Mrso

Nothing there to suggest we can't reach the play offs, and that is our realistic goal.  So not too frustrated - performance is improving and points will get dropped (unless we're Plymouth, which we're not).

That's an amazingly tight top half of the table - apart from Reading.

14 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

So we sack Warne and ............................. who the heck do we bring in? Who th heck would want to come here? But what gets me most is the love affair with Liam Rosenior. I am almost expecting someone to make a marriage proposal. We seem to be thinking of him as having appeared holding hands with Wayne Rooney, but in fact was appointed first team coach by Philip Cocu. So he has been here for the entirety of the "tippy-tappy" prat about at the back a bit more style of football. At times the passing and interplay was beautiful on the eye, and although the limited stats suggest he produced the results, the reality is somewhat different. 

We started ok, but teams quickly worked out how to nullify us - a high press so we didn't have time to play out from the back, sit back and let us have the ball (the dominating of possession stats was often because the other teams simply lt us have the ball, knowing that all we would do with was wear out the grass in our own half. So although Paul Warne has produced matches with only 1, or even zero shots on target, so  did Rosenior throughout his tenure here - not just this season. And then there was his high risk strategy of almost totally depending on playing it out from the back which only needed one mistake and we were done for. We got away with loads of times, but hadn't played any teams with the quality to punish us, but the tactic effectively made us sitting ducks.

My biggest concern is whether or not Paul Warne simply talked the talk to (a) get the job and (b) buy some credence with the fans. So far there would appear to be no turning from the man, with Tuesday night seeing him prepared to throw 2 points away in order to keep his 3 at the back approach, only changing because he had to for the second half.

As some have said, Saturday will be the big reveal - with the players he has available, are we going to see him start a 4 at the back, on the basis that it worked well, and would bring the best out of Mendez-Lang and Barkhuisen, or will he get the crowbar out to maintain 3 at the back?

All we can do as fans is stick with it and get behind the team and yell and shout our heads off, come what may, and hope for the future.

You seem to have problems with both LR and PW, so not surprising you are struggling to think of who we might bring in.  Both systems need time to coach - and suitable players.  Passing out from the back is fine if you do it well and learn to compensate for the odd inevitable mistake - the top three in this League all do it.  Did LR have time to develop it well enough?

Warneball is different and requires high energy and physicality to win most second balls.  It too can work, especially at this level.  What makes no sense is trying to do both with the same group of players in one half season.  In a nutshell, they hadn't learned LR's way and now they have to learn PW's way.  That's half a season gone - and after we were bemoaning a poor pre-season due to circumstances beyond our control.

As a pre-appointment sceptic about Warne's style (and therefore appointment) I do find this thread irritating.  Once a manager is appointed support him through to the end of the season at least.  Certainly too many 'fans' have forgotten we were nearly defunct, and we should be grateful to have even a night like last night. 0-0 in the National League North is not the same.

26 minutes ago, IslandExile said:

Every game is a must win game.

We are Derby County.

#neverSettle

Seems a strange comment.  We've won most of our games (just over half) in just two seasons this century.  So basically 'We are Derby County' is nothing to do with 'Every game is a must win game'.

6 minutes ago, Tyler Durden said:

Maybe that's why Clowes gave Warne a 4 year contract as it's a long term project?

Everyone is assuming on here that Clowes is demanding we MUST get promoted this season and would like them to direct me to the articles where he's been quoted as saying that. 

Yet for me that's what never made sense.  Given PW's record he is not a manager the Club would seek out in the Championship.  Instead he is the manager to get us there.  But while Ipswich and Sunderland have taken 4 years (at least) to sort it out in League 1 surely that is not our intended timeframe any more than it was theirs.  DW was brought in to get us promoted quickly whether Clowes has said so or not and while he can probably improve things (for his style) in January, this is a League where the top teams get big points totals and we'll be well out of it I think.  (And I don't like his style BTW).

1 hour ago, Rammy03 said:

I wonder if Keogh will play

He seems to be their CB sub usually.  If so he'll only play if there's an injury because McKenna uses his subs to refresh the forward players/wing backs.

4 hours ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

This was always going to be like this. These aren't Warnes players and he's working with what he's got.

He'll be learning about them all the time. Full week on the training ground now to work on what we'll do without Collins.

Midfield will always be a problem. Bird and Hourihane are too similar and I don't know if they can play together. I'd be interested to see how Smith does when he gets a run.

I've said from the start we may get top 6 but our squad depth is non existent. Yesterday we were missing Smith and Davies. That's it. Yet you're looking at the bench for a player to come on and change it and there isn't anything.

On another day Mendez Laing scores that, Dobbins got to score and you go in 3 up. 

Warne will want to get to January in and around the top 6 and then hopefully bring 4/5 of his own in.

In my opinion we need 2 full backs, another midfielder, another winger and another striker. Warne likes to play 2 up top and we can't rely on Mcgoldrick.

Our only wingers are NML and Barkhuizen. An injury to one of them and we're even shorter.

One final thing. Does anyone know if Collins 3 matches include the Papa John's game? Or is it 3 league games?

But if PW has to wait 'til January to sort it out, what was the point of bringing him in?  LR would likely have us playing to his pattern and being well set for the Play-offs by January.  I thought PW was brought in to hurry the promotion challenge, not slow it down.  In the fantasy world of us being in the Championship next year it's hard to see compelling reasons to want PW to push us higher given his record, and style of play.

Re last questions - The EFL Trophy is a standalone competition for disciplinary purposes.  Suspensions do include the League Cup and FA Cup (though that's not relevant in this case).

I think that succeeding in League 1 includes overcoming poorer quality refereeing.  It's always a mistake to give too much weight to that, or the quality of away pitches as another example.  PW knows all about League 1 so it can't be surprise to him.  I'm waiting to see why this managerial appointment was a good idea over against Liam - it might be - but I remain doubtful after what I saw today (or didn't see).

There's a noticeable lack of comment about the styles of football played by the teams above us in the League 1 table.  Certainly there is a shortage of clubs using Warne's style - they must be missing something . . .

8 minutes ago, Rammy03 said:

Since when has he been relegated from league one?

The official Twitter account wrote that 'our new boss has been promoted every season he's been in this division'.  Conveniently ignoring that he's been immediately relegated each time too.  It's a strange appointment - not awful, but lacking the potential that Liam might have had.

18 minutes ago, Old Spalding Ram said:

Not much animosity on the Rotherham forum for either Warne or Derby.

Sensible stuff, bigger club, bigger ambition, bigger car park, bigger wage packet.

They’ve got 15 pages of new manager suggestions, if I was them I’d wait a few weeks and appoint Steve Cooper! ?

There'd be animosity if they thought he was irreplaceable.  But he's a jobbing upper League 1 manager with a proven record of failure in the Championship.  It's hard for them to be sad; it's hard for us to be glad.

Will we need to buy drones so we can follow the track of the ball better?

Personally I can't understand the fuss.  Fleetwood are a tough team to beat at home; we are in transition from out of oblivion.  We were better than Fleetwood by a distance and are well placed already to push for the play-offs.  

The only reason to be miserable is if you think of us as a mid-table Championship Club and not one that was then nearly extinct.  Few of us who realise the desperate state we were in expect to directly compete in these early weeks with the top sides in this division who had  most of their squads settled and training while we were debating our existence. 

Enjoy what we have!

22 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

Generally, I agree with you but don’t forget, the starting 11 on Saturday is going to look a lot different to what we saw last night. So, hopefully the “4 - 5 players short” you refer to will come from those that will return for Oxford. I know last night either showed a lack of depth or, more likely, a lack of familiarity with each other (as you’d expect) but if we need to call on replacements, we’re unlikely to need them all at once. 
 

So, disappointing game but, once again, with all the mitigating circumstances I’m not getting too stressed at the moment although I agree it is likely to take a few more games than we’d like to get up to speed.

Saturday, I’m obviously hoping for a win but if we lose or draw I won’t be scratching my head thinking “what do we do now” quite yet.

I think the fan stress level has to do with expectations.  I think it's very unrealistic to expect to bounce back in one season - and not even necessarily desirable.  I'm just glad we're a going concern again for now.  If I thought we 'should' be in an automatic promotion place I'd be stressed out of my mind after Stevenage and last night. For me, competing for the play offs will be a fantastic achievement and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do.

3 minutes ago, RamuelLJackson said:

But because of deadlines that had been published before our recruitment spree. It might be different now.

Though in the interests of balance that would also be before the friendly at Stevenage . . .

7 minutes ago, bimmerman said:

Post of the week?spot on, absolutely the attitude we should be showing as a fan base

I agree.  Our fans are on as much as a learning curve as the players.  One or two of our oppositions in League 1 will bring one or two coaches of fans - are we going to laugh at them or welcome them?

It was a friendly.  Legitimate to say the result doesn't matter and it was a very hot day. 

But I am more concerned than before.  Nobody mentions that Stevenage barely survived in League 2 last season and the League 1 versions of this style of play are much stronger.  Rotherham (last season), Wycombe, Accrington, Cheltenham and the like are fitter, faster and noted for the dark arts (not employed in friendlies of course) which means the learning curve may be sharper than some of us think.

7 minutes ago, Ghost of Clough said:

The only excuse would be not being able to get players in. But, I think we'll get a more than competitive team assembled before the first game of the season.

But that excuse already exists.  Most teams are already a week into pre-season, even playing friendlies, with most of their squad in place.  We will not be very competitive to start with, though hopefully that will change after a few weeks.

2 hours ago, plymouthram said:

Just been looking at Ipswich Town's season ticket sales. So far they have sold over 15,000 tickets at an average price of £334.50, thats over £5m in their bank. If we get selling soon at the similar prices, even if we only sell around 12,000 thats over £4m in the clubs funds.

And as they're backed by a large Pension Fund in the USA they don't even need the money.  Perhaps we could ask for a donation  . . .

15 minutes ago, Unlucky Alf said:

The timing was obviously right for WR, As this is why he asked for his contract release...it suited him, There's no doubt in my mind that the links to the yank, Stretford et all was the reason, His home life and children were suffering...he's WR ffs he's had this all his footballing life, He's got another job lined up...might be, But that's going to be some gamble by whoever takes him on if in the Championship, Wages, Spending plans, Confused team selection and so on, DCFCs open door for players to move on...could be...but there was light at the end of the tunnel with Clowes taking over and funds in place of sorts, He wants time to take his coaching badges...BS, He could do that while with us or A N Other team...Nope for me he bailed as Stretford and co were not here...all guess work from myself and with other's, The real reason may be written about some day?‍♀️

Footnote

Interesting that WR is quoted as saying DCFC need a fresh face as Manager in yesterdays DET, So much for WR telling Rosenior not to take the Blackpool job.

All is gone now and we start again hopefully with a squad that can compete in this division. 

 

There IS light at the end of the tunnel.  But I imagine the emerging situation is a much longer tunnel than CK promised and Rooney doesn't want to manage in a tunnel.  It's okay for fans - they can focus on the distant light.  I think Rooney's conversation with the administrators was about this - he wouldn't want to manage in League 1 for the medium term.