MadAmster

Which club was he Head Coach at for those 2 relegations? Might those relegations have more to do with the club than the Head Coach? Where were they when he jumped ship to come to Derby, where did they end up and what is going to happen to them at the end of this season? There's an old adage that you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Might the Miller's pending relegation and their plummet for the verge of the playoffs to near relegation last season point to it being the club more than the trainer who is responsible?

I read somewhere that Bolton still have to play 7 of the top 10. Looking like a case of points on the board being better than games in hand with any luck.

Now there are no line flights into EMA from Amsterdam we fly into Birmingham and then get the train to Derby. €30 return which is perfectly acceptable IMO.

from the various camera abeles it looks like 45 degrees, not out front, not out wide but somewhere in between. The arm moves towards the ball. As I said earlier, we should have had 2 first half as well so Evans has nowt to complain about.

Looking at some Stoke forums and pages, it seems like he might need a confidence boost. They say when he started there, he found the back of the net just about every game but was always pulled up for offside. They think that affected him hence his low goals per game return. Hopefully, he gets one go in off his arse 1st game and then starts to fly. Interesting to see if he's preferred over the now almost fit again Waggy.

Better view then than East Lower, front row about 15 yards North of the halfway line. It looked a card all the way.

Fozzy has come back 3 times from ACL injuries. Provided he's given time to get fit again and his leg stronger, Jake should be OK.

I think we saw JC's value to the side against Stevenage with his enforced absence. He will be missed. We are looking at Dwight Gayle for the last 13 games... at 5'9" is he the back to goal, hold up player we need or would his arrival mean a change of strategy? I know too little of the guy to pass comment, hopefully some of you are more up to date with his play...

I seem to remember 2 instances where we had players thrown to the ground in their penalty area. That attack on Barks in the 2nd half just inside their half isn't on the highlights reel so I'll fast forward on the full 90 to see why they got a throw in rather than us getting a free kick and their defender a possible (red?) card.

As did I. Just watched the highlights on RamsTV now I'm back home. With regard to Evans complaining they should have had a penalty a second before Bradley's goal line clearance... I'm very glad we don't have VAR in L1. The ball came off Nelson's right arm and it was away from his body. I'm certain VAR would have given it.

... having gone behind to the first ever League goal. In fact we were 3-0 down to Bolton but came back to win 6-3... ... and no, I wasn't there 🙂

We, and he, will never know until he gets a run in a settled role. Adams? He's playing the role for us he has everywhere else so, IMO, the comparison can't be made... Plus, Adams came here as a seasoned professional. Sibs came from our U18s and, as a kid, needs to get a run in a single role to progress. Never given the run which is why he hasn't reached his potential.

Not impacting the stagger from/to the Brunny then? 🙂

Used in just about every role but his preferred one and never given a run except for those 15 games at left back last season. I wish people would refrain from stating the obvious and look for the reasons. Playing a different position every game does not help a young lad develop. That is what has happened to Sibs. If PW isn't intending to give him a job to do and a run of games at it, he'll be better off going somewhere where they'll give him what DCFC hasn't. Possibly his own fault for being "utility".

Wilson seemed to spend a lot of the game thinking he was the striker. Almost permanently up top. It will be interesting to see how we set up at Barnsley next Saturday. As it's my birthday that day I'm hoping for a similar outcome to the Exeter game. COYR.

Post match it was teeming down but the walk back to the hotel do drop off my new "megastore" purchases was very enjoyable. 5 minutes later off to the Neppy and it had stopped raining. Cut through the Derbion and into the Shrine and we were hit with a wall of 80s music, beers bought, we found a table for two and sat down to chat and listen to the music. The 80s bit was followed by a lengthy Motown medley. Had a chat with my mate Tim and a few others. The Pedi flowed freely and went down very nicely, thank you. The best news is that I'm back in there 3 weeks tomorrow. Aint life grand? I feel for Sibs. Great talent stifled by never getting a run of games (other than 15 at left back last season) in a role in order to be able to progress.

So, I think the consensus on Sibs is a) he hasn't reached his potential b) he hasn't had a run of games, except 15 or so last season at left back, to cement himself into a role and make it his own. c) possibly harmed by his own diversity he has played full back, DM, LWB, LW, RW and the odd game at #10, his best position IMO. How does one develop as a player given the lack of a consistent role? I've followed the lad from the U18 Champions days of 2019. IMO, there is still a very good player in there who won't ever get out unless he gets a run at a role, preferably #10. Unfortunately, I don't think PW is ever going to give him what he needs. He might be better off moving on to a club where he'll be given the time and trust he (and every other player, for that matter) needs to fulfil their potential. Just to close, I don't think fans should get on his case. True he hasn't reached his potential but ask yourself why and show some understanding.

Depending on which hat you wear there's several ways of looking at it. 1st half. From one point of view it was a borefest of a game played in midfield with little happening in the goalmouth. There were 2 real chances, both to them. One saved well by JW and the other cleared off the line by Sonny Bradley who finally seems to have settled in and is showing exactly why we got him in. I don't remember us having a shot, on or off target. There were also some "pretty" passages of play which, unfortunately, led nowhere. For the neutral or the open minded there was plenty to see. A half of many faces. The South Stand started well but after 10 minutes or so, apart from the berating of Steve Evans, they and the rest of the crowd were pretty bland. 2md half saw the South Stand wake up and their infectiousness got to much of the ground ending in a lot of bouncing after the goal. The crowd's awakening seemed to light the players' blue touch paper and we were on top. A really enjoyable half that started to look like it would fade into a 0-0 draw... cue Sibs, the impact sub. Cracking ball for Smith to NML. Reports I've read go on to say NML crossed to Sibs.. I don't see it that way. They weren't all that far apart and I maintain that NML passed to Sibs who hit it first time into the bottom right hand corner of the net. Cue unbridled joy both on and off the pitch (unbridled joy if you're not Stevenage, their players were stunned, fans too, Steve Evans just got mardy as did others in his staff, one of whom got a yellow for his efforts). Worth the win, IMO. Steve Evans? Will he ever answer the question posed by the South Stand? Has he ever seen it? Post match he claimed they should have had a penalty for a hand ball in the lead up to Bradley's goal line block. I won't comment on that as I didn't see it, if it happened. What Evans did miss was the 2 occasions in the first half when Derby players were thrown to the ground in the Stevenage penalty area. I've not yet seen the 2nd half charge on Barks back yet but it looked like a red from my vantage point on the front row some 10 yards North of the halfway line. The ref? I have to say I found him even handed. Both sets of players were guilty of holding opponents and the ref ignored 90% of it. Eventually their keeper got yellowed for time wasting, far too late, IMO. Players of both sides went down unnecessarily, IMO, theirs more so than ours. The number of poor tackles he let go could have had a lasting effect, fortunately, it seems we have no new injuries from the clattering the lads got at times. One example is Sibs, about 30 seconds after coming on he gets clobbered. He just got up and got on with the game. A year ago he'd have exacted revenge... grown up a bit? Basically, depending on your hat, it was a borefest, it was interesting, it was enjoyable. I left feeling that my various hats of former player, coach, referee and fan, had had enough to make it a good day out... and we won. Next up for me is the Reading and Bolton double header in mid March.

ATG 1Wildsmith 6 35Nelson 7 5Bradley 7 6Cashin 7 24Nyambe 6.5 11Smith 6.5 8Bird 6.5 32Adams 6.5 20Elder 6 2Wilson 6.5 11Méndez-Laing 6 7Barkhuizen 6 17Sibley 7

Confusing? I'll say so.. I never knew the heel had a front...

We can recall Dajaune Brown on the 20th from his loan at Gateshead. I don't think we will, even if Collo is out for the season. DB is 18 and (and I might be wrong) PW seems loathe to put young uns in just in case he ruins their confidence. Just as much chance they do well and grow in confidence. Things not going your way is a path to growth in everything you do. Football is no different. Give the kids a chance. Impress upon them that things not going our way isn't going to end their careers before they've even started. Put them on in their proper position and tell them to do exactly what has got them this far. If it doesn't work today, it will tomorrow...... not giving them a chance might actually be worse for them than being on the wrong end of a scoreline.

If Vickers is still injured then Loach will be the keeper on the bench ahead of Thompson, IMO... 😉

We all know most opposition teams will come here to stifle us. Play exactly the game we played at Exeter. Imagine what a catastrophe of a game it would be if we set up that way at home and the opposition did too....

Flashback to 2017 and our home game against Burton that we won 1-0. I was, for the one and only time thus far, in the South Stand, back row, half a dozen seats from the concrete "block" they have the camera on. The 4 fans to my left started to criticise CM from the second they got to their seats around 14:45. Their reasons totally ignored what his game is all about. Game kicked off and I found many a reason to praise CM. Hold up play, bringing the midfield into the game, running out wide and taking 2 defenders with him to create space for teammates, his defensive work at dead ball situations etc etc etc..... I pointed out each and every time he did something good. 5 minutes before HT they went to the concourse for a beer and their seats remained empty throughout the 2nd half. I wonder if they still have the same opinion of his time with us or did I broaden their view... or were they just pissed off because I was right and they felt embarrassed at their uninformed view?

The away setup is spot on. The home team tries to make the plays and we hit them on the counter. At home there's >26K fans wanting us to "play football", to take control, to dominate and thrash the opposition. The oppo does what we do away and we frequently struggle as do our oppo when we are the away team. Let's imagine that PW sets up to utilise our away strategy on Saturday, at home to Stevenage. Stevenage do the same. I foresee shape and personnel changes after 10 minutes. It wouldn't make for an interesting game if there weren't quick changes. Richie Barker hinted at changes in personnel for the Stevenage game. That signals that we will, again, try to take the game to the oppo at home. The major difference this time being that we have Ebou in midfield and I don't think they'll be able to bully us the way they did at theirs. Ultimately, our chances, IMO, depend entirely on the ref enforcing the Laws, ALL of the Laws. If not I can see their dark arts being our downfall.