LeedsCityRam

Fair play, I do like folk who have the courage of their convictions 👍 Assume this wager would be dependant on Warne staying the full season in the Championship if we went up (given that's the constant discussion point on here)? If so, I'm happy to have a friendly wager with you if it extends beyond Bris 🤝 p.s. I sincerely hope I lose. I don't like sacking managers & I never want Derby to play in the 3rd tier ever again. If Warne secures us as a midtable finisher in the division above, that would qualify as mission accomplished with regard to his tenure IMO

Derby 1 Steve Evans' Blonde Highlights 2 FRGS Mendez-Laing

I'd argue given how poor Hartlepools had historically been, his record there was actually very good. Yes Shackleton recommended him to Longson but without that managerial record*(and the footballing world knowing how bad Hartlepools usually were), he wouldn't have got the job at Derby. Accept he wouldn't have been well known as a manager at that point but the signs were promising. Not sure how that translates to Warne though, as his record is very well known at this level & the division above. The club made quite a fuss of his League One promotions when appointed so even the casual observer knew what he was capable of (as well as the downside of his Championship record)

No it wasn't, read the quote I replied to again. He was suggesting Clough wasn't doing a good job at Hartlepools but that we appointed him nevertheless - the stats I've provided are pretty conclusive in proving he was doing a good job & showing signs of the managerial talent he would demonstrate with us. With regard to Clough's first season at Derby, we all know we finished one place below the season previous but I gather season tickets actually increased going into 68/69 as fans could see the young talented team that was emerging.

That's inaccurate. Clough improved Hartlepools significantly in his near 2 seasons there. He was appointed October 1965 with them having only won 3 games from their opening 13 - they improved to finish 18th and the following season, they finished 8th under his management. Derby then offered him the job that summer & the tangible improvement will have been a big factor in that; To put into context, Hartlepools had finished bottom 2 of the old Division Four 5 of the preceding 6 seasons By contrast, Warne's career to date could best be described as 'mixed' & whilst he has success at League One level, there is nothing in the 3 seasons/129 games he managed in the Championship that indicates he is capable of securing the Championship midtable consolidation we would need should we go up. I imagine the club will do some serious thinking in May about how credible it would be for him to continue should we go up, particularly as we will be small fry in terms of budget at that level - something Warne struggled with when at Rotherham. After all, we wouldn't baulk at some of the current playing squad being moved on should we go up, why wouldn't it extend to the manager if it was deemed he also wasn't capable of stepping up?

Fortunately not today!

Only got back into Leeds at 8.30am this morning after a nightmare with a connecting coach but here are a stream of thoughts from my sleep deprived mind. Absolutely clinical display from Derby - felt like the game was pretty even first half until Max's goal. Thereafter, their need to attack opened up acres of space that Mendez-Laing & Barkhuizen thrived on - both should have had another goal. Exeter obviously had a lot of ball in the second half as we looked to break on them & had a couple of real opportunities but we did look reasonably assured. The possession stats showing 30% for us would likely have been higher if the game was more even but it does reveal a lot about how this team finds success. Ebou Adams is the missing ingredient this team has needed for months - perpetual energy, real hunger to protect that back line & plays it simple. Successful midfields are all about blend, not just your best players & his skills perfectly compliment Bird and/or Hourihane. Lovely to see Max on the scoresheet again - he seems to be really enjoying his football & I hope he realises the majority of Derby fans appreciate what a bloody good player he is & that he's staying with us until the summer to take us up. He deserves a good reception every time he returns to PP as an opposition player. Away support was fantastic but would agree with others that the truncated nature of the away end made for pockets of fans singing rather than a group effort. That said, had a great time - very loud around us (right behind goal) & enjoyed the celebrations immensely. Massive game on Saturday against the type of team we tend to struggle with - physical, niggly, clinical & hard pressing. Real test of our promotion credentials as these are the games (both auto promotion challenge & potential playoff games) that we need to win. Would be a real shame not to follow up yesterday's great result with a home win.

I think the crowds are high as there is a possibility of promotion & the club has been starved of any success for so many years. Its a novelty factor more than anything. Where I sit in East Stand Upper, there are two sets of young lads either side of me & they've been gradually losing interest all season - going for a beer on 35 mins, returning on 55 mins & leaving on 85 mins. On Saturday, all were engaged throughout & stayed to the end as the matches now are taking on real importance but there's still no great affection for Paul Warne or the football that's being served up. Their belief seems to be we're in 2nd in spite of Warne, not because of Warne. I don't think many are under any illusion that the football is going to get better or that we have an extra gear to go (and it seems Warne is of the same opinion). It feels very like Billy Davies' promotion season in 06/07 where style & performances take a back seat to results and if that's the price we have to pay to get out of this awful division, then so be it. Hence the apathy in the midst of a promotion run & the absolute fury when results are not as expected, as there's little else to be enthused by.

Hope so, glad you're feeling better & are able to travel! 😀

Exactly what I'd go with. Solid back 5, plenty of energy in midfield & menace up top. Exeter are in good nick & will come onto us, we need to match their workrate therefore. 560 mile round trip for me, please justify my midweek madness Derby 🙏

Grecians 1 Derby 0

Very frustrating, particularly given Bolton & Peterborough dropped points. As others have mentioned, conceding late goals at home is becoming a recurring theme with this team. There seems to be a real reluctance to a) hold onto possession & b) slow the game down. We drop deeper when protecting leads at home & on the break, seem desperate to make the killer pass to score a deciding goal. Problem however is that the ball is often lost from the flick on/speculative ball/run into a load of their defenders...they then recycle the ball & come back at us with our defensive shape pulled out of position. We can point to weak defending for the goal but we shouldn't be conceding the ball so easily in the first place. Get the ball on halfway line? Hold the bloody thing up & play it simple to move the team up the park. This is basic stuff we're not doing & it's going to cost us.

Derby 2 Practically Welsh 1 FRGS Collins

Exeter away now sold out...great effort that for a Tuesday night 👏

I remember that twitter account - it was very good/insightful & do recall him getting an offer from a professional club to formalise his expertise. Good on him making a career for himself & then returning to his home club.

Very self-deprecating but I'd be amazed if Pompey finished 5th - have collapses in previous seasons coloured your view a little? Pompey obviously had a bit of a wobble but have taken 10 points from last 12 since & from the outside appear to have had a really good January window - we'd have been delighted with Calum Lang & Owen Moxon as signings. Peterborough's squad is too small to sustain a top 2 push in my opinion (although their first XI is very good) & think Barnsley are a little too far behind to overhaul you now.

Agree with this. I was frustrated by our inability to slow the tempo of the match down & way we were surrendering possession when they had the ascendancy. Couple of times late on Collins got the ball from a break & tried to flick it on rather than holding it, looking for an easy sideways ball & enabling the team to move up the field. Earlier on in the match, there were a fair amount of 'aerial hooks' to no-one in particular (Hourihane particularly guilty of this) which enabled them to receive possession easily & come back at us. The team obviously deserve credit for defending with real purpose (especially late on) but the point is it maybe didnt have to be so dramatic if we'd controlled the ball better.

I don't think a departure would be solely down to results. As per 'Clowes losing faith in recruitment process' thread, I think our strategy as a club is about to change this summer post-restrictions to finding young talent to develop & sell at a profit. Thats why Mark Thomas is here & I think thats why the taps have been turned off for any more short term Warne signings (CBT has long term value of course). That strategy is basically the polar opposite of how Warne works as a manager. The only way I believe Warne stays is if we go up & that would largely be out of courtesy to give him a crack at the division above.

1. Bolton 2. Pompey 3. Peterborough 4. Derby 5. Barnsley 6. Oxford Barnsley to beat us in the playoffs & a managerial change in May

Is that actually the case? Genuinely don't know but my impression is that he doesn't get that many opportunities hence why he drifts out to the wings/into midfield to get involved (I'm assuming you mean opportunities as chances rather than games btw). I suspect his conversion rate is actually pretty good but happy for that to be challenged with actual stats. I like the guy - he's a good finisher, a hard worker & you can tell he cares. He's set for 20 odd league goals this season & I don't believe without him we would be top 6. Re next season - i would definitely offer him another contract albeit purely as a backup if we went up. I don't think anyone would imagine for a second we would start a Championship season with Collins as our main number 9, nor would we need to given the changed financial landscape next season if we went up.

Acceptable face of South London 1 Derby 1 FRGS Collins

Great gesture from a great player I seem to remember reading a post by @loweman2 a few years back saying that Todd had little to do with the club much to his regret, so am particularly pleased to see this today. Given David Clowes is very passionate about our history, hopefully we'll see some of the other 70s heroes in & around PP a bit more.

Thanks for the reasoned post - appreciate that. I think we'll have to agree to disagree about the chances of top two - I think it is a stronger claim than an outside chance. As I've mentioned a few times elsewhere, there will be very few seasons where the 3 relegated sides from the Championship make no impact on a League One promotion race. Add that to our budget (described as competitive by Clowes), existing squad (Championship interest in Bird, Cashin, NML, Nyambe etc), undoubted pull (who else in this division could have convinced Blackett-Taylor to join?) and a manager with a reputation as a League One promotion specialist & I think the expectations should be automatic promotion. I'd agree with you Bolton are very strong but the remainder have vulnerabilities. Pompey have had their rookie manager for a mere 6 months & have been upper midtable for the past few seasons, Peterborough are skint, have a small squad & are losing their main striker (and only sneaked ahead of us last year), Barnsley lost a very good manager in the summer and Oxford/Stevenage are dropping off as everyone expected. This is a real opportunity for us & this underpins the frustration at the limp performances. We can't continue in this vein or we will start dropping points - this is even before we start considering how sustainable this style would potentially be in the division above. From a results POV, Warne is about par - I agree with you there. I do not think he is over-achieving or getting the maximum from this group though and results are largely earnt by individual flashes of quality rather than slick team displays. You make a point in a later post asking whether 16 months in charge is enough to get the side working well - Warne is now the 27th longest serving manager out of 92 in the Prem/EFL i.e. he is virtually in the upper quartile & therefore I believe its fair to start holding him to account for what we're watching. My hope is that having seen the improvement on Saturday when we had a Fornah/Bird/ Thompson midfield on the park, Warne sticks to that & we start to impose ourselves more on the opposition. Like yourself, I will call it as I see it & if we play well, I'm happy to acknowledge that. I want us to be better, we can be better & we must be better or Warne is looking at his last 17 matches in charge. For the record & as a nod to the thread title, I'm comfortable him remaining in post until the end of the season.

Yes, that's the takeaway Jourdan. If you can't be bothered debating like an adult, maybe just ignore any inconvenient posts next time 👍

Quality of football & entertainment can be two very different things. Derby simultaneously score & concede a fair amount at the minute/lose late leads or gain late leads which could be described as 'entertaining' to the neutral but certainly is not high quality. Conversely Paul Clement delivered high quality play but some fairly dull matches. You're missing the point though. People are primarily annoyed that a supposed automatic promotion contender has so little control of the match & is heavily dependant on flashes of quality by individual players to overwhelm poorly resourced but better coached teams. The issue isnt that they're bored...its frustration at how poor we look the majority of the time. Comparing previous managers by entertainment value, many of whom operated under far harsher circumstances than Warne, doesnt strike me as that instructive. In terms of your obvious frustration that folk don't appreciate the job Warne is doing, maybe a more useful comparison would be Derby managers ranked by meeting/exceeding expectations or building a team greater than the sum of its parts. IMO Warne would be very near the bottom.