' Derby County Fans thoughts on Cardiff City/ Good Read '

Derby Telegraph

Derby County: Fans panelist Duncan Gibb shares his thoughts

By Derbysport | Friday January 30, 2015

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I HAVE a confession to make – I quite like Cardiff City and whenever that terrace serenade of “Stand up if you hate the Welsh” is trotted out at fixtures with The Bluebirds, my son and I tend to receive more than a few strange looks from those around us in the South Stand as we go from being stood to sat down!

Due to my work, my son Jordan spent the first five years of his life growing up in Casnewydd (Newport) and actually learnt one to 10 in Welsh before English!

Being a long way from Derby, we used to go and watch “the other County” as well as fitting in Friday night trips across to nearby Caerdydd (Cardiff ) during the early part of Sam Hammam’s revolution.


On the back of those years, I’ve always maintained that it is impossible to live in Wales and not retain a piece of it in your heart.


It’s therefore with a tinge of disappointment that I have watched the unfolding of farcical events in South Wales of late.

Under the ownership of James Bond villain look-a-like Vincent Tan, the Bluebirds finally arrived back in the promised land of top flight football, only to implode.

Firstly, Tan changed the club colours to red, sending what has always been a fiercely passionate support into orbit, before publicly keelhauling the guy (Malky Mackay) who had got them there.

Despite highly-rated Ole Solkjaer being brought in, invetible relegation followed and the “Baby-Faced Assassin” was packed off back to Norway earlier this season.

Russell Slade was a surprise choice of replacement to many but subsequent transfer dealings suggest that Tan is looking to start again and on the cheap.

Foreign players who have not long been unpacked have been put back on planes, while Messrs John Brayford and Adam Le Fondre are the latest to have been guided to the exit door.

Coming in have been Alex Revell, Scott Malone and Lee Peltier – not exactly names who have inspired confidence in brighter things to come, according to my Welsh chums.

On the flip side, fan power has once again proved to be effective, with Tan reluctantly agreeing to a 180 degree turn on the playing shirt issue, thereby meaning that the Bluebirds are at least Blue, even if they are hardly flying!

Earlier this season, having risen from my seat following the South Stand’s aforementioned anti-Welsh recital, I counted two red shirts among the 2,500 odd Cardiff followers, amusingly adorned on a couple of bespectacled ladies the wrong side of 70. One suspects colour blindness may have come into play!

Putting Celtic romantic notion aside, I am a died-in-the-wool Derby fan and wish for nothing less than three points from a venue at which we’ve received a couple of spankings in more recent years.

The loss of Jordon Ibe was more than unfortunate. Add in the loss of fan favourite Johnny Russell and we have ourselves an issue.

In my view we need to bring in at least one quality wide option, or two if Stevie Mac doesn’t feel that Mason Bennett is an appropriate option.

Most games under McClaren’s reign have followed a pattern that sees the wide men replaced during the second half due to the intensive nature of the role.

It works well, until your options are all of a sudden either sat on Merseyside or in the treatment room.

That said, Steve’s issue is perhaps not so much a selection conundrum as opposed to a formation one on the back of Darren Bent’s recent fine displays of the ancient art of poaching.

Do we stick with a formation that has stood us in good stead for two seasons or do we go with the one that has bailed us out in the last two games?

It’s a tricky one for sure and opinion among those nursing a pint in The Merlin after Tuesday’s game appeared split.

Personally I think that Steve will keep it as it is and that Derby will return from the other side of Offa’s Dyke with three points in the bag on the back of a 3-1 win.

Finally, to those who bemoaned the recent FA Cup draw that saw the Rams paired with fellow championship side Reading, I suggest a moment’s reflection.

Football nostalgia is gradually being eroded away and as part of that those who reach the semi-finals secure themselves at least one and hopefully two trips to Wembley, while a loss in the final to a top four finisher sees players and supporters searching for their passports, as disappointment is tempered with thoughts of the continent.

Beat Reading and we are one game away from Wembley and two games away from the potential of European football.

Cheers Annis, enjoyed that

He certainly knows his stuff

Cheers Annis, enjoyed that

He certainly knows his stuff

Ned, I agree, I thought it was a good read

Ghost written by Annis, I reckon.

Ghost written by Annis, I reckon.

Cheers

Link

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Derby-C ... story.html?

Cheers Annis, enjoyed that

He certainly knows his stuff

Ned, I agree, I thought it was a good read

See you in the Sand Martin, let us know where you'll all be

Cheers Annis, enjoyed that

He certainly knows his stuff

Ned, I agree, I thought it was a good read

See you in the Sand Martin, let us know where you'll all be

Ned, I will be in there from 12pm

That was a decent read, fair play.

Cheers Annis, enjoyed that

He certainly knows his stuff

Ned, I agree, I thought it was a good read

See you in the Sand Martin, let us know where you'll all be

Ned, I will be in there from 12pm

I should see you there by 12.30