Match Report 2002-2003
Saturday 12 October, 2002, Division One
Derby County At Valley Parade
The balance is tipped but Law lacks the killer edge
Derby finished the game with nine men and the game was drawn. That is the end of comparisons with the 2-2 draw with Burnley. This was as beast with a different bite, or lack of it.
Burnley was the game of reckless abandon, City piling forward, Burnley showboating shamelessly. This game saw City stuck in defensive posture all match.
Football management is about balance between the attack and keeping things guarded at the back. Today Nicky Law shifted the balance to making sure that City did not ship goals and with only three of the eleven Bantams on attacking detail the chances of Derby not being a home draw were pretty slim.
Ashley Ward, Paul Evans and Michael Proctor were the only City players with much of a remit to go forward although Andy Gray proved to be useful after a shaky twenty minutes following his switch in form the wing to the inside of the midfield. Derby's back line has had busier afternoons.
That said Derby's forward, especially Malcolm Christie, have given City back lines more problems. The one who never keeps his feet did not get a sniff at Valley Parade today thanks to impressive displays by the City backline. Robert Molenaar only played 45 minutes but impressed once more.
The problem though was the balance. City's one clear chance in the first half came when Proctor got busy down the right and cantered to Ward who lofted over Mart Poom in the Rams goal but the striker's shot was scooped up by the impressive Estonian. This would normally be my sue to slag Ward but the man is clearly playing half fit and did much good work today. Of course a centreforward should score when put in on goal as Ward was today but, for today at least, forgive him.
Derby on the other hand mustered no real chances of note in this half or the next. Steve Banks had a quiet game as the Rams came for a point and got it.
The caution City showed was worrying. Nicky Law seemed determined not to lose to the extent that he did not take a risk to get the win. Derby were a decent side bt beatable, especially after Robert Lee had been sent off for a second yellow card. Lee's problem was that he was running the Ram's midfield on his own and in doing all the work, did all the trips.
With twenty minutes left after Lee's departure one would have liked to see Law throw on a little more creation. Michael Standing cooled his heels on the bench next to the man who blocked his career for five year. One can not help but feel that the creative Standing would have had a point to prove to John Gregory had he got on and given City more than the lacklustre Stephen Warnock . Warnock had a very poor first half and improved later on but still he offers less going forward than he doe staying back.
Time left then for Adam Murray to launch a two footed lunge in the midfield that deserved the straight red card the player added to his yellow. Warnock should have followed the Derby man after his wrestling style splash down and smack to the face on Murray. It's good to see Warnock, a loan player, is that bothered but when Ricardo Fuller of Preston last week gets sent off for something much less last week you have to wonder if the Refs are taking any notice of what their peers are up to.
And as for City, one hopes that sometime soon these draws can be turned into wins. The team spirit is there, the performances are there but today the balance was off.
Man of the Match
Paul Evans
Edging it over Robert Molenaar's impressive first 45.