Stripperg-ram

Pride Park Stadium
KO - 12.30
Ticket Update: Forgeddaboutit
Match is  also live on Sky Sports
What it is to be a Derby fan. After Northampton, even yours truly was feeling a tad deflated. With Blackpool, Pompey and Wycombe next up, my mood was more pensive and hopeful, than upbeat, as many others seemed to feel that we'd blown another golden opportunity. In fairness, that was understandable, if only to a point. Happily though, it appears that Warne and the chaps did not get the memo informing them of their impending capitulation and decided to go on an 5 game unbeaten run instead. That effort not only cemented us in the top 2, as others buckled under pressure, but now sees us teetering right on the edge of promotion glory; agonisingly poised, we have one foot in the sunlit uplands of the Championship (*shudder), the other remaining firmly planted in the nightmarish possibility of yet more play-off induced football terrors. But need we really be worried? 
After recent history and the near demise of our great club, I think it's understandable that some Derby fans might adopt a mildly cautious outlook and demeanour. In recent years, whatever may go wrong, typically has done and in so much, it's fair to say that a robust constitution is a mandatory requirement for a group of fans who've had more than their fair share share of emotional kickings over the last decade. Most Rams will confess that in some ways, it's hard not to expect the worst, based on recent history, but then isn't the dream what it's all about? After all, if you strip away the hopes and dreams, what do you really have left? It's been a season to test our nerves, that much is clear, but despite a lot of infighting, we've hung it all together in the end and here we are, fate firmly in our own hands. Remember too, that for some of our young 'uns, Saturday is a potentially momentous day. Automatic promotions don't come around every year and many won't have experienced one in their lives to date and for our elder statesmen and women, this could be an emotional roller coaster too. 
Outside the club itself, expectations are sky high. The bookmakers have all but closed the book on our promotion chances and after all, a single point is all we require against a Carlisle side who remain 10 points adrift at the very foot of the table and with seemingly nothing other than professional pride at stake. The oddsmakers are undoubtedly right from a statistical standpoint, but playing devil's advocate for a moment, Carlisle will view this as a free hit and will play without pressure (think Wycombe) and for some, the game provides an ideal opportunity to showcase their talents in a high-profile game with the Sky cameras watching on. Summer moves may beckon, for any player who shines.
Worthy favourites then, IMHO, but doubtless a good few will still be anxiously awaiting Saturday's outcome.
Not me mind. I’ll be drunk from @noon on Wednesday.
The Permutations:
Quite simple now, on paper at least; a win or a draw and we say, 'hasta la visa, baby' and kiss this league goodbye, hopefully forever. A loss, by a single goal would leave Bolton needing to beat Posh 3-0 in order to break the hearts of the Rams faithful, snatching 2nd place by virtue of having scored more goals. Not quite the proverbial slam-dunk then, but we're strong favourites, all the same and rightly so IMO.
Elsewhere, we, along with Bolton, will be hoping Posh slip up midweek; Posh will be hoping they don't and Barnsley and Lincoln will be nervously looking over their shoulders with both Oxford and Blackpool snapping at their heels. I'd dearly love to see Blackpool snatch the last playoff slot! 
 


The key fixtures for the final rounds, with promotion hopefuls underlined, are as below:
Tuesday 23/04-2024
Cheltenham vs Peterborough - 19.45
Saturday 27/04/2024
Barnsley vs Northampton - 12.30
Exeter vs Oxford - 12.30
Lincoln Vs Portsmouth - 12.30
Peterborough vs Bolton - 12.30
Reading Vs Blackpool - 12.30
My guesses are Posh to beat Cheltenham and draw with Bolton. Barnsley to beat Northampton, Oxford to turn over Exeter, Lincoln and Pompey to draw and Blackpool to beat Reading. Make of that what you will! 
Our Opponents – A Brief History:
Founded in 1896 as Shaddongate United, Carlisle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cumbria, who have played their home games at Brunton Park since 1909. The club's traditional kit is blue with white and red detail, whilst the badge takes elements from the city's coat of arms by including two Wyverns. They are nicknamed the "Blues", due to their kit, as well as the "Cumbrians". The club is the northernmost English professional football club seated close to the Anglo-Scottish border. Crowned Lancashire Combination, Division Two champions in 1906–07, they entered the North Eastern League in 1910 and went on to win the league title in 1921–22, before being elected into the Football League in 1928. 
Head to Head:
Sadly, Carlisle have a pretty decent record against our beloved Rams. Twenty-three competitive fixtures have seen Derby win 9, draw 6 and lose 8. Our first fixture, in the old Division 3 North back in 1955, saw Derby win 3-0. More recently, the two teams have met three time in the last decade with Derby bookending the decade with 2-0 wins, with a 1-1 between them.
Games Played: 23
Games Won:9
Games Drawn:6
Games Lost:8
Our last Meeting:
The corresponding fixture at Brunton Park was way back in September with a James Collins brace giving the game a rather more comforting veneer than was perhaps warranted. Carlisle looked tidy and Gibson and Moxon in particular, gave Derby plenty to think about. On that performance, you might have been forgiven for thinking Carlisle would do ok this season, but it’s fair to say that things have not gone well for the Cumbrian outfit and their relegation was a formality from some way out.
Carlisle United - Recent Form:
Carlisle's recent form has been distinctly patchy, with their last 5 games comprising a 3-1 home loss to that awful club near Henley, another home loss by the odd goal to Blackpool, a hard-earned away win at Cheltenham, before consecutive losses to Northampton and Lincoln. 
Saturday 20th April
Carlisle United 1 Wycombe Wanderers 3
Saturday 13th April
Carlisle United 0 Blackpool 1
Tuesday 9th April
Cheltenham Town 0 Carlisle United 1
Saturday 6th April
Northampton Town 2 Carlisle United 0
Monday 1st April
Carlisle United 1 Lincoln City 3
Carlisle United - Key Players:
Quite a relief that we won’t be facing Owen Moxon, snapped up by Pompey in the January window. Most of what was good about Carlisle seemed to start with him, but in Jordan Gibson, they still retain some meaningful threat. He's tricky with ball at feet, looks to attack and has a shot on him. He tops the scorer’s chart with 7 goals and 3 assists whilst Sam Lavelle with 4 assists is a goal provider to note. Mellish with 5 goals and Butterworth and Garner with 4 a piece, round out the principal Carlisle goal threats. it would be remiss not to mention also that their current manager, is none other than the much respected, Paul Simpson. Nudge, nudge, wink wink, Paul! The other ex-Rams fun fact would be that Luke Plange had a brief and unremarkable spell with the Cumbrians this season, before seeking warmer weather with HJK Helsinki.
Rams Team News:
Some will be itching for change after a stuttering performance at Cambridge. My own thoughts on that game are that Cambridge fought ridiculously hard and we had to try and match that extreme intensity before we could even think about playing our game. The pitch looked both short and narrow to me had clearly been subject to a hosepipe ban and I think all of these factors led to a feisty and extremely combative game, from which we did well to emerge with maximum points. Back on home soil, a larger pitch and a (marginally) better surface, I’d expect us to look rather more fluid.
Sadly, this will be the last time we get to watch young Max Bird play for the club. There’s been some really silly stuff written about our most technically gifted footballer and I have to confess that seeing him leave for Brizzle will be like a kick to the gut. That said, the fee garnered enabled some key signings and it could be argued that in hindsight, this was smart business. Nah, I'm not convinced either, but needs must? Quite possibly. Irrespective, I’d love to see him among the starting 11 for his swansong. I’m sure the Derby faithful will give him the send-off he deserves, in what may be a somewhat bittersweet celebration, for both us as fans and Max himself, lest we forget.
With that in mind, here’s my team selection, which will of course in no way resemble the gaffer’s:
 

 

The defence really needs to remain unchanged. A more determined and obdurate back 3 you’d struggle to find. Wildsmith retains the #1 jersey, despite some idiosyncratic ball distribution. To my way of thinking, he makes saves that matter and that outweighs his wayward passing.
I’ve drafted in Bird to replace Korey Smith, who would perhaps be hard done by should Warne follow suit. Max would partner the irrepressible Ebou Adams, a pairing that ought to give us a solid foundation in midfield. Working hard on the flanks, I’d have Wilson and Sibley, two players I absolutely love. The latter especially, has really matured over the course of the season, proving yours truly and others wrong in the process and he has oodles of ability if this progress and work ethic can be maintained.
Thommo is also retained and will hopefully sit a little higher and rat like his life depends on it. He and Collo put in Herculean shifts against Cambridge, doing the work that seldom attracts the plaudits, but is often key to our success. He can also interchange with a front two of Collo and Nate, who should give Carlisle plenty to think about. Barks, Gayle and Smith appear the obvious change-ups, with Hourihane, Vickers and Elder in reserve, but much will depend on who is truly healthy on the day.
And that, ladies and gentlemen is me done for the season. I’m fancying us for a decent performance, with a little style on show after an early goal to settle the nerves. 3-0 is the call with Collo, Nate and Sibs my fancies as the scorers. After some 55 games across the season, this one has definitely felt like something of a marathon, but in spite of the divided fan base, I’ve enjoyed seeing us tough it out. The football has been mildly bipolar, great one week, not so much the next, but I think all sides at this lowly level are inconsistent, only us and Pompey slightly less so than the others. Should we progress, of course we will face different challenges, but we will also have a very different playing roster. Doubts about the style of football will persist, but personally, I don't think Clowes will even contemplate letting Warne go and as such, Warne will retain my support until such time as he doesn't! 
Here’s hoping then,  for a resounding win, a respectful but joyous celebration of an important and healing day for all connected with the club and one that the majority can safely enjoy. Also, calm and stress-free journeys for any fans travelling significant distances and a bright and shiny, new future for Derby County Football club.
COYR
BE MORE B4
 

Cledara Abbey Stadium: KO- 15.00
We’re on a mini-run, aren’t we, but despite having our fate firmly back in our hands, the pressure to perform remains; two wins from our last two and we’re back in the sunlit uplands of the Championship; a loss, or even a draw and potentially the pendulum swings again.
It’ll be interesting to see whether we might see one or two back in full training this week, but it’s hard to view the win against Orient as anything other than one of our most complete performances this season and this despite being far from clinical in front of goal. Will the confidence garnered see us approach the game with the same positive approach? One hopes so! Another slip up when seemingly set to turn the screw and inevitably, PW’s management will be under fire. A win and we head back to Pride Park with only Carlisle standing between us and our first promotion since 2007.
Our Opponents:
The club was founded in 1912 as Abbey United, and took the name Cambridge United in 1951. They played in local amateur leagues before joining the Southern League after finishing as runners-up of the Eastern Counties League in 1957–58. Under Bill Leivers's stewardship they were crowned Southern League Premier Division champions in 1968–69 and 1969–70, which helped to secure their election into the Football League in 1970. 

Recent Form & Key Players:
Off the back off two absolute kickings from Reading, 4-0, then a 6-0 hammering from Lincoln, Cambridge were held 1-1 by Northampton before closing out March with a 2-0 loss away to Bolton. April has seen them draw at home to Charlton and lose by the odd goal to Blackpool, before showing better form in defeating Wigan 3-1 at home.
Top of the scoring charts sits Gassan Ahadme with 11, with Fejiri Okenabirhie next best with 9. Ellis Kachunga is next best having netted 6 times in 34 starts. Sully Kalkai tops the assists list with from Jack Lankester and George Thomas with 4 and 3 assists respectively.
Rams Match Squad:
Hard to get away from the 11 that started against Orient, given the resounding nature of the win and the style in which it was achieved. A buoyant Paul Warne confirmed in the post-match presser that everyone came through unscathed and it was interesting to hear him saying that we had more energy coming off a shorter break than was the case at Wycombe, where he felt we lacked energy, despite the 8 day break.
The injury picture remains murky and it’ll be interesting to see whether Gayle and Bird might be fit enough to make the matchday squad. I’ll not bother with my selected 11, as I always get it horribly wrong and the gaffer seems to be doing a decent job matching squads to opponents without our guidance. Instead, here’s the top of the table as it stands:

Don't forget to keep an eye on @Caerphilly Ram's injury updates thread across the week, for any snippets on player's likely return dates. I'll append anything I see to this htread as best I can in any case.
The Promotion Picture:
Some key fixtures tomorrow night, none more so than Bolton’s home game against Shrewsbury, whom we know to be a strong and obdurate side, though one lacking the Trotter’s class edge. I’d expect Bolton to take the points, but should Shrews grab an early lead, it could make for rather tougher game.
Oxford, fresh off the back of their 5 goal hammering of Posh play hosts to Lincoln City, whose charge towards the play-offs has faltered a little in most recently. It ought to be a tightly contested affair and to be honest, I’d not be surprised by any result.
The aforementioned Posh have what appears to be a routine task against lowly Fleetwood, but what will be the aftermath of their humbling at the hands of Oxford on Saturday. Might they have a hangover?
Perhaps the best tie of the round features champions-elect Portsmouth hosting Barnsley. A point will surely suffice for Pompey, but I expect them to win and win well en route to a thoroughly well-deserved title win. They’ve been excellent this season and this despite being one of the few clubs with comparable injury concerns to our beloved Rams. It'll be good to see them back where they belong after some very difficult years of their own.
Of the weekend ties, the most interesting involve Peterborough, who have a tricky away game at Bristol and Bolton host Port Vale. It seems odds on we will be going into the final week needing to beat Carlisle to be absolutely certain of promotion and I doubt too many Rams fans will be counting their chickens early! 
Final Thoughts:
A brief digression is in order to congratulate Eiran Cashin and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, both of whom made the EFL League 1 Team of the Year. Bit miffed that Curtis Nelson was overlooked to partner Cash at CB, as for me, he’s been top of the pops for us, but I doubt he’ll mind too much if we win come Saturday.
A last word as always to all Derby fans travelling to the game, safe journey to and fro, Rams and Ramettes and hopefully plenty of good stuff to chatter about on your way home. Honestly, I think our away support has been as good as any in the entire EFL this season and they’ll hopefully be rewarded with another complete and controlled performance as we ourselves edge closer to that vital 2nd place finish.
COYR
BE MORE B4
 

Well done on your win and putting things back in your own hands.  I thought we were fortunate at times today, for some reason our early goal seemed to send us in to our shell; Bolton have some decent footballers, who exploited that for the rest of the first half and we were lucky not to go in behind.  Second half a bit more even.
All the best for the run in - as I've said elsewhere I'm hoping we'll both end up in the automatic slots now; but I do think you're probably at the stage where you can't afford any slip ups in the last couple of games.
I've just poured a large glass of red. Enjoy your evenings, Rams.

I spend the minutes before each game thinking … this is it .. this is the day where it all clicks and we give someone a hammering. There have been days when we have played well enough to do that but somehow the score never reflects it. Then there are other days when we look so clumsy and slow, all the “couldn’t trap a bag of cements and hit a bard door” clichees come rolling out. This has to be the most hot and cold DCFC team I have ever watched. League 1 isn’t terrible .. I’d rather we weren’t in it but it isn’t the football .. it’s the unforced errors, the lousy touches, the missed chances the iffy refs. … Come on lads … get us out of here ! 
 
Anyway, saw Roy Mac (the real one) in my local last night .. it’s a sign I tell ye, it’s a sign, COYR ! Don’t care about the line up, don’t care about the tactics … need to win this.

Pride Park Stadium – KO: 15.00
After a chastening visit to Wycombe Wanderers, next up, the Rams play host to Leyton Orient. I know the whole, ‘must win game’ is horribly overused cliche in sport, but sadly, it actually applies on this occasion, as it will do for all of our remaining games. On the basis of ability and potential, you’d fancy our chances strongly, but as has been the case through a good deal of the season, the team remains somewhat Jekyll and Hyde and it’s anyone’s guess which Derby will turn up on Saturday. Having been concerned about the Wycombe game being a potential banana skin, I’m less so for this match, but it’d taker a braver man than I to be dogmatic about the outcome.
Leyton Orient:
Founded in 1881 as the Glyn Cricket Club, they began playing football as Orient in 1888 and joined the London League in 1896 after success in the Clapton & District League. The club adopted the name Clapton Orient two years later and were elected into the Football League in 1905. Most recently and under current manager Richie Wellens, the club was crowned champions of League Two in the 2022–23 campaign and sit mid-table in this current season.
Form Guide:
In the corresponding away fixture, we rode our luck a little early on, but having scored 1st, the game turned on a somewhat controversial sending off, with Brandon Cooper dismissed for a foul on Max Bird. Derby ultimately ran out comfortable 3-0 winners and this with Collo spurning a brace of golden opportunities, but even then, I felt the scoreline flattered us a little - Please see the match highlights link below. FWIW, my view is that Orient are a tidy enough side for the grade and should not be taken lightly. Much like Wycombe, they will be able to relax a little more than our lads and we need to be controlled and alert throughout the 90 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zPSKzMlFGE&ab_channel=DerbyCountyFootballClub
 
Most recently, Orient’s form has been decent enough, with a 1-0 victory away to Stevenage followed by two losses by the odd goal only to Lincoln and Peterborough. Their last two matches, both at home, yielded a 3-1 victory against Cheltenham, followed by a 2-2 draw against Exeter.
The most obvious dangerman would seem to be the ever-present Ruel Sotiriou with 11 goals and 5 assists across 42 games played. Shaquai Forde is next best with 9 goals and 5 assists, with Oliver O'Neil chipping in with 5 goals and 4 assists. Their preferred formation is seemingly a 4-2-3-1, but perhaps someone who has actually watched them regularly can confirm, as my research yielded conflicting data.
Head 2 Head:
Historically, Derby have the edge and perhaps more significantly, we have not lost at home to Leyton since 1981, with 5 home losses in total since the clubs first met way back in 1907 in what was then the 2nd division.
Games won: 23
Games drawn: 8
Games lost: 18
Team News:
Warne again has some worries to address. Our own @Caerphilly Ram has battled manfully to keep us all informed against an ever-changing background and his latest summary suggests the something akin to the following scenario for Saturday:
Joe Ward – was said to be out for 2 weeks at time of injury – 50:50 for this match is perhaps mildly optimistic
Max Bird – was mooted as a possible for the Wycombe game – may well figure from the bench
Dwight Gayle – not expected to play this weekend, but may be available for the last 2 games
Craig Forsyth - not expected to play this weekend, but may be available before season end
Callum Elder – groin injury, status unknown
Ryan Nyambe – out for the season
Tyreece John-Jules – most likely out for the season
Jake Rooney -  most likely out for the season, but has been ‘back on the grass’ we’re told. No jokes please!
I do have some sympathy for Warne as it seems every time he has the lads playing well, injuries to key players undermine any momentum, but that said, we’re not alone in that regard and we’ll need to make do as best we can.
Line-Up:
I think PW will start with a very similar line up to the last game. I’m going to suggest a slightly controversial tweak (assuming Ward is s recovered) and a change from the MF 2 we seem to favour, to variant of an undeniably old fashioned 4-4-2 – yeah, I know, straws...clutching...much… If Ward is indeed fit, he comes in for Nate, who looks like a man in need of freshening up – perhaps he and Max might be best deployed as ‘finishers’ off the bench when legs tire and the game is more stretched, assuming we’re not winning comfortably. Likewise Barks, who could also play on the right if Ward remains out. That said, if Max is healthy enough to start, I'd be sorely tempted to switch to a 4-3-3 with he and Corey either side of Ebou and Washington dropping to the bench. Irrespective, we must control the game better than we did in the 2nd half at Wycombe, where we repeatedly left a yawning chasm in front of our back 4, for their midfielders to play into.
The front two and CM remain unchanged for me; despite both Wash and Collo looking understandably short of match sharpness, IMO, they remain our best current options. Once again, the back 4 pick themselves, as do Corey and Ebou in at CM. Joe keeps his slot, having done well enough since his return to the fold.


The Match:
Honestly, I’ve no idea which Derby will turn up. After Wycombe, some will want wholesale changes, but my take on what was an admittedly hugely disappointing result, is that Wycombe should have been dead and buried inside 40 minutes. I’m not sure that the subsequent slaughtering of Warne for what was to my eye, the profligacy of his forward line, is entirely fair, but each to their own. He remains the incumbent, for better or worse and whatever might happen next year, it seems a long way off right now. As such, the focus for yours truly remains the next 3 games and nothing else.
A last word, as I’ve avoided reading all bar the last couple of pages of the last thread, would be that despite the stuttering effort against Wycombe, the travelling Rams faithful were magnificent in their support for the team. It’d be grand if we could mirror that at home and all try to channel our inner B4 and help carry the lads over the line. At least remember that Warne and his players are trying their best and are just people, like all of us and hurtful appraisals will only serve to undermine their confidence further.
Enjoy the game one and all.
COYR
BE MORE B4
  

Adams Park Stadium
Wednesday, April 10th – Kick-Off: 19.45
Still a full week to go before another match to savour, this time against a club who can sensibly lay claim to having the greatest car park in all of football. So, what is there to say about L1’s perennial not-so-nearly men? Well, they have a fantastic chairman don’t they! Who else would be magnanimous enough to name their ground after our legendary midfield destroyer, Ebou? More to the point, how did he even know Ebou was coming to Derby? Clever chap, I suppose, which is probably why he now owns more ambulances than the NHS. As for Wycombe the town, well some brief research shows that Wycombe is notable only for being surrounded by places that are not dumps. Also, for weighing its mayors to see whether they have been getting rich on the public pound. Oh, The Cornetto Trilogy too, for any Hot Fuzz fans out there.
Moving onto Wycombe FC, well what can I say?
No, really, what can I say?
Oh, alright then! Their Wiki bio states that Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Founded in 1887, they entered the Southern League in 1896. Despite being around forever though, they’ve won the square root of feck all and in 137 years, have only managed to accrue around 7,000 supporters. I’m no maths whizz, but by utilising my trusty abacus, I’ve calculated that at their current rate of growth, they will hit Derby levels of support in only 508.86 years. Something to look forward to, then.
Key Threats
Well they are two-fold and to be taken seriously; firstly, there’s the threat of legal action and secondly, there’s a very real possibility that they’ll attempt to hoof half our team into the stands. Fortunately for us, we’ve already paid them out, so they’re now feasting on the bones of other clubs in financial strife. Also, their stands are tiny and their team is rubbish, so if any Wycombe player does attempt to half-volley Liam Thomson into the North Stand, he’ll probably miss it altogether.
On the pitch, after a seriously deep dive, the only threats I’ve come up with are Luke Leahy who has amassed 8 goals and 6 assists this season from @40 starts, Dale Taylor with 5 and Joseph Low with 4. I was going to visit their forum to try to discern some interesting insider titbits for you lot; team strategy, injuries, pie quality and the like, but I immediately realised I’d rather eat my own vomit, so I didn’t bother. Feel free to have a gander yourselves though.
The Team
I think we’ll likely see the same starting 11, or very close to it. Fortunately, we now have the aforementioned Ebou Adams, so when they kick us, he’ll kick them back. Several times each, probably. That said, I think if we play our own game and don’t get sucked into Wycombe’s peculiar brand of anti-football, we may well win and win well.
And sadly, that’s all folks, as the pub beckons and in truth, I’d not really counted on us getting past both Blackpool and Pompey and have nothing else prepared. A final note though, for away supporters looking for things to do before and after the game, might I recommend a trip to Henley, Marlow or Windsor instead?
COYR
BE MORE B4

What's worse is that we have him on loan for 2 successive seasons!
Granted they were pretty forgettable for the most part and one of the seasons was behind closed doors due to covid, but still he was here for TWO YEARS 😂

Match Thread: vs Portsmouth (a)
Tuesday, April 2nd, Kick-Off – 8.00pm
Head to Head:
Two grand old clubs who first met way back in 1902 in the FA Cup, a game that resulted in a rather unsatisfactory 0-0 bore draw. The replay at saw us winning the replay 6-3 which doubtless gave the early Rams faithful a little more to cheer. Since then, there’s not been a deal between the two sides, with Derby edging the charts with 42 wins to Pompey’s 35.
Games won: 42
Games drawn: 23
Games lost: 35
The Status Quo:
Well, it’s looking good right now my fellow rams. Likewise for Pompey, who do look near to uncatchable now, though there doubtless remain some happy clappers like yours truly who will still be hoping Portsmouth slip up and what better place for them to begin their demise than in front of their own fans on Tuesday evening? That said, Portsmouth have arguably been THE most consistent side in the division, steadily accumulating wins after a minor, mid-season wobble. It’s fair to say that while they’ve continued their good form, our post-Xmas wobble saw us fall back a little, though if we look at the last half dozen games, we’ve actually outpointed them, indeed only Lincoln, who seem to lay waste to every team they meet right now, can claim to be in better form than our own beloved Rams.

The Key Threats:
There’s little doubt that Cody Bishop is their main striking threat with 16 goals and 2 assists to his name this season, but Pompey can boast other threats, none less than Paddy Lane who has netted 11 times this season, also weighing in with 6 assists. Abu Kamara and Marlon pack have 8 assists a piece, so it’s fair to say that Pompey have multiple attacking threats and they promise to provide us with our toughest game of the season and one in which Nelson and Cashin will need to be absolutely on their A-game if we are to leave with Fratton Park with anything to show for the game.
Team News:
Like most, I was delighted to see Collo return to the fold so swiftly and he looked pretty damn sharp to be honest. Perhaps the ‘rest’ has actually done him well! This is critical as for me, Wash and Waggy look some way off their peak and I suppose, given their lack of games this year, that’s easy to understand.
I was also delighted to see Korey Smith start and for me, he has to stay in the starting 11. He’s not entirely dissimilar to Hourihane, but his mobility gives us more stability, though that said, we did again leave gaps between the press and our back line against Blackpool and if we do so again against Pompey, we might find ourselves in some bother.
With a considerable injury list still hampering his efforts, Warne will again need to marshal his troops carefully and I’d expect a cagey performance from both sides where moments of quality will likely settle the game, rather than one side establishing outright dominance. I’ll drop another update on injuries etc, on this thread nearer the game, but I’d be looking at something similar to what we saw yesterday, with a couple of tweaks:
Firstly, I’ve assumed Elder is once more broken and that we’ll therefore need to use Sibbo in the LB role again. I’d have preferred him starting higher up the pitch, but we have so many missing that it’s a case of needs must. In so much, the back 4 pick themselves.
I’ve kept the same midfield as last week, with Smith again taking the starting role and Conor set to figure later in the game. Adams remains on fire and simply has to start every match now. The only other tweak I’d use would be to play Wash in behind Collo, assuming Jimmy is able to manage 60 minutes at this point in his return. That gives us something like the line-up below, but I do expect this to change, as I very seldom guess Warne’s selection correctly and I’m also hopeful we’ll have one or two more to pick from. CBT, now with some minutes under his belt, appears to be finding some good form and despite our injury situation, we'll have some interesting bench options all the same and perhaps he might even earn a start?


The Game:
I don’t think there’s any doubt that both sides have sufficient quality to punish any errors made and I think this will simply come down to which side best executes their game plan and who is most clinical with the chances they fashion. I’m going for a 1-1 draw with Nate to re-find his scoring touch and secure us another vital point. I think with both clubs and sets of fans riding high, it ought to be a great atmosphere though at present, there is some rain forecast. For anyone making a mini-break of it, please see some 'Things To Do' suggestions and links to some decent eateries below, as suggested by TripAdvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186298-Activities-Portsmouth_Hampshire_England.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurants-g186298-Portsmouth_Hampshire_England.html
Enjoy the game my fellow Rams fans and safe journey to and fro.
COYR
BE MORE B4

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

My first game of the season. Haven't felt the excitement to come all the way from West Wales for a while due to cost and time, whilst being frustrated with team selection and particularly substitutions (too late and wrong).
Today, however was back to the feeling of the relegation season.
What an effort from all the team, you could see the togetherness. And all deserve credit for getting over the line when we didn't look like winning.
And well done Paul Warne for managing the game and substitutions to great effect 

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

I was sat in the east stand towards the north end - in line with our back 4 in the second half - and it was a joy to watch 
As most others have said Cashin and Foz were amazing. Mopped up everything and read the game brilliantly. 
I felt we invited more pressure than was healthy, but my god they dealt with it. Cash revving up the crowd in the last 10 mins was immense.
Felt like 32,000 voices singing was double the sound of the normal 27k. 
What a noise. What a buzz. 
cacophinous and raw. Brilliant.
At the time, really questioned bringing on Smith for Gayle when we had Waghorn on the bench but that actually gave us our best run of play for the last 20 minutes of the 1st half. Felt like we were on top. The 3 subs at half time seemed to disrupt that a bit, but apparently for precautious reasons. So if you think about it, we had 4 injury subs in the 1st half and still won the game in the 2nd. That’s the kind of thing promotion winners do. 🐏

Saturday 16th March
vs Bolton Wanderers
Pride Park   KO 1500
 
This match as a song by The Smiths: Some Games Are Bigger Than Others
Opponents Bio: I had the honour of starting the match thread for the reverse fixture so may be repeating some of these nuggets of insignificant trivia. So in the hope that the forums' collective memory is worsening here we go again.
Bolton Wanderers are, like ourselves, proud to be one of the twelve original founder members of the Football League. Not only that, the opening round of fixtures back on 8th September 1888 saw the two clubs meet for the first of 136 encounters (129 league, five FA Cup and two League Cup). Furthermore, Bolton winger Kenny Davenport has the distinction of being the first scorer in English Football League history as he netted after just two minutes of the game. The Rams did come back to win an opening day thriller 6-3 at Pikes Lane, Bolton in front of an estimated crowd of 3,000. 
Bolton can proudly boast that they have spent more seasons in the top flight of the English game than they have outside of it and have seen giants of the game like Jimmy Armfield, Nat Lofthouse and Michael Ricketts sport their colours over the years.
Bolton are commonly known as one of three nicknames; The Whites, due to the colour of their home kit, Wanderers, as it's their name, or The Trotters, chosen by their first owner who made his fortune selling laxatives.
They have former Ram Ian Evatt as manager and also had a run of three successive bosses with Derby links between 1992 and 1999 as they were led by Bruce Rioch, Roy McFarland and then Colin Todd. Players who have represented both clubs include Franny Lee, John McGovern, Jeff Chandler and Andy Todd.
Opponents Dangermen: Chief threat is 13-goal Dion Charles although he is doubtful with a knee injury. Victor Adeboyejo has ten goals but is likely out for the season which leaves Bolton with three principal goal threats; Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, ex-Ram Cameron Jerome and Aaron Collins whose five goals and ten assists make him a man to be wary of in our third. Josh Sheehan also poses a threat from midfield.
Opponents Recent Form: Wanderers will rock up at Pride Park in third place, one position and one point behind ourselves and buoyed by an impressive 5-0 demolition of playoff chasing Oxford on Tuesday night. They are, however, winless in their last four away fixtures since winning 2-1 at Cambridge. Defeats at Blackpool (1-4) and Wigan (0-1) followed that victory and their most recent away games have seen them draw 2-2 at both Barnsley and Exeter. Whilst we're looking for positives, they have conceded at least once in their last eight road games. Their overall away record for the season is decent enough with nine wins, five draws and five defeats.
Derby vs Bolton History: Derby have had by some margin the upper hand in the head-to-heads with Wanderers. In 129 meetings our record stands at W64-D23-L42. One statistic stands out in the meetings on our turf though and it is this:
Bolton have never won at Pride Park.
There, I've said it. 
Since we moved to Pride Park, Bolton have visited us ten times in the league and drew on their third, fourth and fifth visits but went back up the M6 with nil points on the other seven occasions. We are P10: W7-D3-L0 with 24 goals scored and just five conceded when the Trotters come to town. They haven't scored more than once in any game at Pride Park and, alongside two victories by a one-goal margin, we have merrily spanked their chubby Lancashire backsides 4-0 twice, 4-1 twice and 3-0 once. Now if that isn't tempting fate I don't know what is.
Expected Rams XI: Possibly same again do we think? Maybe Smith for Hourihane if the latter is still feeling the affects of Yiadom's brutal tackle in midweek.
My Tuppence Worth: I mentioned it elsewhere but we have winnable looking (I know, I know) games against Blackpool, Orient, Carlisle, Northampton, Wycombe and Cambridge to come in the run-in. If we can do the business in those then a couple of draws in the games against Bolton and Portsmouth will be enough for an automatic place. What I'm suggesting is that given the respective fixture lists of ourselves and Bolton, a draw wouldn't be such a bad result on Saturday. If it's a must win game for either side then, in my opinion, it is more so for Wanderers than it is for us.
Other Fixtures of Note: It's a significant round of matches as apart from second versus third in our match, it's fourth against first at London Road.
Peterborough vs Portsmouth
Barnsley vs Cheltenham
 
COYR