Derby Reaction Thread

[Brighton Breezy]

As I am staying in Nottingham I am probably the first one in from the game and online.

Just thought I would post my two pennies worth.

I thought McShane looked class. He seemed to have an extra few seconds on the ball and was always composed and looking to pass the ball out into the feet of our midfielders. Clearly going to be a quality player.

Henderson looked a bit shaky at times in goal but didnt really do anything wrong.

Kazim-Richards looked good. Put himself about, ran himself into the ground. Could perhaps have come looking for the ball a bit more and he looked like he was expecting it to feet a bit more and got frustrated as the game went on but he ran Johnson into the ground and dragged their defence all over the shop.

Knight was played in a deeper role and picked up Idiakes when Derby were attacking and he looked disciplined and defended well. I imagine at home he will be played further forward and the prospect of him developing a partnership with Kazim-Richards is genuinely exciting and should deliver its fair share of goals this season.

Second ref was crap and not only should have sent Johnson off for his foul on Kazim-Richards but the wall was nowhere near ten yaurds back for Leon's unlucky free kick.

Brighton fans were excellent.

All in all a cracking first day performance and the team are already showing a marked improvement on last season.

On todays evidence we should be fine come the end of the season.

 

[Northstander]

Great report and very reassuring!

 

[Citrus]

I like it. I'm quite excited about this season.

 

[clippedgull]

optimism abounds

 

[Brighton Breezy]

For the first half hour we looked the better and more composed team.

In the second half they got on top more and started stringing passes together but on another day we could have had a penalty after Kazim-Richards seemed to be hauled down in the area and then later on, after he was fouled again, a yaurd to the right and Leon's free kick would have nessled seductively in the bottom corner.

 

[clippedgull]

any guesstimates on number of seagull fans there?

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Made a hell of a noise, helped a lot by the superb acoustics of the stand but I would say about 2,000maybe slightly less. Filled about half the end behind the goal which I think is about 5,000 odd if full.

 

[dougdeep]

any guesstimates on number of seagull fans there?

1751.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Our stand behind the goal was pretty near full - I'd guess somewhere between 1500 - 2000 and quite vocal (as usual).

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

1751.

Is that a guess or a fact ??

 

[clippedgull]

came over very loud on SCR

 

[smudge]

They said 1751 on SCR & you sounded fantastic. BZ!!!!

 

[Gully]

Crowd were loud, outsung a very quiet home support, considering they outnumbered us by about 10 or 12 to 1...

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Sounds like created more chances in this game than in about five games in a row last.

 

[Normandy seagull]

Agree totally with you Richie! how do you post pics, I have some of today?

 

[Brighton Breezy]

The one slight criticism was that when we had a series of throw ins right in the corner we didnt get it in the box.

With Hammond attacking crosses etc from deep we should have been delivering earlier.

All said though hardly a damming criticism.

Superb performance. I expect Derby to be there or there abouts by the end of the season but I think we played them at the right time, i.e. first game before they get going.

 

[Normandy seagull]

"Henderson did look a bit shaky at times"


Yes when he came out didn't get the ball and the Rasiak had an open goal and a free header but headed it over

 

[Gully]

Thought their centre forward, the one who thinks he is better than Championship level, was a bit petulant at times. Also a bit hacked off that Chippy got booked for a bit of back chat to the ref when their players were at it all the time, also one of their defenders should have walked for hauling CKR down when the last man (that was what led to the free kick where Leon hit the outside of the post and they didn't retreat anything like 10 yards)

Don't like to sound critical on what was such a good day for the Albion.

 

[Curious Orange]

Just back in (via Sainsburys).

Bloody horrible trip, which seemed to consist of a solid traffic jam between here and Luton.

However my aged Golf has proven to be capable of a sustained speed of *cough-splutter* and I arrived in plenty of time.

Nice ground, if a little mechano-like from the outside. But a good arena with a good view of the pitch.

I found myself stood next to the now-extremely-famous-to-other-Brighton fans Aaron Berry, so I introduced myself to Jam the Man, as he is also known, and we were both impressed with where he winnings went.

Yep, this was a solid professional performance from the Albion. The new outfield players all looked self-assured and comfortable on the ball. Dodd showing the kind of class that keeps you playing in the top flight for the majority of your career; McShane the raw talent and positional sense that both belies his tender age and gives the reason as to why he is a Manchester United player; the Coca-Cola kid looks like he will terrorise defences, he's already terrorised Derbys.

In goal Henderson wasn't really tested, but his early butter-fingers spills and reluctance to come out was put behind him with two good takes in the last ten minutes.

Brighton were a continual threat from set pieces, so it isn't really a suprise that Hammond headed home an early free-kick, indeed he should have done better with a free header from a similar position in the second half.

Derby's equaliser came out of not much really, Butters clearance deflected to Peschisolido, who couldn't really miss.

Derby were pretty at times but didn't have much of a threat, their star players Idiakez and Rasiak resorting to throwing themselves at the ground at every opportunity - Rasiak embarrassingly so after he failed to have enough pace to run around Butters.

The Albion looked comfortable throughout, keeping Derby at arms length for the most part. The solidity came from the use of Reid and Hammond on the right and left. While not spectacular these two were able to engineer oportunities for the front two while not compromising defence.

A good performance indeed.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Really good to see everyone playing with confidence, Chippy and Ried especially. Good also to see opposition defenders having no choice but to hoof the ball out of touch. And a massive big up to MM for making some top signings. It's going to be a top season if it carries on like this.