OPINION: Derby County are just too predictable

Derby suffered a second successive defeat at Leeds on Friday night after being completely outclassed in every department by their promotion rivals.

Fans are a very fickle bunch and the performance had many expressing fears via the usual social media outlets.

Normally I wouldn’t take much notice of our thousands of would be team managers, but I do feel that on this occasion they have a very valid point.

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I was one of those fans opposed to the reappointment of Steve McClaren as our boss. My fears are now showing some signs of being realised too!

Maybe it wasn’t just the distraction of the Newcastle job that rubbed off on the players when we saw a capitulation last time he was here. Maybe it was because his playbook had only one chapter.

We are currently so predictable in the 4-3-3 formation. Don’t get me wrong, at its best it produces good, attractive and exciting football. On the other side of the coin when teams come prepared and set up to stop the free flowing passing football it can fail miserably.

Leeds on Friday night showed that negative tactics are not the only way of beating this concept of ‘total football’.

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They were unlucky not to dish out a real thrashing on the scoreboard rather than in just actual play.

The warning signs have been there for a few games now and it’s time our manager took heed of them and developed a real ‘Plan B’.

Nigel Pearson was right to look at 4-4-2, however his actual dealings into addressing the holes in the squad that prevented us from successfully executing a game plan fell well short of achieving that goal.

Some may disagree but our squad needs to develop and sign players with the longer term under consideration. Our current formation has failed now for three seasons on the trot and more versatility is needed.

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The visit of Reading could well expose are limitations on Saturday, so we will wait and see what occurs.

On another note may I as a lifetime Derby County supporter wish all Forest fans well in their protest against Fawaz Al- Hasawi. His tenure as custodian of the club has been a disaster from the start.

No true football fan wishes to see any club in the position that they find theirs. I prefer to beat our rivals on the pitch and not by seeing them sink due to maladministration and sheer incompetence.