Derby County vs Watford FC, Championship, 16th October 2020 KO: 1945 And it's Hive live. Get your pass ! The Hornets travel to Pride Park this coming Friday hoping the international break and imminent closure of the domestic transfer window will have allowed Vladimir Ivic to build some more team cohesion, dressing room unity and precious time to work on set pieces and defensive and attacking shapes. So far the season has been more of promise than any guarantee of an immediate return to the promised land. Chances have been less plentiful although the approach play and control at times in all four games has been good to see. Not to mention the solidity of the defence with Ben Foster more occupied with vlogging than having to make saves. Nonetheless the partnerships upfront obviously need time to settle along with an established target man which means the continued suspension of Stipe Perica is once again another annoyance. The midfield has apart from captain industrious Cleverly not fired on all cylinders failing to link adequately with the strikers upfront. Thus the announcement of former want away Etienne Capoue declaring his undying love for the club is welcome. More than welcome. And as for Will Hughes. Will it be a return to the club he developed at into a player of immense promise only to be purloined by crafty Gino for a relative song ? In the light of his performances at the tail end of last season's disaster in which Will was a rare shining light his addition to Ivic's options is also one that propels the Watford midfield into one of the most potent in the division. Garner and Dele-Bashiru have shown they have immense promise. Tom's injury against Reading being particularly galling while Michael has shown his ability in short bursts and is gradually adapting to life in the Championship. But it is would be naive to think that a midfield populated by kids will prove anything less than completely successful in this division. A welcome return for Capoue and Hughes ? And as to the tactics will we see Vladimir change shape at last from 5-3-2 ? I would not mind a return to a straight forward 4-4-2 with Sema and Sarr as the wingers with Pedro playing off a target man. The Ngakia-Sarr axis could be particularly productive given the willingness of Jeremy to get forward or come inside to create multiple options.Will Troost-Ekong be brought into the defence ? My line up dependent on what happens in the international break: -----------------------------------------------Foster-------------------------------------------- ------Ngakia--------------------Kabasele------------------Troost-Ekong/Cathcart------Femenia---- -----------------------------Capoue----------------------Garner--------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------Cleverley------------------------------------------ -----------------Sarr--------------------------------------------------------------Sema--------- -----------------------------------------------OAP---------------------------------------------- Subs: Bachmann Hughes Chalobah Pedro Deeney Wilmot or Troost-Ekong/Cathcart Quina I suspect we will still a 5-3-2 though. And what of our opponents ? It's been a long time indeed since the heady days of 1972 and 1975 and the great Brian Clough and Peter Taylor and when my father born in Mickleover, educated at the noble Derby School (one former pupil being the first Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed), RR engineer and Clough devotee was a fan of a team in white. Last season saw the Rams make a playoff charge only to falter in the final weeks of the season. Phillip Cocu masterminded that campaign taking over from Frankie Lampard and bringing in gerontophile Wayne Rooney as his player-coach. His introduction was part of the reason for the climb to the top and he remains a menace to be watched. The sole link between the clubs on the playing staff with the unceremonious departure of Ikechi Anya (part of the makeweight in the Hughes deal and we got the better part) is Craig Forsythe.Derby County for all it's recent tribulations remains a great academy for nurturing players but they managed to lose two and both of last seasons full backs to Sheffield United in Jayden Bogle and Max Lowe.Shredded nerves and sweaty palms must still exist in Derbyshire over the fate of the other two highly prized starlets Max Bird and Louie Sibley before that window shuts. Max Bird & Louie Sibley: Derby's initial form mirrors their terrible run at the end of the last one. Cocu being beaten to the managerial exit door by Sabri Lamouchi. Aside from a morale boosting win over Norwich City performances have been well below par. Local lad Nathan Byrne was brought in as one replacement fullback and academy product Lee Buchanan as the other. Matt Clarke arrived on loan from the south coast to shore up the defence only to find himself badly exposed and shoved out of the team. Derby like us try to hoover up PL cast offs with the hope they may actually show some signs of their former potential. Andre Wisdom once touted as a future Cesspool legend has migrated into the centre of defence. These changes in defence are mirrored by those in midfield and upfront. Rooney has moved up and down, Shinnie in midfield has been partnered by Wazza, another academy product Jason Knight or Max Bird. Cocu is quite clearly uncertain of his best team having to juggle raw youth with experience. The star signing has been Kamil Jozwiak who can play either wing with his light tricky feet and willingness to shoot. Something that may cheer Cocu up given that of last seasons top scorers Chris Martin (not the one of yawnmongers) joined Bristol City and Martyn Waghorn has ongoing calf problems which precluded any chance at a preseason. An attempt to sign Serdar Dursun from Darmstadt (anyone heard of the Darmstadt school of music ?) FAILED. From the opening loss to Reading, another one to the scummers and a humiliating beating by our opponents after Derby, Blackburn Philip stuck his head in the sand and refused to countenance a change from 4-2-3-1. The dogged win at Carrow Road where Rooney played by himself upfront adopted a 4-5-1. Something I might expect they may repeat given the players we have. I think if we can get going from the off, control the midfield with more creativity from Capoue, Sema and Sarr on the flanks we will have too much for them. We need to maintain a high press, switch the ball but importantly maintain a high tempo. Few sides in the division will be able to live with it. Unfortunately and probably to Ivic's disappointment we have only maintained that gear for periods in matches although the time we do it for is increasing. Travel destination for Derby: If one could travel to Derby one might pop off to the Peak District or pay a visit to historic Cromford and Richard Arkwright's mills or the old railways Derby having prospered greatly from the growth of the network. Derby Gaol as Richard Felix will tell you is another place worth visiting though perhaps not at night given it's reputation for multiple hauntings. I would certainly pay for a cell to detain Floppo there at Vladimir's pleasure. Opposition Forum: https://dcfcfans.uk/ Music of choice in Derby: Vladimir apparently loves Two Steps From Hell and has this has a warm up track: Come on Golden Boys. Do us proud.
Hopefully one of Cathcart or WTE are ok to play. Probably another tight game. Maybe Hughes can return to score against his old club! Need one of the natural strikers to be fit as Pedro and Sarr didn't work as a partnership.
Starting to think that if we can get everyone fit our best option might be an old fashioned 4-4-2. Deeney just behind Gray, Sema and Sarr working the flanks, Capoue and Hughes in the middle. For all the disappointment of that front two in the Premier League, what's been really clear so far is the absolute gulf in quality coming down. We've picked up 7 points from 4 by playing kids and shoehorning players into positions, haven't had any of our first choice strikers or central midfielders available.
Hughes back in training, Capoue not leaving (but who knows what sort of shape he's in having not trained in the main group), Gray possibly back to fitness too? So, is this the game where we start in earnest (I say that as if we've had an absolutely shocking start to the season lol)
Brilliant preview Smudge well done for the time and effort it took. Loved the OAP as a striking option. Not an easy game. Our record there isn't great although the 2-2 draw under Slav kick started our winning streak to promotion. Derby obviously have the star player of yesterday in Shrek, but he's clearly showing his age now and a bit like our big man, doesn't have too much left in the tank. Lovely ground and fans are genuine too. If we play with the same intensity we have shown at the back, get a more mobile midfield and even if this means a formation change so be it. News of crocked players returning is a bonus and Capoue and Sarr almost certain to stay, we have a nice shape if we can get the striking part sorted out. Two goals in four isn't good, but we have been creating chances. A win would put us above Scum again briefly anyway so there is motivation there if needed. A draw would not be awful but we need to get our away record going, and despite winning last weekend, Norwich look awful so far, Derby will be boosted in confidence so we have to start well. I think we can do it. Rooney's Rams 0 Deeney's Donuts 1
When I read that we would be playing Derby County: a team I've only heard of due to getting relegated from the Premier League without earning a single point, I vomited with rage. The contempt and disrespect my beloved Watford FC are getting from the football authorities is scaling new heights every week. But we must go on. We must play the game and show them it doesn't affect us. We won't sink to their level. We have to be bigger than that. Like any proper football fan, I couldn't name a single Derby player, past, present or future, which makes predictions very difficult. I was not impressed with the previous game so I am dialling back my expectations. Prediction Derby County 1-6 Watford Deeney (og 90+3); Sarr (1, 2, 4, 8, 11, 14, sent off 15)
From what I can gather they stuck 11 men behind the ball against Norwich and then scored from a Rooney FK. I'd expect them probably to approach this game the same, so wouldn't be surprised if it's 0-0 again...
That was exactly it. Norwich had all the play but like us, couldn't score. Rooney did, with a superb free kick. we mustn't give him that opportunity.
Haha.. Of your 80,791 contributions on this forum, there must be about 2,000 ‘must win’ posts. Not a criticism btw, I just admire your consistency because one day, you may be right.
Well if we see Capoue and Hughes back and either Gray or Deeney up front to partner Sarr / JP that has to be a fairly strong side , really should start ******* the league from here on What will be the score who knows , but we really need one or two of our players to find the Ig / old Deeney / Vydra touch and start banging them in, can JP play the IG role to Deeney (who would need to play the old Deeney role) think we will win 0-2 never been much of a formation person but would like something like this ————— Deeney ———— Jp———————- Sema - ——————————————————Sarr ———Capoue——Hughes ——Cleverly ———— ———————a few defenders—————————- ———————A goal keeper——————————- Tactics , Sarr runs like **** up the wing, hopefully JP can keep, up, Sarr crosses , JP brings it down , waits 10 seconds for Deeney to catch up and then Deeney bangs it in.
Because this is on sky and I right in thinking this will be free on hive live for season ticket holders?
Derby County FC... What a pathetic name for a team. Imagine if we were called Hertfordshire County FC. Derby are tinpot beyond belief
I remember once losing 3-0 at Derby in the champ and their fans chanting “3-0 in your cup final”. One of the strangest deluded chants I’ve ever heard! One rubbish champ team losing to an average Champ team.
Derbyshire? Or is that like saying Shropshire is a County (which I think it is). Hampshire is a County etc. Didn't they once have Paulo Wanchop? He was pretty decent back in the day.
Hmmm. The email with the season ticket code said 'midweek away matches' which were live on Sky would be covered. But I suppose that just means Tuesday/Wednesday games and this is a weekend fixture? If so then you're right.
