Ghost of Clough

19/20 Away = 23 points
20/21 Away = 19 points
19/20 Home = 41 points
20/21 Home = 25 points
Now tell me having 20k+ fans supporting the players won't have an impact

What absolute rubbish.

Wondering why the game's been moved to Friday /lunchtime /Sunday /Monday? ?

My view is there is a subtle difference between sponsorship and advertising. I think sponsorship is all about brand recognition. I don’t think many (if any) people are going to see “Unibet” on a Derby shirt and think “I know, I’ll go and place a bet”. More likely, it is aimed at folk that already gamble and Unibet is now higher up the list of betting companies they’ve heard off. Advertising is a lot more dangerous as it is also designed to encourage you to go and actually place a bet.
That’s my theory and is probably total rubbish. 

Taylor Seymour having a trial with us apparently - 19 year old keeper, ex Pompey.

With fans in the ground, we won’t be getting relegated. 

I think you're speculating wildly about what they 'could' do rather than what teams in that league actually do - I've hardly ever seen a big target man moving off to the wings to receive the ball at any point - Because you generally want your big target man in the middle - Most of the time they have limited control of where the ball is going to come off their head and therefore need as many options as possible which is why they play the middle ie, players in all directions
And for reference - The 2 fullbacks in the league 2 team of the year were 5' 8" and 5' 10" - Neither are giants and seem to have coped quite well with the rigours of that league without being dominated by giant strikers drifting out to the wing

19/20 he scored 5 U23 goals in 15 apps for Fulham (Cat 1 academy). Just over a year younger than Hector-Ingram, so I wouldn't be surprised if he has 6 months with us before we decide to loan him out. We need a forward player to add depth to our small U23 squad anyway, so a short term stop-gap makes sense.
Various U23 players are involved in first team training at various times. With Lawrence and Jozwiak returning from their extended breaks, the gap in the first team training sessions probably isn't there. I'm sure he isn't the only player to have been involved with the first team for the first few days before returning to the U23s
Hutchinson is a CM though. Knight, Sibley, Bird, Shinnie and Watson clearly ahead in the pecking order. Dixon was in training so presumably our current 6th choice CM. In a squad of 23 first teamers, you only have 6 CMs. The coaching staff obviously feel Dixon and Watson can offer more to the first team than Hutchinson.
Ideally, every player will go from U18s, to U23s, to loans out, before playing for the first team. However, you often get players making the leap up without getting that experience. Hendrick, Hughes, Bogle, Knight... the list can go on just for our club. Looking at the England squad there are many who made their debuts in the PL without going out on loan: Saka, Chillwell, Shaw, Rashford, Rice, Grealish, Foden, Sterling.
I'm not sure of your point here. Footballers are only good enough for the first team if they've had loans? There are plenty of examples that loans aren't an absolute must as you seem to suggest.
So you actually think that these youngsters would be better off in the Championship where the football isn't played in the air as much then. Good to know.
You clearly haven't watched these youngsters play if that's what you've concluded. He's built like a tank and has a fantastic leap and certainly wouldn't be targeted. As it happens, he'll be playing in the Championship anyway.
You seem to be getting confused by the role these players will be playing. Of of the players you listed will be looking at 2 games max over a season, with the other half unlikely to even be on the bench. It's unreasonable to expect someone to play such as role in the Championship to be regulars in a L2 side.
Using Man Utd as an example. They gave James Wilson 64 minutes in the league in 13/14 and 348 in 14/15. He was still only good enough to be a Championship squad player the following season. In 15/16 they gave Donald Love 53 minutes who is only a L1 player now. Those small roles are filled by players such as JBrown, Wilson, Cashin, etc...
Hutchinson - plays in a position where we've got the most depth
Duncan - hasn't proven himself even at U23 level
Taylor-Crossdale - surprising that it's him, but not surprising the U23s are looking at a forward.

I agree and if Bobby Duncan is as good as his publicity, he will soon be bossing the under 23 games and pushing for a call to join the first team squad.
Credit to the young man for working hard to get fully fit over the close season. If that is all that was holding him back we will soon find out.

Hutchinson - Struggled to get in Forest Green's side in L2, so it's not too surprising that he isn't part of our first team. I imagine he'll be out on loan again this season
Duncan - Hasn't proven himself in the U23s yet and will be 4th choice CF at best by the time the new season actually starts
Taylor-Crossdale - If it is him, then it's likely similar to the Hector-Ingram signing. A bit of a cheap punt on someone who at some point showed great promise (20 goals in 21 U18 games in 16/17 and 6 in 8 U23 games in 17/18)
 
Leeds Ram just doesn't rate any of our academy players 

I may not be a scout, but I believe I'm a very good judge of player in our academy. Over the past 10 years or so I can only recall being wrong about 2 players 'making it' in our first team - Callum Ball and Brad Foster - and there's still time for my call on Foster to be proven right. Well, I guess you can add Whittaker to the list too. From as far back as the Rowett season I identified Knight as a player who would make an impact on the first team (he was 16/17 at the time). Most people hadn't even heard his name until the end of the 18/19 season when he appeared in the playoff squads.
 
You don't like the comparison with Reading, despite their squad fighting relegation for the majority of the previous season (they only made 5 signings that summer, 3 on loan and 1 from L1).. so here's one with a Derby side which made a late challenge for top 6 2 seasons ago. Only 5 gaps, so chuck in a 6th summer signing in wherever you see fit.

Vernam was the one I thought would definitely play regularly at championship level or higher, but hasn't reached those heights yet 

I may not be a scout, but I believe I'm a very good judge of player in our academy. Over the past 10 years or so I can only recall being wrong about 2 players 'making it' in our first team - Callum Ball and Brad Foster - and there's still time for my call on Foster to be proven right. Well, I guess you can add Whittaker to the list too. From as far back as the Rowett season I identified Knight as a player who would make an impact on the first team (he was 16/17 at the time). Most people hadn't even heard his name until the end of the 18/19 season when he appeared in the playoff squads.
 
You don't like the comparison with Reading, despite their squad fighting relegation for the majority of the previous season (they only made 5 signings that summer, 3 on loan and 1 from L1).. so here's one with a Derby side which made a late challenge for top 6 2 seasons ago. Only 5 gaps, so chuck in a 6th summer signing in wherever you see fit.

I may not be a scout, but I believe I'm a very good judge of player in our academy. Over the past 10 years or so I can only recall being wrong about 2 players 'making it' in our first team - Callum Ball and Brad Foster - and there's still time for my call on Foster to be proven right. Well, I guess you can add Whittaker to the list too. From as far back as the Rowett season I identified Knight as a player who would make an impact on the first team (he was 16/17 at the time). Most people hadn't even heard his name until the end of the 18/19 season when he appeared in the playoff squads.
 
You don't like the comparison with Reading, despite their squad fighting relegation for the majority of the previous season (they only made 5 signings that summer, 3 on loan and 1 from L1).. so here's one with a Derby side which made a late challenge for top 6 2 seasons ago. Only 5 gaps, so chuck in a 6th summer signing in wherever you see fit.

Don't be daft, signing a couple of experienced pros on short deals, when we've lots of youngsters and a shortage in certain positions ain't the same as paying silly money for players like Anya and Blackman.

Yeah, it's someone having a laugh

Spain don't get the point of this game do they? They're Man City until the penalty area and then they're Exeter City. 
Don't know why pundits drool over them. 

Dylan Williams.
2nd year scholar.
LB, CM, LW

I believe that's Dylan Williams from the U18s
https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/dylan-williams

Are we sure he's not just here to collect the money we owe Wycombe?

I may not be a scout, but I believe I'm a very good judge of player in our academy. Over the past 10 years or so I can only recall being wrong about 2 players 'making it' in our first team - Callum Ball and Brad Foster - and there's still time for my call on Foster to be proven right. Well, I guess you can add Whittaker to the list too. From as far back as the Rowett season I identified Knight as a player who would make an impact on the first team (he was 16/17 at the time). Most people hadn't even heard his name until the end of the 18/19 season when he appeared in the playoff squads.
 
You don't like the comparison with Reading, despite their squad fighting relegation for the majority of the previous season (they only made 5 signings that summer, 3 on loan and 1 from L1).. so here's one with a Derby side which made a late challenge for top 6 2 seasons ago. Only 5 gaps, so chuck in a 6th summer signing in wherever you see fit.

Grealish on the field lifts the crowd which in turn lifts the team. 

So you're basing a full formational change based on 5 games from last season?
I can make a judgement on Stretton based on what I've seen. Inches away from scoring on his league debut for us, 3 goals in 173 minutes for Stockport and 8 in 696 minutes for the U23s last season. Since he became a first year scholar in 18/19, he's scored 37 in 3654 minutes of football at various levels, not far off 1 every 90 minutes. Some players, such as Whittaker, take time to adjust to the increased physicality. Stretton so far has stepped up seamlessly every single time.
10 games for 3rd choice isn't too unreasonable, I agree. But, it's something we can leave until January to re-evaluate. Keeping Davies as 3rd choice until then is also reasonable, as it's only asking him to step in for 5 games.
"At rb we're relying on two untested youth players if Byrne gets injured". Well evidence shows Byrne will play in 90% of the available minutes, so the amount of games we have to 'rely' on McDonald or Ebosele is minimal.
McDonald played against Norwich, Reading, Cardiff and Brentford, plus very short periods on the pitch vs Bristol, QPR and Bournemouth. That was 6 appearances vs top 9 sides. I think that shows he has Rooney's trust.
Yes, it's not unusual for young players in their debut seasons to have a bad run of form. Especially for a wing back during a congested schedule. We won't get any money for Forsyth and he'll be on low wages anyway, so it makes little sense to sign a replacement backup.
Lawrence was involved in 34 goals in his first 3 seasons with us (18 the season before). If that's "average", then there must be a lot excellent wingers in this league.
Don't forget the RB becuae you don't want us to rely on McDonald or Ebosele. Why not throw a GK in there too and we can have a whole new 11.
To have a squad which doesn't 'rely' on academy graduates filling tiny gaps as you seem to desire, you'd need at least 30 players. That's exceptionally unreasonable.
Reading used the 2nd fewest players last season with 27. I'm using them as my example as they're similar to us in terms of the academies. Of those 27, 7 played fewer than 180 minutes of football with a few more playing around 5 games. Essentially a 20 man squad, which contained 5 academy graduates (Rinomhota, Richards, Olise, Holmes, McIntyre) - similar to us with Buchanan, Bird, Knight and Sibley
Our squad make-up would match theirs with just 5/6 signings. A rough comparison of our squad for the upcoming season vs their from last season:

I may not be a scout, but I believe I'm a very good judge of player in our academy. Over the past 10 years or so I can only recall being wrong about 2 players 'making it' in our first team - Callum Ball and Brad Foster - and there's still time for my call on Foster to be proven right. Well, I guess you can add Whittaker to the list too. From as far back as the Rowett season I identified Knight as a player who would make an impact on the first team (he was 16/17 at the time). Most people hadn't even heard his name until the end of the 18/19 season when he appeared in the playoff squads.
 
You don't like the comparison with Reading, despite their squad fighting relegation for the majority of the previous season (they only made 5 signings that summer, 3 on loan and 1 from L1).. so here's one with a Derby side which made a late challenge for top 6 2 seasons ago. Only 5 gaps, so chuck in a 6th summer signing in wherever you see fit.

I may not be a scout, but I believe I'm a very good judge of player in our academy. Over the past 10 years or so I can only recall being wrong about 2 players 'making it' in our first team - Callum Ball and Brad Foster - and there's still time for my call on Foster to be proven right. Well, I guess you can add Whittaker to the list too. From as far back as the Rowett season I identified Knight as a player who would make an impact on the first team (he was 16/17 at the time). Most people hadn't even heard his name until the end of the 18/19 season when he appeared in the playoff squads.
 
You don't like the comparison with Reading, despite their squad fighting relegation for the majority of the previous season (they only made 5 signings that summer, 3 on loan and 1 from L1).. so here's one with a Derby side which made a late challenge for top 6 2 seasons ago. Only 5 gaps, so chuck in a 6th summer signing in wherever you see fit.