Irish involvement in the Football League playoffs

[Charlie Darwin]

Pretty much 95%-100% of Derby fans on their forums have been very appreciative and supportive of Keogh and want him to continue as captain.
I'd fancy their chances of getting promoted next season.
I wouldn't take notice of the other 5%, it's probably just the doc doing his rounds.

[tricky_colour]

Wait, you guys have a five-page thread for fringe Ireland players in the lower-league play-offs? THAT. IS. ADORABLE.

A lot of Irish player have spent time playing in the lower leagues and only 'hit the big time' late on in their careers.

League One is the new Championship.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Pretty much 95%-100% of Brighton fans are appreciative and supportive of Stephen Ward. Does that make him International class?

Keogh didn't just make one mistake. Footballers are human and anyone can lose their concentration over 90 minutes. He lost the ball to Doyle in his own box, he was culpable for the other good chance QPR got just before Doyle went off, he gave away a silly free kick in a dangerous position in the first-half and then there was the goal....

International football is a different level and if he were to make similar mistakes in matches against Georgia or Scotland, then we wouldn't have as many points to play for - as many games to reciprocate - as Derby do in a season.

[Stuttgart88]

I agree, and even Dunne's heroic performance isn't a guarantee he'd still cut it against teams moving the ball on the deck slickly and against forwards with skill and real pace. Both Keogh and Dunne gobble up aerial balls all day long, as does Delaney.

[Charlie Darwin]

I agree, and even Dunne's heroic performance isn't a guarantee he'd still cut it against teams moving the ball on the deck slickly and against forwards with skill and real pace. Both Keogh and Dunne gobble up aerial balls all day long, as does Delaney.
Except on Sunday.

[geysir]

Next game is on a Saturday.

[KK77]

Crying like a child who'd just been grounded during the summer holidays. John Giles blames Gazza for it all though not sure if he passed a remark on this occasion. I wonder why....LOL.

[DeLorean]

Why?...

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Somewhat prophetic words from Steve McClaren after the Watford game when you think about it.

[Charlie Darwin]

You still haven't seen fit to furnish us with what exactly those words were.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

You still haven't seen fit to furnish us with what exactly those words were.

"For the second game in a row we've been sloppy," he said. "Poor defending, giving the ball away and it nearly cost us again. If we do that in the play-offs, there's no chance we'll go through.

"Credit to the players, they keep getting themselves out of a hole and getting the results but in terms of the way forward we certainly need to tighten up in a few areas.

"We scored four but we're not ruthless enough in that and it's ruthlessness at both ends that we need. If we make those kind of mistakes in the play-offs it will make our job very difficult.

[Charlie Darwin]

And which part of those comments singled out a particular defender?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

And which part of those comments singled out a particular defender?

So predictable....

Charlie, my original comment didn't single out any particular defender!

Edit: I love how the same logic never applies to McShane or O'Dea btw.

[Charlie Darwin]

Not your comment just now but when you originally brought up those comments a couple of weeks back you said it was specifically critical of Keogh.

[DeLorean]

It was pretty standard stuff from McClaren, trying to keep standards high and avoid complacency during a good run. He has said loads of times how Derby are always going to suffer a bit defensively with their gung-ho approach and that Keogh and Buxton have been terrific for him. TOWK just jumped on what he saw as a minor opening for criticism.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

We could go on all day arguing about this.

McShane, Ward and O'Dea are always praised by their club managers too - Pearce and Duffy too - yet it's open season on (3 of) them. There is always a retort for a lad who I criticise. Source? No problem. "Wasn't talking specifically about him though". Maybe just a little bit of double standards involved on mine and everybody's part. :p

Let's just see what actually happens on the pitch tonight/tomorrow.

[Stuttgart88]

...while you're there desperate for Keogh to slip up.

Are you saying you're only hard on Keogh because others are hard on O'Dea, Ward and McShane?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

...while you're there desperate for Keogh to slip up.

Are you saying you're only hard on Keogh because others are hard on O'Dea, Ward and McShane?

I'm not desperate for the lad to slip up.

Maybe on some subconscious level but it mainly just amuses me how O'Dea, Ward, McShane, Andy Keogh and Sammon have no redeemable features whatsoever according to some people yet I'm supposedly being overly hard on this chap.

Sure using their logic, over half of the mistakes Ward makes could be blamed on the defence in general.

[Stuttgart88]

I think you're being paranoid. Those players have all come in for criticism but at the same time many have defended them from anything OTT.

Two differences though: each of the others has played multiple times for Ireland so have been allowed the luxury of time before having judgment passed. Keogh has played, what, twice? And yet you're on his case.

You criticise Keogh so frequently and even just for innocuous things he says. It's got to the point where it lacks any objectivity and just comes across as a vendetta. You've destroyed your own argument.

You judge people by tough standards. Murphy gets injured but is deemed lazy and flaky. Keogh is desperate to be involved but is deemed cringeworthy.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sure using their logic, over half of the mistakes Ward makes could be blamed on the defence in general.
In my experience it's the other way around. Any mistake made by the defence is usually blamed on Ward.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Tbf, Keogh's a pretty ordinary defender, a poor man's Damian Delaney if you like. As in not consistently good enough for the PL, unlike Duffy or Hendrick who definitely still have the potential.
But better than Ward IMO.

[DeLorean]

After the Watford game, he criticised his positioning for the first goal and marking for the second goal.


One error in an outstanding season is hyperbolic. He made several in the Watford game alone, four weeks ago; to the point that his own manager felt compelled to complain about it.


Charlie, my original comment didn't single out any particular defender!

You can't even keep up with yourself

[DeLorean]

Said I'd bump this thread as it will be useful over the next couple of weeks. Well played Charlie for not putting a specific year in the title, the destroyer of many a small thread.

The FA/Police are a little worried about the potential meeting of Norwich and Ipswich, well they've taken precautionary measures with both games being move to the 12:15 Saturday slots should it happen, with the other semi final being moved to Friday night slots, if needs be.

Ipswich still have a nice bit to do to stay in there. Just looking at the table and their +3 GD advantage over Brentford could easily be caught if they don't get anything out of their trip to Blackburn, with Brentford entertaining Wigan. They won't have to worry if Derby don't secure the point they need at home to Reading though.

Not the most dramatic of final days in the Championships, with the automatics and relegation decided, and none of the direct playoff rivals playing each other.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Ipswich and Brentford going up as it stands. Wolves level on points with inferior goal difference. Derby trailing in 8th after Bent missed a penalty in first half stoppage time.

Peter Beagrie thinks Keogh "sold himself" for the Reading goal.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Keogh given the benefit of the doubt this time after the ball hits his arm in the box. Derby lucky not to concede a penalty this time.

[back of the net]

Ipswich 3-1 down now.....still in playoff positions .....just

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Derby bypassing the midfield and pumping ineffectual long balls due to their lack of holding midfielder, whereas Keogh would normally play the ball to a holding midfielder. *paraphrasing commentators*

Edit: Just as I write this, Derby are lucky not to concede a second after Keogh dives rashly into a tackle leaving Fosu with the freedom of Pride Park to blaze a presentable chance wide.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

"Risky from Keogh".

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

"Defensive disintegration for Derby".

[Stuttgart88]

True. But wasn't no 32 totally to blame by slicing a volleyed clearance backwards instead of forwards? Keogh can't be blamed for a sliced clearance by his teammate.

[Charlie Darwin]

Murphy with his second to make it 3-2.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

To me, it looked like a catalog of errors and missed opportunities to clear their lines.

[Stuttgart88]

The biggest error of all was number 32 slicing the ball backwards. It landed at Keogh's feet and he was rooted and unable to do anything with it. I've no interest in defending Keogh but the big error was just beforehand, a truly brutal effort at a simple enough clearance.

3-0 down now.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I have no interest in getting into aggro here but there was more sympathy for Keogh's attempts at a clearance in the Playoff final last season.

That was a "team error" but this was all no. 32's fault.

[Stuttgart88]

Look at it again and tell me honestly that it wasn't a shocking individual error by no 32. What happened after wasn't great either. If you think blame can be attributed equally in this instance it may be your honest opinion but it'd be one I wholly disagree with.

Keogh's error was worse at Wembley but it was preceded by another bad error (Buxton?) and at least one more I think. I don't try to memorise these things. All I said then was that Keogh's wasn't the only error, but it was an error, a bad one and a very costly one.

[back of the net]

Champions: Bournemouth

Second: Watford


Playoff Places confirmed

Semi-finals

Ipswich V Norwich

Brentford V Middlesborough


Derby BLEW it...from first to 8th in the space of a couple of months. Shocking stuff

[Charlie Darwin]

Derby were in the top six for the whole year from September 27th and got pipped on the final day. That's not bad luck, it's just carelessness.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Ipswich v Norwich is going to be a huge game. A derby and a playoff. If only they were kept apart, it could have potentially been a final.

Hopefully it's Ipswich v Brentford in the final.

[back of the net]

Derby were in the top six for the whole year from September 27th and got pipped on the final day. That's not bad luck, it's just carelessness.



Its calamitous Charlie


Christ i would not want to be a loyal Derby fan today

[Charlie Darwin]

Ipswich v Norwich is going to be a huge game. A derby and a playoff. If only they were kept apart, it could have potentially been a final.

Hopefully it's Ipswich v Brentford in the final.
From an Irish perspective, anyone but Middlesbrough is positive.

[Stuttgart88]

I've just seen it for the first time: Keogh absolutely sold himself for the first goal. Very rash decision to go to ground. He could have stayed up to make it harder for the goalscorer.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I've just seen it for the first time: Keogh absolutely sold himself for the first goal. Very rash decision to go to ground. He could have stayed up to make it harder for the goalscorer.

He did the same thing when it was still 0-1. It gave Fosu time and space to pick a shot and he arguably should have scored.

[SkStu]

Your schadenfreude towards Keoghs performance is disgusting.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Middlesbrough - Bamford*
Norwich - Hoolahan, Callan-McFadden
Ipswich - McCarthy, Murphy, McGoldrick, N. Hunt, S. Hunt, Tabb, Chambers, Connolly, Kenny
Brentford - Judge, Douglas, McCormack, Bonham, Hogan*, O'Shaughnessy*, O'Connor

[Charlie Darwin]

Bump the League One playoffs starting tonight. Preston v Chesterfield is on SS1 - Alan Browne unlikely to feature for Preston but Jay O'Shea and Jimmy Ryan should feature for Chesterfield.

Sheffield United v Swindon is the other game - Michael Doyle and Anton Rodgers on the benches.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

The Preston manager is evidently not a Browne noser.

[Charlie Darwin]

Not sure how Chesterfield managed to lose that. Total domination. Jimmy Ryan played the whole game and Jay O'Shea 87 minutes.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Barry Corr smashes a penalty against the crossbar 7 minutes into second-half stoppage time. It remains 1-1 between Southend & Stevenage and goes into extra-time.

Cian Bolger, Michael Timlin & Corr started for Southend. Stephen McLaughlin came off the bench. Gary Deegan remains on the bench. With a strong Irish contingent, Southend are the team to favor in this leg, but Corr has missed the chance to make himself a hero.

[SkStu]

Barry Corr smashes a penalty against the crossbar 7 minutes into second-half stoppage time. It remains 1-1 and goes into extra-time.

Cian Bolger, Michael Timlin & Corr started for Southend. Stephen McLaughlin came off the bench. Gary Deegan remains on the bench. With a strong Irish contingent, Southend are the team to favor in this leg, but Corr has missed the chance to make himself a hero.

Can only be described as disastrous for Irish football.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Stephen McLaughlin making some impact off the bench. Barry Corr faltering up front.

Remains 1-1 with Southend on the front foot.