DE56Ram

Four things I took from Tuesday’s cracking night at Fratton Park 
I appreciated the atmosphere generated there back in the day but Derby lost heavily that day and were never in it and our away end was fairly quiet. Last night’s atmosphere around three sides of the ground was rocking 👏 Pompey fans ✊ 
The away end last night was full on it was an amazing experience to be in it and singing my lungs out with every other travelling Ram 🎶The Rams are going up Ole ole 🎶 has been with me all day 👏🎶🚗🐏
Paul Warne and his coaching staff had Rams set up splendidly and the plan was executed almost to perfection. JW in that false 7 position was ‘suits you!’ CBT was outstanding and together I think they can carry us over the final stretch. Collo coming back for 90 mins of that quality too Wow! 
Two Giants of the EFL went head to head and it was a fabulous game of football. I hope we both go up. That’s some special sets of fans. 
post script. That was the mangiest 🦊 I’ve ever seen 😊
 

Four things I took from Tuesday’s cracking night at Fratton Park 
I appreciated the atmosphere generated there back in the day but Derby lost heavily that day and were never in it and our away end was fairly quiet. Last night’s atmosphere around three sides of the ground was rocking 👏 Pompey fans ✊ 
The away end last night was full on it was an amazing experience to be in it and singing my lungs out with every other travelling Ram 🎶The Rams are going up Ole ole 🎶 has been with me all day 👏🎶🚗🐏
Paul Warne and his coaching staff had Rams set up splendidly and the plan was executed almost to perfection. JW in that false 7 position was ‘suits you!’ CBT was outstanding and together I think they can carry us over the final stretch. Collo coming back for 90 mins of that quality too Wow! 
Two Giants of the EFL went head to head and it was a fabulous game of football. I hope we both go up. That’s some special sets of fans. 
post script. That was the mangiest 🦊 I’ve ever seen 😊
 

Four things I took from Tuesday’s cracking night at Fratton Park 
I appreciated the atmosphere generated there back in the day but Derby lost heavily that day and were never in it and our away end was fairly quiet. Last night’s atmosphere around three sides of the ground was rocking 👏 Pompey fans ✊ 
The away end last night was full on it was an amazing experience to be in it and singing my lungs out with every other travelling Ram 🎶The Rams are going up Ole ole 🎶 has been with me all day 👏🎶🚗🐏
Paul Warne and his coaching staff had Rams set up splendidly and the plan was executed almost to perfection. JW in that false 7 position was ‘suits you!’ CBT was outstanding and together I think they can carry us over the final stretch. Collo coming back for 90 mins of that quality too Wow! 
Two Giants of the EFL went head to head and it was a fabulous game of football. I hope we both go up. That’s some special sets of fans. 
post script. That was the mangiest 🦊 I’ve ever seen 😊
 

It’s unreal how dismissive you are of the club and team you claim to support.
Current top 6 are Portsmouth, Bolton, Barnsley, Peterborough, Lincoln and us. 

Against Portsmouth this season we drew home (1-1) and away (2-2).
Against Bolton we lost away (2-1) and won at home (1-0).
Against Barnsley we won at home (3-0) and lost away (2-1)

Against Peterborough we won away (2-4) and lost at home (2-3)
Against Lincoln we won at home (3-1) and drew away (0-0)
As you mentioned Stevenage I’ll include them and Oxford too as they were in and around the play off positions most of the season;
Against Stevenage we lost away (3-1) and won at home (1-0)
Against Oxford we lost at home (1-2) and won away (2-3)
To me my original point stands that this season we’ve done better against the teams around us than we did last season, I can’t be bothered looking for the stats but if I remember correctly one of the big criticisms last year from certain quarters was that we didn’t compete well enough with the teams around us. This year I think we have, the results back that up, the fact we are second in the table with 4 games to go backs that up, the fact we’re one of the best scoring teams in the league and the best defences backs that up….. so I’ll carry on being a happy and optimistic little ram while you…. Do whatever it is you do 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

Was at the game last night , left the ground a very proud Ram , thought the lads gave us everything, big shout out for Korey Smith , he’s got back in the side and his application and tenacity has been first class a very underrated player imo

Fairs pal. Thought it was a good game between two sides, both with enough about them to escape this league. Hopefully we'll be back at your place next season, but in the Championship this time.
If you could ask your lads to put one on Bolton though, we'd all be much obliged 🤣 

Hi, Pompey supporter with our take on lasts nights game. I think the weather made the game less of a spectacular affair but the players, from both teams, put on a really good display. I thought Derby adapted to the conditions better than Pompey where the conditions negated the effectiveness of our wingers Lane and, especially, Kamara. I suppose you could say the same for Blackett-Taylor & Mendez-Lang, both players I would have liked Pompey to have signed. I think Derby quite possibly had the greater attacking threat on the counter in the first half whereas ours was a little laboured due to not being able to adapt to the conditions. I read with interest of the disagreement with your managers choice of the tactics in the second half. However, without a wonder goal he may well have got it right. Closing players down in those conditions was risky as slipping on the surface could let players in. Portsmouth usually play a closing down game but not so much last night. I think overall a draw was a fair result last night which probably benefits us more than your lot. 
I think the controversial situations were fairly evenly spread out. There was a handball leading up to our equaliser and I think VAR might have ruled out our first goal. Handling the ball by the keeper is a sending off offence normally but I think the ref got it right by allowing for the conditions. I don't think it was a 'nailed on penalty' because I think our player was looking to go down anyway, but on another day it could be given.
I thought it was a proper game of football from two famous old clubs. It was good to see the ground full with a decent away following that made themselves heard, which is normally difficult at Fratton Park. The game, allowing for the conditions, was a good advert for League One where both teams look ready for the Championship. 

Does anyone else think League One is weaker this season than lastseason? Do you think the top three this season would have been successful last season? My view is that without Ipswich the league is a bit weaker. I think Ipswich obviously spent money the rest of the league didn't have or were not prepared to match. They bought players with the Championship in mind which made them the class act at this level. I believe if Pompey had this squad last season we would have featured at the top, especially the players that have been unavailable to us this season because of injury. Obviously I can't comment on Derby but from what I have seen they look every bit a decent team. I don't think last night was a good comparison as the conditions meant that both teams had to adapt from their normal game. On a decent pitch without the weather Pompey may have beaten Derby playing their normal game and, conversely, Derby may have wiped the floor with Pompey. 
I consider Pompey to be a big club, especially at this level and Derby are doubtlessly the biggest club in this league. Do you think that teams play the name of your club, with its history, as well as your current team? Put another way do you think the bigger clubs at this level get special treatment and opponents raise their game?

I enjoyed the game.
Perfect footballing weather, two good teams giving their all with a short Leicester cameo (even though ill-timed ). Such goals and (mostly their) misses that both sets of fans can speculate about the result. 
I loved the tactical nuances, especially the second half which some didn't enjoy. Wonderstrike ruined an otherwise awesome show of how to control the game without a ball. 

I raise my hat to two things especially: 
Firstly Pompey, they are worthy champions and they played like one. See you next season!

Secondly, Collins. The footballing world is full of neymars, yet it desperately needs more collos. After such an injury to be able to play already is incredible, but to play a dropping nine with such a work rate... Incredible times 10. 
 

Just landed back in Leeds thoughts - overall, really pleased with that point & an enjoyable away day even if it absolutely hammered it down throughout. Obviously would've liked us to have held onto the lead but that was a big dog contest in front of one of the most vociferous home crowds in the country in atrocious conditions. It was vital we didn't get beat - mission accomplished & our destiny is in our own hands which with only 4 games to go, is a fantastic place to be.
Was impressed with how we handled the conditions & after a ropey first 10 mins, we definitely adapted better than Pompey - shifting the ball with purpose & seemed to relish the physical nature of the contest. It felt like a breakthrough game for Blackett-Taylor - he was electric at times & Pompey struggled to keep him under control. Obviously his run led to the first goal but he made a couple of breaks second half which nearly yielded a breakthrough, one of which needed excellent speed & control to retrieve an overhit ball from Wilson(?). Liked him rousing the away fans too & he deservedly got a rapturous ovation as he walked past the away end after being subbed. Same could said of Joe Ward too, another lad with serious potential & last night he stepped up with one great finish & one great hit that got the luck it deserved. The conditions screamed out for potshots at goal & Ward was intelligent & gifted enough to capitalise.
If I'm being ultra-critical, I thought Collins was on the field maybe 10 mins longer than he should've been - the lad had run himself into the ground but overall a pleasing pragmatic performance by management & team. Also bit confused by criticism of Mendez-Laing - he's coming off a recent injury, has had a long season & was always going to find it difficult on a pitch like that. I really like him & CBT as twin options - Pompey struggled with our counter attacking threat & I'm confident our remaining 4 opponents will do too.
Thought our away support was excellent - certainly made plenty of racket throughout & traded well with an excellent home support. Am pleased for Pompey finally going up after so many years in the bottom 2 divisions & whilst Fratton Park has its limitations, its a true football theatre with all the magic of a big game under the lights that you'd want.
A much needed 8 day break before we face the Waitrose parasites. Come on Derby 💪🐏

Cheers. I'm sure all Derby fans winced when it happened, because we've seen Wildsmith get sent off in a key promotion battle at Bolton this season for merely chesting the ball outside his area!
Despite the various claims over offsides, hand-balls etc, I think the officials did a decent job on a difficult night and the result was a fair one.

I’m not a statistician, I’ve no interest in whatever any of that means. Although it looks to be something to do with the chances we created against the top sides last season, so if anything your collection of numbers is backing up my “misguided opinion” that THIS season, as in the 2023/24 League One season, we have had more success (you know….actual results in football matches) against the other “top” sides in this league.
Derby County, the club I support, are second in the league in the current season. With a very realistic chance of sustaining that league position and winning automatic promotion to the championship 2 years after the club almost went bust. If you’d rather pour over random statistics to belittle that at every opportunity then that’s your choice but I’ll be quite content with the results we’ve achieved thus far and the ride towards possible promotion….cause for me that’s what football is about. 

Win tomorrow and it’s all possible 
draw tomorrow and we are in the box seat for automatic promotion 😊🐏🚗⚽️👍

Win tomorrow and it’s all possible 
draw tomorrow and we are in the box seat for automatic promotion 😊🐏🚗⚽️👍

Definition of a must not lose, a win would also drag Portsmouth back a little which would give them more impetus in the games against Bolton, etc.
A loss is more impactful than the three points tomorrow night as it means Portsmouth can afford to coast a little, especially the game coming up against Bolton. 

But to say it’s out of our hands means that no matter what we do, it might not be enough. As long as there’s not a 4 goal swing in us losing to Pompey & Bolton winning their game in hand, then just matching Bolton’s results for the rest of the season would see us above them. Very much still in our hands.

Clearly it's a slow day for me 😂 After a quick count and including Wembley, I think I've seen Derby play at 120 grounds and bearing in mind I've seen them at 104 club grounds, 105 with Wembley, that's only 15 times I've seen us play away at the new ground of another club which I don't think is that many so I'm sure that there's someone out there who has done more (Mick Derby for definite) and congratulations to them, well done.
Maybe that's the type of away ground I should start to target next as on top of the 5 I've not been to, I think there's 14 clubs that now play at grounds I've not seen us play at. 🤔

I know not everyone sees value in it but I’ve enjoyed comparing where we sit in the league this season compared to last, and whilst I know some will be quick to caveat this with how rubbish the league is this season, and how big our budget is, and how it’s all down to luck not judgement, and maybe even that we don’t deserve it due to the lack of blood sacrifice made to the xG gods….BUT, to me it makes for nice reading to see we’ve improved on last year and sit in a strong position going into the last 5 games. Playoffs pretty much guaranteed and every chance of autos still in our control 😊 🐏 
(For reference the pic has the table after we’d played 41 games last season at the top, which was around the 12th of April, and today’s table at the bottom)

The title doesn’t really bother me, nobody really remembers who won the league, the key is getting out of the division and whether that’s 1st or 2nd, I’ll be just as happy.
An ideal world for me would be if we went into the final game 3 points clear and something like 10 goals GD better than 3rd.
Basically a situation where unless we lost to Carlisle 6-0, we’re up. A full house at Pride Park, early kick-off in some late April sunshine, then the whole afternoon to celebrate. Perfect.

In an ideal world, we'd clinch promotion against Orient in front of 30,000 fans rather than just the lucky ones who manage to get a ticket for Cambridge. We'd then confirm the title at Cambridge so that the trophy can actually be presented at the Carlisle game. Unfortunately, the ideal world rarely appears but , you never know. 

I've been saying for a while that if I was a betting man, I'd have good money on us and Posh going up automatically and Lincoln to cause an upset in the playoffs. I wasn't expecting Lincoln to score 16 goals in 3 games, mind. Barnsley aren't clinical enough, Bolton have weaknesses at the back and injuries everywhere else and Portsmouth have an awful run in. It just feels like experience will be the key factor here, and whoever hits the playoffs in form gets the third spot.

I'd rather we win

I was there for that one. We absolutely bossed that game despite only winning 1-0. I think it's still the only time I've seen us win there since my first visit in 1985 (although we have won when I didn't go).
It's probably best I'm not going on Tuesday!

That's just reminded me of a nice little titbit connecting these two clubs...
Pompey win FA Cup in '39... then retain it for the longest uninterrupted period (7 years), due to the war years, before handing it over in '46... to us!  🏆
 
 

Welcome to our forum. I have soft spot for Pompey and Bolton after everything that’s happened to us three so I really hope we are the three that go up ideally 2nd for us. I hope you thrash that ambulance chasing cockroach today. Wycombe are worst than forest in my eyes