Latest fans view FA Cup special

30 January 2012 08:09
Stuart Hughes gives us his latest fans view article for the FA Cup clash with Stoke City

In the end the 4th round F.A. Cup tie between Championship DerbyCounty and Premiership Stoke City turned out to be something of ananticlimax.Stoke City started brightly and took the lead after just 4 minuteswhen Cameron Jerome struck from a corner. Jerome was clearly offsidebut the officials either ignored or missed that important fact.Offside or not, Derby County should have defended the corner better.Robert Huth sealed the victory with an 81st minute goal, again from acorner.Derby County can take some credit from this game, particularly apurple patch in the closing 20 minutes of the first half when the Ramspassed the ball around magnificently and penned the Premier Leagueside in their own half.But for all the pretty passing, the Rams failed to force Potters’goalkeeper Asmir Begovic into making a single save during the entire90 minutes.The injury to Theo Robinson meant Derby County started with a lonestriker up front in teenager Callum Ball. Fair enough, maybe, but I’dalways start two strikers at home.Disappointingly for me though was the manager’s lack of substitutionsas the game fizzled away. Trailing at halftime, needing a goal to stayin the cup competition, and with attacking options on the bench, NigelClough stuck with the same starting-11 that had failed to test thegoalkeeper all game.Striker Nathan Tyson finally entered the fray on 78 minutes butClough’s final two substitutions saw central defenders Jake Buxton andTom Naylor introduced.Rams Star Man – difficult to pick any one player out because StokeCity were the better team and from the moment they took the lead thePotters cruised the rest of the game in 2nd or 3rd gear. For me, JamesBailey, Craig Bryson, Jamie Ward and Shaun Barker didn’t look out ofplace alongside the six foot plus Premier League players of StokeCity. If I had to single one Rams player out, I’d go for Shaun Barkerfor the way he out jumped 6’6” Peter Crouch all game and kept theformer England striker quiet.Referee Watch – I expected better from Premier League referee MarkClattenburg and his team of top flight officials. The first goal wasoffside, plain and simple, and the assistant referee should have seenthat. Jamie Ward was clearly fouled when breaking clear and headingtowards the penalty area but not according to Mr. Clattenburg. Thereferee also took an inordinate amount of time over awarding a StokeCity corner and clearly didn’t know which way to give it. All in all,I wish one of the excellent Championship referees we’ve had of latehad been in charge for this game...

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Source: FOOTYMAD