The problem is a simple and obvious one

The defence is still as error prone and positionally inept as it was during pre season. Two sets of coaches have been unable to improve them to a point were anybody can have any confidence in them keeping a clean sheet in any game. I'm afraid unless major changes are made in defence relegation is still the most likely outcome. Out of the four that played tonight only Odour filled me within any hope but even he needs an experienced centre half playing alongside him to help him.
Simple choice for the board in January strengthen squad or face relegation.

 

Got a clean sheet last match. Just saying.

 

Every now and again they'll keep one but come on in all honesty do you have confidence that they'll keep one before any game because tonight even a bloke whose not scored for nearly 20 games was given enough chances to score 4 and we were lucky he only managed 1

 

Right back, centre half, all round midfielder and striker needed. Or just 5 defenders

 

Is it the system we are playing that's creating the issues? We want our defenders to defend, but we also want them to pick a pass into a congested midfield area, along the ground, where the receiving midfield player gets muscled off the ball, or the ball is intercepted before they get to it, and the opponent launches attacks. Our 'playing through the thirds' approach was Derby's most dangerous attacker last night. The coaches want lower league players to defend but also be Franz Beckenbauer on the ball. I think if Mick McCarthy had been asked to play like that we'd all have said he was crap and that we should get rid.

 

Right from the off, the team smacked of tiredness for me. Physical and mental. Towards the end of the match I saw on a number of occasions a player have his pocket picked as he waited for the ball to reach him, a clear sign of fatigue. I don’t remember seeing that at all up to this match. I think the recent improvement has come about through better concentration, and we regressed in this match because of lack of concentration.
A rest is needed to recharge the batteries and push on.

 

They're just not good enough for the Championship right now, maybe they will be in the next couple of years but not now. It would be like Liam Lindsay and Marc Roberts playing in the premiership. Its not their fault, they've been thrown in the deep end.

 

Oduor

 

Darren Fletcher did a piece on this after the game, basically he said, the Diamond is very difficult to play against, but for it to work you have to be very good players and you can see the players are well drilled, but are just not good enough for it to be effective.