duncanjwitham

The way I see it, we're quite effective when teams come at us, try to play a bit etc.  But we look clueless when teams set out to stop us playing and nick something.  If teams are just sitting in a low block, or maybe sitting someone on our DM to stop us playing out, we have no game-plan at all, we just keep lumping crosses into a brick wall.
Barnsley, Exeter and Northampton all, to varying degrees, tried to play against us and we picked them off.  Games like Shrewsbury, Stevenage etc, where they've set out to stop us, we've struggled.  From what Radio Derby were saying last night, it sounds like it started like a fairly open game (e.g. our first goal), but as the game went on and Crewe got the lead, Crewe sat deeper and deeper and just soaked everything up, and that's why our second half was so much worse than the first.
Those open games let our better players shine through, they get more time on the ball, more space to actually play. And the stuff that Warne wants us to doing actually has an effect.  We can press high and win it back when they play out from the back.  We can get it wide quickly and get crosses in because the game is more stretched, so more room to cross, more likely to be players running free in the box etc.  In those tight games, the stuff we're setting out to do is completely ineffective, because teams don't even try to play into our press, and they double up on our wingers, and pack their own box etc.  So our better players get stifled and the managers tactics don't do anything to actually effect the game either.

The way I see it, we're quite effective when teams come at us, try to play a bit etc.  But we look clueless when teams set out to stop us playing and nick something.  If teams are just sitting in a low block, or maybe sitting someone on our DM to stop us playing out, we have no game-plan at all, we just keep lumping crosses into a brick wall.
Barnsley, Exeter and Northampton all, to varying degrees, tried to play against us and we picked them off.  Games like Shrewsbury, Stevenage etc, where they've set out to stop us, we've struggled.  From what Radio Derby were saying last night, it sounds like it started like a fairly open game (e.g. our first goal), but as the game went on and Crewe got the lead, Crewe sat deeper and deeper and just soaked everything up, and that's why our second half was so much worse than the first.
Those open games let our better players shine through, they get more time on the ball, more space to actually play. And the stuff that Warne wants us to doing actually has an effect.  We can press high and win it back when they play out from the back.  We can get it wide quickly and get crosses in because the game is more stretched, so more room to cross, more likely to be players running free in the box etc.  In those tight games, the stuff we're setting out to do is completely ineffective, because teams don't even try to play into our press, and they double up on our wingers, and pack their own box etc.  So our better players get stifled and the managers tactics don't do anything to actually effect the game either.

The way I see it, we're quite effective when teams come at us, try to play a bit etc.  But we look clueless when teams set out to stop us playing and nick something.  If teams are just sitting in a low block, or maybe sitting someone on our DM to stop us playing out, we have no game-plan at all, we just keep lumping crosses into a brick wall.
Barnsley, Exeter and Northampton all, to varying degrees, tried to play against us and we picked them off.  Games like Shrewsbury, Stevenage etc, where they've set out to stop us, we've struggled.  From what Radio Derby were saying last night, it sounds like it started like a fairly open game (e.g. our first goal), but as the game went on and Crewe got the lead, Crewe sat deeper and deeper and just soaked everything up, and that's why our second half was so much worse than the first.
Those open games let our better players shine through, they get more time on the ball, more space to actually play. And the stuff that Warne wants us to doing actually has an effect.  We can press high and win it back when they play out from the back.  We can get it wide quickly and get crosses in because the game is more stretched, so more room to cross, more likely to be players running free in the box etc.  In those tight games, the stuff we're setting out to do is completely ineffective, because teams don't even try to play into our press, and they double up on our wingers, and pack their own box etc.  So our better players get stifled and the managers tactics don't do anything to actually effect the game either.

If you set out to make “get it wide and cross it” your only strategy to win game, then start 2 wingers who aren’t remotely “hit the byline and cross it” types, and have Collins as the only guy getting in the box, you aren’t going to win many games. That’s not really the players fault.

If you set out to make “get it wide and cross it” your only strategy to win game, then start 2 wingers who aren’t remotely “hit the byline and cross it” types, and have Collins as the only guy getting in the box, you aren’t going to win many games. That’s not really the players fault.

If you set out to make “get it wide and cross it” your only strategy to win game, then start 2 wingers who aren’t remotely “hit the byline and cross it” types, and have Collins as the only guy getting in the box, you aren’t going to win many games. That’s not really the players fault.

He also talks repeatedly about wanting to get it forward quickly.  It’s no wonder the players are struggling to implement what he wants.

If you set out to make “get it wide and cross it” your only strategy to win game, then start 2 wingers who aren’t remotely “hit the byline and cross it” types, and have Collins as the only guy getting in the box, you aren’t going to win many games. That’s not really the players fault.

What about it? You can't fire every single employee that ever worked under Morris and you can't assume that every one them is some kind of secret agent/mole/informer.  
Mike Ashley's entire shtick is buying stricken businesses on the cheap. Unless Clowes is going to hand the club over for massively less than what he paid for it (which makes no sense at all), it's very unlikely Mike Ashley ends up here any time soon.  Either someone comes along and pays Clowes a decent sum for the club (i.e. break-even for Clowes at least), or someone convinces Clowes that they are willing to put in significant investment into the club.  Those are the 2 ways that Clowes sells the club IMO, and Ashley is in neither of those camps

That really is pathetic.  It would be more surprising if Morris didn't have connections with the club still - he was the owner here for 5(?) years until very recently, and even beyond that he's a fairly prominent businessman in the city where the club is based.  If you look hard enough, you'll find all sorts of links.  And if the guy that Dom Dietrich named is the root of it all, then the barrier for "having connections" he's using is incredibly low - the club used an independent company for something, that Morris also used at one point? Really?

"he has no contract with #DCFC & no involvement with Morris" - this certainly has all the hallmarks of a Kieran Maguire story...

Or the simple truth, that doesn't involve conspiracy theories and MM secretly pulling strings (from his hidden bunker in a hollowed out volcano, no doubt) is that Stephen Pearce is very experienced in both football finances in general and how we run financially as a club, and Clowes sees it as being beneficial to have that knowledge around (presumably being very inexperienced in football finances himself). 
The most likely scenario is that Clowes kept him around as we came out of admin, because we needed to move very quickly to get stuff back up and running, and didn't want things being delayed while we replaced him.  And he's seen enough of him working to keep him around beyond any sort of transition period.

"he has no contract with #DCFC & no involvement with Morris" - this certainly has all the hallmarks of a Kieran Maguire story...

Oh my goodness, what a response!
Hello everyone, I’m Claire, Daniel’s (B4) sister. I am overwhelmed by your kind words, support, and the memories you have shared.  Thank you so much for the kindness and love you have all shown to Daniel over the years. My parents are working their way through all of the posts and will offer their own thanks in due course.
I wish I knew about the scraves, flanges and ballions before now. I wouldn’t have let Daniel live that down at home. This made my husband and I laugh this morning.
I will be wearing Daniel’s shirt and keeping his seat warm at the Bristol match. Really looking forward to hearing a big cheer and round of applause in the 38th minute, a goal at the time would be perfect!  Do please continue to share the picture with details of the applause. Let’s raise the roof for Daniel!!!
Thank you all again ❤️
#BeMoreB4 

What about it? You can't fire every single employee that ever worked under Morris and you can't assume that every one them is some kind of secret agent/mole/informer.  
Mike Ashley's entire shtick is buying stricken businesses on the cheap. Unless Clowes is going to hand the club over for massively less than what he paid for it (which makes no sense at all), it's very unlikely Mike Ashley ends up here any time soon.  Either someone comes along and pays Clowes a decent sum for the club (i.e. break-even for Clowes at least), or someone convinces Clowes that they are willing to put in significant investment into the club.  Those are the 2 ways that Clowes sells the club IMO, and Ashley is in neither of those camps

Or the simple truth, that doesn't involve conspiracy theories and MM secretly pulling strings (from his hidden bunker in a hollowed out volcano, no doubt) is that Stephen Pearce is very experienced in both football finances in general and how we run financially as a club, and Clowes sees it as being beneficial to have that knowledge around (presumably being very inexperienced in football finances himself). 
The most likely scenario is that Clowes kept him around as we came out of admin, because we needed to move very quickly to get stuff back up and running, and didn't want things being delayed while we replaced him.  And he's seen enough of him working to keep him around beyond any sort of transition period.

What about it? You can't fire every single employee that ever worked under Morris and you can't assume that every one them is some kind of secret agent/mole/informer.  
Mike Ashley's entire shtick is buying stricken businesses on the cheap. Unless Clowes is going to hand the club over for massively less than what he paid for it (which makes no sense at all), it's very unlikely Mike Ashley ends up here any time soon.  Either someone comes along and pays Clowes a decent sum for the club (i.e. break-even for Clowes at least), or someone convinces Clowes that they are willing to put in significant investment into the club.  Those are the 2 ways that Clowes sells the club IMO, and Ashley is in neither of those camps

Or the simple truth, that doesn't involve conspiracy theories and MM secretly pulling strings (from his hidden bunker in a hollowed out volcano, no doubt) is that Stephen Pearce is very experienced in both football finances in general and how we run financially as a club, and Clowes sees it as being beneficial to have that knowledge around (presumably being very inexperienced in football finances himself). 
The most likely scenario is that Clowes kept him around as we came out of admin, because we needed to move very quickly to get stuff back up and running, and didn't want things being delayed while we replaced him.  And he's seen enough of him working to keep him around beyond any sort of transition period.

Same here. He’s been sitting near me for years, having the odd chat as we passed on the stairs etc, and I never realised who he was until I saw the photos.  Well **** ☹️.
I reckon we rename the main forum in his honour - The B4 Derby County Forum or something.  It’s not going to be quite the same without him.
Once a Ram, always a Ram 🐑.

Same here. He’s been sitting near me for years, having the odd chat as we passed on the stairs etc, and I never realised who he was until I saw the photos.  Well **** ☹️.
I reckon we rename the main forum in his honour - The B4 Derby County Forum or something.  It’s not going to be quite the same without him.
Once a Ram, always a Ram 🐑.

Same here. He’s been sitting near me for years, having the odd chat as we passed on the stairs etc, and I never realised who he was until I saw the photos.  Well **** ☹️.
I reckon we rename the main forum in his honour - The B4 Derby County Forum or something.  It’s not going to be quite the same without him.
Once a Ram, always a Ram 🐑.

Wow. Sad times.
He's been knocking around the old DET and other forums as long as I have (pushing 20 years). Back then he had a much longer name that was his full surname and first name punctuated by numbers. Thankfully it was shortened it to B4.
First thing I really remember of him was he used to make the craziest transfer suggestions.
One that sticks in the memory is when Chelsea were battling to sign Mateja Kezman as their new no.9/Hasselbaink's replacement, B4 decided he would probably prefer to come to us and help in a Championship relegation battle because he'd start more games and score more goals. In the next few years a number of similarly unfeasible suggestions were made, we need a left winger, how about this guy from Ajax, who promptly went to La Liga or somewhere else for £20m.
That sums up B4's love of football and his unbridled positivity and hope for me. He probably always aimed a bit too high, but that was an amazing belief to have and I hope he carried it through all aspects of life.
I think at first a few of us were like, what the heck is this kid on about, but he soon won us over with his pure love and enthusiasm, and was accepted as a part of those forums' familes. His confidence grew amazingly over time and he pretty much created himself a role as official cheerleader, not just for the team, but when the fanbase was growing tired of poor football or bad results he would pep us up too and make us smile. I will also commend him for doing brilliantly to overcome his dyslexia, the improvement in his posts was monumental.
I'm not sure over the past 20 years I've seen a page on any main Derby forum without one of his threads, he will leave a gap and any forum will be a little less bright without his input.
In his memory I'd love to see a pinned thread for positive stories and comments only, that would seem fitting as he always saw and hoped for the best...
...except for NIck Blackman, my god he hated Nick Blackman. LOL
RIP B4
 
 

Just got back from the game and a great day to read this heartbreaking sad news 🥲🥲🥲,
Forget the scoreline , was going to post in match thread that this was the best performance of the season by a mile in terms of organised , compact , work rate ,spirit and playing as a unit
now I don’t give a stuff how stupid this makes me sound but so many times b4 posted he wished he could do the team talk ,,, well to my mind somehow in ways we don’t understand or believe in , he did todays team talk .
R I P b4 son , 🐏🐏🐏 and deepest sympathy to your family and friends who have lost someone very special 🥲

I have been viewing the DCFC rams forum for around 10 years. I have never needed to open a account, as I only care about checking what my fellow Rams family have to say, until now………
B4 - I have finally registered to this fine forum to pay tribute to you. I have met you a few times at away matches and have always revelled in the hundreds of posts that you wrote. You were an absolute inspiration and beacon of positivity, thank you for always improving my mood. I hope you find the best fish and chip shop up there pal.
I also hope you can sprinkle some magic for the remainder of the season to see us to promotion, nobody deserves this more than you my friend. 🐏

Same here. He’s been sitting near me for years, having the odd chat as we passed on the stairs etc, and I never realised who he was until I saw the photos.  Well **** ☹️.
I reckon we rename the main forum in his honour - The B4 Derby County Forum or something.  It’s not going to be quite the same without him.
Once a Ram, always a Ram 🐑.