It's nice to be happy coming away from the ground and it doesn't get much better than thumping one of the top teams in the division. Today showed what we've got and what we can do. It was the sort of football and the sort of ambition I expected in August. If you want buzz words, we were mobile, quick, hungry and decisive. We were first to everything. The front 3 linked up well, worked hard and moved defenders around. At the back, we weren't flawless, but we showed a dogged determination and a desire to keep them out. Desire is a good buzz word. We had a lot of desire today, desire to win the ball and to use it.
There were 11 very strong individual performances, which was nice, but more importantly, it was an excellent team performance. Everyone helped each other. They did all the simple things right, talked to each other, moved to give an option or back someone up. All of the easy things that great teams do instinctively, we did, probably for the first time all season.
When they scored, they had a couple of minutes and a decent chance to make it 3-2, but we showed incredible desire to win the game and quickly put them on the back foot. I'm sure we would have folded 3 weeks ago.
Boaz made an important stop, but otherwise had a pretty quite afternoon. Dawson and Ricketts were very good. They used the ball well, got forward to support and put balls into the box. Defensively, they looked good. Dawson made a couple of silly passes, but it didn't bother him and overall, it was his best game in a long time. Delaney was outstanding in the middle. Everyone looked more assured with him at the helm. Coles ably supported and together, they made a lot f tackles and headers against one of the best front pairings in the division. Thompson is a very intelligent header of the ball and Chopra is a real live wire, quick, skillful and an excellent finisher. Limiting them to 3 or 4 chances took a lot of concentration and determination and we were up to the task.
Ashbee was absolutely superb in the midfield. He played a bit deeper than the others, swept up loose balls, made headers and tackled all over the pitch. It was his towering header that made the first goal and he lead by example. Easily his best Tigers outing. Dougie Livermore did well alongside him. He made several key interceptions and played simple, effective passes that kept us on the front foot. He has a bit of swagger too, when he gets his tail up. In front of those two, Marney was superb. He looked like a half-million pound play maker. He scored a very good goal and rarely made a bad pass. He pulled the strings and turned them inside out at times. He got into the area a lot and looked a major threat.
The front three were absolutely brilliant. Barmby worked his sock off and was another who barely wasted a pass. He played everywhere across the front. We played good, high tempo football and Barmby and Marney were key in that. They also drew men into the middle allowing Fagan and McPhee to get wide with great success. Fagan murdered both full-backs and both centre backs. He was unplayable, absolutely unplayable. He' got so much pace and skill and when it's channelled right, there aren't many better players in the division. The finish for the goal was superb. McPhee was everything I've always hoped he'd be. His running of the ball is excellent, he's intelligent and he drags defenders all over. He works hard to win the ball back and most surprisingly, he wins a ton of headers. He doesn't just jump at it either, he tries to use it. His only black mark was the penalty, which he took confidently, sent the 'keeper sprawling and chipped it .. onto the bar. Idiot. That's unfair, because 2 inches lower and we'd call it genius, but he's still an idiot. A McPhee goal would have made the day perfect and given him a great boost and a deserved one. Never mind.
I've heard a lot of calls for Phil Brown to be the gaffer on the way home. There are certainly a lot of pro's in his favour. It was a very ambitious performance, very slick and the players exuded confidence in a way that seems impossible for a side who are second bottom following 3 successive defeats. The players seem to like him and they worked hard for him, or because of him. You can be as intelligent as you want but if you can't handle people, you have no chance in management. The only things against him are his record at Derby and the fact that most clubs have a good period after sacking their manager, like a release valve has been triggered. The only certainty is, as soon as you say the name "Gary Megson", everyone will say "Phil Brown, please!"
Ratings: Bo 7, Ricketts 7, Dawson 7, Coles 7, Delaney 8, Livermore 7, Ashbee 9, Marney 8, Fagan 9, Barmby 8 (Bridges), McPhee 8 (Elliott).
All I want for Christmas ... is 3 points at Leeds.