the other two subs were forced on him. I know a draw is frustrating but don’t see the manager at fault in any way

I honestly think he knows, like we do, that he hasn’t got a balanced squad for any system . 433 we struggle to score. 442 also issues. As it did in the second half Saturday and first half tonight 442 worked well, with us creating plenty of chances. Don’t think Monk sees us creating the same chances playing 433 Next two games will be interesting, don’t think he will go 442 without Hutch who was our best player again tonight.

Both strikers were absolutely shattered and signalled to the bench to come off. They had both stopped being effective. Rhodes short of games, Fletcher played too many. No problem with the Nuhiu and Luongo changes. The odd one for me was taking Harris off after 60 mins. Seemed to me like it was a plan they had from the start to let him only play 60 mins

I accept we could have got another goal when we were on top first half hour but at the game it felt like we were under the cosh second half. Right from the start of the second half when their bloke headed over we were under pressure. Might be I’m just a nervous old bloke

If we play 442 then the two strikers have got to cause significant problems for the centre halves. They have got to win the long balls, play as pair and turn their defence . First half they did this which meant we got it to the wingers feet in their half and our central midfield were going forward. Second half they won very little which meant our wingers were only defending and our central pair never got out of our half. At Birmingham Monk had Jutikewic and Adams. One wins every header the other with pace to get behind. Different ball game. Add in they two mobile midfielders who could tackle all day and I think you see the issues

The “ sell the stadium “ derby.

I will be there but can quite understand why tickets are left. Too many games, too close to Xmas just too hard on the finances. EFL just doesn’t have a clue

We always play Derby off the park and lose. We are due a win there