(UEFA) Football Thread - Football not Soccer

[HappyDayRiot]

^ That's exactly what we said!

Apparently he 'assaulted' someone in a street in Cardiff that is known to one and all of us as 'chippy alley'. It's basically a side-street just over the main street in the City centre and nearly every building in it is a chippy or a kebab house. It's infamous for exactly this kind of thing!

 

[Angel4576]

Savage possibly on his way to Vancouver Whitecaps!

To be fair, great opportunity for a final payday for him, and from what I've heard, we've already told him that he won't be with us next season, in any capacity. Seems like a good deal for all concerned. As much as Sav's won me over, he's too easily bypassed these days. Can't fault his effort, but his age has caught up with him.

I guess, with Addison now back, it'll be him and Bailey fighting it out for the holding role.

 

[Starkers]

Why is it that the sound of "chippy alley" makes me feel hungry

It's always difficult with people like Bellamy. On the one hand trouble does seem to follow some players around, but you can also imagine a situation whereby the drunk and lary target players seen out and about. Thing is there are some players who seem to put this sort of thing behind them--Roy Keane did, Woodgate did (though he was clearly just hanging around with the wrong mates rather than anything else)-- and some don't.

Savage to Vancouver! Didn't see that coming. I somehow doubt it's a payday thing, I can't imagine they'd pay him that much, he isn't David Beckham after all! But it is an opportunity to do something very different, and clearly we weren't gonna offer him another contract. I can't help wondering if he'll say Vancouver is closer to Wales than Derby though

I like the bloke, he's actually a different player to the one I always imagined. For a start a much better passer of the ball, and he comes across like a true pro. Someone on one of the 606 forums was joking that he might be made manager if clough went and that training would be pie and chips, which seems a really dumb thing to say (even by 606 standards) because the guy is bloody fit for his age, obviously takes very good care of himself and like I say seems a model pro, someone a lot of a younger players could do worse than look up to. I can't recall lurid stories of cheating on his wife, altercations in alleyways, drunken or drug fueled romps...I hope some of his better traits have rubbed off on the Derby players.

I'd still like us to sign another defensve midfielder though, Addison won't be at his best till next season, and neither he or Bailey over overflowing with experience.

The talk seems to be of Davis as the permanat signing with a loan defender and striker (personally I think a loan defender is a good idea, but really wish we'd sign another striker permanantly!)

 

[Angel4576]

Savage to Vancouver! Didn't see that coming. I somehow doubt it's a payday thing, I can't imagine they'd pay him that much, he isn't David Beckham after all!

Apparently they've sold over 20,000 season tickets already and have moved to a new $300m stadium. Sounds like they might have a bit of $$$ behind them afterall. He won't get Beckham money, but you'd imagine a nice decent signing-on fee and wages would probably not be beyond them.

I like the bloke, he's actually a different player to the one I always imagined. For a start a much better passer of the ball, and he comes across like a true pro. Someone on one of the 606 forums was joking that he might be made manager if clough went and that training would be pie and chips, which seems a really dumb thing to say (even by 606 standards) because the guy is bloody fit for his age, obviously takes very good care of himself and like I say seems a model pro, someone a lot of a younger players could do worse than look up to. I can't recall lurid stories of cheating on his wife, altercations in alleyways, drunken or drug fueled romps...I hope some of his better traits have rubbed off on the Derby players.

Wouldn't disagree with that at all. Testament to him that given his history with Derby he's managed to turn the vast majority of fan-opinion. You just really wish that we'd been able to get him a few years earlier when he was at the top of his game. A model professional, which I'd never have thought I'd be saying before or even when he joined us.

I'd still like us to sign another defensve midfielder though, Addison won't be at his best till next season, and neither he or Bailey over overflowing with experience.

I suspect that Clough may see Pearson in that role, rightly or wrongly.

The talk seems to be of Davis as the permanat signing with a loan defender and striker (personally I think a loan defender is a good idea, but really wish we'd sign another striker permanantly!)

Agree - Porter's the only out-and-out striker we have, the rest are all attacking midfielders-cum-strikers; Davies, Cwyka, Commons etc.

 

[Starkers]

Yeah I wish Sav had joined us a year or so before. I remember a friend of mine saying when we signed him that he was the kind of player you hate, unless he's playing for you. More players could do with his comittment levels. Looks like he's had enough though and can't blame him for taking the offer up.

Pearson's no defensive midfielder, although actually its hard to figure out exactly what kind of midfielder he is. He has the pace and power of an attacking midfielder coupled with the goalscoring ability of a goalkeeper! He's also never bloody fit! (Thanks a lot Billy Davies! Although clough gave him another deal which was mad!)

I think Steve Davis could fulfil the lone striker role, I just don't trust him to stay fit either. And frankly I don't trust Porter and I'm still unsure about him, he seems to have some kind of mind control skill that makes me think he's a really prolific striker, but when you actually look at his record its poor! For me Clough needs to sign two strikers...doubt he will.

so, Ben Davies (or Davis I get confused with em all) Common's replacement?

What's your view on bywater by the way? Interesting that our purple patch coincided with Fielding being between the sticks...

 

[Angel4576]

I don't think Davies is a replacement for Commons, I'm pretty sure that Commons will sign a new deal with us within the next few days.

If anything he's probably good cover. We lack a bit of creativity when Commons doesn't play, and from what I've seen of Davies he's at the heart of most of what Notts County do.

Bywater - great shotstopper, rubbish at talking to his defence, and can't kick for sh1t. Stark contrast watching our back four with Fielding behind them, and then with Bywater. There just seems to be an air of nervousness when Bywater plays. That can't be good.

 

[Starkers]

Clough does seem very facinated by attacking midfielders. If we sign Davies it means we have Cwyka, Bueno, Commons, Davis, Davies, Doyle, Green, Pearson and maybe at a push Martins who could play as part of the three behind the front man! Meanwhile that front man is either Porter, Davis or Moxey! The maths doesn't add up somehow!

Bywater seems (like many keepers) to be a confidence player, but with no one challenging for his gloves it feels like he might be a bit too comfortable in that role.

I think you're right about us lacking creativity when Commons is out (or off the boil).

So given clough talked about three targets it seems obvious Davies is the midfielder, I'm guessing a central defender on loan so that Brayford can go back to right back, then a striker either permanant or on loan...the papers seems to be mentioning Waghorn from Leicester?

 

[Angel4576]

Yeah, I saw the Waghorn bit. Considering that Leicester signed him for a fee that would rise to £3m from Sunderland, that suggests that either a) Leicester need to offload him before they trigger a payment to Sunderland (I assume they didn't pay £3m up front!), or that we'll be getting him in on loan.

Another option that I heard was that we were looking at going in for Harrad from Burton. That would almost certainly be on a permanent basis.

 

[Starkers]

Hmm, I'm not hugely against lower league talent, but it would be nice to get at least the odd player who is somewhat proven at this level. I don't know much about Harrod though so he might be a world beater for all I know!

 

[Angel4576]

He's solid enough in League 2 from what I've seen. We go to watch Burton if Derby are away. Questionable whether he can make the step up to this level. He's 26 so you'd have thought that if he were going to do it, then he'd have done it by now. We could make worse signings, but it's not the experienced kind of player that I'd like to see coming into the team. Completely agree with you on the need for a few experienced heads in the squad.

 

[Starkers]

He sounds like he'd be good used in the way Buxton is, as a squad player, 3rd or 4th choice, but if Clough expects him to solve all our problems up front I'd be doubtful.

 

[Angel4576]

Yes, this is exactly it, he's an attacking equivalent of Jake Buxton. Having said that, mostly I was pleased with Buxton's appearances when we had to play him last season. Of course this year he seems to have disappeared from Nigel's thoughts. I still think that Anderson/Barker is our strongest pairing at the back, but I'd like a bit more experience there as cover.

 

[Starkers]

Buxton's been out injured since the summer though, and is only just working his way back. Anderson would make a real difference if he were fit. I thill think Leacock with either Barker or Anderson should be our strongest pairing, but Leacock is such a confidence player and his seems rock bottom now(and I don't think Nigel's helping)

Another game another loss. Does look like Waghorn is a target, but on loan. Shame we can't get someone like that permanant, I don't think the team can truly move forwards when we rely on loans so heavily!

 

[Angel4576]

Buxton's been out injured since the summer though, and is only just working his way back. Anderson would make a real difference if he were fit. I thill think Leacock with either Barker or Anderson should be our strongest pairing, but Leacock is such a confidence player and his seems rock bottom now(and I don't think Nigel's helping)

Another game another loss. Does look like Waghorn is a target, but on loan. Shame we can't get someone like that permanant, I don't think the team can truly move forwards when we rely on loans so heavily!

Central defence is becoming a real problems. Anderson out for another few weeks again, Buxton only just returning to fitness, Barker well out-of-form, and Leacock's in the naughty corner. I'm not surprised that we're looking to bring someone in!

Terrible on Saturday. Not a single shot on target and woeful at the back again. Roberts - another game and at least the cause of one goal, maybe two.

Still, not all bad news, we beat Shirebrook Town 14-1 in the Derbyshire Senior Cup!

 

[Starkers]

Hard for me to really commentate as I've seen them so rarely this season, but Roberts appears terrible, which is odd given he was supposedly so solid and reliable for Doncaster, which raises the question, has he just got that little bit older and started to go downhill, was he always rubbish and carried by team mates, or is it down to the coaching staff/tactics at Derby?

It's a real shame about the injuries, because if all four of our cnetral defenders were fit (five including Addison) I think we're well stocked in that position.

Who will we bring in though, that's the question.

 

[Angel4576]

We certainly do seem to have a bit of bad luck around these kind of players - Roberts looked solid for Doncaster, just as Connolly looked good for Plymouth, and Albrechtsen looked good for WBA, before we signed them, then they were largely poor.

Of course the obvious point here is that all three played in what were decent sides at the times that they played for them, whereas all have come into relatively poor Derby sides.

Having said that, some players do seem to grow into the role, such as Green, who was solid for Donnie, and then equally if not more so for us.

Addison I think is now more seen as a defensive midfielder rather than a genuine option at the back. That's fine by me. As much as I like Savage, he's clearly not the best option in that role now.

Who will come in, especially at the back, I'd like some experience. To be honest, if it were left to me, I'd like to sign a pair of centre backs, and a left back. Only Brayford warrants his place at the moment.

 

[Starkers]

Great to have Addison back, if only for the goal threat. Win lose or draw I can see him scoring against forest...

I just have a horrible feeling Waghorn will go somewhere else, we'll say we've been priced out for Davies and then we'll sign that striker from Burton and probably a young inexperienced central defender from a prem side.

Really would like to see just one signing of Barker proportions (maybe if someone offers silly money for Varney?)

 

[Jax]

Darren Bent has told Sunderland he wants to leave to join Villa...is he on crack

He wants to leave a top 10 team who are 6th at the moment to join a team that may well get relegated and will not do anything due to a poor manager who only buys french, a chairman whose bored of his club and a team in deep decline + fans who slagged off O'Neill for being 6th three times in a row.

Villa you deserved to be relegated just like West Ham whose fans forced out Curbishley for only being a midtable side

 

[Angel4576]

I just have a horrible feeling Waghorn will go somewhere else, we'll say we've been priced out for Davies and then we'll sign that striker from Burton and probably a young inexperienced central defender from a prem side.

Waghorn - looks like it's between us and Preston. We have a couple of factors working in our favour. We're mid-table, Preston are bottom. Derby's close enough to Leicester that Waghorn wouldn't need to upsticks. On the other hand, this is Derby, so I expect that Waghorn will sign for Preston sometime very soon!

Really would like to see just one signing of Barker proportions (maybe if someone offers silly money for Varney?)

Varney will end up at Blackpool for £250k. When this talk of Blackpool's 'first refusal' came up we were very adamant that no such option existed. I think, from memory, that it was Glick Turpin who said this, so I'm inclined to believe it as much as if you told me that the moon was made of cheese.

We'll try to sign Davies from Notts County, and that'll likely be the only signing where we're looking to actually spend money. Only trouble is that once again we've gone about trying to sign him in completely the wrong way. Notts County don't actually need to sell, and instead of trying to work with them, we've instead managed to p1ss off both their manager and chairman.

Darren Bent has told Sunderland he wants to leave to join Villa...is he on crack

He wants to leave a top 10 team who are 6th at the moment to join a team that may well get relegated and will not do anything due to a poor manager who only buys french, a chairman whose bored of his club and a team in deep decline + fans who slagged off O'Neill for being 6th three times in a row.

Villa you deserved to be relegated just like West Ham whose fans forced out Curbishley for only being a midtable side

Darren Bent = C**t
Aston Villa fans = C**ts

They deserve each other........and relegation.

 

[Starkers]

Yeah we seem to be really putting our foot in it over Davies, and even for a 29 year old who's never played higher than Lg 1, 250K seems derisory!

I shall be nice to Villa fans seeing as one of my best mates is a fan, but even he got annoyed with the way a lot of Villa fans wanted more and more...I guess it's a failing that most fans of most clubs would have once their team plateaus. It would have been even more ironic if O'Neill ended up at West Ham!

I do think all of us, if our teams were in the Prem , and were consistently 6th would at least wonder "What can we do to push on?"