[Archived] Matt Derbyshire

[Hughesy]

Just thought it best to create a topic just about this man as support seems split on him.

What do you think about him?

I think that yes he isnt a winger and yes he should play in position, however at the moment he ISNT good enough to play in our starting 11.

Yes he can score goals, but when given a starting chance he hasnt performed. He looks lightweight and is sometimes scare to put his foot in. Personally I feel that he is better as an impact sub.

Dont be blinded by the the fact hes a blackburn lad through and through. Would he be best going out on loan to get some experience in a striker role at a more physical level like the championship?

Your thoughts?

[tony gale's mic]

I don't think he'll ever be good enough to start regularly for us. Even when he was in the form of his life for us I couldnt shake off the feeling it was just a flash in the pan. He's a good player, and if he'd started his career at Rovers or another professional club and been trained up properly from a young age I have little doubt he'd be well in England contention. But he's just not good enough.

[MCMC1875]

For some reason players loaned out by Rovers rarely seem to return - Ben Burgess, Peter Thorne, Paul Gallacher......

[thenodrog]

For some reason players loaned ot by Rovers rarely seem to return - Ben Burgess, Peter Thorne, Paul Gallacher......

Thank goodness.

[Majiball]

Derb's is a tricky one he shows good qualities he's nippy and can finish. I have been wondering now given he's what 24 whether we have been a hindrance to his progress?

By this I mean perhaps too over-protective for the last few years he's been in and out, perhaps a decent run in the Prem would have seen him blossom? I do wonder whats going on in his head how he feels about it all no player likes being in one week and out the next, left wing right wing and so on. Its hard enough when your always being moved around you never settle your game and so in turn never settle your mind.

Currently he's an impact player last 25 when they have tired legs at the back.

I do feel we lack punch up front we do need another dimension adding to our attacking play IE someone who plays on the last man Derb's could do this. When I saw the team sheet I honestly was pleased to see Derb's and RSC's names on there as I thought Villa would play wide left in a 442, I've been keen to see RSC and Derb's together. Benni has a long way to go to convince me he's back, Roberts reminds me of Heskey if he could finish he could hit 15-20 with some of the chances he gets. So I personally do feel Derb's and RSC are the best combo at present. We do need better options up front and I'm sure Ince is looking at them.

[DingleBaiter]

For some reason, he always seems more effective as an impact player; another 'supersub'?

He WAS supposed to have spent another season on loan after Plymouth/Wrexham, but all the other strikers got injured at the same time and he made the most of his chances in the first team then. However, to steal Mr Hughes favourite quote, he doesn't seem to have "kicked on".

Think he'd be happy to stay here, and probably will be just as well to, but other than Roque, we don't seem to have anyone else who looks like staking a place up front - and not many bubbling under for the coming years.

[MCMC1875]

For some reason, he always seems more effective as an impact player; another 'supersub'?

He WAS supposed to have spent another season on loan after Plymouth/Wrexham, but all the other strikers got injured at the same time and he made the most of his chances in the first team then. However, to steal Mr Hughes favourite quote, he doesn't seem to have "kicked on".

Think he'd be happy to stay here, and probably will be just as well to, but other than Roque, we don't seem to have anyone else who looks like staking a place up front - and not many bubbling under for the coming years.

So what value is the Academy then?

[DingleBaiter]

So what value is the Academy then?

Striker/centre-forward is often the hardest position to bring up through the Academy system, supply and demand. Not many out-and-out goal baggers around anymore. If there are, they tend to be snaffled.

Marcus Marshall's possibly the closest, and he was only playing college footy less than a season ago. Banton's still only 15, as is Hitchy. All good prospects, but it's such a long path. Garner wasn't particularly outstanding IMO and he's had two lucrative moves, but was probably never going to be a senior first teamer. It's still the position they've been most actively looking to recruit for I'd suggest at our Academy.

Still, Derbs has done okay and even in today's climate, if we cashed him in we'd cover our outlay of £20k I'd guess.

To answer your question, the Academy has more uses than just providing a first team striker.

[BobbyShafto_BRFC]

Derbyshire doesn't seem to be able to play well from when he's in the starting line-up but would you expect anyone who's right footed & who's best position is a centre forward to play on the left wing! I would agree with past comments that Derbyshire is nothing more than an impact player unfortunately.

I'd like to question Mr Ince's knowledge on tactical formations & player positions within these formations... A famous saying is "u cant put sqaure pegs in round holes" I think now Grella has returned that we should withdraw Warnock though he's done well there! A left winger should be purchased in January as Pedersen has lost his form & Treacy is so inexperienced that Ince wont keep starting him. So Derbyshire's starting position on the left wing left me bemused.

[RibbleValleyRover]

What do i think of Derbs?

A natural finisher who hasn't had the run of games to develop and move onto the next level. When he does play he always seems to be wasted on the wings, a complete waste of his natural ability.

Its looking like he is going to have to move on in order to progress. I have no doubts if he gets week in week out football playing up front he will develop and be a very good striker.

[Bobby G]

Impact player, will never be a top striker as his finishing isnt the most lethal over a period of 90 minutes, but he is a great player to bring off the bench. Hard-working, loves the club, runs all day, never gives up. With the quality we should be aspiring to, he should never be good enough for the starting lineup.

[DingleBaiter]

What do i think of Derbs?

A natural finisher who hasn't had the run of games to develop and move onto the next level. When he does play he always seems to be wasted on the wings, a complete waste of his natural ability.

Its looking like he is going to have to move on in order to progress. I have no doubts if he gets week in week out football playing up front he will develop and be a very good striker.

Another thing with Derbs that could play in his favour is if Ince brings through Judgey, or when Dunny's back - both seem to have more of an understanding of Derbs from playing experience (like in the Wolves pre-season game). That is, providing Derbs starts in his proper position of course.

I'm confident that of all our forwards (excluding Roque) Derbs features most in Ince's long term plans (age, energy, training attitude, local lad etc.) enough to think he'll be safe from the chop/transfer.

Really don't think Fowler will be here after Jan, or if he manages to get whatever amount of goals (3 is it?) he needs to be 3rd highest scorer in Prem. At present, RF doesn't look like will score one, and we certainly need to get some shooting practice done.

[G Somerset Rover]

If Derbyshire plays another match for us as a winger then I think I'll lose my sanity. First Hughes and now Ince, for ferk sake the guy is not a winger. He is a goal poacher..nothing more, nothing less. I personally, like others, think that the guy is best as an impact sub, but perhaps given a run up front then he could do a job.

One things for sure and that is we need two wingers now in January, which will not come cheap. A couple of players with pace and the ability to cross would make a huge difference to us, and would most probably see RSC near the top of the goalscoring charts again.

[MarkBRFC71]

He'll make a good Championship striker, but is just not good enough for the Premiership. As the OP said, too lightweight and easily brushed off the ball, has virtually no impact when starting games, and at present is fourth choice for me. Benni and RSC are first choice - by a mile. Roberts is the new Nathan Blake. We should offload Detbs and Roberts in January and try to bring some quality in, and maybe some of the newer youngsters through? After all, Derbs is 22/23 now and if he's not good enough to start games now he never is going to be.

[joey_big_nose]

He had a very good game against newcastle on the left wing in a 4231 but that was mainly because he could beat his man in the air and is very good at drifiting into that space between full back and centreback and the barcodes couldn't pick him up. Problem is if he is against a well drilled defence and a big and quick full back he won't stand a chance.

Main reason he is there is because we don't have anyone else who can play that 4231 left wing role. Pedersen can win stuff in the air against most but hates recieving the ball with his back to goal. Treacy just isn't that sort of winger.

If we switch back to 442 I think Treacy could provide some real quality out wide. Many will disagree with me but I see a lot in him, pace, decent crossing, good strength. With Grella back in the side and Benni gaining fitness a switch to 442 could be imminent where iI could see Treacy getting a start. But then the question is where does Carlos play?

We have a real problem in lots of pretty good individual players but not really a very cohesive team at present.

[Billy Castell]

I agree with JBN. We need to sort out our formation, so it suits our players. I think we're in that experiemental stage at the moment. How about this formation:

Robinson

Simpson/Nelsen/Samba/Warnock

Emo/Grella/Gamst

Pineapple

RSC/Benni or Derbs

Emo and Gamst can go out wide a bit when attacking, and are pretty handy in more nitty gritty midfield roles. If things need a bit more steel in the centre we can swap Gamst for Warnock, and have Olsson as an attacking full back. Pineapple will have more of a free role to attack in space, but should drop back into midfield if needed. Probably all wrong, but its a try.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Yet again I don't get the condemning - the guy is played out of position yet again and people are trying to justify against his inclusion or state that he is only an impact player.

He will only be classed as an impact player as that is only what he has been given the chance to do - yet he has proven he can do it.

We have players who are played in the correct position that playing alot worse than Derbyshire where judgement can be made which is alot different to the situation with Derbyshire.

I am in agreement with Majiball and Ribble Valley on this one - he has not been given the chance up front how anybody can say he is not good enough is only correct in the fact in tht he is not good enough in the wrong position - much the same as I suspect he would be if put in as GK.

[Ricky]

Play him up front or don't play him at all. Being played out of position on the wing is not going to do his confidence any good at all.

I rate him highly but would prefer to see him being played in his right position as a striker.

[tonyoz]

This is a difficult one. Yes, he was played out of position but he had ample opportunities to show some quality.........including striking on goal. However, he was poor in all aspects of his play. That is the worst I have seen from him to-date.

He did have a decent game against Newcastle though....and in the same position.

I hope he comes back from this because he clearly didn't enjoy the game. I fear that his future lies on the bench at best.

[den]

This is a difficult one. Yes, he was played out of position but he had ample opportunities to show some quality.........including striking on goal. However, he was poor in all aspects of his play. That is the worst I have seen from him to-date.

He did have a decent game against Newcastle though....and in the same position.

I hope he comes back from this because he clearly didn't enjoy the game. I fear that his future lies on the bench at best.

I felt really sorry for Matty. It's ridiculous to even ask him to play left wing. He can do a job for the last half hour of a game, pushing forward from the right hand side of midfield, but I wouldn't ever want to see him start left wing again.

[CrazyIvan]

I rate him highly but would prefer to see him being played in his right position as a striker.

Me too. I'm not sure what's up with Morten and why he's not playing. Ince is not saying much other than it wasn't his type of game which says to me something else is going on. Not sure what but... Derbs deserves to be played in his best position but I can understand playing him out wide, he has done well there recently especially as a sub on for Treacy in a recent game.

[Hughesy]

Left wing, right wing, its no excuse. In the games he has played this season, he has numerous opportunities to score goals yet not taken them or has made the wrong decision and shot when he could have layed the ball to someone in a better position (like Sturridge did for City twice yesterday).

Its a dog eat dog world in the premier league and if we want to succeed then he needs to improve.

[MarkBRFC71]

Not. Good. Enough. Simple as that. When he's started up front he's looked like a lost little boy, except in Carling Cup games against League One/Two teams. Perhaps in those games he's found his level.

He will no doubt be a good striker, but it won't ever be in the Premiership.

[AggyBlue]

Ask the lad himself and I'll wager that he'd say he would play anywhere, as long as he played.

Good footballers can play in more than one position.

[Hughesy]

Very good point. If he gets a chance on goal, he should put it away, whether hes playing on the left, right or upfront.