What I.Saw - Negative Nigel's Rams Flatline!
Thursday, 16th Feb 2012 16:28 by I.Saw

The Rams produced a less than inspiring performance after Nigel Clough fielded a less than attacking formation.

Derby County 0 vs. 1 Reading

Pride Park Stadium

14th February 2012

Referee:

G Eltringham

Attendance:

22,567 (521 Reading revellers)

The Teams:

Derby County:

Fielding (GK); Green, Shackell, Barker, Roberts; Hendrick, Carroll (Bailey 77), Bryson (S.Davies 46); Ward, Ball (Robinson 55), Tyson.

Unused Substitutes: Legzdins (GK), Buxton.

Reading:

Federici (GK); Connolly, Gorkss, Pearce, Harte; Kebe, Karacan, Leigertwood, Robson-Kanu (Mills 82); Hunt, Roberts.

Unused Substitutes: Anderson (GK), Tabb, Church, Le Fondre.

Match Stats: Derby - Reading

Possession: 52% - 48%

Shots On Target: 7 - 5

Shots Off Target: 4 - 3

Corners: 3 - 8

Fouls: 13 - 13

Most Fouls: Shackell (3) - Leigertwood (5)

I.Saw’s Match Summary:

Yawn, another boring, negative ninety from Nigel.

We start in a second gear then drop to first.

At home you let Reading take the play to you.

You go 4-5-1.

Then you change.

Callum Ball in the centre, Jamie Ward on one touchline, Nathan Tyson on the other and ne’er the three shall meet.

Long Ball football, Frank Fielding to their keeper, time and time again.

Coaching badges could help... if you weren’t stubborn.

Stubborn, Number 19 - no longer Tomasz Cywka now a boy from Spurs trying to play a man’s game.

A game in two halves, both Reading’s.

Craig Bryson doesn’t make it out of the tunnel; Steve Davies does, gingerly gently, carefully.

An idiot behind calls him a coward as he dips out of a challenge, personally I wouldn’t be out there, the coward in my eyes is the man who has no balls and that’s not Davies.

Not by a long chalk.

We concede on the hour mark, a routine cross not cut out by Gareth Roberts, a routine header not dealt with by Shaun Barker or Paul Green.

And we are dead; it’s over bar the shouting.

Bar the farcical.

Bar Barker up front, Bar Davies, Ward, Tyson, Robinson all without a shot between them.

It’s over.

Well it should be anyway.

Somehow I suspect Nigel doesn’t see it that way.

Manager's Reaction:

Nigel Clough could not understand why his team fell flat against Reading:

"We're a bit puzzled as to why we were so flat, from the off really. The lads were buzzing in training on Monday and on Tuesday morning during a brief session, so we were really looking forward to the game."

"After a good point at Millwall we're disappointed we didn't build on it. We were flat from the start and didn't recover from it. Unfortunately we didn't get hold of the ball enough, but we have to remember we're going to have highs and lows with such a young team - but it's just frustrating when it happens at home when we've been so good in the last few months."

"Reading are a good, experienced side and they were that little bit too good for us on the night."

"It's a frustrating one for us so we want to put it behind us as quickly as we can and try to get a good result on the road at Southampton on Saturday."

"The big positive was to get Steven Davies and Theo Robinson back on the pitch after injury, so that was a big thing for us. It was also pleasing to see Nathan Tyson get 90 minutes under his belt, his first of the season, and although he was rusty it will do him the world of good."