Comrade 86

Cheers Nick, Duly noted. We'll hammer it down the line all night as suggested. With thanks and kind regards, Warney x

All 12 of them, I'll have you know! 🙄

From yesterday's DCFC Official pre-match team report: I do like the back 4 over a 3/5 but let's not forget how much of the 4's success was based on Nyambe's excellent form. We have no like for like IMO but I don't think Wilson will let us down.

As promised, an update on the team prior to tonight's match; as has been reported already, Callum Elder is out for another two weeks with a groin strain. I'd imagine that almost certainly means that Sibbo will play LB in a 4 with Wilson, Nelson and Cash. It's a solid enough foundation IMO, as whilst I do think Elder is far better than we've seen, Sibbo is playing well and one silly card aside, has been a proper team player. Perhaps he can pop up with one of his wonder-strikes tonight, assuming we're not under the cosh that is! Also absent are both barks and Fozzy, both suffering from calf strains and it'll be a week or two before either is ready for a return to 1st team action. Bradley is again absent suspended for his moment of idiocy against Northampton. All season, I've backed the lad to come good at some point, but I have to say this still really feckin grates. It was petulant, selfish and utterly pointless and my patience with him is now hanging by a thread. Brought it to set the tone and lead by example, he'd just found some form after a difficult start to his time at the club and he's repaid Warne by acting like a t*** and merely adding to his selection issues. Sonny, there are no excuses pal, so stop trying to make them and assume some feckin responsibility. Both Max and Dwight are on the mend; I think Max is expected to be back in a game or two, while Dwight's prognosis is not so clear, with PW saying he hopes to have him back before the season ends. Gutted really, as the lad was flying and we look a different side with him stretching defences and bringing others into play with back to goal. Likewise, his goal threat is a huge loss. Thankfully, Collo looked sharp on his comeback. We desperately need a strong performance from him tonight. We already know that Nyambe is out for the season, likewise TJJ, though Vickers is back in training though still a week or two off a return. I'd thought they'd said young Jake Rooney was back in full training, but sadly this seems to be incorrect. We are told, however, that he is making an excellent recovery from what was a horrid ACL injury, but it'll be pre-season before we see him again. He's one to look forward to all the same. That's it from me. Hopefully we secure at least a point tonight, but mostly I hope we are brave and try and play our football. The away tickets are sold out, so there will be a really good following at Fratton Park to cheer the lads on and all that's left is to wish those making the long trek down to Portsmouth a safe journey and s***-eating grins all the way home! A win tonight and we're pretty much guaranteed promotion, though a point would be a great result too. I think we can do it. COYR BE MORE B4

Some embarrassing Whataboutery creeping into this thread. Do you old folks grasp that folk won't stop hating on Musk because you hate on his competitors, though I use the term 'competitors' in its loosest sense. Even now, certain folk seem to struggle to see why folk really dislike Musk, but then the same folk loved Trump, Boris and Brexit so perhaps they're just a tad dim and struggle to learn from their mistakes? Age Demographics... https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/#twitter Total users (not including bots)... https://buffer.com/library/social-media-sites/ So really, what's the point of the comparisons again and what do they tell us about Musk and his takeover of Twitter? That he loves kids? Not his own, obviously, but other people's? Meh.

The depths of depravity Marinakis will stoop to know no bounds...

Saw Springsteen at Wembley in 85 and I'd recommend getting some pre-show carbs down you, as he'll play for 3 hours at least. They stopped for about 20 minutes to change clothes as Springsteen especially, was soaked in sweat. Honestly, I hadn't realised I was a fan at that tender age, but after watching him and the E-Street Band belting out song after song, it's safe to say I was a convert. My uncle was his head roadie at the time, which is how I ended up there in the first place. Now that was a day (and a night) I'll never forget 🤪

That's how my mum passed, less the hernia bit. Much as I despise Netanyahu, I wouldn't wish that on him and his removal from office and a full and thorough investigation into his conduct and the behaviour of the IDF during hostilities to date would suffice. That said, I do find the protests quite revealing; on the one hand and quite understandably, those marching in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be’er Sheva, Caesarea and other cities on Saturday night see Netanyahu as effectively blocking the return of the remaining Israeli hostages through his continued intransigence and reluctance to allow a meaningful halt in hostilities, or any sustained supply of food and medicine to those displaced. They're not wrong and obviously any civilised individual would sympathise with their plight. What I don't sense, however, is any such regard at all for the 32,490 Palestinians have been killed and 74,889 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. Likewise the 10,000+ lying dead and rotting under the rubble that once housed them. Or the 1.9 million displaced Palestinians, hoarded like rats into corners, dying of famine and disease and still subject to ongoing Israeli incursions. Plenty of Israeli settlers are already securing beachfront slots for development in the newly occupied lands though, their haste to secure the best locations, indecent to say the least. I suppose the plight of their fellow Israelis might not be so prominent in their thinking, as that of others, or perhaps personal gain simply matters more. And while on the subject of gross hypocrisy, Biden's posturing seems simply that in light his call for a ceasefire, whilst signing off on transfers to fund and arm the Israeli war effort worth billions of dollars. These include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000lb (900kg) bombs and 500 MK82 500lb bombs, as well as 25 F35A fighter jets, The Washington Post and Reuters news agency have said. So what we have here now is the West is no longer supporting Netanyahu and the IDF's actions, just weaponising them, a distinction that will doubtless make our Easter eggs taste all the sweeter.

FTFY 😝

Be finishing with a Stoolfall Quad after that lot!

I don't really understand the moaning. I think England have been bang their in recent tournaments and their results have been broadly in keeping with their ranking. That said, we do have a really talented and improving crop of young players and it'd not surprise me to see them win a major tournament. I doubt too many fans of other nations would be surprised either as I think for once, there's plenty of respect for our player's technical ability these days, something that's not always been the case. Personally, I think France are probably the most likely winners, but I'd be more hopeful of an England triumph in this tournament than just about any other I've witnessed, as there's not too much between the two sides these days IMO.

Clarke - Wardley feels like a never was against a never will be. Wardley to win by KO/TKO. Clarke's long amateur career and pro fights to date seem to indicate an absence of power. Wardley has literally zero defence and not much technical ability, but does bang a bit. I'd imagine Clarke will win the early rounds, but that Wardley will catch up with him later on. Not a fight to fire the imagination in any case and certainly not one I'll pay to watch.

1Wildsmith 7.5 - Solid performance from Joe. He'll never be the best distributor of a ball, but he's a more than able stopper. I hope he's not already elsewhere in his mind and will consider re-signing should we go up. 2Wilson 7.5 - Kane is re-finding his form after a small lull and looked close to peak again. Love how he can always fashion time on the ball and he was disciplined when out of possession. 35Nelson 8.0 - Such an important player for us and yet again, he and Cash did (just about) enough to ensure a clean sheet and 3 points. I think he's a better player in a back four, though he's not exactly shabby in a 3 either! 6Cashin 8.5 - Excellent again from Fozzy'z natural heir as Mr Derby. Work ethic, determination, defensive ability, the lad's got the lot and he needs to be tested at a higher level. He's better than L1 standard by some way IMO. 17Sibley 7.0 - Another disciplined performance and there was obviously a gameplan to allow him to get forward at every opportunity. Folk, myself included, can argue he's better higher up the pitch, but right now we need him at LB and he's doing just fine. 23Ward 7.0 - Quieter than of late, but a decent outing all the same. Between him and Sibbo (and Conor off the bench), we have some serious set-piece options. Small wonder Collo has hurried back! 10Waghorn 6.5 - Median plus .5 for the win 32Adams 8.5 - Is this guy even human? had around 10 starts and has been my MOTM for at least 6 of them. Well make that 7 now, as one again he was everywhere and the mid-air volley off the outside of his right boot for the game-winner was straight out of the top drawer. First signing of the new season please Mr Clowes! 12Smith 8.0 - Been touting him for a few weeks now and I think he's repaying the faith in spades. He's a lad with more technical ability than I'd figured, he works hard, but is a calming influence and he's a very good passer of a ball. He has surely nailed down the starting post next to Adams in CM now, hasn't he? 4Hourihane 6.5 - Did ok when he came on - Median plus .5 for the win 27Blackett-Taylor 7.5 - Looks to be relaxing a little and finding some confidence and I've noted that RBs do tend to stand off him a bit. he has some tricks and looks pretty sharp over the ground too. He needs a goal to get him properly up and running, but this was another improved showing. 16Thompson 6.5 - Early season the lad looked super sharp, but injury and lack of game time have not helped his cause and he's not really kicked on as a consequence. He's not the biggest, but he's a scrapper and he has way more technical ability than we are seeing currently, of that I feel certain, but it's hard to know whether he'll stay if he's not going to be afforded gametime. I really hope he does. 11Méndez-Laing 7.0 - Nate has been a bit shy of his admittedly lofty standards in recent games, though not always in his favoured role, admittedly. Always works like a Trojan though and with Collo returning to the fold, we just might see a return to the more destructive and fearsome NML we have regularly seen earlier this season. When we were first linked and he ended up at Cardiff, I was gutted, but the wait was worth it. Top lad and top player. 22Fornah 6.5 - Did ok when he came on - Median plus .5 for the win 14Washington 6.5 Needs to play alongside Collo, not instead of him, I think. I do think he can score goals at this level, but he perhaps understandably, still looks a yard or two off it, though I've a hunch he'll chip in with a critical goal or two before season end. 9Collins 7.5 - Cometh the hour... Honestly, I think Collo is probably an alien as no human recovers from a nasty injury like that as quickly as he has. Gayle initially helped us paper over the cracks, but when he got injured too, I feared the worst. I need not have! Looked c lose to his bristling and annoying best yesterday and with him basically battering CBs, others should find time and space. Welcome back Jimmy lad, it's great to have you in the side again. WarneWatch - I think he's been pretty shrewd recently. It can't have been easy and while other teams have players out too, not a whole a starting 11 like we did briefly. He'll be delighted to see Collo back and with others now firmly on the mend too, he can once again start to set up sides to play his way. I thought we were quite reactive against Blackpool, which is not ideal as they are no mugs, but I thought that we were the better side and value for the win. I find it strange that folk are still whining about the performance, given the catalogue of injuries, but I find myself past caring now. Those that go to most games seem pretty happy and that's always been a decent indicator that things are going quite well. A decent team selection, a controlled performance and a clean sheet, we'll need to be much better against Pompey, but we'll hopefully have a healthier and sharper squad, if only marginally and I don't think we should be fearing them. Well done then to PW, the coaches and the lads on another step towards a return to the Championship.

From The Independent: AOC skewers Elon Musk’s anti-immigrant stance with four-word tweet Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called out tech billionaire Elon Musk for a baseless anti-immigration post. Responding to a post from Mr Musk that claimed Democrats want to “import voters,” the progressive New York lawmaker pointed out an undeniable fact in response on Thursday. “You’re literally an immigrant,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X. Mr Musk was born and raised in South Africa — he moved to Canada in 1988 before migrating to the US. “And for everyone saying ‘yeah, but legal!!’ may I once again remind you that seeking asylum is legal, too,” the lawmaker continued. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/aoc-elon-musk-immigration-b2520835.html

Let's send him up first to get things ready. We can join him afterwards.

Gotta love the man really. Just quietly went about saving the club, seems completely devoid of ego and very much one of us fans. I don't think I've ever wanted success more for a Derby owner. Hopefully we get the job done this season, secure sensible investors for next season and DC can then enjoy some shared success, rather than just footing hefty bills. Likewise our fanbase who have been mostly brilliant through some very difficult times. As it is, I'd be pretty upbeat about DC's chances of finding someone to share the load. We're in decent shape off the pitch now and we are something of a sleeping giant anyway.

Match Thread: vs Portsmouth (a) Tuesday, April 2nd, Kick-Off – 8.00pm Head to Head: Two grand old clubs who first met way back in 1902 in the FA Cup, a game that resulted in a rather unsatisfactory 0-0 bore draw. The replay at saw us winning the replay 6-3 which doubtless gave the early Rams faithful a little more to cheer. Since then, there’s not been a deal between the two sides, with Derby edging the charts with 42 wins to Pompey’s 35. Games won: 42 Games drawn: 23 Games lost: 35 The Status Quo: Well, it’s looking good right now my fellow rams. Likewise for Pompey, who do look near to uncatchable now, though there doubtless remain some happy clappers like yours truly who will still be hoping Portsmouth slip up and what better place for them to begin their demise than in front of their own fans on Tuesday evening? That said, Portsmouth have arguably been THE most consistent side in the division, steadily accumulating wins after a minor, mid-season wobble. It’s fair to say that while they’ve continued their good form, our post-Xmas wobble saw us fall back a little, though if we look at the last half dozen games, we’ve actually outpointed them, indeed only Lincoln, who seem to lay waste to every team they meet right now, can claim to be in better form than our own beloved Rams. The Key Threats: There’s little doubt that Cody Bishop is their main striking threat with 16 goals and 2 assists to his name this season, but Pompey can boast other threats, none less than Paddy Lane who has netted 11 times this season, also weighing in with 6 assists. Abu Kamara and Marlon pack have 8 assists a piece, so it’s fair to say that Pompey have multiple attacking threats and they promise to provide us with our toughest game of the season and one in which Nelson and Cashin will need to be absolutely on their A-game if we are to leave with Fratton Park with anything to show for the game. Team News: Like most, I was delighted to see Collo return to the fold so swiftly and he looked pretty damn sharp to be honest. Perhaps the ‘rest’ has actually done him well! This is critical as for me, Wash and Waggy look some way off their peak and I suppose, given their lack of games this year, that’s easy to understand. I was also delighted to see Korey Smith start and for me, he has to stay in the starting 11. He’s not entirely dissimilar to Hourihane, but his mobility gives us more stability, though that said, we did again leave gaps between the press and our back line against Blackpool and if we do so again against Pompey, we might find ourselves in some bother. With a considerable injury list still hampering his efforts, Warne will again need to marshal his troops carefully and I’d expect a cagey performance from both sides where moments of quality will likely settle the game, rather than one side establishing outright dominance. I’ll drop another update on injuries etc, on this thread nearer the game, but I’d be looking at something similar to what we saw yesterday, with a couple of tweaks: Firstly, I’ve assumed Elder is once more broken and that we’ll therefore need to use Sibbo in the LB role again. I’d have preferred him starting higher up the pitch, but we have so many missing that it’s a case of needs must. In so much, the back 4 pick themselves. I’ve kept the same midfield as last week, with Smith again taking the starting role and Conor set to figure later in the game. Adams remains on fire and simply has to start every match now. The only other tweak I’d use would be to play Wash in behind Collo, assuming Jimmy is able to manage 60 minutes at this point in his return. That gives us something like the line-up below, but I do expect this to change, as I very seldom guess Warne’s selection correctly and I’m also hopeful we’ll have one or two more to pick from. CBT, now with some minutes under his belt, appears to be finding some good form and despite our injury situation, we'll have some interesting bench options all the same and perhaps he might even earn a start? The Game: I don’t think there’s any doubt that both sides have sufficient quality to punish any errors made and I think this will simply come down to which side best executes their game plan and who is most clinical with the chances they fashion. I’m going for a 1-1 draw with Nate to re-find his scoring touch and secure us another vital point. I think with both clubs and sets of fans riding high, it ought to be a great atmosphere though at present, there is some rain forecast. For anyone making a mini-break of it, please see some 'Things To Do' suggestions and links to some decent eateries below, as suggested by TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186298-Activities-Portsmouth_Hampshire_England.html https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurants-g186298-Portsmouth_Hampshire_England.html Enjoy the game my fellow Rams fans and safe journey to and fro. COYR BE MORE B4

xG tells you what would have happened, if what actually happened, hadn't. Schrodinger's goal.

Think a few of ours are still on their halftime break. Instead of shithousing, let's get the bugger on the floor and pass it about please!