Opinion: Are Derbies Still Like They Used To Be?

Considering we are just a few days away to one of the biggest fixtures of the football season, it is no surprise that Twitter and other social media sites have a lot of derby related content. The thing that really grabbed me about all of the photos that have been posted over the last few days, is the amount of passion that such fixtures bring, not only off the pitch but also on the pitch.

I love seeing images in the past of players goading the other teams fans or some crunching tackles that go in but what is very noticeable to me is that they are often quite a few years ago. For example, Robbie Savage has several good images whereby he is head to head, literally, with the opposition in a physical match up. This kind of passion, which sometimes boils over, is one of the best things about derby matches as it really sums up the feelings felt by fans whilst also living up to the atmosphere that will be created on the day.

But nowadays, these matches don’t seem to be as feisty as they used to be. I think this is partially due to the refereeing these days being a bit stricter and therefore players are more wary of tackling in the same way. By going down to 10 men, which is what will inevitably happen if a fight was to occur, then it lets your own side down which is not what is beneficial to your team in a game where it has to be a win. So this prevents passion from really coming to the surface by the players.

But it also may be because the players don’t get the same feelings. Yes, players want to win these games almost as much as the fans. And there is a buzz in training in the week building up to these games as reported by Rowett today. However, I think that the actual aggression that we feel doesn’t equate to the pitch. The player that could have brought a bit of a spark to the game would have actually been Jack Grealish as he gets provoked by very minor things and sometimes his passion for his club gets too much. Which is why he is suspended for the game but his livewire personality may have added some ammunition for the blueboys to really go in hard for tackles.

Our team is a little bit too nice, I’m afraid and in a way so are Villa. There is no player in the middle who can add that aggression such as a player like Savage or Carr. It is something that managers don’t want in their team as they are too busy getting yellow carded by referees who are very strict on dissent in the modern era.

Now, we seem to think passion is running onto the pitch at the end of the game. That’s not passion. We want to see players getting stuck in on the pitch and really going for it. We want to see players who score, kissing the badge in front of the opposition fans. Yes, this may result in a fine, but that is the kind of passion we need to see from the players as it is what we feel as fans. A win on the day would make a bluenose smile for the rest of the season and I can’t wait for the game.