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Holmes, Derby County advance to EFL Playoff Final

Duane Holmes and Derby County are one win away from being promoted to the English Premier League.

Frank Lampard’s side rolled past Leeds United with a 4-2 second leg win at Elland Road on Wednesday, booking a place against Aston Villa in the EFL Playoff Final on May 27th.

Jack Marriott scored a brace while Harry Wilson and Mason Mount each chipped in goals as the Rams overturned a 1-0 first leg deficit.

Holmes got the start for Derby but was replaced by Marriott in the 44th minute. The midfielder scored a minute later to make it 1-1 on the evening before Mount put Derby in front on aggregate.

Wilson’s 58th minute penalty kick finish paired with Marriott’s 85th minute goal propelled Lampard’s squad past Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Holmes played in 114 total minutes minutes over the two legs and will aim to play a role in Derby’s upcoming date with Aston Villa. Villa eliminated West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday, defeating the Baggies 4-3 in a penalty shootout.

The winner will be the third and final team promoted into the Premier League for the 2019-20 season. Derby last appeared in the top-flight in 2007-08, but finished 20th that season.

It will also be a reunion between three former Chelsea legends as Lampard and defender Ashley Cole face old teammate John Terry.

Comments

  1. Pretty sure it was tactical as someone watching the game passively while I worked. Game changed when his sub came in too, but I don’t think that was his fault.

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    • Not tactical, it was due to thigh injury from what i’ve heard and unfortunate because Duane has just come back from an injury spell on the sidelines. Hopefully he gets fit before the final in 2 weeks time

      Reply
  2. if he wins he becomes a good player and if not under snob rules we must continue to believe he sucks.

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    • I don’t know most people would still rate the Championship above non top 5 leagues. There does need to be some middle ground between the snobs as you say and your advocating everyone with a passport gets a try.

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      • no, you’re missing that i am offering a middle spot. we currently are fairly closed doored. maybe that changes when the provo roster comes out soon, but all i can tell is what he does. i do suggest many names but that is in the broad sense of kicking tires once, or letting them in camp, not integrating them in the team. and if you know the dozens of names out there i am not just saying anyone with a passport. i am the middle ground. that middle ground may look experimental but the team needs to improve the roster and results; it is not some knockout round regular coming off of russia. to me the closer this looks to last cycle’s team the more likely we just xerox the results as well. and to me this is not the consequential part of the cycle, qualifying is. glib complacency about the roster that feels comfortable now is punished as the cycle progresses — like last time when they felt quite good coming off brazil.

      • to me the constant obsession with paper league comparisons is abstracted rubbish. with a player like this you call them in and make the apples to apples in camp. and the league comparisons thing is inconsistently deployed as what one might see as a rhetorical tool. does it keep out ream? some of the others? but holmes we have to think about. sounds like conservatism packaged as rationality. and this happens over and over with other data points. minutes played means nothing for pulisic, everything for wood (and it should with how he looks), but also everything for players who are very productive when used but just not coach’s pet. if we are going to use tools it needs to be thoroughgoing and common sense and not result in leaving off weah and sargent and holmes so i can watch baird and zardes and trapp instead.

      • I wish Fox, ESPN, or even the USMNT media wing would do a story on how rosters are made. Berhalter and his staff generally have months between dates to evaluate players. They don’t need to see everyone physically in camps to determine whose better. It’s really only fans that try to pick players based on league or one small set of stats that don’t take into account the whole game.

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