Anag Ram

3 hours ago, i-Ram said:

Series 3, as in the one now due out in 2025?

Thanks i-Ram. I thought I was going bonkers!

Anyone tried The Tattooist of Auschwitz yet?

Two episodes in and it hasn’t disappointed. One to gird your loins for as it doesn’t shrink from some of the horrors.

Harvey Keitel is excellent as the old man narrating his (true) story.

4 hours ago, StaffsRam said:

A great player, and a great player for us no doubt but I always used to be amused by Peter Shilton whenever he conceded. Whether it was his fault or not (and sometimes it blatantly was!) the reaction was pretty much always the same - hands on hips and the death stare at the nearest defender as though they'd personally called him a c**t! 😄

You don’t have to asterisk clot.

Surely nonsense and conjecture?

Suspect we’re ‘interested’ in the same way we might be interested in Erling Haaland if he was available. 

He’ll be far too expensive for us and be looking to the Premier League or a contender therefor.

Joel Randall of Peterborough would be on my list. Clever attacking midfield player who is still improving at 24.

I’m not going to take delight in the suffering of any set of fans.

They will be hurting, like we were.

15 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

Not seen him play but 17 goals and 10 assists in league two across his spell at Swindon (14G 8A) then back at MK Dons (3G 2A) looks like impressive numbers. Right age at 25, could be a good shout for that attacking midfield role on low wages…if he can make the step up. 

The last bit is the important element.

In League Two you get much more time on the ball and chances which are scarcer in the Championship.

He’s small and light and I fear he might get overrun. Big fish in a small pond, possibly.

Will be interesting to see how his career blossoms. I think Warne will want more physically robust players. Not thugs, but those who can play good football under physical pressure. 

6 minutes ago, oodledoodle said:

Worth mentioning the move from London to Derby is also a massive one. Football aside, it's a massive upheaval to leave behind friends and home to work elsewhere. Done it myself plenty, and it's not easy. We've seen it plenty, some people fit in right away like Adams, some might take more time to settle. Some might not settle at all.

I hope he finds his feet. He's the type of player you really don't want to come up against. So I'm glad he's ours.

I think the move was a bit of a culture shock. Not just location but a new group of players and a focus on fitness and hard work.

Winning promotion and celebrating together should help him fit in and he has a summer with Sergeants Warne and Barker to look forward to.

If he comes out stronger, fitter and feeling loved, we may have a bit of a gem.

2 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

How are you baring up today Smoggy 😢

Excellently!

I’ve just been appointed local Police Commissioner.

It was between me and Bez from the Happy Mondays 

2 minutes ago, Srg said:

Shudder to think how much they pay Iheanacho.

Just seen the story linking him with Villa so that’s out!

28 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

Beebooopbeeepboooooop….

Would some of these be good signings?

 

Pretty slim pickings TBH.

Albrighton has always been reliable and would be a good squad player for a year.

Iheanacho would be great.

14 hours ago, Ram1988 said:

Adams, Smith and Thompson woule be a good start at the centre of midfield. Surley there is a deal to be had with Cardiff. 300k with another 100k of add ons? 

IMHO only Adams from those three is anywhere near the level we will need next season.

Smith is a good solid pro dropping through the divisions and Thompson is little more than a keen runner.

Winning the midfield will be so important and will require strength, stamina and guile.

I think we probably need at least two, possibly three new midfield players in our squad.

Another thing I would like to say in praise of the management team is that in past seasons, there seemed to be very few goal scoring options.

This season I think we had 19 different scorers. Nineteen!

Just shows that confidence has risen in the squad.

3 hours ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Even the people in Erectile Disfunction adverts are getting more than me.

Only the Action Men!

Bet we see you up on stage later 

Taking off shoes and socks at the end of a day 

4 hours ago, Poynton ram said:

Any sightings yet or are they still preparing for Vegas? I suspect the usual destinations will feature, Greek isles, Dubai, Balearics, Norfolk Broads for PW.

Stephen Pearce is taking the transfer kitty to Vegas.

Who knows?

3 hours ago, Ambitious said:

I've just been told by a Huddersfield fan that there was talk of Sorba Thomas joining us and agreeing to terms last week. Not one I believe and haven't seen a single person mention it elsewhere, but thought I'd note it here in case it happens and I get ITK credibility. 

If he’s the best we can do….

38 minutes ago, IlsonDerby said:

With Ipswich all but up I wonder if he goes in for Ladapo again? Wrong side of 30 isn’t he now but wouldn’t surprise me. 
 

I think we need to assume not every player we sign will be 22-28, as long as most are and we bring the average age of our squad down by about 2 years we’ll be fine. 

I haven’t been that impressed with Ladapo when I’ve seen him play. Possible impact sub if he’s cheap but not the dynamic signing I’d hope for.

But I’ve been wrong before 😊

6 hours ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

He's quick but seemed quite lazy to get in position when losing the ball, or to collect the ball in space..  His performance against Portsmouth was decent, against Wycombe he was woeful.  I'm smelling impact sub and i'm not sure we thought that's what we were getting.

He is currently very difficult to pass to.

He needs to work the angles so he can be released down the wing.

Probably needs to come deeper and get some old-fashioned wall passing going.

He does worry defenders when he runs at them and if he’s willing to knuckle down, will be an asset.

We are all expressing our own opinions on here. They are often opinions without background knowledge.

We have no idea how players have performed in training, what’s going on in their personal lives, who’s a good influence and who isn’t.

So there is every possibility that we are wrong. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have our say, or indeed that other ’experts’ should tell us we are wrong, or even stupid.

I am quite happy to admit that I was a complete arse in doubting Collins’ ability to score goals this season. 

I have been a strong critic of Sonny Bradley, and whilst some of that was justified, I’m delighted at the way he has played at the end of the season.

We’re all fallible but please let’s be more respectful of other opinions. Just as we don’t know much about the players’ private lives, you never know what posters on here are going through and how a casual slur can affect them.
 

30 minutes ago, ck- said:

He’s not up to much. Couple of good games, red card waiting to happen, injury prone, and won’t step up to the championship. No way should we be negotiating to buy him. 
 

 

[Come on, we can do this. A couple more posts of this type and they’ll be paying us to take him!]

Get’s booed by his own fans every time he touches the ball!

14 minutes ago, TomTom92 said:

GK: Hopefully none if Wildsmith signs

Defenders: A new centre back and left wing back to leave us with; Ward, Wilson, Nyambe, Nelson, Bradley, Cashin, Forsyth, Elder, plus 2 new

Midfielders: Adams (fingers crossed), Sibley, Thompson, plus 3 more in my opinion. Could keep Smith and make that 2 more if we don't have the funds. 

Forwards: A new winger and 2 new strikers: NML, Barkz, CBT, new winger, Wash, Collo and 2 new strikers

FWIW i rate Gayle better than Collins but got a sneaky feeling we'll only offer 1 of them a new deal and reckon Collins will get rewarded for his endeavours over the season. I don't mind Collins and Wash on the bench but wouldn't want them starting many. 

If I’m brutally honest and leaving sentiment apart, I think we need better players than Smith, Thompson, Elder, Washington and Barkhuisen in the Championship. I’m not sure we should keep Forsyth though he’s been written off before. After a while, injuries take their toll.

I’m not sure Bradley is first choice and if he isn’t, then I’d rather see a younger CB in the squad. Bradley can stay if he wants to fight for his place. Rooney shows promise as additional back up.

Collins may be more ambitious than a squad option though his attitude is excellent. Gayle is too much of a risk injury-wise and has failed recently in the Championship.

I’d get a new LB/LWB, a new CB, three midfielders plus Adams, two new strikers and a winger or two.

51 minutes ago, TuffLuff said:

I think the one thing that was maybe missing from Saturday was Warne and the staff having their moment with the fans. Thing is I can’t work out whether that’s a good or bad thing either!
 

I think to me, and I don’t want to go too OTT because I get why, but I just found Warne’s interviews very flat and a bit like he’d separated himself away from it all. Whether the celebrations at the end just gave him the chance to keep away from it all I don’t know, but I hope in some way we as fans can show our appreciation to the management at some point. 

I think it comes under their ethos of not allowing themselves to get too high or too low.

They will feel vindicated having achieved promotion but will also want to prove they are more than League One experts.

So, whilst feeling mightily relieved I suspect it’s a case of preparing for next year and letting the players have their moment.

Also quite difficult hugging someone you know is on this summer’s kill list.

1 minute ago, Nuwtfly said:

When you draw out a starting XI, and write down only the names of the players you think are good enough to do a season in the Championship, how many gaps are there? (How many players do we need to sign?)

I get 7, so you're probably looking at needing 8-9 signing in total this summer. Here's how I came to that conclusion using a 3-4-3 formation:

GK: ? (Wildsmith leaving I think)

RWB: Wilson

CB: Nelson

CB: ?

CB: Cashin

LWB: ?

CM: ? (Adams back please)

CM: ? 

RW: Mendez-Laing

ST: ?

LW: ?

Nyambe and Ward would be in contention but not that many more.