Leicester Ram

As a friend said to me over the weekend "Norwich are going to take your record this year" I wanted to suggest the initiation of St Claude's Day, the date on which no club can undertake (or equal) our points tally of eleven points. Named in honour of a player more symbolic of our lack of preparedness, ability, and commitment than any other (a statement of recognition in itself) in that 07/08 season the race is now on to predict on what day it will fall this season.
In previous years St Claude's Day has fallen on the following weekends, last season's Covid affected schedule aside it has only three times made it past New Years Day.
2020/21: 4th March (Sheffield United)
2019/20: 22nd December (Watford)
2018/19: 27th February (Huddersfield)
2017/18: 13th December (Swansea)
2016/17: 19th December (Sunderland)
2015/16: 18th January (Aston Villa)
2014/15: 29th December (Leicester)
2013/14: 26th December (Sunderland)
2012/13: 2nd January (QPR)
2011/12: 31st December (Blackburn)
2010/11: 27th November (Wolves and West Ham)
2009/10: 19th December (Portsmouth)
2008/9: 8th November (Spurs)
So, on what day will St Claude's Day fall on this year? I predict it will be the fourth time it has made it past New Years Day but I still think last week in February our record will be safe for one more season.
 

Don’t think Clowes was ever sacking him this week, would be too much of a Mel Morris move.
He’s done the right thing by standing up to the Warne Out mob - even if that is now the majority of the fanbase, it still would have sent the wrong message if he’d buckled to fan pressure.
Clowes is the one that saved the club, knows 95% more about what’s going on at the club than we do and knows what the financial implication of turfing out Warne would be
It sounds like he’s giving him an unspecified amount of time to turn it around and treating Warne how we’d all want to be treated if we were in his shoes.
Like Warne or not, this is the right way of doing things. You don’t discard managers after fan backlash - as much as we should be doing so much better than we are.
As far as the football goes, Warne needs to win both of the fixtures this week if he’s ever going to win the lions share of the fans back. As much as I’ve preached patience, I expected we would improve after the international break and a managers job will always be in trouble at DCFC if we’re outside the top six of League One by December
Warne in or Warne out, creating an inhospitable environment for a manager who has just been backed by Clowes would be very disappointing and I hope PP stays positive tonight.

Its the Derby way! An indifferent first couple of months to divide the fans, then a good run in November/December to get our hopes up
Join me here in February to see what happens next!

Don’t think Clowes was ever sacking him this week, would be too much of a Mel Morris move.
He’s done the right thing by standing up to the Warne Out mob - even if that is now the majority of the fanbase, it still would have sent the wrong message if he’d buckled to fan pressure.
Clowes is the one that saved the club, knows 95% more about what’s going on at the club than we do and knows what the financial implication of turfing out Warne would be
It sounds like he’s giving him an unspecified amount of time to turn it around and treating Warne how we’d all want to be treated if we were in his shoes.
Like Warne or not, this is the right way of doing things. You don’t discard managers after fan backlash - as much as we should be doing so much better than we are.
As far as the football goes, Warne needs to win both of the fixtures this week if he’s ever going to win the lions share of the fans back. As much as I’ve preached patience, I expected we would improve after the international break and a managers job will always be in trouble at DCFC if we’re outside the top six of League One by December
Warne in or Warne out, creating an inhospitable environment for a manager who has just been backed by Clowes would be very disappointing and I hope PP stays positive tonight.

James Collins is always near a loose ball in the box, the same way that my dog is always near a squirrel that just ran up the tree in the park

James Collins is always near a loose ball in the box, the same way that my dog is always near a squirrel that just ran up the tree in the park

James Collins is always near a loose ball in the box, the same way that my dog is always near a squirrel that just ran up the tree in the park

James Collins is always near a loose ball in the box, the same way that my dog is always near a squirrel that just ran up the tree in the park

*glues season ticket back together 

Hi Derby fans, I know you have bigger fish to fry in terms of wanting Warne out, but thought I would provide a little information on the current Northampton side to provide you a little context before tomorrows game.
We are very much a yo-yo side between L1 and L2 and as most expected we are struggling this season. We have not lost any game by more than 1 goal but that is not helping our points tally at all. Injuries have been a massive issue the last 12 months or so, its rare we have had less than 8 out injured. Whilst injuries are part and parcel of the game, when you already have a squad expected to struggle it creates a bit of an impossible task.
We are unlikely to have any of of injured bodies back for Tuesday, which means our best CB and best striker are injured. Considering both boxes is where we need to improve that is not good news! 
Our manager Jon Brady has lived in the area for decades since moving across from Australia. Played for lots of clubs in our region and then got the permanent managers job after managing the U18's. He is extremely passionate (maybe too much so as gets booked so often), but he is also passionate about the club and area which really has built a link with the fan base. He has also done a fantastic job so far in my opinion, developing our style away from just pure long ball which we have endured a lot of over the last few decades. We are not total football by any stretch of the imagination but have the ability to retain the ball far better now. That being said he is clearly getting frustrated at the lack of available bodies and the low budget he has to work with in L1. Despite our lowly position he is still pretty much universally backed by the entire fan base.
In terms of danger man you are right to highlight Sam Hoskins. He has gone from a player who was very much a marmite player amongst the fanbase to a club legend. He has always worked extremely hard and has played in every outfield position for us during his time here. The problem was his work rate would often mean that he was seemingly undroppable which meant he was an easy target. However Brady has recognised that he is comfortably our best finisher, meaning he is now less involved in build up play but much more in the final 3rd which has seen his goal tally rocket. He was the first player to score 20 goals for us since the early 90's and is now top 10 all time in appearances and goals.
Two other players that stand out for us (that are currently fit) are defenders Sam Sherring and Marc Leonard. Sherring is a young defender who is comfortable on the ball and is continuting to develop, i have no doubt he will go onto bigger and better things. Leonard is on load for the second season in a row here from Brighton and is arguably the best natural talent I have seen in the CM for us. We have had Matt Grimes and Matt Crooks here in recent years but Leonard just keeps things ticking over effortlessly.
I wonder if we may set up with a back 3/5 (I know not popular here!) Something along the lines of....
                       Burge 
           Willis Sherring Monthe
Odimayo                               Brough
               Mcwilliams Leonard
Pinnock                                  Hoskins
                    Simpson
 
I am going for a narrow 2-1 loss which is very much the story of our season. A point would be massive for us but despite your recent troubles there are still several levels between the sides.
Looking forward to being back at Pride Park and will post my thoughts after the game. Enjoy the game and rest of the season!

Don’t think Clowes was ever sacking him this week, would be too much of a Mel Morris move.
He’s done the right thing by standing up to the Warne Out mob - even if that is now the majority of the fanbase, it still would have sent the wrong message if he’d buckled to fan pressure.
Clowes is the one that saved the club, knows 95% more about what’s going on at the club than we do and knows what the financial implication of turfing out Warne would be
It sounds like he’s giving him an unspecified amount of time to turn it around and treating Warne how we’d all want to be treated if we were in his shoes.
Like Warne or not, this is the right way of doing things. You don’t discard managers after fan backlash - as much as we should be doing so much better than we are.
As far as the football goes, Warne needs to win both of the fixtures this week if he’s ever going to win the lions share of the fans back. As much as I’ve preached patience, I expected we would improve after the international break and a managers job will always be in trouble at DCFC if we’re outside the top six of League One by December
Warne in or Warne out, creating an inhospitable environment for a manager who has just been backed by Clowes would be very disappointing and I hope PP stays positive tonight.

Don’t think Clowes was ever sacking him this week, would be too much of a Mel Morris move.
He’s done the right thing by standing up to the Warne Out mob - even if that is now the majority of the fanbase, it still would have sent the wrong message if he’d buckled to fan pressure.
Clowes is the one that saved the club, knows 95% more about what’s going on at the club than we do and knows what the financial implication of turfing out Warne would be
It sounds like he’s giving him an unspecified amount of time to turn it around and treating Warne how we’d all want to be treated if we were in his shoes.
Like Warne or not, this is the right way of doing things. You don’t discard managers after fan backlash - as much as we should be doing so much better than we are.
As far as the football goes, Warne needs to win both of the fixtures this week if he’s ever going to win the lions share of the fans back. As much as I’ve preached patience, I expected we would improve after the international break and a managers job will always be in trouble at DCFC if we’re outside the top six of League One by December
Warne in or Warne out, creating an inhospitable environment for a manager who has just been backed by Clowes would be very disappointing and I hope PP stays positive tonight.

Don’t think Clowes was ever sacking him this week, would be too much of a Mel Morris move.
He’s done the right thing by standing up to the Warne Out mob - even if that is now the majority of the fanbase, it still would have sent the wrong message if he’d buckled to fan pressure.
Clowes is the one that saved the club, knows 95% more about what’s going on at the club than we do and knows what the financial implication of turfing out Warne would be
It sounds like he’s giving him an unspecified amount of time to turn it around and treating Warne how we’d all want to be treated if we were in his shoes.
Like Warne or not, this is the right way of doing things. You don’t discard managers after fan backlash - as much as we should be doing so much better than we are.
As far as the football goes, Warne needs to win both of the fixtures this week if he’s ever going to win the lions share of the fans back. As much as I’ve preached patience, I expected we would improve after the international break and a managers job will always be in trouble at DCFC if we’re outside the top six of League One by December
Warne in or Warne out, creating an inhospitable environment for a manager who has just been backed by Clowes would be very disappointing and I hope PP stays positive tonight.

Don’t think Clowes was ever sacking him this week, would be too much of a Mel Morris move.
He’s done the right thing by standing up to the Warne Out mob - even if that is now the majority of the fanbase, it still would have sent the wrong message if he’d buckled to fan pressure.
Clowes is the one that saved the club, knows 95% more about what’s going on at the club than we do and knows what the financial implication of turfing out Warne would be
It sounds like he’s giving him an unspecified amount of time to turn it around and treating Warne how we’d all want to be treated if we were in his shoes.
Like Warne or not, this is the right way of doing things. You don’t discard managers after fan backlash - as much as we should be doing so much better than we are.
As far as the football goes, Warne needs to win both of the fixtures this week if he’s ever going to win the lions share of the fans back. As much as I’ve preached patience, I expected we would improve after the international break and a managers job will always be in trouble at DCFC if we’re outside the top six of League One by December
Warne in or Warne out, creating an inhospitable environment for a manager who has just been backed by Clowes would be very disappointing and I hope PP stays positive tonight.

Don’t think Clowes was ever sacking him this week, would be too much of a Mel Morris move.
He’s done the right thing by standing up to the Warne Out mob - even if that is now the majority of the fanbase, it still would have sent the wrong message if he’d buckled to fan pressure.
Clowes is the one that saved the club, knows 95% more about what’s going on at the club than we do and knows what the financial implication of turfing out Warne would be
It sounds like he’s giving him an unspecified amount of time to turn it around and treating Warne how we’d all want to be treated if we were in his shoes.
Like Warne or not, this is the right way of doing things. You don’t discard managers after fan backlash - as much as we should be doing so much better than we are.
As far as the football goes, Warne needs to win both of the fixtures this week if he’s ever going to win the lions share of the fans back. As much as I’ve preached patience, I expected we would improve after the international break and a managers job will always be in trouble at DCFC if we’re outside the top six of League One by December
Warne in or Warne out, creating an inhospitable environment for a manager who has just been backed by Clowes would be very disappointing and I hope PP stays positive tonight.

Don’t think Clowes was ever sacking him this week, would be too much of a Mel Morris move.
He’s done the right thing by standing up to the Warne Out mob - even if that is now the majority of the fanbase, it still would have sent the wrong message if he’d buckled to fan pressure.
Clowes is the one that saved the club, knows 95% more about what’s going on at the club than we do and knows what the financial implication of turfing out Warne would be
It sounds like he’s giving him an unspecified amount of time to turn it around and treating Warne how we’d all want to be treated if we were in his shoes.
Like Warne or not, this is the right way of doing things. You don’t discard managers after fan backlash - as much as we should be doing so much better than we are.
As far as the football goes, Warne needs to win both of the fixtures this week if he’s ever going to win the lions share of the fans back. As much as I’ve preached patience, I expected we would improve after the international break and a managers job will always be in trouble at DCFC if we’re outside the top six of League One by December
Warne in or Warne out, creating an inhospitable environment for a manager who has just been backed by Clowes would be very disappointing and I hope PP stays positive tonight.

So, just to clarify, the man who saved this 139 year institution at the heart of a city and surrounding areas from extinction with his money, re-hired colleagues who’s livelihoods had been taken away, worked to rebuild the reputation of the club off the pitch by doing things like donating “sponsorship” to a national charity, is looking to run the club as sustainably as possible to secure its long term future, invested in the upkeep of the stadium after years of neglect (after buying that back too), worked collaboratively with the EFL to rebuild relationships long soured, continued to invest in the academy, realigned the football side to include the women’s team, and probably a few more things I can’t recall that others might ….has failed to match your personal opinion and expectations that Warne isn’t the right man for us right now and therefore should be sacked, so you’re disappointed in him? 

I read this as Clowes not having having a knee jerk reaction to fans anger. Things have turned ugly in recent weeks but he's not going to let that dictate his decision making yet. Sounds courageous and wise. Have our fan base been conditioned by years of Mel Morris impulsiveness? Quite possibly. A lot of comments on here sound like threats of toxic atmosphere should be driving change. 
Clowes has repeatedly told us his values and so this response should surprise noone.
So, we've got problems atm and perhaps we're trying to work through them rather than tearing everything up. I'm rather proud that he is not treating employees with total contempt.
I'm concerned of course like most, but it's not necessarily naivety or wilfull blindness to show support to a manager when things get tough.

I rate David Clowes' ownership abilities as impeccable. If they weren't this forum would no longer be a place for discussion but merely a garden of remembrance for DCFC Limited. 
He made a much supported decision to run this club as a sustainable business with a four-year rebuilding plan for the academy and the first team. He decided that based on his previous record in this division, Paul Warne would be the man given the opportunity to return the club to the Championship. He did not hold a gun to Warne's head demanding that immediate promotion was essential to the plan. When we missed out on securing a play-off place in May, David Clowes didn't make a knee-jerk reaction but held firm in the continuation of the project and backed Warne's first opportunity to recruit players of his choice.
In the past three weeks the performances and results have been very disappointing. That can happen and often does even in successful promotion seasons. But the reaction of Paul Warne to the growing fan criticism is a critical concern in the direction the team is currently going. As he says, it's a new experience for him to face criticism from the fans but in his media interviews he simply appears to have no answers as to how to remedy the situation. He seems confused in his leadership and consequently both the players and fans are confused, leaving us rudderless on the field. Facing Northampton and then Crewe is now a much bigger issue than it should ever be for this club.
David Clowes is not just the owner but also an avid lifelong fan and for that he is probably just as confused, worried and disappointed at the moment as many of us. I would imagine that in his day job, there have been several occasions where he has had to revise projects mid-term in the interest of an optimal outcome, which may also have included parting company with employees sooner rather than later. He has kept his thoughts to himself the past month. However, with the current turmoil the time must be near to when he will reveal if he wishes to continue with project as it stands or revise it.

By the time he went, he had to go, but he'd had pretty much every type of rug imaginable pulled out from under him by that point.

Also seen one or two referencing “clownes”, this is also bang out of order. We owe him enormously. He’s just a fan like us who had the wherewithal to do what we would all do. Despite seemingly getting wrong with warne he’s still our saviour 

Warne won’t walk. The guy isn’t made of money, and he will view his coaching staff (on even less money) as his family. There are bigger priorities for him than the opinion of Derby County supporters.
 

If only someone could break the coffee machine at moor farm that might tip him over the edge to walk 

Nowhere near as bizarre as those who having pleaded with Clowes to save the club at a price of around £10-15 million over the odds, are now demanding that he stump up an additional £2 to £3 million in compo for Warne and his team. I've yet to hear a single suggestion as to how this will be financed and that's before we even consider the cost of fresh contracts for the new gaffer and his people.
And even if Clowes had it to spare and even if he was of a mind to spare it, how TF is he going to achieve all this under the current EFL business plan, or had folk forgotten that small matter in their haste to get Warne out of the door?
This kind of expectation with zero accountability, nor commercial rationale, is the very definition of 'entitled' as far as I'm concerned and more than a few of us are guilty as charged.

With James Collins as our star striker - That brings you back down to earth.