Full-time: Jeff Hendrick scores again but Derby County are beaten 2-1 at Brighton

“Mr Derwent are you a retired politician. I gather from your spin that you expect us still to be mid table championship 2015-16 & would be optimistic if we were in the top 6. In this case my prediction is that the average attendance will be below 20,000 and the decreasing revenue will make a promotion challenge even more difficult.

Also re Carsley/Brayford. Lee C was a ball winning midfield player (best position) John B is a right back (best position) -pegs and holes.”

“Tadley, when a team crosses the ball in the first 90 seconds and a goal results I hardly think that you can blame it on the manager for not 'imposing our style of play on the opposition' ! No system in the world will prevent a sloppy goal within a minute and a half of the kick off.

In case you hadn't noticed there is a difference between playing home and away, teams will come at us at their own stadium and unless we have the ability to defend we will concede goals, irrespective of the way the side is set up. We have tried 4 4 2 in away games, we have tried 4 5 1 and even 4 3 3, and it hasn't reproduced our home form. We simply lack the ability to defend and it isn't just down to the two central defenders.

I honestly think that if you believe we can go away from Pride Park, impose ourselves on the opposition and keep clean sheets, you are wrong. Even when we put an extra man in midfield at Leicester because your favoured 4 4 2 wasn't working, and we took control of the game, our defensive frailties still let us down. We were actually on top when they scored their third and fourth goals. How many times this season have we started with 4 4 2 and had to put the extra man in midfield, even at home?

To suggest that another system would suddenly produce magical results is pie in the sky and it will be until we can do some wheeling and dealing in the summer.

Clough took a gamble, he tried Brayford in a midfield role, which is exactly what a previous manager did with Lee Carsley when he had a similar problem. It didn't work but can he really be blamed for trying to stiffen our defensive midfield capability? Many players have successfully switched roles, until a manager tries it in a competitive game he doesn't know if it will work.If we had won it would have been greeted as a success.”

“We agree then Tadley. Clearly, I would prefer we play to strengths too.

As the saying goes, better to have fought and lost than to never have fought at all.

However, we could have gone 442 and still given away the two sloppy goals, which is derwent's point.

And the thing is, you'd still be on here blaming Clough whether we were 442 and Brayford stayed at full back for 90 mins or not, as you are every time we lose.

Seems to me some people can not accept that we are a club in development, with a mid-table squad - and that 'mid table' means you lose and draw just as many as you win.”

“Derwent - if you invite teams on to you and defending isn't your strongest point, guess what happens!! Impose our style of play like versus Boro, see what happens...... Clough dropped a clanger, end of.”

“If he had started with Jacobs would that have stopped us gifting them two goals? I think not.”

“Pete - we played Boro off the park at times, Clough changed the team for Brighton, we lost, he made it negative no one else.

After the Charlton game he said that was the most crosses we have had in one game, Sammon was left out. At Brighton he leaves out Jacobs and Sammon plays, you can not defend decisions like that, its madness. Mistakes like this are costing us and have cost us points.

He got it wrong, and gets it wrong far too many times. When I got to Brighton and heard the line up, I wanted to go home because I knew what would happen, you could hear the fans saying what has he done..........”

“Dear Mr Fish (are you a retired weather man?)

Where do I think we should be in 2015/2016?

Lets put it like this. I have every sympathy with Clough because the task he faced over the first three years was unenviable but necessary. That said it is now all but completed. This season we have turned our home form around and I see absolutely no eason to ***** about our performances at Pride Park, the football has been really good to watch (despite the fact that his detractors like to gloss over the home form). Away from Pride Park we all know that it's a different story and, whatever system we play, I honestly don't see a vast improvement this season because we are simply not equipped to defend against a team who are on the offensive. That won't take a huge outlay to rectify in the summer (I see no reason to spend money that we haven't got in January to keep the impatient brigade happy).

By the time that the 2013/2014 season kicks off the young players will have another season under their belts, Clough can't say that he has been distracted by having to get rid of a bunch of wasters, and the squad will be 100% his. Provided that he is allowed to wheel and deal in the summer then we must set our sights higher. I hate to say 'top six' or whatever because I dislike artificial targets, but we should be looking for more points on the road and the continuance of our home form. Just three or four away wins this season would have seen us comfortably in the top six so it is very achievable without breaking the bank. I would like to see us sign one or two pre-contract agreements in January to take adavantage of players who will be free in the summer, we will see.

So I am quietly optimistic.”

“The 3rd way:

If we do sell in January and transfer funds are available:

I would rather wait to buy until the summer. You do not get value in January and a very limited number of players are available.
End of season (not 1 month) loans are probably a better bet.”

“Just another point, whoever the new commentator is on RD, if you read this BB, please bear in mind that I don't give a flying f about what YOUR views are on tactics; so spending the entire commentry making sly comments and sighing "well, if you must do XYZ thats what you should expect" - is just completely anoying.

You are there to be neutral and report on the action so those of us at home get an idea of what's going on. So, as a request, please shut the f--- up and stop winding people up. You're a poxy commentator not a footballer or a manager, so your irrelevant jibes about tactics and just that - irrelevant and unwanted.

Thanks”

“stimac - in asnwer to your question, my view is that 4-5-1 in itself isn't necessarily a negative line up. Afterall, it's what Brighton played and they beat us.

Also, seeing as we conceded twice down our left flank, not having Brayford and right back was irrelevant in terms of the inept defending; Roberts got turned inside out, Keogh and O'Brien between them didn't oganise themselves. Whether Brayford or Freeman were a right back, those goals were going in.

Having said that, my heart sinks when I see 4-5-1 at the start of a game because, despite the theory behind the tactial shift, they players don't do what they're supposed to do. Sammon is left stranded and midfield is too slow to push up and support the attack.

OK, so the theory to be be hard to break down in midfield, but all it takes is a good run and a well placed ball and the midfield is bypassed and, as we saw yet again on Saturday, the defence isn't good enough to shut out the opposition.

For these reasons, I prefer to play our attacking game, get the opposition on the back foot and give them more to think about than attack. Until we have a more mobile left back and an experienced partner for Keogh, we're always going to concede I'm afraid.

Well you asked :-) ........”