The Scarlet Pimpernel

Only one team tried to play any football tonight. Reading had just the one shot on goal which tells its own story really. I think we need to consider how different that game was to the fixture at the Madjeski. Night and day for me and while we could have been more clinical, the best side won. Reading came to spoil and disrupt and in the past that has worked. Tonight, we stayed calm, played our game not theirs and got our just deserts. There's an air of confidence about this side and I like it. A lot.
COYR

Can you provide any context for this? In the ramstv interview I watched earlier Warne said he’s a good option in the squad who he needs to give more game time to with the caveat that NML and Barkhuizen are in good form (which is hard to argue with).
 

My daughter has put her foot down and made an impassioned case for us to make the 200 mile round trip on a school night. We'll be there, COYR!

I’m going to this, my first attempt at an evening game since the brain haemorrhage 4 years ago.
if you’re in the west stand could you keep the noise down please? I’m usually barely awake by 8.30 so I’d be grateful if you didn’t wake me up just to watch a game of football.
Thankyou!

I thought he was ok. No more. Slightly better crosses than Ward and had to defend more. Struggled in that regard last 20 mins.
I'll be interested to see everyone's ratings because do you adjust or not to the very poor team we were playing.

It was Wilson with the dummy for the third.

Looking at some online posts at HT, I had to smile. The gist was "God, Derby are boring". I saw that as "scoreboard and stat driven opinion".
0-0 at HT. They'd had 1 shot which was off target. We were credited with 4, all off target although I viewed 3 of them as crosses. Those stats might persuade one to agree with the online opinion. I actually enjoyed the first half. We had 66% possession. Spent much of the half in their half of the field. There were some lovely passages of play which, alas, led to nothing but that was more down to Bristol's well organised defence than any great problems with our play.
Bristol were always going to have some passages of play, especially as they were the home team and couldn't really play the 2nd half hoping for the counter. That was always going to favour Derby as it would give us more room in our attacking third. That is how it turned out. They had 2/3 possession in the 2nd half, produced 5 shots, 3 on target but, IMO, only the Marquis header which was straight at JW, was dangerous and he'll be kicking himself for not scoring. At the other end we had 11 shots, 5 of which were on target, 3 went in and how Cash couldn't get it in off his thigh from a yard out will remain a mystery.
IMO it was a very good performance in a very enjoyable game which saw us showcase good defence and good attacking prowess. Here's hoping for more of the same this Tuesday and Saturday.

“It’s really difficult to explain because I am foreigner, I am not a local boy,” he adds. “But from the very first game wearing the Rams jersey I felt special, very similar to when playing for Croatia.”
Igor Stimac 2024.
 

I don’t want to get ahead of myself or allow myself to be excited, but.. I feel like something has finally clicked.
Best performance we’ve ever had under Warne, in my opinion. We’ve fell on to a workable system, the main reason was the recruitment staff doing their job and finding a gem in Ebou Adams and very recently I think it’s not in any small part to having to change the dynamic with Gayle upfront. I believe these two signings in particular have changed our fortunes, similarly to how Nyambe did earlier in the season.
Sibley and Ward are excelling. The defence are well balanced, the cohesion between the midfield and defence is significantly better, gaps aren’t as freely available for the other team and we are now working well going forward. I think we actually look like a team now, which for the majority of the season has definitely been missing something. The last two performances, the dynamic of the team, I’m finally hopeful. 

I have been a vocal critic of both three at the back and the inclusion of Sonny Bradley.
Today, I was wrong. We negated the threat of Messers Martin and Sinclair. We played excellent pressing football and we broke with intent.
It was as comfortable an away game as you could wish for. Even at half time, we looked in charge.
Well done everybody, including the crowd. I loved it. Brilliant day out.

Btw that performance today and vale is how to play 3 at the back. I’ve been crying out to go to a back 4 but if we continue in this vain scrap the 4. We looked solid we moved the ball the front 3 interchanged. Best performance of the season and I loved every minute of the drive home. 

I’ll say this, Gayle’s head/tap in was flipping brave. No shying away do from putting his head in dangerous places. Proper CF play 🐏

Excellent performance, excellent result & with results elsewhere, a brillant day.
Whilst its fair to say we didn't trouble the keeper too much first 45 mins, I was really pleased with the display. Got the ball down & played some smart stuff, Bristol were very much second best even though the ref was allowing them snidey little trips & then responding to any home crowd noise with decisions their way. The offside goal was a fantastic move, such a shame Gayle (?) strayed slightly. Sibley & Ward again made the 3-4-3 very potent...I enjoyed the football.
Second half we reverted to our typical away style as they picked up the tempo & we just picked them off. 0-3 probably flattered them given the chances we missed. That front 3 of Barkhuizen, Mendez-Laing & Gayle looks so dangerous on the counter and some great decision making/finishing from all 3. Good subs as well, Korey Smith added a measure of control as they were building up a head of steam & Waghorn kept up the forward press intensity. Well done all.
Massive 2 games coming up but keep that line up & level of intensity and we won't go far wrong. COYR 💪

I would love to know how many were at the Brighton play off game. When we won. The atmosphere was the best I can remember 

Well here's an example of what I'm referring to:
"Derby paying rent of £872k a year for Pride Park. Low yield compare to the £80m stadium sold for to an MM company a few years ago."
Do you know anyone else who works out the yield on an investment based on an obsolete valuation rather than what they paid for the asset? 
To me, it just looks like he's taking an opportunity to mention a contentious valuation that he disagreed with.

Noted, though it took someone to ask. It's just the tone of his posts - it always seems that he's having a dig.

Tbf @angieram picking Ward was the action of someone who had watched the game. Sibley would have been the easy and not unreasonable pick, whereas Ward was the correct pick.
 

Unfortunately the EFL have sold their soul for Sky TV cash, in order to keep their heads above the water in the financial chaos of football. If the clubs stopped paying out the ridiculous levels of wages to players then this would not be necessary. 😞 Who do we complain about Sky TV for working to the contract the EFL have signed, or the clubs and the EFL for signing it?
I'd suggest halving the EFL wage bill in every division would be a good start?

David Squires on … Mark Clattenburg, sliding bores and the drop ball furore
https://www.theguardian.com/football/picture/2024/mar/05/david-squires-on-mark-clattenburg-nottingham-forest-dropped-ball-furore

It’s looking like Forest might have a season or 10 in the Champ to look forward to. Are they prepared?
”Forest ready”
 

Damn. That’s my summer holiday finance plans ruined. 

Agree. My biggest issue with Sibley has been a heavy touch & inability to protect the ball well enough...two traits which really limit his ability to play in what many would deem his favoured number 10 position. By contrast at LWB, he is coming onto the ball so touch isn't quite as vital as if he were surrounded by defenders & he still gets plenty of opportunities to join the attack (both in counter attack & when we're dominating territory and possession). As you rightly say, his defensive work has improved a lot since start of last season.
Although yesterday wasn't the sternest test, I thought the balance of the entire team looked good & that this formation could work equally well home or away. Sibley & Ward can be potent attacking weapons when we're making the running in games and our front 3 are well marshalled but are solid enough defensively to turn us into an effective 5-2-3 if we're under the pump & punish teams on the counter. My biggest criticism of previous iterations has been the use of Nyambe & Elder at wingback who offered little to no cutting edge going forward.
If Warne is adamant about keeping 3 at the back, I reckon he should keep with this first XI to build cohesion & partnerships around the field for these last 10 games. I'd love this to be the spell Sibley finally clicks again (leading to a contract extension), there is definitely a player there & it would be sad for him to depart with his peak being his first 10 games in 2020.