California Ram.

Such a shame. The Academy really is struggling results wise. Let's hope it's paving the way for another golden generation to come through and, this time, we can make better use of them. Or just a single potential superstar - oh for another Giles Barnes!

Or know how to spell libraries? ?‍♀️

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

Keogh on at 93 minutes to secure Ipswich 3-2 win. Game finishes 4-4

No worries. Unless he’s got away membership he wouldn’t have got a ticket anyway.?

Think Roberts might be more suited to one of the CB roles as has a bit of pace the central CB for Warne is usually very dominant in the air so maybe as this 
                                                                                   Chester           Davies           Roberts

Saturday 17 September:
Krystian Bielik played the full match in midfield for Birmingham, in their 0-0 home draw with Coventry City.
Jack Stretton was an unused sub in Carlisle's 2-1 home victory over AFC Wimbledon. Incidentally, former Ram Callum Guy scored his first ever goal for Carlisle to put them 1-0 up on the stroke of half-time, shooting into the top corner from outside the box.

Not often you see a tactical change yield such resounding and immediate benefits. The switch to a back three and a more active midfield was quite literally transformational asnf I think Liam has answered his critics in the best way possible. I'm 'absolutely delighted' for him and I'm sure all those who have spent the week slating him, will now give credit where it's due. Don't worry,  
Not one but 3 standouts today, Barks is a serious player and seems to be settling in really well. Hourihane is a maverick with a magic left peg, pure class today. But for me, the MOTM goes to an unheralded and unsung hero. Joe Wildsmith, take a bow son. That was a performance of which Mart Poom would have been proud.
COYR

That was a really odd game. The first 20 minutes were shocking on all fronts with the team looking disjointed, disorganised and ready for a roasting. The first goal came from a defensive error due to an apparent lack of communication (not the first time) and it looked like Wildsmith should have saved it? McGoldrick and Sibley did not work as a front pairing with both coming short creating a massive gap in the middle and a lack of a focal point. Several times Knight was the highest presser which made little to no sense either. We were still ponderous at times but when we showed any tempo in our passing and movement they struggled to cope with it. 

We began to create more as the half went on, Roberts down the left pushed on and we began to look more menacing as we got a grip on the game. But the shape issues continued I think leading to crosses to nowhere, needing to take multiple touches on the ball before we found a pass and allowed Wycombe to gather themselves. Despite this we should have been level by half time tbh. Cashin made a fantastic last ditch tackle to save us. If Wycombe had been more daring, they could have found space in the channel and gave us some significant problems but they didn't. 

Second half we started poorly suffering from a stuttering start. They could have scored a second and been out of sight tbh. Rosenior then changed it, at the time I thought he'd lost the plot. No left sided defender on the pitch and McGoldrick came really deep and stuck himself out wide where he was less effective. The result was a total lack of presence in the middle of the pitch in the final third again. But NML despite his lack of ball quality terrorised them, turned the defender inside out and created the space we needed. The change in formation really stretched them out and Collins coming on gave us more of a focal point. Once we'd got the second we could have got 3-4 as they looked unable to cope with us once they weren't dug in showing the potential of our front line up once they're unleashed and have a bit of space. 
For me it's a strange result, not one that necessarily papers over the cracks but the game today highlighted both our current limitations and potential. Liam today said he'd need a few months to see what works and what doesn't best, what partnerships function together. I think he needs to do it more quickly than that but he is the man for the job. He clearly has a strong affinity with the club (his reaction today shows it all) and has put together a team that could challenge for promotion. If we played a team today who was more expansive and brave that could have been a very ugly afternoon. Fortunately, they sat in and tried to defend what they had which they inevitably couldn't. If we can use wing-backs such as Roberts and NML, push hourihane into a more advanced midfield slot combining with mcgoldrick and collins that could be very potent as an attacking system. Bird and Knight could balance the center nicely  with a trio of cb's that aren't the most pacey but have an awareness and strength that is a level above this division. 

Early in the second half I decided the only way we might get back into the game was if I had a change of scenery, so I popped out into the Tower of London Moat (currently planted for the Superbloom), listening to the Radio Derby commentary in the sunshine. Hourihane scored and I laughed as I knew this post would come back to haunt me, but I was delighted and thought I'd take just a tiny amount of vicarious credit. As fans we do everything we can to suck the ball into the opposition net.
Then I cheered when the winner went in and was spotted by a Beefeater mate (sadly a dirty Leeds fan) who came out to see what the fuss was about. But he wasn't averse to toasting the mighty Derby with some of my vodka and tonic (off duty).
I worried with the lineup that we simply didn't have enough attacking players on the pitch at the beginning, so well done to Liam for realizing and changing things up. It sounded as if the second half was much better. It's such an important win, going into a break on a high (late goals, especially winners, breed confidence), tweaking the setup for the better with Knight in midfield, and ditching the goalkicks. We could be on the right track.

I blame the person who posted the league table at half time.

A stupendously good window. Exceeded my expectations by far.
To retain those 4 it looks to me as if we will need to go up this season and to be threatening to do that when the January window opens. Right now it feels as if people are enjoying the novelty of the division, but if we're stuck down here for more than this season it's going to become a very miserable place.

Only need to be at Derby train station for 4pm.
Then when the game finishes, it's a race to Ipswich train station to go to London, to get the tube across to the other side of London, to then change at Luton Airport, quickly change within 4 minutes on to the train up to Derby, and finally get back in Derby for 2:30am

?

Sibley has to be the first name on the team sheet. And even though we often play him out of position, I don't mean in goal. Against the Baggies he had far and away our three best attempts. No one else comes close to bringing his level of goal threat and, as a club, we are starved of goals. It's not as if he doesn't also fully contribute to the team. And the whole team plays better when he's on the pitch as he gives us such better options and attacking intent than the other midfielders. Fairness is so important to me. Rosenior has done plenty of good things but he's been taking the easy option in some of his team selections, not picking the side on merit but instead going by reputation. For instance, if both are fit competing for the same spot, it's much easier to pick Hourihane and leave Sibley on the bench. But enough is enough. Louie has kept his head down, worked hard and consistently been out best player over the season to date. If he's fit and Rosenior doesn't pick him on Saturday, I'm calling for Rosenior to go. The manager has to be brave and do the right thing. That way is the path to promotion. I'm thinking Rosenior will finally acknowledge this and go:
Wildsmith
Knight     Stearman     Cashin     Roberts
Bird     Hourihane
Mendez-Laing     Sibley     Barkhuizen
Collins
Subs: Loach Oduroh Forsyth Rooney Smith McGoldrick Dobbin
McGoldrick will continue to be eased in gently. If Mendez-Laing still has family stuff to sort out, Dobbin will come in (he's close to demanding a start anyway) and either Thompson or Agathise for the bench.
 
 

Just got back.
Massively frustrating game and it was one of those games that I was worried about in League One. When a team comes and parks the bus we don't seem to have a clue how to break them down and with the players we had out there we should have been able to.
The tactic was just side to side, didn't really move the ball with any speed which made it so easy for them to defend and close of the space. Everything Infront of the Shrewsbury back 4.
A few times we had chances to break, but the pass that would have set is away was poor. Hourihane, Collins and Mcgoldrick all guilty of that.
Knight at right back is not working. It took until the last minute for him to overlap and drive into the box. When Dobbin came on he kept making the runs but instead of putting a ball over the top for him to run on to, Knight checked back and passed it to Stearman.
We never once tried to play through the middle. I'm not really sure what we're doing with the midfield really. Our tactic was to get it out wide and that was it, when it didn't work one side, we'd pass back to Stearman/Cashin and then try again on the other side and all Shrewsbury did was run side to side. Too easy for them.
Barkhuizen maybe could have done better with his chance, the keeper did close the angle down well. Stearman should score that header and Sibley had a decent chance. But in the end we were lucky they didn't take that big chance at the end.
We need 3 more as a minimum really. A right back is an absolute must. To not sign one would be absolutely ridiculous on the basis that Knight "can do a job there" It's borderline ridiculous we haven't got one in yet cos we would have known Byrne was going ages ago.
We need something different in midfield, another centre forward and a winger for me. 
Highly doubt we will get all of them, probably only bring in a couple more.
The early signs are positive, we should be sat here with 4 wins out of 4 and when teams like this come to Pride Park we'll run riot. It's a brand new group, which are 2 weeks behind everyone else who will get fitter and better the more they play.
Up The Rams 
 

Don’t worry lads, we’ve got the second half to go here…. What could possibly go wrong

Shame we lost today. Seems a bit unfair considering we scored more goals than them.