MadAmster

As you will know I manage between 6 and 8 games a season, watching the rest here in NL via my RamsTV "season ticket". Friday to Sunday for a game including flights and hotel etc is around £500. The Stevenage game will be #4 or #5 this season thus far. Already booked for a 6 day stay for the Reading and Bolton games in March and coming back for the Carlisle game in April as well. Damned expensive hobby being a Ram. I'd do more games but finances get in the way.
Why do we do it? For me it's many facetted. Seeing old friends (and making new ones) and family in Burton and Derby. Getting to drink real ale instead of lager. A change of scenery and last but by no means least... once a Ram, always a Ram. It's deep inside us and we are addicts, pretty much in the same vein as Del Boy telling Rodders "this time next year...". 
Seriously, how do you break a habit of, in my case, 63 years and counting? 

As you will know I manage between 6 and 8 games a season, watching the rest here in NL via my RamsTV "season ticket". Friday to Sunday for a game including flights and hotel etc is around £500. The Stevenage game will be #4 or #5 this season thus far. Already booked for a 6 day stay for the Reading and Bolton games in March and coming back for the Carlisle game in April as well. Damned expensive hobby being a Ram. I'd do more games but finances get in the way.
Why do we do it? For me it's many facetted. Seeing old friends (and making new ones) and family in Burton and Derby. Getting to drink real ale instead of lager. A change of scenery and last but by no means least... once a Ram, always a Ram. It's deep inside us and we are addicts, pretty much in the same vein as Del Boy telling Rodders "this time next year...". 
Seriously, how do you break a habit of, in my case, 63 years and counting? 

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.

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

... forgot to add that when the corner ball entered the penalty area I was thinking "yet another poor one" and then Max buried it 😉

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.

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.

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.

That's the deal with CBT, but not Adams

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.

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

😲

 
😉

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.

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...

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.

I confused myself somewhere. As you say, we host Bolton on the 16th, but Peterborough also host Portsmouth.

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. 

I normally get an excellent quality, but it is true that on Saturday the picture was a bit blurry.

Don't get me wrong, it won't be a doddle, we will be games where we have to dig in, find a way to put more points on the board than the others.
It's just....we're up there and in the mix, not that you would believe it if you read other topics on this forum. I refuse to blame the lack of a positive atmosphere on Warne and style of football.
I have an alternative theory in that, it's just not that exciting getting back to the division which many fans of my own age and younger will have seen the club for the majority of their lives. 
Same manager, same football, same league position, 16 games away from potentially Premier League football, this forum would be a joy to be on. 

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. 

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... 😉

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

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