Bennett: "Why we change it up for the games against the top of the table, and yet not against those towards the bottom is puzzling, and sometimes we need to look at ourselves as a club perhaps."
The problem as I see it is that Derby for far too long have developed a soft underbelly that cannot be criticised too much, for fear of being chastised for it. I know from personal experience that if you criticise the play too much, even as a fan, you run the risk of the cold shoulder treatment. That's all well and good, but then my skin's thicker than a Rhino's so it really doesn't worry me too much at all. I say it as I see it, as most people know, maintaining politeness at all times, while getting the point across. So I'll say no more than that, other than to suggest that some people need to be less sensitive to football criticism, and either shape up or ship out. There is far too much concentration in the modern game with wrapping players in cotton wool for my liking. Cloughy would have had none of it. You either died for the cause or you faced life at another club quick style. You hear this in the men's game all of the time, but it's still very much taboo within the women's ranks. Open criticism within the women's game is just not welcome and pretty much unheard of at domestic level, but that has to, and indeed will change as the game rapidly evolves into a more robustly professional nature.
Over the course of this season we have repeatedly seen the same inane headlines popping up. Headlines that appear so often, we could be almost excused for taking them with a pinch of salt. Examples are 'Ewe Rams settle for point..', 'Lessons need to be learnt..', 'Disappointment for Bennett as Ewe Rams slump..', 'Ewe Rams slump continues..'. The fact is that lessons don't appear to be learnt too often, and slumps in play appear all too frequently. The words 'They want it more than us' to my mind should never ever appear in a match report about a Derby County team, yet they have appeared more than once this season. That in itself is nothing short of a scandal. Slump to my mind alludes to an acceptance of defeat. If any player can't pull their weight on that pitch for whatever reason, they need to go. There should be no room for slackers in our club. John Bennett mentioned in an interview a month or two ago that certain players don't seem bothered, and that they know who they are. That is very worrying indeed, and needs to be addressed this summer.
The players just don't talk to each other for much of the time as a unit on that pitch. That was heavily in evidence during the home match against Wolves on the 26th April. A match that saw lowly Wolves take the lead in a game where every last one of them were shouting for the ball, and more importantly engaging in real chat as a unit for the entirety of the game.
John Bennett has decided to leave at the end of the season, and Samantha Griffiths, a stalwart at the club is due to take over as Manager/Coach. Sam will certainly shake things up I feel, regardless of it being her first shout as manager. You'd be forgiven for thinking that a current player who has been at the club for some years, may well fall into the trap of being a little too forgiving with some of her more senior colleagues and players. I'm not so sure about that though. She does appear to have the right credentials for the post, when needing to crack the whip as well as coming across as the sort of person who would put an arm around the shoulder when needed. Sure she lacks experience, but with Jenny 'Bart' Simpson as her No.2, who has a vast knowledge of the game from within, they may well become quite the formidable force.
Regarding mentality, I have already touched upon plucking up the courage and confidence to talk to each other during matches. We need leaders who can really scream at players and direct the play far more than we do. Pulling and pushing players in and out of position non-stop. Long term absentee Emily 'Jeffo' Jeffery has that missing ingredient in abundance about her. I just hope that she is present at every training session. If not why not?
In saying the above, I don't know the players as people or friends, and can only comment on the fans eye view. It does appear to me though that there are many introverts at the club. Too many for my liking. We have some real talented players in our ranks, though talent per-se is not enough. There needs to be a far bigger presence of extroverts and alpha's to create a better healthier balance. To offer a real presence to bully teams, and let them know we have arrived. I remember watching Sheffield FC in the pre-season friendly and recall how their loudness with their music box was noticeable if not a little intentionally intimidating. Sauntering around as if they owned the place. Attitude is what they had that we often lack. It's what that lot at Rovers possess to. That and impetus. That force of energy that never stops, even when you don't have the ball. It's a long held criticism of mine that I see far too much casual walking around watching stuff, when every single player should be moving around as a unit, ratting for every sniff.
RUNNING | ATTITUDE | BULLYING | IMPETUS | TALKING
RABIT
Paul Topliff | Rams News | DCLFCFans
