Oh Dear, don’t you just love Derby’s?
Well you all know I certainly don’t!! But I quite enjoyed the game, even when we were behind and although it was a bit stop start at times, unlike the FC performances in past pre-season derbies, we really wanted this one and that was a massive plus. After what Radford said about him and the players understanding how vital these games are to the fans, I still had some doubts, but this was the proof of the pudding as most passed that test with flying colours.
It’s only very early days, but these are games that I always want to win, so it was job done and there is little doubt that as pre season games go, like them or not, it’s the most intense hit out you can have! In whatever shape they come Derby’s are important to the fans, so afterwards it was good to hear Radford saying the win was important to him as well. It’s only the start, but writing this, as we drive through the long faced red and white as they trudge home down Argyle Street; that’ll do for me and after two disappointing displays, we seem to be back on track for the opening game.
However on the downside, do you remember in the good old days and the brilliant build up there was to the Boxing Day and Good Friday spectacles, how we all looked forward to them and talked them up for weeks, before packing both grounds to the limit? Well for me, despite a distinct increase in the antagonism and perhaps even hatred, that unique and very special rivalry has now been devalued, with the two ‘manufactured’ Derby’s (pre-season and Magic) taking away the impact and splendour of those iconic league occasions. Still, we’ll all take a win against them lot and the performance in an entertaining game was far better than we have seen thus far this year and that alone was a big relief.