Irish Rams and Opposition Irish

[DeLorean]

Keogh, Hendrick, Sammon, Forde, Dunne, Garvan and Williams all start at the iPro.

[DeLorean]

My buddy over was very upset with Forde, saying he was time wasting from the 5th minute onwards - sour grapes no doubt! He also said that he made a world class save, Hendrick was unlucky to be taken off and Sammon was terrible.

[DeLorean]

Hendrick played the 90mins last night with Hughes injured. He was supposed to have been immense in a game Derby dominated. Sammon missed a good chance in injury time to win it.

[DeLorean]

Billy Davies sacked (http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26712368) as Forest manager to compound Derby's joy this week.

Neil Warnock looks like taking over.

[Charlie Darwin]

It seemed there was something in the air before the match and he'd probably have gone regardless of the result, but that was a pasting. I wouldn't be too confident about Andy Reid flourishing under Warnock.

[Charlie Darwin]

Keogh starts, Hendrick and Sammon on the bench as Derby need to win away at Doncaster to keep their slim hopes of automatic promotion alive. Former League of Ireland pair Enda Stevens and Paul Keegan start for Donnie.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Logan, St Ledger, Long and Treacy already promoted (Derby aren't going to catch Burnley now). St Ledger is out the door in the summer and Treacy is out of contract in the summer and there hasn't been any talk of him getting a new one, which has coincided with a month-long run of him being an unused substitute. Logan and Long are peripheral figures.

Murphy, Dunne, Harriman, Sutherland and Doyle are at QPR
O'Brien, Keogh, Hendrick and Sammon are at Derby.
Kiernan, McCann and McClean are at Wigan.
Ward and Andrews are both on loan at Brighton.
Kelly and Pearce are at Reading.
Tabb, Green, Hunt, Lee and Murphy are at Ipswich.
Harte, Arter and O'Kane are at Bournemouth.
Reid, McLaughlin and Cox are at Forest.
O'Sullivan, O'Connor, Judge and Best are all out on loan from Blackburn.

Out of them who would have a realistic chance of figuring regularly in the PL next season?

Dunne and Doyle
Keogh and Hendrick
McCann and McClean
Ward
Pearce
Hunt and Murphy
Arter and O'Kane
Reid

[samhaydenjr]

Logan, St Ledger, Long and Treacy already promoted (Derby aren't going to catch Burnley now). St Ledger is out the door in the summer and Treacy is out of contract in the summer and there hasn't been any talk of him getting a new one, which has coincided with a month-long run of him being an unused substitute. Logan and Long are peripheral figures.

Murphy, Dunne, Harriman, Sutherland and Doyle are at QPR
O'Brien, Keogh, Hendrick and Sammon are at Derby.
Kiernan, McCann and McClean are at Wigan.
Ward and Andrews are both on loan at Brighton.
Kelly and Pearce are at Reading.
Tabb, Green, Hunt, Lee and Murphy are at Ipswich.
Harte, Arter and O'Kane are at Bournemouth.
Reid, McLaughlin and Cox are at Forest.
O'Sullivan, O'Connor, Judge and Best are all out on loan from Blackburn.

Out of them who would have a realistic chance of figuring regularly in the PL next season?

Dunne and Doyle
Keogh and Hendrick
McCann and McClean
Ward
Pearce
Hunt and Murphy
Arter and O'Kane
Reid

Er, aren't we forgetting someone, like Ipswich's top scorer?

[DeLorean]

Good results today for Forest, if they can take advantage at Leeds shortly. Their game against Brighton on the final day could be a big one.

Derby still need another point to confirm third place after QPR's comeback.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Derby-County-Steve-Nicholson-says-midfielder-Jeff/story-21024777-detail/story.html

Hendrick hitting peak form at the right time; Derby's midfield "the envy of the division".

http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/sport/hertssport/11174897.McClaren_critical_of__sloppy__Rams/

McClaren criticises sloppy Derby defending.

[Crosby87]

Hendrick was unlucky to be taken off and Sammon was terrible.

What did his lunch have to do with it?

[tricky_colour]

What did his lunch have to do with it?

The Haddock Steak tasted like fish.

[Crosby87]

You say that after every third date.

[DeLorean]

Keogh, Hendrick and Sammon all start all start at Elland Road. First time in a while I suspect. O'Brien not in squad.

[Crosby87]

Chief O'Brien.
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ2dJAMALu174s8vdNVSXauugsniNvLn R8i2EXVkCdf5HzmwgO4k-wYmXs (http://foot.ie/url?q=http://reflectionsonfilmandtelevision.blogspot.com/2011/04/cult-tv-faces-of-tech-support.html&sa=U&ei=APJkU9C0LYnCywGU1YBQ&ved=0CD4Q9QEwCA&usg=AFQjCNEGbOr9ceQYcKXWjLI7LQdF-vaZwQ)

[DeLorean]

Completely dominant performance from Derby. They now lead 5-1 on aggregate against a hopeless Brighton. Stephen Ward moved to centre back after Greer got injured early on. Keith Andrews started but has basically been chasing shadows all day. Hendrick decent if not spectacular and Keogh untroubled. Sammon unused sub with five minutes left. Hendrick has just made it four!

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

A Granny ruler center back won Derby Supporter's Player of the Season award - and it wasn't Richard Keogh.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27054522

https://twitter.com/JakeBuxton1

[Stuttgart88]

Congratulations, I'm sure you're delighted.

[Charlie Darwin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFCBrClpdk0

[tricky_colour]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFCBrClpdk0

Wow I wondered what was happening there at first I thought it was 3 goals scored, didn't realise he hit the bar
3 times in a row, that is quite a talent.

[DeLorean]

Buxton is a bit of a cult hero at Derby. I think most would rate Keogh as a more natural defender but Buxton is a kind of inspirational figure, a bit like Puyol at Barca, minus the histrionics. We met him after the Bohs Derby friendly last summer and he seems a really sound bloke as well. The jury will be out on both should they gain promotion, especially after Derby's defensive horror show the last time they went up.

[DeLorean]

Why are Doyle and the Derby lads (http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Derby-County-skipper-Richard-Keogh-brushes/story-21115768-detail/story.html) meeting up with the squad on Saturday if they're not going to be involved on Sunday? It would have surely made more sense for them to meet up with the team for the next training session after Sunday's game. I get the impression that all four would swim over to Ireland to meet up with the squad after the playoff game though so fair play. Another shining example to put the 205 pages of Stephen Ireland nonsense into perspective.

[Stuttgart88]

It says they'll join the squad following the game, it didn't say immediately following the game!

[DeLorean]

That's true but I saw it here (http://www.thescore.ie/ireland-squad-summer-friendlies-2014-1474758-May2014/) yesterday as well. It's still open to interpretation but I think it's implying that they are flying into Dublin on Saturday.



Derby County trio Richard Keogh, Jeff Hendrick and Conor Sammon as well as QPR’s Kevin Doyle are expected to fly in following Saturday’s Championship playoff final at Wembley.

[Stuttgart88]

OK, well I think I'll skip the CL Final and head out to Heathrow just to see :)

[DeLorean]

Typical derby game at the City Ground ended 1-1. Andy Reid came off injured before half time, groin I think. Keogh, bar a couple of shaky moments, was pretty good. He made one brilliant headed interception near his goal line in the first half and threw himself about effectively, in what was an unstructured kind of match. Buxton was sent off for a second yellow near the end but Keogh and Shotton saw the game out comfortably enough. Leon Best came on just before Forest took the lead in the second half but Derby equalised around ten minutes later. Keogh headed off the bar from a corner, dropped to Shotton who just squeezed it over the line before Best made sure. Didn't do too much otherwise as Derby were retreating once Buxton got the red. Hendrick not in squad and expected to miss the rest of the month.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Cannot comment on the rest of his performance but Keogh was poor for their goal.

Disappointing that Stephen McLaughlin has fallen completely out of favor again.

[DeLorean]

He wasn't really. He was pulled out of position because Forsyth was still up the pitch from left back and nobody filled in for him. Shotton could maybe have done better alright, sold easily enough by the turn. Very harsh to criticise Keogh but hey, that's what you do.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I nitpick to critique him and you nitpick to defend him. It's what we do.

Just took a look on the forum and the consensus seems to be decent performance but a brainfart for the goal.

[DeLorean]

Except I don't nitpick to defend him at all.

[DeLorean]

Just saw the goal again and I have to admit I got it wrong. Thought at the time that Keogh was left exposed and had to go to the player, he didn't as there was cover. Apologies, you win this round Knockers :o

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Richard Keogh's on X Factor tonight.

[geysir]

Just saw the goal again and I have to admit I got it wrong. Thought at the time that Keogh was left exposed and had to go to the player, he didn't as there was cover. Apologies, you win this round Knockers :o
He must have had a good game though as he was the acclaimed motm (or thereabouts) for Derby.

[DeLorean]

I think you'd have to say he was good overall, but the goal does put a dent on the performance as he had a few shaky moments otherwise as well. He failed to cut out a cross in the first half which could have been very dangerous and gave a way a needless free kick in a perfect position for Andy Reid also, which luckily nothing came of. He misjudged a header in the second half too and accidentally headed it backwards but Shotton mopped up.

On the plus side he was visibly the organiser in chief for what was a sound defensive display by Derby, they limited Forest to very little, and I already mentioned his brilliant piece of defending in the first half. He helped Shotton on numbers occasions as well, who was struggling with the beast that is Assombalonga. The fact that he was instrumental in Derby's equaliser would probably bring him up to a 7/10 I think. Don't think any other Derby player deserved more than that and most would have been 6 or less. Forsyth is probably the only other Derby player I'd give a 7, the rest were just functional.

[paul_oshea]

We all know though that these mistakes get punished at PL or International level. I wouldnt read much into him organising the defense, if he cant organise himself properly for 90 minutes.

[Stuttgart88]

Good Champipnship level CB. Carries the ball out of defence well. Puts his head where it hurts. Makes mistakes.

All the same stuff as last year!

What has changed? I thought he was 5th choice CB so consigned to the fringes. However the Georgia squad suggests he has leapfrogged Delaney and might now be 3rd choice. I'm not fussed with him overtaking McShane as he's not getting regular games. He has more experience than Duffy who has still to prove he can even play to Keogh's level. I'm sure Duffy has the ability but he hasn't done it yet. Clark is picking up splinters on his backside, if even that. SSL is eating nachos in Greece though O'Dea is at least professional enough to be doing some training :)

I'm worried by Wilson at CB and would pick Delaney or even Pearse myself.

At club level O'Neill has got a lot out of limited but game centre-backs so I'll continue to give O'Neill the benefit of the doubt. Is Keogh any worse than Scotland's CBs?

I'm just wondering do we scrutinise Pearse's game as much as we do Keogh's? I can't honestly say I've seen much of Pearse at club level though I've seen him twice live for Ireland (I was with some guys who see things properly) and thought he was solid and did little wrong.

[DeLorean]

It seems crazy that he's gone ahead of Delaney on all known evidence. Has to be an age thing? I'm not particularly worried about Wilson at centre back. He's playing well there regularly at a high level. It's the knock on effect of Ward at left back that worries me more. Sledge is killing us really.

[geysir]

There could be ingredients to some conspiracy as to why MON makes a point of excluding Delaney from the main stage. Other than that curious exclusion, we have 9 or 10 players in the EPl, the rest are elsewhere, it doesn't take a great stretch (even for some irish fans) to appreciate that O'Neill has to fill out the squad of 23 with players from championship quality sides, etc.
It would be quite a mind fck if O'Neill didn't fill out his squad with the best players available to us from the other leagues and one of those current candidates is Keogh.

[tricky_colour]

For what it is worth Wilson is currently out highest rather player in the stats I look at, he is at no 36
our only player in the top 100 , actually Whelan is at 93, Delaney is 178.
However that is only for 3 or 4 games so it is liable to change significantly as more games are played.
Delaney was quite high up last season ie around the top 50 IIRC.
As I said with such a low number of game those stats will be erratic, nonetheless Diego Costa (http://www.whoscored.com/Players/24248) is at no 1.

[Charlie Darwin]

Cannot comment on the rest of his performance but Keogh was poor for their goal.

Disappointing that Stephen McLaughlin has fallen completely out of favor again.
McLaughlin back on the bench tonight in Reid's absence. Best misses out against his parent club for Derby so Keogh is the only Irish player involved with Duffy on the bench for Blackburn.

[paul_oshea]

Duffy could have sat on the bench at Everton.or sat on the bench elsewhere but still be an Everton player.

[Charlie Darwin]

He's only been there for a week, don't be so Paul O'Shea.

[paul_oshea]

He's been there double that time.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'm not an accountant, Paul. Point is, give him a few weeks to break into a well-functioning defence before assessing his decision-making abilities.

[paul_oshea]

Maybe not but you schooled stutts previously so don't be acting so modest.

[Charlie Darwin]

When did I school Stutts? If I had, I'm sure I'd have incorporated it into every post I make.

[DeLorean]

Derby went top of the Championship last night with a late penalty from the Coldplay fella :o

Hendrick played his first 90 minutes (for Derby) since returning from injury

Leon Best came on as a substitute with 15 minutes remaining. My buddy over said he's the worst player he's seen at Pride Park in years, that even Conor Sammon was a bigger threat. Admittedly, this was in frustration after they drew 0-0 at home to Millwall and he did add that he probably just needs a goal to get his confidence up

Richard Keogh has now helped the Rams to six clean sheets on the trot, proving that he's not distracted by his X Factor heroics -

Richard Keogh - Twitter (https://twitter.com/andy_scates/status/523863994856386560)

[Charlie Darwin]

O'Neill is having yet another look at Derby's Irish contingent, away at Brentford. Keogh, Hendrick and Cyrus Christie all start, while Alan Judge and Jon Douglas line out for the home team.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Hendrick had a bit of stage fright in front of the watching MON; he completed 68% of his passes.

Hopefully Judge impressed more and ended a few misconceptions.

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/10/28/stats-star-leads-championship-stats-in-this-area-in-the-top/

He has made more tackles than anyone in the division and has been a mainstay in a holding midfield role.

[tetsujin1979]

Maybe it's just me, but I think you're over critical of higher ranking players, but seem to give players from lower ranked divisions (or sides) an easier time