California Ram.

Just on train back to Leeds....a good performance but really should have won that given our dominance.
First half tactics spot on given how emotional they were likely to be. Keep the ball/dominate territory/silence the crowd & we absolutely bossed the first half. Problem was we rarely threatened other than a Morrison thunderbolt down the keeper's throat & a mazy Ebosele run & shot late on the half.
Clearly Baldock coming off was going to ruin the attacking plan but dont really understand the rationale behind putting Sibley up top. He really struggled (to hold the ball or link up with others) & noticed Rooney deep in conversation with him at the end. Cocu tried something similiar this time last year, not sure what they're seeing in him that far forward. Would have moved Lawrence up top & Sibley wide. 
Elsewhere, Festy was lively but needs to stay on his feet more...couple of times he's beating the man but obviously playing for the penalty once in the box. Would also like to see Ravel dictating further forward & creating. Looked like he & Bird were mainly central & Shinnie often left side which made sense but Max is fine covering on the counter.
Overall can't be too unhappy with an away point but we wouldnt have scored if we were playing til Tuesday. I do think we're one mobile, physical striker away from being a top 6 team, frustrating that we have this off field nonsense as the foundations are there. Kudos to Curtis & Jagielka by the way, both were excellent.
Just under 2500 of us there today, pretty noisy considering few chances in the game & home crowd silent until late on. We go again.
COYR

Great first half - killed an emotional day for Preston early - Festy is a rare talent, let’s hope he continues to grow (and signs an extension with us !). Sure pen not given again, some decent long range saves from their keeper too. Keep the faith, clean sheet despite three defensive changes - Knighty like a new signing. 

Joint top. Positives.

Living quite near to Kingsmeadow (where Chelsea play their games and rather unsportingly booted out the local team Kingstonians...) I went along to this.    We were quite unlucky to lose, playing better than we did the other night against Charlton. Everybody turned in a decent 6 or 7 out of 10 performances, with the exception of Liam Thompson, who was the best player on the pitch, at least for the first 75 mins.   He outshone both of those perennial Chelsea stars of the future Lewis Baker and George McEachran.
The sending off changed the game - it was a clear red, so we can't feel cheated.  After that the most we could hope for was to hang on for 0 - 0.  Some random thoughts:
Harrison Foulkes is a tidy keeper, but also unfortunately a tiny one.  He seemed barely visible when their player took the penalty, although Mart Poom standing on the crossbar would have struggled to reach it. We were quite, erm, 'professional' in breaking up Chelsea's potential attacks with carefully timed fouls Jack Stretton certainly likes mixing it with the defenders, often leaving something in there on challenges Ossie Aghitese, who I've always thought looks like he's making up the numbers at u23 level, had a strong second-half performance & so hopefully he's beginning to find his feet Luke Plange looks like a decent asset. Given their resources, I was quite surprised how mundane Chelsea where.  Most of their players seemed a long way of potential Premier league standard.  

At least not that I'm aware of.
Sorry if that headline seems insensitive, but it may look like clickbait if I just post his name when he's ok.
I'm just interested if anybody has info on Arthur - or even, journalistic speculation Colin?
It all went south at the end, but that man is up there with Clough, Mackay and TBE as the greatest Rams managers in my lifetime.
I had some of my happiest Derby memories (and I watched all the home European games) watching that team rebuild in the 3rd division.
Maybe it was the fact that, as now, we had sunk so low and Arthur dragged up back up again because Clough's team was harder to break down, Mackay's more likely to put 4 past you, and Jim's more likely to attack you with pace on the counter, but I just loved that team.
For those of you old enough to remember Kevin Wilsons explosive start to that season, how shocking was it that Coxy promptly sold him?
Stunning and dumb eh?

Dumb like a fox when he used the money to bring in Micklewhite and, was it Gregory? Callaghan maybe? I dunno, come on stat fans, enlighten me who he used that money on!
I was listening to an interview with Robert Lee the other day and he was complaining at how poor Newcastle were at honouring old heroes. Derby are quite good in fairness and maybe AC wants his privacy, but duck me, I'd love to see the man introduced to the PP crowd. I'd even drive up from Cornwall to see it.
I just hope he's well as I know he had major back issues even when he was manager.

That’s *never* been the team for tonight. Social media mix-up. 

I was appalled to read the EFL response to the Ramstrust questions. @San Fran Van Ramsarticulated some of it, but this determination to see Derby under new owners sent down the leagues irrespective of the integrity of the competition they run, is just vindictive.
But what was worse for me was the wanton disregard for the welfare of our academy players who aren't allowed to be in the squad. Their plan can only be to try to destroy the Derby Academy by forcing the good prospects to leave in search of first team football. The fair and equitable solution would have been to establish a cutoff at the end of the transfer window and allow academy players to join the first team in addition to this. 
Again, I find it extraordinary that we have heard nothing from the PFA about this.

Has, his mum got the mascots job now ?  Fair play to her for mucking in. 

The EFL wants us under embargo for 2 years. We already risk losing Jagielka (and Baldock) in January as they take us to 25 players (ie 23 +2) because of the long-term injuries to CKR and Bielik. If we play Cashin we won't be allowed to extend Jagielka's contract.
I wouldn't say that's the least of our worries. It's exactly the sort of thing the manager has to think about and shows how insidious the EFL's position is, actively preventing young players coming through.

One look at that bench underlines the miracles being performed with a tiny first team squad. No strikers, no centre backs. Really feel for Caishin, if it wasn’t for the EFL rules - surely he’d be involved. 

One look at that bench underlines the miracles being performed with a tiny first team squad. No strikers, no centre backs. Really feel for Caishin, if it wasn’t for the EFL rules - surely he’d be involved. 

One look at that bench underlines the miracles being performed with a tiny first team squad. No strikers, no centre backs. Really feel for Caishin, if it wasn’t for the EFL rules - surely he’d be involved. 

One look at that bench underlines the miracles being performed with a tiny first team squad. No strikers, no centre backs. Really feel for Caishin, if it wasn’t for the EFL rules - surely he’d be involved. 

One look at that bench underlines the miracles being performed with a tiny first team squad. No strikers, no centre backs. Really feel for Caishin, if it wasn’t for the EFL rules - surely he’d be involved. 

One look at that bench underlines the miracles being performed with a tiny first team squad. No strikers, no centre backs. Really feel for Caishin, if it wasn’t for the EFL rules - surely he’d be involved. 

One look at that bench underlines the miracles being performed with a tiny first team squad. No strikers, no centre backs. Really feel for Caishin, if it wasn’t for the EFL rules - surely he’d be involved. 

Roos on the bench, Festy on the bench. No Baldock. Jags still out.
We're getting stronger but I wish there was a way of putting Sibley in the team with Stretton as I think they link up well.
Would love it for Jack to get his first Pride Park goals today. Come on you Rams!
 

One look at that bench underlines the miracles being performed with a tiny first team squad. No strikers, no centre backs. Really feel for Caishin, if it wasn’t for the EFL rules - surely he’d be involved. 

Derby vs Bournemouth is now Sunday 21st November at midday (instead of Saturday 20th at 3pm) and live on Sky.
Fulham vs Derby is now Wednesday 24 November (instead of Tuesday) because of the Bournemouth Sunday kickoff.
Derby vs QPR is now Monday 29 November at 7.45 pm (instead of Saturday 27th at 3pm) and live on Sky.
 

Another thoroughly enjoyable day out. After 2 years locked down. I’m admittedly easy to please with live football. Noticeable for me -
Rooney/Rosenoir using the full backs to stretch the pitch and regularly having them further up than Shinnie/Bird. 
 
Bringing on young Dylan rather than Joswiak/Sibley in the end - smart and a sign of how much he’s trusted. 
 
Ravel’s struggled to impose himself on the last two games but has moments of genius that a more confident strike force would love. 
 
Knight’s energy is such a benefit - needs more match time after a ruined pre season but his enthusiasm is contagious and he’s always forcing mistakes and picking up loose balls. 
 
Allsop and the centre backs happy to vary ‘tippy tappy’ with the occasional long ball. Less dogmatic than a few games ago now. 
 

 

Another thoroughly enjoyable day out. After 2 years locked down. I’m admittedly easy to please with live football. Noticeable for me -
Rooney/Rosenoir using the full backs to stretch the pitch and regularly having them further up than Shinnie/Bird. 
 
Bringing on young Dylan rather than Joswiak/Sibley in the end - smart and a sign of how much he’s trusted. 
 
Ravel’s struggled to impose himself on the last two games but has moments of genius that a more confident strike force would love. 
 
Knight’s energy is such a benefit - needs more match time after a ruined pre season but his enthusiasm is contagious and he’s always forcing mistakes and picking up loose balls. 
 
Allsop and the centre backs happy to vary ‘tippy tappy’ with the occasional long ball. Less dogmatic than a few games ago now. 
 

 

Another thoroughly enjoyable day out. After 2 years locked down. I’m admittedly easy to please with live football. Noticeable for me -
Rooney/Rosenoir using the full backs to stretch the pitch and regularly having them further up than Shinnie/Bird. 
 
Bringing on young Dylan rather than Joswiak/Sibley in the end - smart and a sign of how much he’s trusted. 
 
Ravel’s struggled to impose himself on the last two games but has moments of genius that a more confident strike force would love. 
 
Knight’s energy is such a benefit - needs more match time after a ruined pre season but his enthusiasm is contagious and he’s always forcing mistakes and picking up loose balls. 
 
Allsop and the centre backs happy to vary ‘tippy tappy’ with the occasional long ball. Less dogmatic than a few games ago now. 
 

 

Another thoroughly enjoyable day out. After 2 years locked down. I’m admittedly easy to please with live football. Noticeable for me -
Rooney/Rosenoir using the full backs to stretch the pitch and regularly having them further up than Shinnie/Bird. 
 
Bringing on young Dylan rather than Joswiak/Sibley in the end - smart and a sign of how much he’s trusted. 
 
Ravel’s struggled to impose himself on the last two games but has moments of genius that a more confident strike force would love. 
 
Knight’s energy is such a benefit - needs more match time after a ruined pre season but his enthusiasm is contagious and he’s always forcing mistakes and picking up loose balls. 
 
Allsop and the centre backs happy to vary ‘tippy tappy’ with the occasional long ball. Less dogmatic than a few games ago now. 
 

 

Well played Derby - good performance that against a decent opponent.
Nice mix of game management tonight. First 25 mins played some great stuff, pinging the ball around & they struggled to squeeze the space - Forsyth particularly prominent & fitting that he got the goal. Thereafter Reading had a good spell as they did for 15 mins around the hour mark but we dug in, were well organised & defended well. Really pleased for Allsop too - couple of shaky performances in the League Cup but he was excellent tonight. Two fantastic saves (one in each half), some routine saves & good with the ball at his feet also.
Elsewhere, thought Knight right side was a lot better than I thought he'd be - he & Byrne combined well particularly first half & his running into space was a feature of our counter attacks - just disappointed he didn't put Stretton in just before he came off. Shout out for Stearman also who was very solid deputising for Jagielka.
Obviously they had a lot of late pressure but thought we looked reasonably comfortable & wasn't too concerned we'd throw it away. Important psychologically now that we've got back into positive points - if we can follow this up with another victory v Swansea on Saturday (who have just chased Fulham around the park all night) then we can start to think about reeling in Hull. All small steps.
Last word for the fans - magnificent all night & looked like a decent turnout in the end from the tellybox. I had a ticket for tonight but unfortunately tested positive for Covid on Monday so couldn't go - don't think I've ever been as disappointed to miss a match, really wanted to be there to roar on the lads. The team will have fed off that support tonight though & there were plenty of compliments on Sky about the backing we got. 
COYR

Show the fighting spirit of today (and West Brom and Stoke) and we’re going to have plenty of enjoyable/memorable moments. Hope that we’ll find real owners by Jan who can tie our talent down to longer term contracts, and then we build again even if it is from league 1.