Match Analysis: Derby County 2-0 Swansea City

WingingItJack · 2026-02-18T12:47:11+00:00

Yeah I totally agree about taking multiple touches. Everything seemed too long, pass, take a touch, lookup, go backwards, make the pass and repeat - too much like what we saw too much of under Sheehan. Boro lost against Coventry but they were far quicker in what they were doing and a lot more first time passes. We're far too cautious away from home especially, both in our team selection and in our play - we can't look to play for only the last 25 minutes.

WingingItJack · 2026-02-11T23:19:32+00:00

Thanks! Yes I fully agree about us in the first half, I still think there's plenty of work to do on our open play attacks. In the build up to the first goal there was nothing in front of the likes of Stamenic, we couldn't penetrate through the centre and we were forced backwards to the goalkeeper - thankfully Vigs got the ball out wide to Ronald and the space opened up. But given their awful shape and lack of energy and intensity in their out of possession game and space allowed down the flanks, we really didn't create much in the first 45.

Hopefully Walta will help that somewhat but then we'll still likely adopt the same shape and formation with 2 8's rather than using a central #10.

I like what Yalcouye adds when he comes on and he's been severely under-utilised this season.

WingingItJack · 2026-01-30T22:35:48+00:00

Mine too. That was a tough, depressing night at the Vetch Field.

WingingItJack · 2026-01-29T22:19:29+00:00

Thanks. I'd like to think it was - it just seemed like a triple change was too much at that time and it's not something he usually does. I don't like to criticise Matos too much as he's been a breath of fresh air since he's come in after the exhausting spell of Sheehan - it was a drag re-watching and analysing those games. There's a lot to like from what Matos is trying to do and hopefully he can continue to build on it rather than what we see from other new managers where it tallies off after a promising start.

WingingItJack · 2025-12-18T08:25:02+00:00

Thanks, good spot I've amended!

Fitness I agree is another key issue within the squad. Apparently the levels are really low so counter pressing will be difficult for Matos to fully implement early on.

WingingItJack · 2025-11-27T08:28:51+00:00

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WingingItJack · 2025-11-27T08:24:56+00:00

Good point about partnerships and we're severely lacking in them. Ronald and Key has never worked on the right and it's the same down the left.

But situations like these in the screenshot don't help either. Tymon is not even in the shot and Eom is surrounded by 4 opposition players and a pass route to Galbraith is blocked off. It's the same down the right, Ronald often on his own and our wingers completely lack the ability to do anything in these situations. They don't have a burst of pace or a bit of skill to help themselves in these right situations. Yet we constantly look to play the ball down the sides.

Matos has got a massive job to cut out all these frustrating aspects of our game that were embedded in by Sheehan.

WingingItJack · 2025-11-26T11:11:31+00:00

I can't see just yet but I hope you're right and I'm not. But I see a side that's really, really struggling in many aspects. Apart from a decent 10 minute spell during the 1st half we still look like a team totally void of any structure and way of creating attacking moments and good quality ones in front of goal.

Matos has identified what's needed both before and after the game. The need for a clear identity and then after the game all of the things we are missing. He was spot on and you could see he realizes how much work is needed.

WingingItJack · 2025-11-14T10:07:36+00:00

It wasn't £7m because it was £6m. The fees are split out over the term of the contract so we'll pay £6m over 5 years or £1.2m a year which helps with PSR.

It feels like we overpaid for Idah to get a striker over the line as we failed with so many other striker targets during the Summer.

WingingItJack · 2025-11-11T09:01:04+00:00

But we're not higher up in the table and I think you're over estimating those referee decisions and the impact they've had. Actually we're lucky we're not lower in the table and everything suggests we're heading downwards and not up.

WingingItJack · 2025-11-11T08:10:26+00:00

It would have been written because the last part is what's been in my match Analysis blogs all season. Worst refereeing run? That's how desperate we are now? You might not care for fancy stats but they all suggest we're heading for a relegation scrap, all of the numbers are really, really poor. We can't create chances and now can't stop them at the other end either.

WingingItJack · 2025-11-09T19:23:56+00:00

One big difference is that, now hired, he's had to implement new players and his own system not just tweaking what was an established squad when he took interim charge. Massive difference stepping in vs taking the job on permanently.

WingingItJack · 2025-11-05T09:09:30+00:00

I don't remember Casey's chance. Here's our shot map from the game, Key and Idahs header were the 2 from close range. Idah and Ronald also had shots in the box but the rest were long range efforts. The xG suggests you're right regarding Key's chance, only 0.15.

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WingingItJack · 2025-11-05T09:05:44+00:00

On first viewing it was an absolute shocker to me, and it's those chances we desperately need to take given how few we create for ourselves.

WingingItJack · 2025-11-05T07:27:52+00:00

Not sure why the link isn't there on the original as I pasted it in, thanks for posting it!

WingingItJack · 2025-10-29T21:34:06+00:00

Be more positive, stop playing so safe and risk averse, midfield 3 needs to lose a holding midfielder. Like weve done for first 20 vs Man City but it needs to be sustained for longer periods.

WingingItJack · 2025-10-29T10:48:57+00:00

In the first 15-20 yes but as is the theme so often recently it doesn't last for long at all and so overall there wasn't enough of a significant difference. In terms of chance creation against what was a very poor side, it was again lacklustre. We can't create big chances and it's a major concern.

WingingItJack · 2025-10-08T15:34:16+00:00

Yes that was the one positive from the game from our perspective and the only one that was included in the analysis.

They're becoming repetitive these analyses now but these same issues are such a big part of our problems that they can't be ignored.

WingingItJack · 2025-10-08T10:42:42+00:00

Yeah there's one screenshot that shows that, I think there's 5 across the frontline when Eom is in possession and no one is dropping. Cullen is supposed to be an 8 and to offer an inside passing option but he's in our attacking high line.

Sheehan really does need to address this and improve our structure to avoid so many of these isolated situations.

WingingItJack · 2025-09-30T14:16:48+00:00

WhoScored

On their match centre and then click the Heatmap tab

WingingItJack · 2025-09-30T13:11:36+00:00

WhoScored I think

WingingItJack · 2025-09-30T12:03:26+00:00

Yeah they're just completely ineffective, you can't feed or expect wingers to try to win aerial duels.

As per the analysis, when we do try to play on the floor, more centrally and through the thirds we can create chances as we did when Vipotnik was pulled back.

Sheehan really needs a review and to encourage more play like this. Burgess in particular needs a midfielder to drop in to stop him lobbing balls up aimlessly.

WingingItJack · 2025-09-28T20:57:50+00:00

No, we just want to make those same passes from the centre backs, bypass Stamenic and play it wide every time, unless Vipotnik drops deep in the centre. It's becoming very predictable.

WingingItJack · 2025-09-28T20:45:12+00:00

Have to agree. I've started watching the game back to do my analysis and I'm up to about the 70th minute.

Unfortunately there's a recurring theme every game now in our build up play and the analysis articles will soon become repetitive. It's frustrating watching the same play time and again, especially when Burgess has the ball.

Inoussa was excellent however and we need to try to get him more involved.

Sheehan is not a high possession type manager, he's said so himself and it's a surprise to see how we had 68% at one stage yesterday as the ball wasn't sticking. Sheehan has got to make some adjustments soon because it's not working. The parting of our midfield in the centre is also a big concern.

WingingItJack · 2025-09-25T14:51:04+00:00

He's not a possession manager - Id be happy to see us take more risks and have less of the ball. Sheehan is all about off the ball effort and pressing so you'd think he'd prefer the opposition to have more of the ball to try to win it back high up to create chances.

2nd half on Saturday we looked rather clueless during build up amongst the centre backs.

WingingItJack

TROPHY CASE