[Archived] Derby County vs Blackburn Rovers Sunday 04/08 4pm kick off (Live on Sky)

[chaddyrovers]

Henry Winter ‏@henrywinter 8m

Gary Bowyer has a nice wry sense of humour. Asked about the many problems that beset #brfc last season, he replied: 'What problems?!'

Henry Winter ‏@henrywinter 6m

Very early days but Gary Bowyer seems just what #brfc need. Knows & loves the club. Calm. Players/fans clearly responding positively to him

Good comments by the Best Sport journalist in the UK.

here is his match report http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/10221455/Derby-County-1-Blackburn-Rovers-1-match-report.html

[levi]

Most important thing is that we played like a team and we looked organised for the first time in about 2 years.

+1

[adopted scouser]

Strangely optimistic after today even with just a point.

Who knows where a young team can go but we must give it time, and more over give Bowyer time.

Evertime I see Taylor I keep thinking of David Fairclough

[philipl]

Well that was a pleasant change.

Rovers looked organised, tracked back, fought for each other and above all, looked FIT. In fact they outlasted Derby.

The Rochina dislocation might do us a favour and keep him at Ewood. Even with the much fancied Will Hughes playing for Derby, Reuben was easily the best player on the park.

Really pleased for Best scoring. Had he spotted Rhodes stealing unmarked into space a couple of minutes after his equaliser, Best would have been a mega-hero!

[DE.]

Can't help but think if we hadn't equalised the comments on here would not be quite so positive. Some fair points but some of the posts here read like the poster only watched the first 30 minutes of the game.

[Stuart]

Bit harsh, that.

Looks like he might be alright.

In all seriousness, Dunn was a good 'un at 24.

I thought Judge was great today.

But for Rochina getting injured, I'd be allowing a bit of optimism to creep back in after today's performance.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

here is his match report http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/10221455/Derby-County-1-Blackburn-Rovers-1-match-report.html

"Bowyer was an animated figure in the dug-out, barking instructions, querying decisions with the fourth official, acknowledging the chants of the fans."

Good to hear.

[bazza]

Well, well, well ! How about that then? That was the best performance by a Rovers team I've seen in a long long time.

I would even have said the same had we lost 1-0. It looked like it wasn't to be our day after hitting the post and having a Rhodes header hit a Derby man on the line. We weren't getting the rub of the green.

But, almost Man Utd esque, we kept on attacking to the bitter end and got our deserved equaliser.

We looked good in the first half until our star man, Ruben Rochina who was putting the wind up the Derby defenders, got a dislocated shoulder after 36 minutes. Best came on for him and a silly arm in the air by Marrow gave them a penalty which they converted and that took the wind out of our sails. We could have conceded a second before half time but for an excellent save from Mr Dependable, J Kean.

Full marks to GB for, in the second half, we went at them hell for leather. About twenty minutes into the second half the screen showed Rovers having 68% possession! When did that last happen?

An excellent cross from Taylor and a cracking finish from Best gave us a deserved equaliser.

At last we have a left back in Spurr who can play a bit and knows what he is doing. He also has a great long throw.

Kane was a bit wobbly at times and Lowe made one or two mistakes.

King started well but faded in the second half.

Other than that, a great performance. Things are looking good under GB. Roll on the rest of the season.

[davulsukur]

OK then. Lowe had a poor game but then he never had a chance. He had been pre judged by the majority before he crossed the line and he would have had to play like Messi before he would have got a favourable comment.

Overall I was happy with the general standard of play of the team today.

First half he did ok.

Second half he was abysmal.

[rovers11]

Bit of an over statement, we looked good at the beginning and when pushing for an equalizer, can't really judge on one game but still confident of not being in a relegation battle

Lots of new players to gel yet , and not sure Bowyer knows his starting eleven yet

Compared to what we've been for the last two season we were outstanding. Lots of energy, commitment and dare I say even class on the ball.

I'm just shocked that we could actually pass the ball for more than 5 seconds without lumping it up the park and losing it. Actually, passed the ball the whole match and very well.

Marrow and Lowe did well until we went 442. Lowe was then asked to be the playmaker and take the ball of the defence to start the attacks. Williamson, Evans, and cairney as CM options looks promising.

New a new winger as King looks weak at the moment, olsson is limited and Nunes is inconsistent. Judge and Taylor look good tho.

Best was really good second half. Held the ball up really well. The problem with Rhodes is that if he's not on the score sheet then he offers very little.

If we could get McLean in and a new striker then we could have a decent team. Cairney looked very good when he came on.

Spurr and Judge look like bargains. Judge has got the touch of a prem player.

Kane was poor, as was King.

[JAL]

Big improvements need to come from Todd Kane, Jason Lowe, Marrow and Josh King, but this Rovers group played together, went behind together, and came back together.

Well done to team GB and the players.

[bluebruce]

To be honest, don't rate lowe, but my family only caught the last 20 mins on tv (had no idea anywhere was showing it), and we thought Lowe was very good.for that period. Assuming we werent attributing things to him that others did! Bit of a squint at the screen!

[rovers11]

To be fair to Lowe and marrow, they did well in the defensive role. Derby have the best central midfielder in the league in will Hughes but we dominated. Even when they put 5 in midfield we still dominated. Their distribution is poor so can't play together in a 442 but were very effective in a 4231 system.

Think some fans are judging players on their preconceptions rather than how they played today.

[Batman.]

We won't get promoted unless we get some distribution from the middle of the park. We know this league is average at best, and with a quality central midfielder, this lot could easily be in the mix.

[Ricky]

I'm guessing that's why he's bought in the two midfielders from Hull.

[Steve Moss]

Batman- I think Gary Bowyer has been working that issue. Our midfield will improve and we'll be a very competitive side.

[roversfan99]

Leon Best was excellent as a sub, think he's got too much stick today. Thought he created his own chances, was powerful, won headers, showed strength and good hold up play. Excellent goal.

Spurr was rock solid at left back, Judge was a bright spark and Taylor showed good invention when he came on, great cross for Best. Hanley is a top class Championship centre back.

As people have said, the central midfield was dire, Rhodes was quiet, Kane was all over the place and King is awful.

I would love this team to be our first choice:

Kean

Kane Hanley Kilgallon Spurr

Taylor Williamson Evans Judge

Best Rhodes

When fit, Rochina and Campbell could compete with Best, whilst the likes of Dunn, Cairney, Henley, Dann and Nunes are good options.

[Messi422]

The moment of Best hugging Dave Fevre after scoring the equalizer is brilliant, really glad that Best scored.

[rovers11]

Even Nicko is saying Best looked the business when he came on! Now that is praise. Nicko doesn't like giving Rovers any praise these days.

[Derbyshire Blue]

Generally real pleased with that display, especially Judge and Spurr's contribution, I had a good feeling about Spurr within a few minutes when he took three consecutive throw-ins, going from deep in our half to a point were he could use his considerable long throw to put them under pressure. Linked up well with Judge who himself was unlucky when after a great move and run into the box saw his deft curler just drift by the left upright.

Best's goal was class due in no small part to Taylor's efforts, would never have come about while King was playing that roll. Best had better options on two occasions when he decided to shoot and blazed high and wide, now he's scored perhaps he'll think twice. Loved that he ran half the length of the pitch to celebrate with the dugout, showed a good camaraderie within the squad, Paul Robinson confirmed the feel good factor within the squad in his post match comments.

Really looking forward to seeing GB's eventual first 11 play. COYB

[JonnyBRFC]

Thought we should of won, and on another day we would have - post, off the line clearances. Derby didn't seem to create much really - Hughes was running the midfield at times though.

The first 20/30 minutes has got to be the best I've seen us play in a long time, Lowe and Marrow worked well holding and giving it to Rochina or the wide men to create chances.

Gutted for Rochina, hope he's back pretty sharpish. The commentary team were praising him a hell of a lot, has a big part to play this season imo.

Thought King was poor, needs to be a sub imo, his pace is his asset so use him when the opposition are tired.

Impressed by Spurr, Judge and Taylor all look like assets and will do a job in this league.

Not sure why Marrow flicked his hand up? After the penalty we lost our shape and looked glad to see half time.

As we went to 442 the midfield was lost - Lowe/Marrow had no one to pass it onto (easily) so just punted up to Best, who I still think is better when he gets it to feet.

Derby very average, some good play at times though invited pressure on. We will face a much tougher test next week. Though I look forward to Cairney and Evans getting a run in midfield.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Comments from Derby fans -

"Blackburn are a good team with a decent squad....They probably have the best CB pairing in the league and have a very good front line. Only two teams I think are better than Blackburn and that is Wigan and QPR."

"Rochina was tearing us apart. He was growing more and more in to the game."

"To be fair it was good fortune that their lad got injured as he was causing us all sorts of problems "

"we were getting hammered by Blackburn until we got that flukey penalty'

"They'll score plenty of goals. Rhodes alone practically guarantees that. Their defense though, looked like it was ripe for picking every time we got anywhere near it."

"Let's remember Best hit the post from two yards, Rochina missed from eight yards and they should have had a penalty. We hardly created anything and in defence again had two people going for the same ball on numerous occasions. Blackburn deserved to win. We clung on to draw. That's two points dropped."

"Blackburn will be in and around there as well, they look a lot better side than they did last year "

[Batman.]

I'm guessing that's why he's bought in the two midfielders from Hull.

Yeah, but I'm not expecting too many Zidane passes from those boys.

[Roverthechimp]

Very encouraging - though we lost the plot for a while after the penalty and at the start of the 2nd half. Lowe/Marrow aren't as bad as some describe, doing more right than wrong but their mistakes will be costly against better teams. Thought Best was the right sub at the time (scary that i wouldn't trust Dunn to last 60 minutes...) but we dropped a little too deep for a while. Kane had a mare but got away with it, the other defenders look good and Spurr looks like a very astute signing. Encouraging but really hope that Rochina isn't gone for too long - if he is then i would consider putting Judge there and playing Taylor out right and King on the left (insert alternative left winger if you wish - think created problems for derby in the first 35 minutes but disappeared after that).

[roversR4ever]

Well very encouraging.

Biggest thing, we were a well organised team. Fitness levels vastly improved. Everyone seemed to know their role. GB does seem to know what he is doing.

First impressions are GB can spot a decent player certainly for the championship. Seems to make the right choices with his subs.

When was last time you could say we dominated a game for decent periods?

New signings impressed.

Rochina excellent, still very greedy but did release a pass more than I can remember big loss when injured.

Finally a genuine left back, Spurr was excellent.

Judge was excellent as well and improved as the game went on.

Taylor again excellent when he came on for a pretty ineffectual King.

Marrow ok when Rochina was an option in front of them but had a moment of madness. Is a squad player and can play a role as a defensive midfielder.

Lowe same as Marrow but I prefer him to Marrow. The issue is you cant have them both in a 442 when one has to become more creative. Lowe had to try and be more creative once Rochina had to leave the pitch and that's when more passes went missing. He looked a lot better when Cairney came on. I know a lot of people wont agree but I do think he is fine in this league as a defensive cm.

Cairney looked a good player when he came on. Decent first touch and can pass.

Hanley did well ,better on the ball as well, Dann fine. Kane was weakest of the back four.

Rhodes a little unlucky - should have had a penalty.

Best did better than I expected, improved vastly as the game went on and a good very well taken goal.

I now honestly believe we finally have a well balanced team and squad. Evans should improve the team. If we are trying to get McClean then that's going to improve our options - but I wouldnt drop Judge after today!

We simply have better options this year.

BUT its a very long season and its going to be tough. At this stage certainly a LOT more hopeful than last year.