Anag Ram

Raided my piggy bank  of coins today, took it to the bank, then went and got my season ticket. Thats my yearly ritual done for this season.😂🤣😂

The other team doesn’t make them miscontrol the ball, kick it into touch or wildly over the heads of team mates.
That’s a technique issue.

Surely it is fair to expect that professionals who are paid eye-watering salaries will produce skills which are easy on the eye having had nothing to do but practice all week?
You wouldn’t sit at the Crucible for a fortnight watching two players smash the ball as hard as they could until one emerged victorious.
I pay for a level of skill. These has been provided infrequently. I applaud effort of course but I could see that on the local rec.
Pragmatism will work to get us out of the league but in higher leagues we will need to be able to play a better standard of football and that will require vastly different players.
 I look forward to seeing how Warne can manage that. As a Derby fan, I obviously hope he will succeed.

I am not sure I agree with this angle. We certainly have better players than many; but the best ? I think that is debatable. Look at the midfield. The arrival of Adams has made a huge difference but prior to that I reckon or midfield was average. Bird is wonderfully talented but in this league often got out muscled and his skill wasn’t always enough for him to win those battles … so better or just good  ? Hourihan 6 years ago, yes a better player, but our Hourihan ? The one who gets caught napping against athletic sides ? A good player but “better” than the rest ?
The only areas where I think we had demonstrably better players was defence and out wide. We Haven’t got the better strikers and we hadn’t (until Adams) got the best midfield. 
 
Warne had “better” wide players and made best use of them to support our  lack, for much of the season, of a dynamic striker. This leads to a form of football that by necessity involves getting the ball in to danger areas via the wings and making good use of set pieces. All to create the greater number of chances to address those areas where we didn’t have “the best” players.
 
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see one touch midfield interchanges crafting chances with slick passing ; but too many of our players didn’t demonstrate enough of those skills either due to ability, age, or the type of opponent / type of football played in this league. 

The opportunity to win promotion at Pride Park, in front of a sell out crowd, after what the club has essentially gone through the last four years, is something that could create memories that will last a lifetime.
If, and hopefully when it happens, I'll definitely spare a thought for B4 and others who marched through the city to help keep the club alive but sadly won't be here to see this significant step in our rebuilding process. 

… and hope they have a hapless keeper who doesn’t come for corners.
 

I would take issue with this, as someone who pays a lot of money to commute from Bristol to utilise my season ticket.
I absolutely accept that this is a tough league to escape from and that some of the dross I have sat through is a necessary part of our progression.
However, in order to grow as a football club, we do need to play a better standard of football to get any joy against better opposition.
But that’s a question for the closed season. Promotion is the first priority.
Paul Warne knows that you have to work very hard to get out of League One. He has never had a squad to be competitive in the Championship.
We won’t know what he’s capable of until we have established our squad for next season.
Who knows, we may see the ball played on the grass yet.
 

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

No because valid concerns remain about how he can take the style of football we've been subjected to since he arrived further up the pyramid.
As delighted as I will be if we go up,ets be honest that should be the minimum expectation for us in this division and he's done nothing to convince me he's suddenly got a plan or system in the works that will compete at a higher level.
We've been clinging on in games against the likes of Cambridge and Wycombe. Better teams won't allow that to happen.
Again, I'll be delighted if he proves me wrong because I like everything else about him and I hope he does.

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

He’s just too good to be true 
Can’t take our eyes off Ebou
Du-du, du-du, du, du, du,du etc

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

Ugly, untidy, but better than nothing.
Coincidentally, my wife’s description of me.
 

Ugly, untidy, but better than nothing.
Coincidentally, my wife’s description of me.
 

As I woke up tired and hungover this morning, I had a thought. While it's always great hearing stories about the glory days of the 70s, the iconic 80s and the fun 90s, there's a whole generation of Derby fans who have only ever known disappointment. I myself had my first season ticket in the 2006/07 Billy Davies season, but I was too young to properly appreciate it.
Since then, it's been a mix of hope, heartbreak and 'nearly' moments. Our generation of supporters have witnessed other clubs' fans celebrating siuccess (sometimes at our expense), but we find it difficult to fathom what it would actually feel like for Derby to ever get over the line.
Yesterday, as I walked back back to the bus with my arm round my mate's shoulder, belting Derby songs at the top of our voices, I had the first taste of what it might feel like to experience success as a Derby fan. This morning, I started making preparations for post-game jaegerbombs and cigars next weekend. And thinking about how I'll be raising a glass to the lad that we all miss. 
We're not over the line yet. But I'm well into dreaming territory. And for us fans who aren't old enough to know glory, it's going to be oh so sweet.
Up the Rams.

TV
1Wildsmith 6 Kicks like a donkey in a blindfold 
35Nelson 6
5Bradley 7.5
6Cashin 7
2Wilson 6
7Barkhuizen 5.5
12Smith 6.5
32Adams 6
17Sibley 7.5
16Thompson 5.5
8Bird 🦅 6
9Collins 6
11Méndez-Laing 6.5
10Waghorn 4
 

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

Our issue for many seasons was that we were a soft touch in physical games away from home. There were certain fixtures I used to dread because we had little chance of coping and would concede possession from start to finish.
Warne and the staff have addressed this, albeit in a low league. We are more robust now and competitive in every league game.
No team in League One has played good football consistently this year. That’s largely down to a lack of quality.  

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.

He strikes me as being a volatile character, capable of astonishing lapses in concentration but also brilliant saves.
His unpredictability is probably the thing which has held him back.
Some of his kicking today was unfathomable but his one-handed save was instinctive and impressive.