Derby County club captain Shaun Barker's weekly column
WE are, it seems, being judged on our run of eight games without a win rather than on the season as a whole.
That’s understandable, because teams and managers are judged on results, but it also feels a bit harsh.
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Shaun Barker
The fans see 90 minutes, or may be 180 minutes if there are two games a week, but they do not see what happens on the inside.
They do not see the training and how hard the lads work.
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They do not see the games when we watch recordings on video again – how we have done so well and when we have deserved so many more points.
Performance-wise, we deserve to be in the top 10.
It was only four or five weeks ago when we were in the top 10 and threatening the top six.
Now, people are getting a little concerned and agitated.
We know we have not won enough matches recently.
The gaffer often mentions our luck, which every manager does, but when you look at the games against Crystal Palace, for example, and leaders Cardiff City you can see what he means.
We played really well at Cardiff and could easily have come away with three points.
Palace are also pushing for promotion and we absolutely battered them.
Even Palace manager Ian Holloway said afterwards how well we played.
But there are reasons why we have not won in eight.
We have been missing some key players – and have done throughout the season – and we are short on numbers with experience in this division.
It is tough at the moment but given the inexperience and the young players, we were always going to have a bit of a lull.
Unfortunately, it has come near the end of the season when we wanted to be kicking on.
The gaffer is doing a great job.
The wages have had to come down in the last three or four years, along with the age of the squad. That was imperative from a business point of view in order to take the club forward.
That is what the gaffer has had to play with.
It is a young and exciting squad with great potential but at the moment we are just seeing a lack of experience and numbers costing us a few results.
2 Comments
by wilko10
Saturday, March 16 2013, 3:28PM
“The manager knew we would be without Barker for a year or so and he never went out and replaced him one big mistake.”
by WollatonRam
Saturday, March 16 2013, 3:05PM
“To be honest Shaun I'm disappointed by your comments
After 37 games, and at the time of writing, we are now 16th in the table, with 4 clubs below us with games in hand - maybe that why fans are agitated?
You appear to be saying that the club is doing well given the severe constraints the board has put the manager under - there's probably a lot of truth in that - but maybe our patience has run out. It's time for the club to show real ambition and get the right players in to make a serious promotion challenge & stop this fobbing off”