Should we really dislike Robbie Savage?

It's a reputation built up by insatiable media whore-hounds who single him out because he's: 1. Welsh, 2. been sent off a couple of times, and 3. has long hair. If anything I admire him for the fact that somehow he still dominates pre-game talk even when there are other issues are casting huge issue-shaped shadows over him: like, when was the last time either team won a game?

My indifference to Robbie Savage lasted approximately sixty-two and a half minutes at which point I saw him on the writhing on the ground and the referee reaching for his pocket. I could've ripped his smug face right off, fed it to my dog (if I had one), burnt his hair off, and, and, and... stolen his boots. I was livid. I screamed at my TV, right up close as if my cries might somehow infiltrate the speakers and find their way through about six million miles of cable and onto the pitch.

The next morning I reflected on the anger that had descended the night before, and in a beautiful moment of clarity it dawned on me that I was just like all the other weak-minded fools who had fallen for the Savage trap. It was a bad tackle by Jordan Clarke (though not his fault, he wouldn't have seen Savage coming), and when two blokes run at full pelt towards each other and one gets kicked... it hurts.

And Savage's reaction? He rolls once, but given his speed at the time of the challenge we can put that down to momentum. Otherwise, it's how most fouled players react, hardly theatrical, and certain not to draw a comment had it happened to any other player on the field.

But we're missing the real crux of the matter here. Robbie Savage played an excellent game. Sat in front of the Derby back-four, he not only offered protection for his defenders, but always made himself available for the ball; played neat, accurate passes; never gave the ball away; and broke up a lot of City's play. Add to that the antagonistic effect he appeared to have on our players, and it shows you what an asset he is.

The closest we have to that is Sammy Clingan, and we all know that we're missing him at the moment. Some have questioned why we ever let Michael Doyle go. I find that astonishing. Yes he may have some of the aggression and tenacity that a player like Savage has. But there's one big difference: Savage can pass the ball to a teammate.

I'm not saying I wish Savage was a Sky Blue. No. I'd sooner have Craig Bellamy back. I just wish I had just cause to be angry at him. I wish it had been his antics that had beaten us, not his football. That would have been easier to swallow.