LeedsCityRam

Yes, no coincidence we look much better with Barkhuizen back in the side. Get the sense his languid, slightly disheveled demeanour masks his true quality & workrate in the eyes of some. He is significantly better than Kane Wilson in that role...a genuine final third threat & likely creates more space for Gayle & Mendez-Laing with being on the park. Another crucial part of this well balanced team.

Very much how I feel, I don't want to get carried away either but as soon as I saw the line up last Saturday I thought 'that potentially works very well' and the evidence is starting to mount up on the pitch. The team looks very well balanced with plenty of attacking options & defensive cover - the inclusion of Adams & wing backs with real menace has improved us massively. And whilst I don't imagine Gayle would be Warne's ideal number 9 (in comparison to say Michael Smith), he has given us a real cutting edge, changed our delivery slightly to being more accurate/ground based & works very well in tandem with our wide men. Our problem this season has been posting dominant home displays & the next week will tell us a lot about how 'all-court' this system is. What I particularly liked about yesterday was how we played first half - kept it on the deck, moved them around & dominated territory. It was only some wayward final 3rd balls & reluctance to shoot (and a duff offside call) that stopped us converting our dominance into goals & that tells me it is a system that could be equally effective at PP. Could be a defining week ahead - Reading are a perennial pain in the backside with some good players who will make it difficult & Bolton are a direct top 2 rival with all the occasion pressure that will bring. Two games I would ordinarily expect us to struggle in but if we win both, I'll be finally thinking top 2 is definitely on.

Excellent performance, excellent result & with results elsewhere, a brillant day. Whilst its fair to say we didn't trouble the keeper too much first 45 mins, I was really pleased with the display. Got the ball down & played some smart stuff, Bristol were very much second best even though the ref was allowing them snidey little trips & then responding to any home crowd noise with decisions their way. The offside goal was a fantastic move, such a shame Gayle (?) strayed slightly. Sibley & Ward again made the 3-4-3 very potent...I enjoyed the football. Second half we reverted to our typical away style as they picked up the tempo & we just picked them off. 0-3 probably flattered them given the chances we missed. That front 3 of Barkhuizen, Mendez-Laing & Gayle looks so dangerous on the counter and some great decision making/finishing from all 3. Good subs as well, Korey Smith added a measure of control as they were building up a head of steam & Waghorn kept up the forward press intensity. Well done all. Massive 2 games coming up but keep that line up & level of intensity and we won't go far wrong. COYR 💪

Probably also worth mentioning that other bubbles (Dotcom Bubble, 17th century Dutch Tulip Bubble & 18th century South Sea Bubble) lasted 2-3 years...Bitcoin has been here 15 years, has survived price collapses & come back much stronger every time. As you rightly say, it has outperformed any global asset by some magnitude & there is a reason that US authorities are seeking to regulate it properly for corporate investors. Wouldnt worry about the cynicism though, dont forget there were plenty of 'wise' folk in the late 90s who thought the internet was a passing fad & would die out 😆

Gas 1 Derby 0

I agree its unlikely we'll ever lose the 11 point record but Sheff Utd are very fortunate there is another team struggling just as badly pointswise (Burnley). 2007/08 was such a strong division & we were so much worse than the 19th best team hence the total. We also had a manager who seemed to be sabotaging the squad from the outset in some strange power game with the board. A perfect storm. As others mention, the way we rallied around such a poor team was different class & won us a lot of respect from Prem clubs & media. Am really struggling to think of a fanbase that dial up their support when times are so grim...we saw similiar in 2021/22 when in administration. Probably why the 'entitlement' accusation has so infuriated me this season, like we're not ever allowed to demand success even after such a garbage last 20 years.

Yes, definitely some systemic risk there considering how volatile BTC can be, the fresh availability of ETFs & loose regulation. Although most consider leverage & crypto to be a pretty bad combination, 2004-08 proves that if big banks/institutions can see ever higher profits, they'll take crazy risks to do it. In the short term that could send BTC price rocketing but wouldn't rule out crashes (and financial market contagion) either if a couple of institutions over-reach.

I wouldn't see BTC as the solution in itself to fiat money insofar as people using it directly to make everyday purchases etc. It is primarily a store of value or digital gold and private investors are currently using it in the same way many use high value property or fine art to store their capital. It could conceivably become a reserve currency in the future though, to which other currencies are pegged. There is significant global discomfort at the USD reserve currency status & the undue influence the Fed has over the global ecomomy. An independent alternative is what China, Russia, Gulf States & BRICs are pushing for and other than gold, there aren't any other obvious alternatives. Strong rumours abound that some sovereign states are starting to privately stack BTC reserves in preparation for a Bitcoin Gold Standard (El Salvador of course have been very public with this). Big banks & investment companies are posiitoning themselves for future developments also, they will have the inside track on where this is all heading.

Agree. My biggest issue with Sibley has been a heavy touch & inability to protect the ball well enough...two traits which really limit his ability to play in what many would deem his favoured number 10 position. By contrast at LWB, he is coming onto the ball so touch isn't quite as vital as if he were surrounded by defenders & he still gets plenty of opportunities to join the attack (both in counter attack & when we're dominating territory and possession). As you rightly say, his defensive work has improved a lot since start of last season. Although yesterday wasn't the sternest test, I thought the balance of the entire team looked good & that this formation could work equally well home or away. Sibley & Ward can be potent attacking weapons when we're making the running in games and our front 3 are well marshalled but are solid enough defensively to turn us into an effective 5-2-3 if we're under the pump & punish teams on the counter. My biggest criticism of previous iterations has been the use of Nyambe & Elder at wingback who offered little to no cutting edge going forward. If Warne is adamant about keeping 3 at the back, I reckon he should keep with this first XI to build cohesion & partnerships around the field for these last 10 games. I'd love this to be the spell Sibley finally clicks again (leading to a contract extension), there is definitely a player there & it would be sad for him to depart with his peak being his first 10 games in 2020.

Still 4th but Peterborough & Barnsley going in different directions 1. Pompey 2. Bolton 3. Barnsley 4. Derby 5. Peterborough 6. Oxford Still don't see us winning a 2 legged playoff semifinal.

Decent result & OK performance for me. Was reasonably enthused by the team lineup despite not wanting a back 3 pre-match. Sibley & Ward as wing backs are credible attacking outlets so making it more of a 3-4-3 and with a sharp front 3, putting Ward back in with his delivery made a lot of sense. Barkhuizen back in place of Wilson improved our attacking threat significantly too. Good to score early but was disappointed with the quality of our play for a lot of the first half. We did our usual trick of sitting back after scoring & the ball retention was frankly poor for a good 20 odd mins so allowing Port Vale to doninate territory as we kept on turning over possession. I'm glad Warne has acknowledged this in interviews since but this is a consequence of the sit back & hit on counter tactic we use plus our reluctance to slow the tempo by holding onto possession. This needs to change when we are leading in games, it is inviting unnecessary problems. The half finished well though with a great finish from Gayle (and delivery in)...he looks sharp already & this line up has the potential to provide him with plenty of service. Other than a Vale shot just wide at the start of the second half, Derby dominated thereafter & 3-0 was a fair reflection. I must say Port Vale were appalling & for those inclined to wail about lack of credit to our team, I would point to the Vale away end who angrily chanted 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' at the end. They look certain to go down on that evidence. Welcome 3 points but much bigger tests ahead. COYR

Not even Warne's disciples would pick Bradley looking at their line-ups - pretty telling. Anyroad, I'd just settle for getting some defenders off the park. Flat back 4 please, Korey Smith at RB if Nyambe is injured & let's actually play like a 2nd placed team at home against a relegation contender. Dominate the ball, dominate the territory. Hourihane, Blackett-Taylor & Waghorn to come on later in the game once their 'Cup Final' energy has subsided somewhat.

I wouldn't have thought location would be an issue & argument for saying Derby fans outside the local bubble might be an advantage in some ways (different perspective as an expat, knowing how their respective local clubs are run & positive ideas/insight they could bring to a discussion). In this day & age with Teams/Zoom, am sure meetings could be conducted as a hybrid of remote/in person anyway. Sounds like you definitely have the gravitas to operate at that level, hope you go for one of the positions 👍 Genuinely don't think this role would generate the type of social media moaning you've seen whenever supporter groups put out tweets. This role wouldn't be a social media mouthpiece for the fans or the club - its about providing quality advice, asking reasonable questions on behalf of fans (via the public facing email address) & suspect most conversations will be below the radar (element regarding finances would obviously have to be confidential for example)

Just to clarify, its not a similiar role to that of a comventional fan representative. Its about individuals bringing their work/life expertise to the Board & applying scrutiny to the running of the club - primarily the finances but also the values & strategic direction of the club. The independent members of the Board won't necessarily be casting for public opinion nor would I think they'd have much of a public profile. They will be working with the club and given the club's enthusiasm for this model, it could lead to some great opportunities to shape the club's direction with well positioned external advice. As @angieram rightly says, there are some posters who would clearly add value to the roles. A cursory read of the admin thread & the detail that certain individuals went into evidences this. I'd urge anyone who has an interest in the governance & strategic direction of the club to apply.

Derby 1 Tiny Stoke 1 FRGS Barkhuizen

To state the obvious because McGoldrick was by far our best player & leading scorer - Warne had access to him, Rosenior didn't. Despite that, Warne's points per game last season was only marginally better than Rosenior (1.7 PPG v 1.6 PPG) and of course Warne was unable to improve on the 7th position Rosenior left us in. Not exactly compelling either.

Guess that would be dependant on whether Clowes has changed his mind on Warne in the 17 months he's been here & whether he wanted to give him that length of contract in the first place - I suspect that was the price of Warne dropping a division. Clowes will be well aware of the red flags since Sep 2022 indicating Warne's poor in-game management, supporter unrest at the style of play (Stevenage & Shrewsbury stand out in that regard) & there is still the fundamental mismatch between Warne's ideal squad conditions (ready made experienced pros) & the sustainability Clowes is aiming for (youth graduates & players brought in to develop). It will be imperative not to go down if we do go up & hence I could see Clowes being as merciless with Warne post-promotion as he was with Rosenior post-purchase. To fully buy into a season with Warne at the level above means buying very specific players to suit his style & in the event of things going wrong, would severely limit the ability of an emergency replacement to keep us up (as they would be primarily honest, limited, hard working types). I'm not convinced Clowes would want to take that risk from the outset.

I would have to agree with this even though I would make a change irrespective of the final outcome come May. Reality is we are too deep into this promotion push & a change for the last 11 games is likely to cause so much upheaval as to totally derail our chances irrespective of how gifted any caretaker manager would be (I'm also struggling to think of anyone available who would galvanise us that quickly). Given the paucity of top 6 opposition, there is still a chance of going up & at this stage, I would take any sort of promotion even if inevitably we're going to need a complete overhaul should we go up. Financially it would clearly be very expensive & that doesn't strike me as wise until failure has been confirmed. I'd expect a full appraisal of the season & how Warne's managerial style fits with the long term plan of the club away from the emotional highs & lows of the season, before any action is taken.

Yes, this is infuriating me also - Warne seems utterly determined to keep Bradley in the side & to make our best CB move way is unfathomable. I get the sense he has a pre-determined agenda irrespective of the evidence on the park & the evidence thus far is that Bradley has at best been a disappointing signing & is lacking in a couple of key areas (technically & pace/movement). My guess is Warne seems him as his answer to Richard Wood - a relatively prolific big CB that scored plenty for Warne's Rotherham & as Warne has relatively few other tactical ploys, he is hammering this one until it works. There are other highly questionable selections - Kane Wilson seems to be getting a free pass in this team but Barkhuizen (despite having far the superior goals/assists record) is constantly benched. I also can't understand why Liam Thompson is being underused - his form pre-injury was fantastic & even away at Oxford, he changed the game. Instead Warne seems hell bent on keeping more pedestrian midfielders in the team & then we all wonder why we're getting overrun in there. I'm also concerned about the start Blackett-Taylor has made at the club - a negligible impact so far for a marquee signing & although some may cite injury, I feel there's something going on there. Re season ticket - I'm in a similar place. The quality of football is so far removed from what I enjoy watching, there seems little sign of progression/evolution & even the victories are so devoid of joy, it feels like a box tickling exercise. Granted I'm still fuming from last night but am increasingly questioning the wisdom of committing to 150 mile round trips every other week if this continues.

Awful result. Awful performance. Awful starting line up. This result has been coming for a while. We simply do not create enough chamces/shots on target & the appalling ball retention is to blame. I'm gobsmacked some folk thought we played well first half...we really didn't. It was a series of aimless hoofs & misplaced passes, Charlton played much the better stuff. We look to have regressed technically & its a concern. Still can't believe how few attack minded players we started with tonight. The blunt reality is Kane Wilson isn't very effective in the final 3rd so when it was apparent Mendez-Laing was having a quiet game, our attacking threat was reduced to very little. We are 2nd in the table & at home..we should be looking to dominate a team 5th from bottom with their poor form. What happened to this so called 'gung ho' Warne style? Looks like reheated Billy Davies 'snatch & hold on for dear life' to me. Massive improvement needed from here.

Well done, you must have got in same time as me (Nov 2020?) - Ethers were $500 at the time too I'm still sceptical we'll see the price acceleration of previous halvings because of the ETF - corporate America likes big profits but not the massive retracements we sometimes see with crypto. Steady price rises as inflation remains stubbornly high is my guess. Am also keeping a close eye on El Salvador - they adopted BTC as legal tender end of 2021, have ridden out the crypto winter & look well placed with sizeable BTC reserves. Nayib Bukele seems to be aiming for a Latin American version of Singapore & investment is growing in that country (some similarities in attitude to crime/human rights too). I'd imagine there are a few inflation ridden/highly USD dependant countries in that region that are keeping tabs what happens. Could be another game changer in terms of adoption & ultimately BTC price.

Derby 1 Addicks 1 FRGS Mendez-Laing

I love Adidas retro gear but their previous time with us (2007-2011?) was characterised by really lazy tops - basically training gear with the Ram slapped on. The Puma tops I've seen recently for other clubs have been very sharp & as others mention, the kits they did with us from 1995 to 2000 (?) were some of the finest tops we've had the modern era.

You are solely looking at the results angle & everything about Paul Warne is pure short term focus leaving little else to justify his tenure here. What you're overlooking is his long term unsuitability & that also has to be factored into conversations about whether he stays or not. The quality of football is poor & a sizeable section of the fanbase do not enjoy watching it (with potential knock on effect for future PP crowd numbers), he doesn't particularly improve players, there is a misalignment with Academy pathway (refusing to even use EFL Trophy matches to give youngsters game time) & preferred transfer strategy in order for the club to achieve sustainability. Warne wants the likes of Sonny Bradley & Conor Washington to secure his promotion (and Michael Smith given half a chance)...the club will struggle to be sustainable with these types of signings. We brought in Mark Thomas last year to identify cheap, develop & sell high...Warne is not suited to this model. Clowes appointed Warne to get us a quick promotion & that was the expectation of everyone when he was appointed (and why Rosenior was let go). To take your most extreme hypothetical scenario, as the pure remit for Warne being here is a short term focus of promotion, then defeat at Wembley would still be complete failure with no guarantee of promotion the next year & need to continue down the highly paid experienced pro with no resale value route that Warne prefers. I suspect Clowes will be considering how much longer he can tolerate that misalignment with the long term DCFC strategy come May should we faill to go up.

Not entirely sure why but Stephen Pearce was outside the away stand today as we all left at full time. Was talking to couple of folk but fair to say, the days of public enemy number 1 seem long gone. I suspect like a lot, if David Clowes deems him fit to stay at the club I'm content to trust that judgement.