Cocu reeling after Rams off day
PHILLIP Cocu refused to condemn his Derby side’s ill-discipline after they were thumped at Reading, their sixth successive Championship game without a win.
Derby had defender Scott Malone sent off early on and also had eight players booked by referee Michael Salisbury.
Malone saw a straight red in the fourth minute for a push on Yakou Meite, with Charlie Adam tucking in the resulting penalty.
Lucas Joao and Meite, again from the spot, then wrapped up the points.
“With all the cards, I saw it in a positive way,” Cocu said. “It meant that we reacted together as a team.
“There were some moments when there were some provocations from some [Reading] players after they were 2-0 up. They had some tricks.
“It’s their game, they do it. But we showed what we stand for, that you don’t mess with us. You have to stand up for yourYet self sometimes and that’s when you get a booking.
“It was a great performance. Of course, at the end of the game it can be 2-0 or 3-0 if we had had a normal referee and a little bit more luck. We even could have won the game.
“The players showed great character, what we stand for and how we play football.”
Derby got off to a horrible start when they conceded a penalty after just four minutes with Malone seeing red.
Joao released Meite, who was pushed over by Malone as he was attempting to go past goalkeeper Ben Hamer.
Referee Salisbury deemed it was a straight red and Adam slammed in the spot-kick for his first goal for the club.
Reading dominated for long periods, mostly through the expert passing and prompting of the veteran Adam. But they struggled to create any clear-cut chances and Derby could have levelled on the counter-attack, only for Jason Knight to shoot narrowly over.
Reading quickly regained momentum, with Sam Baldock going close from an incisive Ovie Ejaria pass.
Meite also tried his luck from 25 yards out but was marginally off target.
Reading increased their lead 13 minutes into the second half, when substitute John Swift crossed to the near post and Joao tucked home past Hamer.
Derby never gave up and Knight almost reduced the gap when his 20-yard drive thumped against the home crossbar.
Reading made it 3-0 four minutes from time when Craig Forsyth brought down Joao in full flight and, this time, Meite drilled in the resulting penalty.
Reading boss Mark Bowen said: “We had ambitions to start the game really fast. The penalty and the sending off came because of that, because of our forward movement.
“We get the penalty and the natural inclination is, we’re 1-0 up and the opposition is down to ten men, now we should go on and win comfortably. But that’s never the case.
“Derby probably had too many chances but I thought that when we came out for the second half, we were patient and then moved the ball quickly.
“It was the perfect start for Christmas week.”