[Archived] Derby County @ Ewood Park, 21/10/15

[donnermeat]

I felt we were good value for our point. Delf frustrated me tonight because he played brilliantly but refused to release key passes at opportune moments!

Duffy and Hanley were solid, Olsson did well, as did Evans centrally. Felt the O'Sullivan should've been on earlier to try and drive forward. Lawrence is sublime and full of drive, cracking player.

Their keeper had 2 saves, ours had none to make.

Felt that ref lost it tonight. Should've been a red card for the off-the-ball handbags, but he tried making up for it by booking every little shove and letting go some quite nasty tackles at times.

I thought the same about O'Sullivan-until he actually came on. Looked slow with the ball at his feet and a bit unfit to me. Whether that is his natural speed and build I don't know, but he looked like Michael McIntyre from where I was sat. I just hope that he wasn't fully fit tonight.

[Parsonblue]

I enjoyed the game tonight and thought we did very well against a side that has been assembled for a considerable amount of money. I thought that defensively we looked sound. Ince and Russell were well marked by Marshall and Olsson. Once again I thought Evans and Akpan did well in midfield. Delfouneso was excellent and my man of the match. Taylor, for his first game back, looked sharp and full of running. I came away feeling quite positive about the long term future. We had a number of youngsters on the bench in O'Sullivan, Lenihan and Nyambe which augers well for the future. Last night I watched at seven goal thriller at Stanley but I enjoyed this 0-0 every bit as much as I thought we played some decent stuff. I must say that I thought Derby were indifferent considering the amount of money that has been spent by them over the summer. Quite how Johnson stayed on the pitch after the foul on Evans I'm not sure. Having already been booked it looked a clear booking offence but, once again, an official bottled making the big decision.

[Mike E]

With due respect Parson, I hate the money excuse. Hughesy assembled a brilliant side for under £10m while many PL sides spend £50m in a single summer on @#/?.

Money is not a barometer for quality at any level.

[A cup of beans]

I can't help feeling this game was a chance missed.

Derby offered very little and were helped out by an abysmal ref who killed the games momentum and completely lost the plot.

We played well until it came to playing the final killer passes. Where it counts.

I think Lawrence needs to be utilised in the number 10 role, we need someone to unpick the good defences.

An horrendous week personally, hoping it ends on a high by beating that lot on Saturday.

[Pedro]

So you would throw in a lad who is struggling for form and hope he swims and doesn't sink? These lads are still learning the game and sometimes this is shown when they come up a slightly older and more experienced pro at Under-21 level. I'd much rather put them in when they are on top of their game and full of confidence.

Jay McEvely springs to mind. Exceptionally young and thrown in against Man Utd I think...One of the best debuts I've seen.

Square pegs in square holes for me.

[AllRoverAsia]

I predicted a win, expected a loss so taking a point as a point gained.

A Derby post match interview which is quite complimentary to Rovers:

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Video-Steve-Nicholson-Derby-County-s-draw/story-28031955-detail/story.html

[Paul]

I'm not sure I went to the right ground last night.

Decent point? Is this where we have sunk to now? Accepting an uninspired, boring, dreary performance lacking any creative play as a "decent point." I'm as surprised to read this as I was bored last night.

While I wouldn't go as far as den in saying there is no quality in the side I think we saw very little last night from the few decent players we have.

Defensively we were solid and I feel this is down to the players though one does have to ask are Derby a good team who didn't turn up or simply at the same level as Rovers? If I had traveled from Derby harbouring play off aspirations I would be very disappointed in my team. Derby offered virtually nothing all night - alternatively we made things difficult for them? Depends on your view I suppose. For me Derby were very average.

Much has been made of our passing but most of it went round in circles. Yes we retained the ball well but it's then necessary to do something with it. Simply retaining the ball actually does the opposition's defensive work for them. When we did attack it was largely either predictable or when a player showed some creativity he'd find himself unsupported with two or three defenders around him - this happened several times down the left in the second half.

The team selection was what I expected but I had thought Lawrence would be central with Rhodes and Taylor on the right. Lawrence is wasted out wide in my view.

Overall I don't think we played badly, just nothing to offer really, but I do feel the team offered absolutely nothing in attacking threat. At no time were Derby under real pressure, neither were we, and at home we must attack the opposition. Recent matches have shown we are better when attacking teams but Mr Mediocrity is clearly nervous of this and has instructed his team to revert to a very cautious approach.

I can't accept this as a decent result. It's a result which demonstrated our lack of creativity and ambition. If we approach Saturday in the same manner we will lose to a team which already has almost double our points tally.

Decent result? If this is acceptable to the majority I imagine two wins from thirteen is also seen as decent.

BOWYER OUT.

[Mike Graham]

I missed this due to Rovers agreeing to change the date. It sounds like I was the lucky one.

BOWYER OUT.

[K-Hod]

Think we were alright enough, but by the end the players looked knackered and I feared the worst right at the end when Steele made a clearance along the ground and Ince intercepted, thankfully it came to nothing.

Thought Defouneso was quite good, but he needs to get his head up! It was quite a dreary game all in all really I felt. I wouldn't say we were as bad as some have suggested mind, but on another day, if we'd played like that I feel Derby would have taken full advantage.

[Speedie Dived]

OK, I'll give those that didn't go the truth.

To a man, we were crap Chaddy. I don't think there was a quality player on either side.

Sorry, but if there's something being built here, it's passing me by.

Really have no idea how you can say that? Solid defensively, we are now keeping the ball really well and moving forward with it.

If you judge a game on goal mouth action then you will have been disappointed tonight.

Couldn't see a poor performance out there last night, even Delfy played well.

Lawrence needs to be signed in Jan, he carries the ball superbly well.

[Speedie Dived]

Chaddy if we had lost 10-0 you would have said we played well

A lot of people have similar views to Chaddy tonight.

Zero boos at Ewood (apart from the ref) either half time or full time.

Team clapped off on 90 and supported throughout. Yet you read some on here and it was atrocious. Do wonder what some people watch sometimes.

[arbitro]

Bowyers post match comments are below. It doesn't auger well when our manager has set the bar so low. He is patting himself on the back for his tactics in a 0-0 home draw.

http://mobile.rovers.co.uk/news/article/blackburn-rovers-derby-county-gary-bowyer-2757685.aspx

[Speedie Dived]

With due respect Parson, I hate the money excuse. Hughesy assembled a brilliant side for under £10m while many PL sides spend £50m in a single summer on @#/?.

Money is not a barometer for quality at any level.

We were big wage payers under Previous regime though. Money is probably the best barometer out there. Look at the wage table in Premier League. Get the odd team that comes out of nowhere but as a rule the more dollar you have, the better your team.

[chaddyrovers]

Chaddy if we had lost 10-0 you would have said we played well

Same old comments.

Change the record for once. Noticed you DONT comment on the game but do another personal insult yet AGAIN.

[Mattyblue]

Made me chuckle how we were booing Shackell tonight...you have to hand it to us lot, we really do hate a Claret

Really? Booing the every touch of some championship journeyman?

And we used to laugh at how obsessed and small time they were...

[chaddyrovers]

A lot of people have similar views to Chaddy tonight.

Zero boos at Ewood (apart from the ref) either half time or full time.

Team clapped off on 90 and supported throughout. Yet you read some on here and it was atrocious. Do wonder what some people watch sometimes.

They were no boos at all towards the Rovers player or manager all night.

The team put in a real shift and like I said the tactics spot on tonight.

Defensively we were spot on. Allowed Derby zero space in the game unlike Wolves who did and got beat.

Going forward we need to use the ball better whether it was poor cross or the wrong pass played. That said we created 2 great chances tho and both should have them on target at least.

[Speedie Dived]

Really? Booing the every touch of some championship journeyman?

And we used to laugh at how obsessed and small time they were...

Have to agree with Matty. Nice touch for Warnock tonight though, thought he deserved that.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Bowyers post match comments are below. It doesn't auger well when our manager has set the bar so low. He is patting himself on the back for his tactics in a 0-0 home draw.

http://mobile.rovers.co.uk/news/article/blackburn-rovers-derby-county-gary-bowyer-2757685.aspx

And this is where he can't win -prior to this match many had been saying we would get soundly beaten, the previous match we played 80minutes with only 10 men, fans have constantly moaned we can't keep a clean sheet, and Bowyers tactics are constantly questioned (sometimes rightly so). Last night we had the best of a match against one of the promotion favourites - we kept a clean sheet - and was missing several players through injury. Lets give the guy a little slack - given the circumstances it was a good point and performance.

[martonrover]

A lot of people have similar views to Chaddy tonight.

Zero boos at Ewood (apart from the ref) either half time or full time.

Team clapped off on 90 and supported throughout. Yet you read some on here and it was atrocious. Do wonder what some people watch sometimes.

Aye, that's because the few who still turn up are mostly the 'super fans' or are just going for something to do.

I was ill so couldn't attend but listening on the radio it sounded like a reserve fixture.

Setting up to draw at home won't be enticing folk to return any time soon.

The bleating about money is getting boring. Look at the job Gary Rowett is doing at Birmingham on a shoestring.

Bowyer's mentality is entirely wrong and he continues to take us slowly backwards.

Nearly November, seventeenth in the league and only won two games.

Smile and clap everyone.

[Mike E]

We were big wage payers under Previous regime though. Money is probably the best barometer out there. Look at the wage table in Premier League. Get the odd team that comes out of nowhere but as a rule the more dollar you have, the better your team.

As a rule, yes. But we are the exception at the moment when compared to many clubs in the Championship.

I did mean transfer fees in my original post, but I feel it stands. If anything it makes our case worse as we have spent so much to gain so little.

[cesus]

Before the game I thought we would lose when I heard Conway was missing as well as being rather patched up, we drew so in my book makes it a good point. Going forward was rather wayward and the final ball/ majority of set pieces were poor but the team was patched up Rhodes had little or no support up front and that 11 was literally the strongest possible to play.

The managers hands were tied tonight, he has made many many mistakes tactically in the past but he couldn't really do anything else than what he did this game.

[Paul]

A lot of people have similar views to Chaddy tonight.

Zero boos at Ewood (apart from the ref) either half time or full time.

Team clapped off on 90 and supported throughout. Yet you read some on here and it was atrocious. Do wonder what some people watch sometimes.

I can't see how the team was "supported throughout" most of the time it was so quiet I could literally hear every word from Bowyer and his individual hand claps. Ewood was like a morgue and i had the distinct feeling this was just numb acceptance.

Apart from a couple of minutes of singing nothing was heard from the BBE and the DE limited itself to deriding Burnley

[K-Hod]

Aye, that's because the few who still turn up are mostly the 'super fans' or are just going for something to do.

I was ill so couldn't attend but listening on the radio it sounded like a reserve fixture.

Setting up to draw at home won't be enticing folk to return any time soon.

The bleating about money is getting boring. Look at the job Gary Rowett is doing at Birmingham on a shoestring.

Bowyer's mentality is entirely wrong and he continues to take us slowly backwards.

Nearly November, seventeenth in the league and only won two games.

Smile and clap everyone.

Some good points, but I don't think we set up to draw at all.

[Speedie Dived]

Aye, that's because the few who still turn up are mostly the 'super fans' or are just going for something to do.

I was ill so couldn't attend but listening on the radio it sounded like a reserve fixture.

Setting up to draw at home won't be enticing folk to return any time soon.

The bleating about money is getting boring. Look at the job Gary Rowett is doing at Birmingham on a shoestring.

Bowyer's mentality is entirely wrong and he continues to take us slowly backwards.

Nearly November, seventeenth in the league and only won two games.

Smile and clap everyone.

We didn't set up to draw at all.

I probably couldn't see properly though my cape was flapping in my eyes.

As a rule, yes. But we are the exception at the moment when compared to many clubs in the Championship.

I did mean transfer fees in my original post, but I feel it stands. If anything it makes our case worse as we have spent so much to gain so little.

Agree there is more scope for getting better players with lower transfer fees, but players know their worth, won't get a good un on the cheap wage wise.

Yeah what we have spent has been disastrous since this mob came into town.

[Amo]

It's come to something when a drab 0-0 draw at home to a below par Derby side is seen as some kind of crowning achievement. I guess you had to be there, right?