Sat 08 Feb - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 4mins
Matt Hamshaw admitted there is ‘a lot to be proud of’ after Derby County fought back to claim a well-earned point in a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road against Norwich City.
The Rams’ First Team Coach was in the dugout to lead the side alongside Under-21 Lead Coach Jake Buxton, Under-18 Assistant Coach Bradley Johnson and First Team Goalkeeper Coach Andy Warrington following the departure of Head Coach Paul Warne on Friday.
The point was secured in added time thanks to a Jerry Yates penalty after the Rams fell behind to a Josh Sargent strike midway through the second period.
Hamshaw spoke to RamsTV after the game to assess getting a crucial point on the road to end Derby's seven-match losing run in the Sky Bet Championship and give them a positive platform to build on.
It’s really pleasing. We allowed Norwich to have control of possession where we wanted them to. I felt really confident watching from the technical area. I felt that we controlled them to limited opportunities - and we were always a danger on the counter-attack. We changed the shape slightly to go with two 'number tens' today.
I also had the luxury of bringing quality players off the bench, which hasn't been the case in the last few weeks [due to injuries]. I thought there were some real positives out there. For Sondre Langås to have his first game away from home at a difficult place, having just had a pre-season at his old club, was a positive. I thought he was outstanding. Having a number of players in the group back and available, we know what they can achieve.
It was some goal with some really good build-up play. That included a lot of things we've been working on this week, about getting the number tens in pockets, getting the players involved a little bit more, playing through central areas and putting crosses low and hard across the box for Lars - that's what he thrives on. I haven't had the luxury of watching it back yet, but some people have already told me that he's onside. I don't know, but I wish we could stick that goal in for three points. It's a little bit symptomatic of the things that have been happening recently. Odd things have been going against us, but I'm not going to stand here and cry a river about it. The 23 other teams in this league will have felt exactly the same way as I do today. You sometimes get them, you sometimes don't.
I just liked the players’ reactions and the way we stayed in the game. We made some tactical changes with 10 minutes to go and then five minutes to go. I felt that the team benefited and Marcus Harness earned the penalty. It was like watching Jerry Yates’ penalty. It was like watching him again as a 12-year-old, taking that penalty, with the confidence he had in scoring it. It was a pleasing day and a positive one for the club.
It's easy for me to stand here and talk about the recent run - but what's been, has been. I'm a man of today and tomorrow. Today is positive and tomorrow will be positive, too. However that looks, we'll see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully, I can remain at the club, because I've loved it here. Obviously, the promotion that we had last season was excellent. Paul Warne is an amazing guy and I just want the fans to remember him for that promotion and not remember him for this seven-game run of defeats - which I know happens in football. What has been has been, but the club, how it is now to how it was when we first came in, is one hundred per cent different. You have only got to speak to anybody within the club to agree with that statement.
Your job as a football coach, football manager or assistant manager is
first to change results and then you try and work on everything
else. We've tried to change the culture and I think it has been changed.
The club nearly didn't exist and now it's in the Championship, there's a
real lot to be proud of about this team. They will give you everything
they've got. Hopefully, that can be good enough, which I think it will
be, but what I can reassure our fans is moving forward ghat every player in
that dressing room is fully committed and has been fully committed to
this club.
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