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

[LewisF]

I'd go for the same line up as madon but swap out Williamson for Taylor and one of Duffy or Hanley for Olsson

[Madon]

Don't mind Marshall at right back, think he gives us a bigger attacking threat than Henley would from there. Defensively he's not the best, but neither is Henley. Hopefully Taylor will fill in for Marshall on the wing. No need for radical formation changes.

No need or we all know Bowyer doesn't have the balls to do something different?

Like many have said before me, it's simply slotting square pegs in round holes and trying to make it work. We are at home, we don't have a right back (apart from Nyambe) and by putting Marshall in defence we are isolating one of our best attacking players.

[Scotty]

No need or we all know Bowyer doesn't have the balls to do something different?

Like many have said before me, it's simply slotting square pegs in round holes and trying to make it work. We are at home, we don't have a right back (apart from Nyambe) and by putting Marshall in defence we are isolating one of our best attacking players.

I'd suggest a change to a new system is putting more square pegs in round holes than asking one player, who's done the job ok in the past, to change position. And being at home is one of the reasons why I think it could work. Having Marshall's attacking threat from full-back should help us get onto the front foot and take the game to them.

[Tom]

I thought Nyambe did OK against Shrewsbury apart from the obvious mistake for the goal.

Whilst Jones made his debut v Chelsea and did amazing Michael Keane made his debut against the dingles and looked a bit unsure and affected by the occasion and I remember Jay Mceveley making a mistake in a high profile game against Liverpool and never recovered.

I would like to see Nyambe get a shot soon but not this week for me.

[Madon]

I'd suggest a change to a new system is putting more square pegs in round holes than asking one player, who's done the job ok in the past, to change position. And being at home is one of the reasons why I think it could work. Having Marshall's attacking threat from full-back should help us get onto the front foot and take the game to them.

We will have to agree to disagree on this one I'm afraid, when I've seen Marshall at full back he has looked half-assed and is much more use to us when he is playing in his proper position.

It would be great if Gary actually played one of the younger players for a change, Mahoney has been brilliant by all accounts for the U21s this season. John O'Sullivan was brilliant on loan at Accrington and Barnsley last season, has been on the bench pretty much every game this season but hasn't had a sniff, apart from the cup game vs Shrewsbury where admittedly every one of them were poor!

It's a bit of a pointless discussion as Marshall will start at right back without a thought about changing the formation or putting a younger player in, which is really frustrating IMO!

[DanielMB]

So assuming he is putting Marshall at right back who is at right midfield? Chris Taylor? Lawrence? O´Sullivan. Im hoping for O´Sullivan or Taylor. That way he can keep Lawrence behind Rhodes where he belongs

[sambo]

I get the feeling that Lawrence will be put on the wing and we will go 4-5-1 to try and combat Derby. This would be disappointing as it will be negative and Lawrence doesn't offer sufficient cover for the full back, especially a converted one. We'd be sacrificing a decent striker for decreased protection of the full back (albeit with more bodies in CM). I'd be happier with Taylor out there as he's a work horse and is a pretty handy player.

[joey_big_nose]

352 is not a bad shout. There is the question if we have sufficiently practiced it. Also it doesn't really suit, in my opinion, the sort of pressing game we are trying to play.

Id say its pretty unlikely but if we did go that way I would line up like this:-

------------------Steele

-------Hanley--Duffy--Killer

Conway--Akpan--Evans--Olsson

-----------------Marshall

-------Lawrence----Rhodes

That way you get our key players all on the field.

[Mercer]

Derby are rolling and Clement is shrewd enough to know Rovers are at their most vulnerable when on the back foot.

I have no doubt they will come at us from the off and best I can see for Rovers is a high scoring draw 2-2 or 3-3. I've no doubt we will net as I think Richard Keogh is a defensive clown and an accident waiting to happen.

Heart says a draw but head says it will be a long, long night.

[grizfoot]

I remember being surprised at the beginning of the season when Bowyer commented on not signing Baptiste and he pointed out that we had plenty of cover at right-back with Henley, Lowe and Marshall all being able to play there. Like some other people have already pointed out it I agree that it has been something of a weak-spot for us for quite sometime and although Henley has played reasonably well this season I still thought it was a key area we should have looked to strengthen in the summer. Now we get to the point where both Henley and Lowe are missing, which is not a complete surprise considering both have had injury problems over the last few seasons. Which looks likely to mean that Marshall will start there (official site seems to suggest he will). I'm honestly not a big fan of one of our main creative forces playing at full-back. I wouldn't be against giving Nyambe a start there, I thought he was one of our better players against Shrewsbury (he set up the goal if I remember correctly). I'd much rather have players playing in their best positions. Although I have to respect the opinion of those with superior knowledgle who have seen more of Nyambe and who don't think he is quite ready for first-team action yet. Who knows maybe GB will throw us all a curve ball and play Spurr at right-back.

The three at the back formation is an interesting idea with the players we have at our disposal. Hanley and Duffy would benefit from the greater freedom to aggressively defend with Kilgallon alongside them. Add into that Olsson would make an ideal wing-back and Marshall would have greater chance to get forward from right wing-back than he would at right-back in a back four. I very much doubt this will happen but I thought I would throw my idea of a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Lawrence and Conway having the license to drift and create in-behind Rhodes, into the hat.

------------------------- Steele -------------------------

---------- Duffy ------ Kilgallon ----- Hanley ----------

Marshall ------- Akpan --- Evans ---------- Olsson

--------- Lawrence ------------------- Conway ---------

------------------------ Rhodes ---------------------------

[mick]

Over from Canada for tomorrow's game and the Burnley game. Looking forward to it. Haven't watched Rovers at Ewood since 1967. C'mon the Rovers!!

[A cup of beans]

Over from Canada for tomorrow's game and the Burnley game. Looking forward to it. Haven't watched Rovers at Ewood since 1967. C'mon the Rovers!!

Welcome back, Mick.

If we win both games, you'll have to move back here, as our good luck mascot.

[chaddyrovers]

If we are going to play 3-5-2 then surely you need more 2 dsys of training they have had and also you need to factor in that Derby play 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation.

I would play Marshall at right back with Taylor on the right wing.

[AdamRochina]

I have a horrible feeling by Saturday night we will be three points adrift in the bottom three

[McClarky]

We aren't going to be playing 3-5-2 in the games this week and I don't know why everyone keeps suggesting that we might. Good thing too IMO. Unless you have players who are really comfortable with the formation 3-5-2 always ends up as 5 across the back because the wide players are too scared to go forward. Better to have Marshall at full back with the chance of getting forward. Not really thought about tomorrow's game to be honest though with Saturday looming.

[mustard]

3-5-2 is difficult to adapt to and I'd be surprised if we came out in that formation. I'd be even more surprised if it was successful. 4-5-1 will be the likely formation and I, like others, worry about Marshall at RB.

I am predicting a Derby 3-1 win. If we play well we may snatch a score draw. Would love to be wrong and Rovers grab a win!

[kingofkerimoglu]

Just seen the highlights from the MK Dons match. Based on those 10 minutes viewing; Marshall at right back is not the answer tomorrow night (i'm not sure what/who is the answer mind). Bit of a wild card, but, anything to be said for Lenihan at RB?

[broadsword]

We could play one of our thirteen midfielders there.

Oh, we already are

[4000Holes]

This is a big, big game. Win and we will be looking at play off. Lose and its relegation battle. Simple as.

Why we should be worried about right back is unbelievable. One is suspended, if we don't have an adequate replacement then heads should roll. Yes we are under FFP but surely we should have cover in all positions. Not acceptable if we don't have!

[USABlue]

If they're good enough, they're old enough. It's as simple as that. Throwing them in at the deep end can often weed out the wheat from the chaff.

We have a former youth coach managing the club. If he can't integrate our young prospects into the first-team, it makes you wonder what we were paying him for all those years.

You could've fooled me. You removed what was at worst a sarcastic remark, but keep a post from your mate saying that I have my "head up my arse."

I'm seeing a conflict of interest here.

And if it fails youll be after Bowyers head

[BlooBoy]

Whats with everyone tinkering with our formation and squeezing players into their teams willy nilly ?

Thats GBs style,the style the majority wanted him to avoid and wanted him to stick with a near weekly eleven set up in a way where everyone knew what they were doing. Not changing formation left right and centre.

We lost with ten men (for 80mins)on Saturday. We can put out ten of the eleven who played and took the game to Ipswich and convincingly beat them. We havent suddenly lost half that team since that game. Why all the cry for change ?

Lets stick with a regular line up at least...

[joey_big_nose]

Whats with everyone tinkering with our formation and squeezing players into their teams willy nilly ?

Thats GBs style,the style the majority wanted him to avoid and wanted him to stick with a near weekly eleven set up in a way where everyone knew what they were doing. Not changing formation left right and centre.

We lost with ten men (for 80mins)on Saturday. We can put out ten of the eleven who played and took the game to Ipswich and convincingly beat them. We havent suddenly lost half that team since that game. Why all the cry for change ?

Lets stick with a regular line up at least...

I think everyone is more than happy with our standard pressing 442 developed since the Fulham game. The issue is Henley is suspended and people are worried about Marshall at right back, quite legitimately in my view, and looking how to compensate for it.

I guess it comes down to what's happened on the training ground. If Rovers have practiced 352 and are comfortable with it then its an option.

However I think that's unlikely as we've only played 4 at the back formations - 4231/451/442/411 - never three at the back in the last year at least.

And as Chaddy alluded - if Derby lineup 433 they would love us to go 352 as it would give a lot of space to their wide players.

[Mattyblue]

IF we play with the intensity of the Ipswich game, then it could be a stonking match and who says we can't get a win?

I am hoping that the emegence of Akpan and Evans has fundamentally changed our method of play and that the cautious, deep lying midfield that saw us be dominated in the middle of the park game afer game is gone for good, if we revert to type, we will more than likely lose.

[gumboots]

I was going to venture to ewood for the first time this season to watch this but can't make it. It'll probably be a great match as I'm missing it

[tomphil]

Worryingly GB said after the Ipswich match that (in his view) some teams you can press against and some you can't. I have a bad feeling he'll be taking tonight as a 'can't' . The only way for us to beat these good sides is to meet them head on, they should have realised that by now.