Derby County v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Fin Feds Dad]

Agreed - I thought Westwood worked his socks off today .

One shot apart - Gardner was awful.

[Gareth]

Decent point, our reconstruction is massive in comparison to the likes of Derby so any points picked up whilst new players are constantly arriving is good, particularly away from home.

Elphick & Chester are already the best centre back partnership we've had since Laursen retired and Mellberg moved on.  Not a high bar granted but still true.

Gollini looked solid. 

Bacuna is adequate in the Chanpionship, would like a good replacement.  Trippier, DeLaet, Christie....

Cissohko is permanently a mistake waiting to happen because he has no natural control of the football.  Another would love to see shipped out but suspect we'll be lumbered with him whilst Amavi gets fitness.

Westwood was the usual slow, weak, niggly, non tracking pointer in the middle, can't wait to have Jedinak & Tish exerting a bit of physique on the opposition - being selfish would like another centre mid to ensure if Westwood or Gardner are still here on Sept 1st they are at best 4th choice. 

Gardner - see Westwood with a great effort in goal, was one who def wanted to see him given a chance, not shown that he is up to responding to challenge thus far, fear that he won't get many more chances

Grealish was better in defence than attack for me today, definitely growing up.

Ayew, still convinced he will push his way out before deadline day, pretty on the ball but not enough end product, wasted out wide?

McCormack, think there is a lot of fitness work to be done, will improve with a proper player ahead of him.

Gestede, did nothing, went off, unfortunately his level of nothing was missed!

Kozak, gotta make allowances for the lack of football played, would have liked to see him leave the ground when a ball is pumped up to him though :-)

Sorry I think the Westwood comment is purely based on his scapegoat status. He played well on the whole and was effectively trying to carry the centre of midfield on his own.

The beauty of the game of opinions :-)

Nothing to do with being a scapegoat, all I saw was a player who was trying but not doing anything to influence the game - Gardner was no better but he at least had a shot.

[PaulWinch again]

Fair enough, but I disagree completely. Westwood controlled the first half. Gardner was largely a complete liability and I've got no idea what he did at Forest to get such rave reviews.

[Jimbo]

Westwood doesn't control anything. He does 'well' when the team is dominant; when the opposite occurs, when the going gets tough, he fades into nothingness. This is why we've bought Jedinak.

[Steve67]

Westwood. Not creative, not a great tackler, doesn't score goals, doesn't defend well enough in front of the back four. Isn't very physical. Goes missing when the oppo get more physical. He didn't play badly today and has done ok so far but he is NOT the answer in our midfield. Neither is Gary Gardner. I hope Tish and Jedinak don't get injured too often. All about opinions I guess.

[bill]

Westwood controlled nothing. Gardner has a terrific shot, not much else granted, but I'd take that before Westwoods finger pointing mediocrity any day.

[Gareth]

Fair enough, but I disagree completely. Westwood controlled the first half. Gardner was largely a complete liability and I've got no idea what he did at Forest to get such rave reviews.

On the evidence of last 4-5 games I agree ref Gardner, the shot today is the only noteworthy thing!  Really wanted him to grab his chance but he hasn't shown.

What I would say with Westwood is that in a central three with Jedinak & Tshibola I think he might have a role to play as the link player to the forward players as he is a neat & tidy passer. 

[PeterWithesShin]

Westwood was decent, as he has been most games this season. He will never dominate a game or be a midfield general though. Gardner was awful, one good shot doesn't make up for that, or that he was also awful against Wednesday and Luton. I want better, but i'll take a decent Westwood every day over a so far awful Gardner.

[Jimbo]

Fair enough, but I disagree completely. Westwood controlled the first half. Gardner was largely a complete liability and I've got no idea what he did at Forest to get such rave reviews.

On the evidence of last 4-5 games I agree ref Gardner, the shot today is the only noteworthy thing!  Really wanted him to grab his chance but he hasn't shown.

What I would say with Westwood is that in a central three with Jedinak & Tshibola I think he might have a role to play as the link player to the forward players as he is a neat & tidy passer. 

Westwood's passing is another myth. He's a neat and tidy passer when it's an easy pass backwards or sideways, the kind of pass a scarecrow could master.

[Dave Wall]

Thought Westwood was great today maybe some compition for places in midfield will up his game. Bacuna  is getting better game by game. You do get the impression this team is going to kick on 

[The Man With A Stick]

You know for a fact that if Lescott and Richards had been playing we'd have collapsed at the start of the second half.  Get a few more bodies in this week and I think we'll be on track.

[passitsideways]

Fair enough, but I disagree completely. Westwood controlled the first half. Gardner was largely a complete liability and I've got no idea what he did at Forest to get such rave reviews.

On the evidence of last 4-5 games I agree ref Gardner, the shot today is the only noteworthy thing!  Really wanted him to grab his chance but he hasn't shown.

What I would say with Westwood is that in a central three with Jedinak & Tshibola I think he might have a role to play as the link player to the forward players as he is a neat & tidy passer. 

Westwood's passing is another myth. He's a neat and tidy passer when it's an easy pass backwards or sideways, the kind of pass a scarecrow could master.

He does and did today, your memory is just being selective. He could be more daring and he doesn't play first-time enough for me which slows us down, but a progressive forward pass doesn't have to be a through ball or a brilliant diagonal out wide, and he does enough of that simple stuff where he's simply moving it to Ayew or Grealish further up the pitch. Then again, I remember Michael Carrick played the most forward passes in Europe one season (no, I'm not saying Westwood is anywhere near his level) and people were still accusing him of only making the safe side/back passes, so I guess that's just the nature of things.

[KevinGage]

Fair enough, but I disagree completely. Westwood controlled the first half. Gardner was largely a complete liability and I've got no idea what he did at Forest to get such rave reviews.

Weren't you asking how the game went earlier?   Apologies if I am getting you mixed up with someone else.

I thought Westwood was his usual anonymous self -aside from a daft lunge first half and gobbing a good opportunity to put one of our forwards away second half.

[PaulWinch again]

Fair enough, but I disagree completely. Westwood controlled the first half. Gardner was largely a complete liability and I've got no idea what he did at Forest to get such rave reviews.

Weren't you asking how the game went earlier?   Apologies if I am getting you mixed up with someone else.

I thought Westwood was his usual anonymous self -aside from a daft lunge first half and gobbing a good opportunity to put one of our forwards away second half.

I was, but I had it on record. I've watched it back and I thought he controlled it well it the first half. In the second it got away a bit, but I don't think that was really down to him. He did a couple of daft things, but on reflection he had a good game overall. I don't think he's a world beater, but I don't think he's the liability he's made out to be either. If he's back up/competing with Tish and the Jedi I think that's three pretty good options.

[Damo70]

So pleased we've got Di Matteo rather than Pearson. His post match interview was Lambertesque.

Likes the sound of his own voice doesn't he? It reminded me of the Not The Nine O' Clock News sketch where Rowan Atkinson is interviewing the politician (who's name escapes me at the moment) and he bangs on so much Rowan Atkinson ends up changing into his pyjamas and making himself some cocoa.