Hector was the best

2007 team were unlucky. 
Billy Davies, in my opinion, was a good manager, took a team that should have been relegation favourites to Premier League.  No investment once there meant - his 'friend', who Billy Davies would never not name drop, Alex Ferguson, would have been relegated with.  If we had lost the play off he'd have lasted a few years.  
If we got rid of Warne, Billy would be my number one choice.  Should never have been sacked for what he achieved.  

When we sign players, I normally have a look at what the fans at their previous clubs are saying about them, maybe skim over their pages on whoscored, transfermarkt etc to get a feel for what they might be like.
Luton fans said Bradley's legs had gone.
Peterborough fans said Ward struggles to beat the first man with his crosses, and isn't comfortable at wingback.
Elder seems to have never played wingback before in his career.
Nelson was part of the (I think) worst defence (by goals conceded) in the Championship last season.
And that's just from 5 minutes googling.  You do have to wonder who's scouting these players.
 

Oddly isn't the recruitment bloke the guy from Oxford?

at least the Sarina and the Lionesses have brought us some joy today.  That is what football is about. Not this lower tier kick about that we have to endure.

Best team on the night won. They looked fitter, faster. Had better ball control. Won 3/4 of the 2nd ball. We couldn't find a teammate with a 5yard pass most of the time.

Looks like we're playing zonal defence. Look at both goals against yesterday. First, a crap pass from Nelson finds an Oxford player just inside the Derby half. He runs 25 yards unchallenged and plays a good pass into our box. Harris runs on to it, nobody tracking him and beats Wildsmith top corner, near post (is the near post JW's achilles heel?). Half a dozen white shirts in our box all marking nobody. Their 2nd saw Harris, again without a Derby shirt anywhere near him, latch on to a ball on the edge of the box and put it away. Zonal defence is brilliant, I've yet to see a zone score... We have enough players back, IMO, they're just not marking opposition players. Who to blame? For all of, and there were many, the poor passes, we can blame the players. For what looks like the chosen defence strategy, it's PW and his staff.

Ref was poor but we shouldn't complain. Another ref would have given a penalty to them plus a red card for the arm pull. Collo hung his left elbow out and was given a yellow. A lot of refs would have given a red. Cash was very lucky not to pick up a 2nd yellow late on.

Hourihane doesn't control a game for all his CV he takes a half decent free kick but in general play he goes missing for long periods 
We don't need players going missing, we need players to get a grip and drive the team forward 

It's got nothing to do with losing to 'lowly Oxford', and btw the big chip on the shoulders of third-division teams gets a bit tiresome tbh. It's got everything to do with how we played, how we have played in the past, and our current lack of a plan. We weren't good enough for our standards, for where we want to be, which is like any team near the top of the division. I thought you were good value for your win, and if we had nicked a point at the end it would have been criminal. You looked like everything we were not; well-organised, quick, strong, and well-balanced. 

If your main takeaway from this is that we shouldn’t be losing to you because you’re not very good then I suggest re reading it. A few have pointed out your position last season but the majority has been aimed at Warnes football stinking the place out. 
 
You look a good young team with a good young manager. A million miles away from where we should be. 

I hope that this wasn't your main takeaway from reading this thread. We have another thread somewhere for league predictions and a lot of us do think you will be right up there come the end of the season. So it's not arrogance in that 'Oh, we should be smashing Oxford, no questions asked'.
Our frustration is that, usually, we are so, so good at home. Whether it's against Ilkeston Town, Oxford United, or Arsenal, we would give anyone a good game at Pride Park (primarily attractive football played by technically good footballers). What we all saw last night is not what we have been used to - no identity, no intensity, and (seemingly) no coaching. And we justifiably got taken apart by the better team.

Up until the outbreak of Covid I'd be at PP nothing except death would keep me away, Covid taught me there is another world out there, Football has changed and not for the better...imo, Players earning vast amounts of money, Owners putting clubs into debt, Referees who can't do the simple thing, Referee officials changing the rules...2 managers sent off last night for daring to criticize the man in black, Football football football wherever you look, I didn't like last season altho I had a season ticket i missed some 10 games through illness or just couldn't be arsed.
20k+ season tickets sold a great response from the DCFC fans, Some new some older ticket holders all going for the same reason...the love of DCFC, 3 home defeats in the 1st 3 games is a very poor...why so, PW started it imo by letting the players choose the captain, Poured more fuel on the fire by stupid comments after the Blackpool game, We here there's been talks between players and management to iron a few things out after the Blackpool game, Even winning 3-0 at Burton there was still those posters on here that could see that things are still not right.
It sounds by what PW said after his presser last night...things are still not right and are now compounded by injuries to a couple of players, If things are not right behind the scenes then things wont be right at Kick Off time, I'm confident we have the players to do well, I'm not confident we're playing to their strengths...PW and staff had better start earning their corn as I see David Clowes will be under pressure if not already and decisions will have to be made.  

I think that would be a fair assumption given his I ain't staying in League 1 speech on arrival.  It seemed arrogant rather than rousing and had me worried from the off.  Didn't say anything at the time as it would have been seen as anti Warne.  What I was being hammered for 2 months ago is panning out exactly as I thought.
For the record, I'm not happy about that.  I don't to go games in the pissing rain and give my time to see abject football and players long past their best struggling to press and getting picked off.  It was obvious the way it was heading but it's worse than I thought.

I think this is important. I'd also say, as fans not only have we been starved of success but we've had such a difficult few years I think we're just crying out for something to shout about. Last night, I didn't even have the energy to boo them off the pitch or shout as usual. I was simply resigned to this is what we should expect. 

Whilst Cash was our best CB, he was very lucky to stay on the pitch. The recovery tackle in our box was a defo straight red (it was right in front of us) and he should have had a second yellow for the shirt pull. He needs to learn from that.
Midfield is all wrong. Central defence didn't look to have a clue and up-front... dreadful. Collins cannot play with his back to goal. He misjudges every single ball played to him in the air. He's always underneath it, body position all wrong, etc - it's just not his game.
I think we all agree  that with Wash, Tommo and Waggy we looked much brighter but we're desperate for a decent CM to get pull us together. Bird and Hourihane should have the nouse between them as they're technically strong but we just look a mess. I don't know what's going on but we do not look good.
I went to 5-6 games last season and we just seemed exactly the same last night - no obvious system, players not confident in roles or passing and never in control of the game. Last season, it was fair to say that they weren't PW's players but this lot are and whilst I'll give him time, I'm really starting to lose faith I'm afraid. 
Was talking to a Florist fan this morning and he said there's clips of this game all over their forums saying it's exactly how they were when they were down here. They also felt they'd romp League One and they just couldn't attract players, attendances dwindled (well, it is Florist so what do you expect...) and it was not the 'we're a big club, we'll walk this' experience that I'll admit, I felt it would be!

Well last night was a night for "firsts" for me. It was the first time I have heard the ref being booed back on to the pitch for the second half, and the first time I have walked out on a Derby game in 50 years. The nearest was when I left 5 minutes early back in 1998 when we were 4 - 1 down to Newcastle United. It was also a first in that although the ref was terrible, we were worse, by a looooooooooong way.
I didn't see the Bradley penalty foul, so maybe I'm turning into Arsene Wenger, I don't know. And wasn't aware how bad the Colins foul was as it was at the other end of the pitch. I just assumed it was like all the other yellow cards we got, which were for nothing - Smith's was after winning a clean tackle on the ball, for instance. By contrast Harris should have been carded for a blatant dive in the area just before Collins got booked, he ran across the goal line taunting the South Standers after he'd scored, which I thought was inciting the crowd, and then nearly took Cashin's head off while throwing him to the ground, which should have been another yellow. There was also a "both feet off the ground lunge near the corner flag which didn't even warrant a free-kick. So yes, the ref was bad. Partly my fault - I observed that he had been OK for the first 15 minutes, so sorry for being Mr Gobby!
So actually, match official wise, nothing new. But our performance - good grief! We had a good spell early in the second half for about 7 minutes, but that was it. Typified by Hourihane. Many of us have noticed he saunters around for much of the match in a half-arsed manner, and despite a reputation for skill, is more often than not a hoof-baller. NML is disappointing - the only time Collins was where a number 9 should be with a cross impending, and NML crosses behind him. I suppose it was better than simply whacking it out for  throw on the opposite side of the pitch, I suppose. And the defence! We were led to believe that we had brought players in to make our defence look like it is made of granite, but in reality it is made of shale, which means there is always the chance of a landslide. Oh dear. 
And once again we saw the opposition adapting on the fly. As soon as Thompson came on and settled at right back, they started raining long balls into his area of the pitch, exploiting his lack of height. IT was instantaneous, almost as if the opposition management knew what they were doing.
Our apathetic midfield is down to Warne's insistence on 3 at the back, plus pushing our midfield forwards in an attempt to be on the front foot. But that puts them too far forwards for us to play through the middle, so our defenders have to resort to pinging the ball wide to the wing backs, which is Warne's preferred, and sole tactic. So despite having good players in the middle, they are being by-passed, to our detriment.
Wilson made an impact, and looks like he wants to play football, as did Thommo, he did more in his first 10 minutes the most of the team managed all match. Unlike many on here, I rate him, because he ahs good ball control, he doesn't waste the ball, has energy and commitment, and always looks to move the ball forwards wherever possible. He should start on Saturday, and given Bird's injury, he should be in central midfield, but knowing "the Derby Way", he'll probably be in goal to teach Wildsmith a lesson!
Another first was me going to a midweek match was me not having to worry about getting home late and compromising my sleep before going to work the next day. And then I left early! But do I want to turn up on Saturday and watch us get beached by Fleetwood? Common sense would say "No", but what has common sense got to do with it?

Not much to add to what's been said, in truth I was never inspired by the PW appointment, but I kept reading in various places (here and from professional sources) that he was a good  manager, so I just watched and waited, it wasn't bad, going unbeaten for some 16 game's? Then after Xmas it started changing....
Excuses started :-
' These are Roseniors players'
'He needs to get his type of player in'
'Give him time'
Well he's got his own players, hand picked, and in fairness it's only 3 game's in.
PW says he's been thwarted in the market re new players, but my guess is that looking at the last 3 games I wonder which players are going to be wanting to join us/him ?
Yes we need a striker or two, but people saying Collins is a carthorse should look at his showreel most goals he scored are balls played into feet/channels not from crosses for headers. 
I'm tired of managers that shoehorn players into roles that try to suit their style, players who then get pelters from fans for not playing well in that role, which demoralises them, and they spiral down...
So my worry is that fans are going to get on everyone's back and confidence will drop in the changing room and this season will get even worse until 'something gives'....
I'll just wait fingers crossed that people were right, PW is a good manager,support the club as I always have,  but I'm hoping that Clowes has a good plan B ready.

It wasn’t just pace and youth that made them quicker though. Theirs players wanted the ball more. They beat us to most first balls and nearly every second ball. Our players were on their heels far too often. They were in our faces as soon as we got to their half, not giving us time or space. And then they sprang forward when they got it back. Whereas we lacked any ideas about how to get forward when we got it, short of kick it long. 

It's not only 3 league games, he was here doing the same last season. I'm fed up watching other teams play football around us. Last season he found a formation that worked and then threw it away. How can he not see how awful that game was? Perhaps he doesn't watch football on tv and only has his own career to go on?
When you think of how well some/all of those players in our squad have played in their careers and look at them now. Warne making a team less than the sum of it's parts! Oh and then throwing them under the bus. Plus suggesting Clowes/recruitment has too by saying he needs pace in the squad - well who bought a load of leadlegs then Paul?!

This is why I’ve had enough it’s not the defeats it’s the performances and I can’t see it getting any better 😢

I think he means that he has spent the budget and has been told to shift players out before he can sign anymore. That however does not address my gripe for a while now about our predictably and how easy we are to play against. Any opposing manager will know how we will play ,will know Warne will not make a sub until the 60th minute , will know there is no plan B if they have watched our gang of three having a 10 minute discussion before making a sub. Unfortunately I said after Burton we were outplayed for 45 minutes and nothing has changed tactically. So Paul, either accept this club is too big for you and your mates or quit the jokes and start earning your corn. At the moment you are embarrassing David Clowes 

Just got home. Thought Wigan was depressing. That was so not worth the effort involved but positives:
- South Stand much more perky tonight do you think as no drum or nothing to do with it?
- good size crowd again for midweek in holiday season
- it was nice and warm
- no traffic on the way there so time for fish & chips for tea
- Thommo great sub and Waggy nice goal - both should start Sat. 
cant bear to even mention the rest of it. Unbelievably worrying
 

so just to summarise, Derby County are too scared to press Oxford Utd at home in a division they are favourites to win

The one in the first half where Bradley pulled their player back by the shoulder in the box, how did the ref ignore it. Forgotten the details of the other, perhaps I made it up! 😄

Warne still not proving to me his team can beat anyone half decent on the ball since he's been in charge. Very frustrating. 

Oxford played very well. Passed the ball about created chances. At least one team played some football. I don’t claim to know the answer but I do know we were rubbish tonight.

Not really a good excuse for being unable to play passes into feet though is it?