TheRamOfSwad

Who's still glad that Birdy is leaving us now?!! 🐏

I am sorry but how is us possibly getting promoted to the Championship under Warne in any way comparable to us getting promoted to the PL the previous time over 15 years ago?
In 2008, the board and the manager were reportedly at odds and the board were seemingly unwilling to invest in summer 2008 to improve the team sufficiently. We couldn’t compete with the other promoted sides never mind the 17 others. The step up to the PL was huge back then. Is the step up to the Championship really anywhere close to that?
Consider that Clowes appears to be nothing but in full support of Warne and consider that once the restrictions are lifted and with the additional revenue streams to follow from promotion, we’d be able to compete financially with anyone else who gets promoted and probably around 6-10 other Championship clubs as a fair estimate. Surely that’s a far better place to be in?
What’s there to stop us from improving and adapting to the Championship well? Not only footballing sides do it. Luton and Coventry did it. In fact, if you look at Wigan, Barnsley, Peterborough and Blackpool as recent reoccurrences, it’s footballing sides who more often tend to go back where they came from.
This fearmongering is outrageous. 

Not quite sure where to post this but seeing as it was supposedly part of RamsTV pre-Shrewsbury….
Great (but short) interview with Cash… the bit when he said his relationship with the fans was a big part in him signing a new deal almost brought a tear to my eye…
Man, when one talks of ‘We are Derby’…. With regard to Cash HE IS DERBY . The new Jake Buxton. 👍👍👏👏
Top-top guy. Our best signing in the window by far…🐏🐏🐏

We're getting to the interesting stage of the season, where it's not about the opposition but about ourselves. The teams who are successful will be the ones coping with the pressure best.
The opposition may be fighting relegation and giving it everything, defying their lowly position, teams with nothing to play for may play with the freedom of pressure and play better for it, other opponents at the top will be going for it.
If I've learnt anything from all the failed years of trying to get into the premier, it is that you can't pre judge how the opposition will play on any day.

Vote for our boy, James Collins. Deserves it. 
https://www.thepfa.com/fpotm/league-one

March 16th is a date for the diaries - Portsmouth vs Derby and Peterborough vs Bolton.
March in general has a few big games:
Portsmouth play 4 of the top 8 (Oxford, Blackpool, Peterborough and Barnsley), followed by us on April 1st.
Bolton currently have 4 of the top 8 (Barnsley, Oxford, Derby and Stevenage)
Peterborough have just Stevenage and Portmsmouth, whislt we have just Bolton and Blackpool (followed by Portsmotuh on April 1st)
Blackpool could even be out of the Playoff race by the end of the month - Oxford, Peterborough and Bolton to play in a 5 game run which also includes plus Peterbroguh in the EFL Trophy. Their last 2 games were Stevenage and Bolton (in the EFL Trophy) so there squad will be pushed to the limit. However, we hope they'll take some important points off our rivals as they cling to the playoff dream.
Bolton also still have 9 of the other 11 top half sides to play by the end ofthe season.
Looking at who play who and when, my prediction is:
1st: Derby
2nd: Portsmouth
3rd: Peterborough
4th: Bolton

Saturday 10th February 2024. 3pm kick off.
Fingers crossed NML’s foot injury isn’t too serious and he’s able to play a part at the weekend. No midweek game is a big plus so he is able to fit in some more recovery time.
Do we stick with the 3-5-2? Probably the best we looked in the system so far this season. Can’t help but feel Adams inclusive made a huge difference to the way it worked.
Let’s go make it 3 wins out of 3 shall we?
UTR! 🐏

I have, and so has Mr Clowes. Just walked down the street with him. 
I’m now in the club at the ground. £7+ for a pint of Peroni.

When everyone's talks about the "pots" it just reminds me of this       🤣🤣🤣🤣 
👆🏻

Scenes when CKR gets announced tomorrow "he's done well in training, had some proper banter with the lads, Collo Kaz I call him" 

Ideal starting XI (Currently)
                    Wildsmith 
    Nyambe Nelson Cashin Sibley 
                       Adams 
           Hourihane           Bird
NML                                             CBT
                       Collins           
 
if Collins can't start then put NML up top for his physical presence and speed and drop Wilson in at RW, simple 

Some of the reactions on here and twitter last night were beyond a joke to be honest.
"No prem club is going to trust Warne with their young players"
"Max Bird probably left because he cant stand Warnes football"
"Warne can't attract players, the club are lying to us"
"Warne hasn't got the contacts"
"The club said we had money, a good budget, this is a lie"
Amongst other things.
Yet if you take time to wait to hear the reasons and let the club have their say. We were two young strikers first choices, but unfortunately the clubs in question could not get cover and therefore wouldn't let them go. But apparently we have a manager who cant attract these young players because no premier league manager would trust Warne. 
Max Bird was leaving anyway. It really sounds like even if we had got promoted this season, he would have gone. He has been here for a long time. He wants a fresh challenge. Simple as that. No ulterior motives, no hate of the manager, he just wants a fresh challenge.
A deal agreed with a striker, all pretty much done, till at 8pm the gaffer of the club in question pulls the plug. What can we do about that?
We knew of every striker available, we left no stone unturned. But we just couldn't get one done. Despite trying our best and essentially having one agreed until the plug gets pulled at the 11th hour.
We clearly had a but of money left to bring one in, but through no fault of the manager or the club, it has not happened.
Yet yesterday the club, the manager got dogs abuse for failing to get a striker in.
Washington and Waghorn will be back in 3 weeks. You have Barkhuizen that can play through the middle, NML if needed. In the next 5 games we have one midweek game, so the others are all a full week apart. Plenty of times for Collins to recover.
We have ended the window with a better midfield than when we started & wingers that would be the envy of most clubs in this league.
Lets get behind them now and stop looking to pin blame and point the finger at.
UTR

Like everyone else I'm disappointed that we couldn't get a striker over the line, but all this talk about the worst ever transfer window needs to be put into context.
Since the start of the window we have signed Nyambe, who we all feared would be on his bike. We did sign a striker in TJJ, who's fitness would have been assessed by the club or we could have let him go back to Arsenal spend the money on Smith only for him to possibly pick up an injury. Statistically, CBT seems to be an exciting signing which could go a long way to preventing burnout in players like NML. Likewise, Adams will hopefully give the midfield a boost.
Crucially we feared losing Cashin and/or. Bird for the run in, which hasn't happened. The extra money from Bird will go into the summer transfer pot.
Hopefully, we will soon see Washington and Waggy back and Brown benefiting from some adult game time when he returns.
I think that we were one, admittedly important, signing away from a good transfer window, but it could have been so much worse.

We clearly didn’t have the money to compete with other rival clubs for transfers, that or we refused to pay over the odds for Smith or Gregory. Selling Bird wasn’t in the plan unless we got a good offer which we did and we’ve got him for the season, I would hope we can use that money in the summer.
How in any way is this down to Warne?. People will say Ward Bradley Fornah (although most were supportive of those transfers at the time), I will raise you Hourihane Smith Collins Mendez Laing Barkhuizen who I would bet any money will be in the top 5-10 earners at the club, none signed by Warne and of them people only want Mendez (although I also like Collo). However it is dressed up we’re still being restricted by an EFL business plan. We should hopefully have wriggle room in the summer (unless this really is the limit of Clowes spending in which case we potentially have some issues).
They tried but ultimately we go with what we’ve got. Overall we’re stronger than when we started the window. Washington just needs stay fit and be our second striker to Collo. In fairness he was starting to look good when he got injured.
You’d be fools to write us off. I remember 2015 January window, we were top 2 and signed Bent Ince Lingard De Sart and we were thinking what a window we’ve just nailed promotion. Look how that turned out - we didn’t even make the playoffs!

I get we’d ideally like a striker - and something may still happen - but let’s not forget the squad is actually stronger than at the beginning of the month.  With a lot of players to come back.  We’ve added in midfield - which most of us have said we needed - and we’ve added a wide attacker. This frees up Barkhuizen to play in his preferred position.
Chin up, we’re not in a bad place.

With the addition of a new winger hopefully adding threat now down both flanks and a new potential holding midfielder to free up bird and hourihane, I think the plan going forward will go to a 4-3-3 
With Washington and Waghorn set to return in February they will add the ability to keep it fresh up top if they stay fit 
Wilson and Sibley maybe play big roles coming off the bench but I think we continue to struggle with our dip in form and carry it unto February until players and back and the new signings settle in and gel but we will have a strong March against the top teams and finish strong as I believe we have a easier run in and we will scrape 2nd place... just... by the skin of our teeth on the final day  🐏 ⚽️ 
Ideal starting XI (Currently)
                    Wildsmith 
    Nyambe Nelson Cashin Sibley 
                       Adams 
           Hourihane           Bird
NML                                             CBT
                       Collins                

Very happy to go with your version of events!

With the addition of a new winger hopefully adding threat now down both flanks and a new potential holding midfielder to free up bird and hourihane, I think the plan going forward will go to a 4-3-3 
With Washington and Waghorn set to return in February they will add the ability to keep it fresh up top if they stay fit 
Wilson and Sibley maybe play big roles coming off the bench but I think we continue to struggle with our dip in form and carry it unto February until players and back and the new signings settle in and gel but we will have a strong March against the top teams and finish strong as I believe we have a easier run in and we will scrape 2nd place... just... by the skin of our teeth on the final day  🐏 ⚽️ 
Ideal starting XI (Currently)
                    Wildsmith 
    Nyambe Nelson Cashin Sibley 
                       Adams 
           Hourihane           Bird
NML                                             CBT
                       Collins                

With the addition of a new winger hopefully adding threat now down both flanks and a new potential holding midfielder to free up bird and hourihane, I think the plan going forward will go to a 4-3-3 
With Washington and Waghorn set to return in February they will add the ability to keep it fresh up top if they stay fit 
Wilson and Sibley maybe play big roles coming off the bench but I think we continue to struggle with our dip in form and carry it unto February until players and back and the new signings settle in and gel but we will have a strong March against the top teams and finish strong as I believe we have a easier run in and we will scrape 2nd place... just... by the skin of our teeth on the final day  🐏 ⚽️ 
Ideal starting XI (Currently)
                    Wildsmith 
    Nyambe Nelson Cashin Sibley 
                       Adams 
           Hourihane           Bird
NML                                             CBT
                       Collins                

Just watched back that free kick for them at the death, 
What the hell was Vickers doing ???? Their bloke should've scored. 
Bring Wildsmith back ,he is clearly no 1. stop this ridiculous situation/point proving nonsense.

I'd probably echo a change in formation like a few have mentioned already. Going with a 4-3-3 now we have CBT giving us deadly pace on the wings and having an extra midfielder in there. Can switch up to 3-5-2 if nothing is coming off
Wildsmith back in goal where he belongs 
Captain as the quarter back and I put Thompson in there thought he showed great energy and needs a run of games under his belt. 2 midfielders can roam forward on attacks and one stays holding, supported by quite attacking fullbacks 
Substitutes
Barks for any winger 
Fornah for any midfielder 
 
                      Wildsmith
    Wilson     Nelson  Cashin      Elder
                       Hourihane 
          Thompson            Bird
 
NML                                              CBT
                       Collins
 
 

I'd probably echo a change in formation like a few have mentioned already. Going with a 4-3-3 now we have CBT giving us deadly pace on the wings and having an extra midfielder in there. Can switch up to 3-5-2 if nothing is coming off
Wildsmith back in goal where he belongs 
Captain as the quarter back and I put Thompson in there thought he showed great energy and needs a run of games under his belt. 2 midfielders can roam forward on attacks and one stays holding, supported by quite attacking fullbacks 
Substitutes
Barks for any winger 
Fornah for any midfielder 
 
                      Wildsmith
    Wilson     Nelson  Cashin      Elder
                       Hourihane 
          Thompson            Bird
 
NML                                              CBT
                       Collins
 
 

Massive game now, need to get on the front foot straight away, need NML and CBT to rip them a new one down the flanks, and need Collins to be on fire, I believe we will bounce back, and win 3-0, and us fans need to stay with them, 3 points and we are back on track, 18 games left to play, lets make it a season to remember for all the right reasons. Once A Ram Always A Ram. 

Saturday 27th January 2024. 3pm kick-off.
Believe this is the first time I have ever started a match day thread…
Will it start with us going on another long unbeaten run or turn out to be very short lived? Let’s hope it’s the former!
UTR! 🐏

Don't think I've ever felt so out of kilter with our fanbase. There's always been a few on here, but since Covid it's been an absolute deluge. The amount of new members joining just so they can join the pile on is staggering. We've literally gone from being the most staunch set of fans in the entire EFL, to this, all in 18 months or less. Fortunately, our most loyal fans, especially those who seem to go to every game, come rain, wind or shine, seem able more than able to take the knocks without the kind of histrionics we see on the matchday threads. 
Ah well, a big performance is a must now against Cheltenham, or this forum will be toxic beyond belief.