NegativeCreep

Was just starting to go through the gears and then he missed that sitter at Wycombe. The fact we drew and at the time it looked a costly error probably didn’t do him any favours. 
 
Then he fell out the team and the nature of the rest of the matches meant he hardly got a kick. 
 
Clean slate for next season and hopefully he can do a job in some capacity.

Not sure if I am alone in this today but I feel an overwhelming sense of closure after yesterday’s achievement. What a relief to be back in the Championship. But it’s more than that.
It feels like all the hurt over the last couple of years: the administration, the points deductions, the financial turmoil, the humiliation, the relegation; it feels like we can finally turn the page on that sordid chapter of our history. Like we can move on. 
I’m not sure why I’m sharing this, but it feels even more personal for me than that, too. In the summer of our relegation, I lost my grandmother to cancer. She was the major connection to Derby for me. My whole ritual of going to the matches involved staying with her for the weekend. For some reason Derby County, the city of Derby, the supporters bus that would pick my Grandad and I up from outside The Gate in Swanwick, the cone of chips before the game, all just seemed to have disappeared.
I know it sounds strange but I feel like I lost my connection to the club in so many ways that summer. 
Yesterday, watching everyone celebrating and the tears and David Clowes and Ed Dawe’s’ tears, just felt like closure. The end of the trauma and the start of something new. It felt like moving on.
Thank you, Mr Clowes, for all of that 🐏

Having scrolled through Instagram this afternoon/evening, seeing the pictures of Dad’s on the pitch with their sons and daughters, players being paraded around on fans shoulders, I don’t know.
They are pictures that won’t just live in digital format on phones, printed off, displayed around the house, memories that will last a lifetime.
The scenes of thousands on the pitch was far from being embarrassing, in fact the club are putting content out tonight of the fans on their social media channels, despite asking to stay off the pitch. Players are also sharing them as well.
Celebrating like that is not for everyone, I know, much like the stands themselves, some will prefer the safety of the West Stand, others the “limbs” of the South Stand.
Just think though, some of those kids, that could be the only time they get a chance to step on to the Pride Park pitch. Something many young kids could only dream of.
It’s a shame fans such as yourself didn’t get the opportunity to applaud a lap of honour as you wanted, think at this time it’s one of those where just be grateful you were there.
Many wouldn’t have been able attend for various reasons, I wasn’t able to even get down the pub as I’ve been throwing up and pissing out my arse since yesterday with what I can only assume to be that Norovirus kids love to share at school.
Having to watch from bed, without a touch of alcohol has been tough! 

Sadly this will be my last match today. My first was in 1956 as a 13year old, My dad used to take me before that but he stopped going when we went down to the third division north. My mate and I would catch the 12 oclock bus from Melbourne and be the first in the ground. We stood in the Normanton end pigeon loft, I think it was 3 shilling. To this day I remember that team. We were champions in 1957 and I ran onto the pitch after the last match against Southport, Ray Straw scored 37 goals that season, The next ten years saw me start work, get married and have two children, I had moved to Derby, and after my family, the Rams were the most important thing in my life I never missed a home game in those ten years even though we were only an average second division side. And then in 1966 after England won the world cup my mate and I decided to have a season ticket, Little did we know what would happen that season, I was at work one day and a Rams supporting work mate told me we had signed a player from Bradford Park Avenue, his name was Kevin Hector I'd never heard of him but he was without doubt the most wonderful footballer to grace the Baseball Ground I had ever seen, and because of this we wanted to see more players like him which led to Tim Ward getting the sack and BC becoming Manager, what followed was ten years of unbelievable success and enjoyment. And then things started to go wrong off and on the pitch and I stopped being a season ticket holder during Peter Taylors time as manager, i still loved The Rams of course and when I turned 65 and retired my old mate from Melbourne and I bought season tickets again. But sadly covid left my best friend of 80 years with a dementia problem and he know no longer knows me. For the last two seasons I have been going alone to the match but its just not the same for me. Therefore I am calling it a day, as I write this I am welling up as I will do this afternoon. Thank you Derby County for every thing I will love you till I die.     

Emotionally gearing up for the massive weekend ahead 🙏🏻 Again, thank you David for saving our club 

 
 

You clearly do a lot of work on stats in football. I hope it brings you joy and wealth.
I personally couldn't give less of a monkey's about average discrepancy to the chances/goal average, xG, or any of it.
I watch football for fun, for the joy of that moment when the ball hits the net, the intake of breath as a defender is beaten. The satisfaction of winning a game. The shared pleasure of a successful season. 
I don't understand what you are saying, why you are saying it, or what joy you get from following football. 
Maybe if you diluted your intensely dry and rather hectoring stats lessons with a post or two about the actual football, or the Rams generally, folks would treat you with less disdain. 

It's good to see us getting strong at set pieces, now we just need to work on player movement at throw-ins

Well mate, we gave it a bloody good go!
Congratulations to Pompey for finishing in top spot, and here's to us joining them in promotion, very, very soon!  🐏
 

Absolutely everywhere yesterday, would love him to sign  Ebbbbbbooooooouuuu

Great result, good performance, insipid opposition.
Beat Cambridge and we have one foot in the Championship.
 

Personally wouldn't have Hourihane or Waghorn in the line up if I could help it. Hourihane runs like he's pulled both his hamstrings and offers absolutely nothing. Waghorn is just poor.
Surprising people wanting CBT on the bench cos he's had one bad game. Id start him.
Also find it bizarre anyone could possibly want NML up front. 
Id go with a 433. Hopefully Bird is fit. If he is I'd go:-
                 Wildsmith
Wilson, Nelson, Cashin, Sibley,
                    Adams,
              Bird, Thompson.             
Mendez-Laing, Collins, CBT
Smith for Bird if Bird isn't fit. We need energy in midfield.

Must win game, Warne says he may need to freshen it up as we looked tired vs Wycombe so I expect a couple of changes including going back to a back 3, so in a 3412 - 
Wildsmith - Nelson Bradley Cashin - Wilson Adams Hourihane Sibley - NML - Collins Waghorn
Vickers Ward Thompson Smith Barkhuizen CBT Washington
Could be either Ward or Bird on the bench.
That line up can easily switch between 3412, 3421 & 343.

We will get automatics! and we will get promoted!!
We have it in us to pull these remaining results off but we need to get behind the team 🐏 
Not being hysterical at every miss kick and bad result!
Not using ridiculous and visceral vocabulary such as "Bottlers" and start praising the players you don't build player confidence and motivation by talking down about them, they are humans too! They read social media and stuff online. Maybe even this forum? think about that 
I've cant believe how reactionary this fanbase has become! I get the performances haven't been total football but we aren't there yet! we are a work in progress, you know?
We will deal with next season when we get there but for now, 3 games to go let's get out there and support and clap the lads on and off the pitch, comment on the socials with words of motivation and togethernes ❤ that's what's gonna bring us over the line.... plus I'm sick of looking at heaps of negativity on here 🤣
We are 2nd , remember. Start of the season we'd have paid money to be here 🙌🏻
and vibes are real, they'll feed of us it's all frequencies and vibrations ✌
Come on Derby, time for promotion 💪 🐏 ⚽️ 

I’m not a statistician, I’ve no interest in whatever any of that means. Although it looks to be something to do with the chances we created against the top sides last season, so if anything your collection of numbers is backing up my “misguided opinion” that THIS season, as in the 2023/24 League One season, we have had more success (you know….actual results in football matches) against the other “top” sides in this league.
Derby County, the club I support, are second in the league in the current season. With a very realistic chance of sustaining that league position and winning automatic promotion to the championship 2 years after the club almost went bust. If you’d rather pour over random statistics to belittle that at every opportunity then that’s your choice but I’ll be quite content with the results we’ve achieved thus far and the ride towards possible promotion….cause for me that’s what football is about. 

It's pretty hard to keep up with the plethora of injuries and the estimates on how long said players will take to return. Suffice to say it's pretty grim reading in any case and I see some are saying Ebou is now out too. If that's the case, then we're bang in the doodoo I'm afraid, as opposed to our current status which I'd describe as mildly decimated. That said, there's a match to be played, so based on what has been confirmed to date, but is equally subject to daily change, I'd go with the following:
A hopefully more mobile and solid looking 4 at the back, let's start from a solid foundation, at least. I'd have Wilson and Elder either side of the two who pick themselves, Cash and Nelson.
Before the Sibley fan club get irate, he still in my starting 11, I'd just push him right up the field to play off / behind Waghorn and look to make hay with Wilson and Ward paired on the right flank.
CBT remains an unknown to me but he looks the only sensible option we have right now to provide some sort of threat on the left. Lord knows I'd love to see the lad step up, as if ever there was a time to make a name for himself, it's now. He does show promise, but we need something rather more tangible come Friday night.
Elsewhere, Smith comes in for Hourihane. We must front up early and I think we'll be more able to do so without sacrificing too much passing ability, with Korey in a 3 and Conor an option later in the game as legs tire.  Waggy completes the line up, but is only marginally favoured over Washington. I might even be tempted to start the latter as I believe he will stretch defences more than a strangely subdued looking Waghorn. Waggy gets the nod by a  cat's whisker.

 
The starters aside, I'll wait to see who we have available and remotely fit, but even just for the psychological lift, it'd be grand to see Collo tamping at the bit in the dugout. Likewise, could young Jake Rooney figure? Robinson and Weston, along with the skipper and Thommo, seem likely candidates for the bench too.
I do think it's all about this game now. Win and with players perhaps returning the following week (or with another week under their belts at least), we could be back on track. Conversely, slide to another defeat and all momentum will be lost. With Pompey sat in wait, that's a fairly grim prospect, least it is for yours truly.
Suffice to say it's a huge weekend for club and fans and on that note, the first time we've actually had something to play for in a few seasons now, something I've overlooked if truth be told, so that's some small silver lining, at least!
COYR

I cant see Sibley & Ward starting at wingbacks this weekend. I dont think Warne will risk Ward starting especially when he has Wilson available. I think he will then go woth a more defensive LWB in Elder but then having Sibley as an attacking option from the bench....
Wildsmith - Nelson Forsyth Cashin - Wilson Adams Smith Elder - NML Waghorn CBT
Loach Bradley Ward Thompson Hourihane Sibley Washington

Wildsmith
Nelson, Foz, Cash
Ward, Smith, Adams, Sibley
NML, Waghorn, CBT
 
 
It's Blackett-Taylor time

Any chance we can just ban this tedious p****? ^^^
Bad timing @FlyBritishMidland! The one above you obviously.

Decided to read through the thread after hearing the inspiring albeit sad tale of your recently passed young supporter. This post popped out. 
 
Year after year we’ve had close calls with promotion and have thrown it away.  Even now with the lead we have I won’t believe we are promoted until it’s mathematically safe. 
 
After hearing the story about B4 I genuinely hope it’s Pompy and Derby who go up in the automatics. What a fitting tribute that would be for someone who was obviously well loved by this forum and had a good heart. 
 
 

I hope the powers that be noticed the markedly improved atmosphere in the east stand yesterday.
It’s a real shame they chose to shut down the atmosphere in there by restricting ticket sales and being extremely heavy handed with the residents in those blocks. the atmosphere in that area grew organically over a few years yet was decimated at the beginning of the season due to a few complaints. IMO it can only help having multiple noisy sections in the ground to bounce off each other, no doubt itl be back to normal in a few weeks time.

Depends on who's child it is.

Come on...if you're wavering, now's the time. Get a ticket bought. Magic with a full house.

Yep.
Just wondering if the Dcfcfans elete could hand out a list of songs that they approve of outside the South stand before the match?