MadAmster

RAMSTV 1Wildsmith 6 24Nyambe 6.5 2Wilson 5 5Bradley 5 35Nelson 6.5 23Ward 5 7Barkhuizen 5 32Adams 7 16Thompson 5.5 4Hourihane 4.5 8Bird 7 17Sibley 6 20Elder 6 11Méndez-Laing 7 9Collins 6

Hopefully we never fall asleep at late throws by the opposition. We get the injured players back. We stop letting the oppo "get into us..." and we remember that it's also permissible to attack through the middle and stop being so predictable down the wings. We stop pussy footing around at the back. So often we played passes among the back line that so nearly went to an opponent. Unnecessarily risky, IMO. 2nd time we've struggled this season against the Shrews "in your face" tactics. We'll get more of the same next weekend against Stevenage. Didn't deal with it there, I just hope we do come Saturday as I'm over for that game.

Not a "don't forget we nearly didn't have a club" thought but... the current manager and his predecessor have put together a squad with very little funding that has us in with a shout of going up via the autos. Very commendable when you think of the millions spaffed up the wall by previous managers on player fees and wages for players who were absolute dross. managers who then found themselves overnight millionaires thanks to the compo they got on being sacked. Our starting shape played into Shrews' hands. Shape was changed after 35 minutes of an absolutely awful first half of football from both sides. 0-0 was the best either side could hope for at that juncture. 2nd half was better but we have to remember that it would have been difficult to be that bad again. When Bird put the ball away for the 1-0, it was deserved as we were the better side. They then got back into it without ever looking like worrying Wildsmith. Then came that equaliser. 88th minute throw in, in the corner, we fell asleep. Collo was beaten way too easily, Wilson was out of position and couldn't get back to worry their man in possession, pass to Pierre some 12 yards out where he was totally unmarked and his shot gave JW no chance. It was their first real shot on target, the previous one had been a gentle lob into JW's arms. They did have another shot after their goal which JW saved well. Then we created a chance up the other end but Nelson's downwards header bounced up onto the bar instead of into the net. Shrews came with the game plan I expected and executed it well, restricting us to just 8 shots with 3 on target to their 7 and 3. We need, IMO, to look at some of our pushing and pulling in the oppo's area. Their keeper made that double save from Barks but, had one of the 2 attempts gone in, the goal would have been disallowed for Collo having pushed a defender over. Why do we do things that give refs the choice? Don't commit fouls in the opponent's box... or our own for that matter. Ref? less than average. Let too much go, IMO. I wouldn't have complained if his (lack of) decision making had been spread evenly but we seemed to be on the wrong end of 2/3 of his Law interpretations. First half saw one of his Assistants pull us up 8 or 9 times for offside. I'm not convinced they were all correct decisions. It is, however, something our attacking players need to be more aware of and, hopefully, cut out of our play. Especially Collo who seems to wander back slowly and then get caught offside when he challenges for the ball despite having been well offside when the ball was played.

You may be right but..... he'd then find himself, especially in L2, in an even more physical contest and his history points to him not having the physical makeup to stay fit. Back at Derby? At best a pay as you play deal.

With regard to 2) above, might the threat of 10 minutes in the bin see many offences no longer committed? 1) ? hammer them for time wasting by handing out more cards and the accompanying sin bin. We'd see much less "taking one for the team" and "professional fouls"

How about... forget the blue card, simply make a yellow card a 10 minute sin bin punishment. The "wronged" team would be the ones who gain any benefit as opposed to some other team not having to face the offender a few weeks and more yellow cards later.

At first sight you could be right but, considering his history, I would hope that the club was wise enough to have contingency plans for this happening added to the loan deal. With regard to JJ's future, I feel for the lad. IMO he won't get an offer from the Gunners. I can't see (or genuinely hope we don't) Derby taking a punt unless it's a pay as you play deal but even that looks a huge risk. This could be end of career for him.

No. Straight up genuine fact.

Another nomination for Collo - and your votes can crown him winner of the PFA Fans' Player of the Month! Vote for him here thepfa.com/fpotm/league-one

Isn't CBT also a doubt?

On loan till the end of the season when his move becomes permanent I believe val.

Having Adams will allow both Conor and Max to do more "expansive" stuff. That, IMO, was also the reasoning behind the Fornah transfer but after a promising start Fornah appears less of a player than we first thought. Hopefully he can regain his mojo. Having him and Adams fighting for the Seth role could be awesome. Especially if Fapetu continues to develop... Conversely, this apparent news of CH possibly leaving in the summer means we'll have to replace both him and Max Bird. Is Robinson ready? MF 3 of Adams, Robbo and Fapetu.. or would having 2 young uns in there not be the best idea?

You usually are 🙂 The away bit, if it's the bit I think it is, goes... The Rams are a coming. We're out there to win. Playing like fury, they won't let them in. Home sides be wary of our heart and our soul. We're searching for glory and victory is our goal.

Looks like our #9 does it again. He's also up for the January EFL L1 Player of the Month award. If he wins both, more than a few fans will be devastated.

Just amend the lyrics... They docked us 21 points but we don't really care We might now be in league 1, but we're not staying there

March 16th sees Derby at home to Bolton. 3 of us over for the double header of Reading on the Tuesday and Bolton on the Saturday and 3 more arriving Friday for the Bolton game the next day. We play at Pompey an April 1st.

Indeed, Pompey when we play them. Win that and our game in hand and we have our fate in our own hands.

Lots of life left in this roller coaster, indeed.

Put that way, it's a doddle, intit? I'm taking a game at a time. A win at Pompey isn't impossible. On the other hand, losing at home to Reading is also not impossible. We have Shrewsbury and Stevenage (over for that one) coming up and both play the type of game we have always struggled against. We will lose some games between now and the end of the season. We simply have to lose/draw less than our rivals and up we go.

I've been reading elsewhere online that the live video isn't all that good quality. I watch all the games I don't physically attend via RamsTV here in the Netherlands or, as on 2 occasions this season (Nov and Jan) already, via RamsTV in Corralejo, Fuerteventura and get good quality sound and video, be that via my laptop when at home or via my tablet in Corralejo. Might it be that those experiencing lesser quality are using dodgy links or IPTV firesticks? That would explain the lesser quality...

At the weekend he came on as a sub on 89 minutes. Great experience... not.

Depends on whether it's at the front or the back of the foot... 😉

My point exactly. Anybody expecting big signings in the summer is going to be very disappointed

.... he wrote, without the slightest idea how much we got for Bird, how much the loan back has taken off that, how much it would cost to sack PW and his staff or how much more we have lost this season on top of last season's almost £7M loss...

No. PW only wants players who will improve the team. Then there's the added complication of the "business plan". I get the impression many are thinking "roll on the summer then we can go out and spend". Problem is that isn't going to happen. Why not? David Clowes has told us that the club will be self sufficient and the financial situation will be sustainable. To me, that means we will spend no more than we have generated in income. We lost £6.8M in the first 9 months following the exit from administration. Gates are around 690 a game down on average so I'm not expecting the accounts for this season to be suddenly showing a profit. That means, for next season, as with this season, we will have ticket receipts, sponsorship and advertising revenue and that's it. If we're still in L1 then we'll have a similar amount to this season to spend. If we go up I'd expect us to have slightly more. That means we will still be limited on transfer and loan fees and on wages. That will put "proven" players like Clarke-Harris out of our budgetary range. It is unlikely we will see 7 figure buys. What will we see, then? More of the same? Some of it, yes, Apparently PW is now wanting to look abroad which is a good idea. I'd also be more than happy for PW to start showing some faith in the likes of Fapetu, Robinson, Weston etc. One would hope he gets some pressure to do so as Clowes was determined to retain the Academy's status and ignoring their better prospects goes against what DC appears to want... and he holds the purse strings. Next season, the kids will all be a year older, wiser, bigger and stronger. I say, give them a chance.