Have Your Say - The Same Team?

With the recent run of poor performances and a number of players leaving during the transfer window feelings are running high around Pride Park and it's no different at Vital Derby. Here member Dave86 has his say about team selection and the how the side has changed since the heady days of October and November and the unbeaten run.........

Nigel Clough seems oblivious to the fact that the team has changed a lot since Derby County's excellent run of form and 'hopes to return to winning ways'. Many key players have left or have been removed from the starting eleven and today's team is simply not the same as it was a few months ago.

For example:

GOALKEEPER: Frank Fielding came to Derby and did an excellent job with both distribution and making important saves. Many people would love to see him back at the club and surely Derby County can afford a third choice goalkeeper? Instead we have Stephen Bywater who I am sorry to say is past his best, his distribution and decision making is diabolical.

DEFENCE: Derby are without Dean Moxey, the left-back who was making the team sheet week in, week out and now we are left with Gareth Roberts. There is no cover at right back and Clough seems intent on constantly shuffling the back four so no real partnership can be made.

MIDFIELD: Robbie Savage is certainly showing his age and one must ask whether he is valuable enough to keep the quicker and more hardy individuals out of the team. Derby's attacking three have also had a big shake up as the clubs top scorer Kris Commons has left for a nominal fee (£300,000), now Derby's leading scorer: Tomas Cywka has been suddenly banished to the sidelines and instead Stephen Pearson seems to be first choice but he does not offer the goal scoring spark in the same way as Cywka. Ben Davies looks to be a good acquisition but one doubts his ability to fill Kris Commons rather large boots. Bueno is a good player but I very much doubt that he will be here at the start of next season.

ATTACK: Chris Porter is Derby's only proper striker on the books and he does not fit the formation Derby are trying to play. He is not big enough to hold the ball up, a role that Shefki Kuqi played very well for The Rams, and he is not fast enough to run the channels, which is what you get from a player such as Luke Moore.

I feel I have said enough to justify my reasoning behind Derby's team not being the same, but Nigel still seems oblivious.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.