Fla Ram

It’s surprising how much a change of coaching can change players overnight. Confidence and belief is a huge part of football and at the minute we have neither.
My biggest fear is that we continue this way, lose the actual talented players in our team and then have a team of players who are average League 1 players at best. 

Flying over from Denmark go watch this and the Exeter game on tuesday. 
Hoping for a nice weekend in Shrewsbury. 
Last year we didnt score when I the two games i saw live.. this year can only get better 🙂

Looking at the training footage it doesnt look like TJJ or Waghorn are back training yet.
I think NML coming back late from international duty makes it easy for Warne to stick with Sibley on the right. I know most want him in the 10 but he got both goals vs Notts when playing on the right.
Therefore I think we will line up as follows in a 4231 - 
Wildsmith - Nyambe Nelson Cashin Forsyth - Fornah Smith - Sibley Bird Barkhuizen - Collins
Vickers Bradley Wilson Hourihane Ward NML Washington
Very good line up & a strong bench for all positions there, thats not including Elder, TJJ & Waggy - Warne should have some decent options in the next couple of weeks.
Personally, I think we're going to hit our stride & form after this international break. We have started to play some decent stuff at times, 7 unbeaten anyway plus almost a fully fit squad with plenty of options, not a bad stretch of games until Christmas either - would not be shocked if we remained unbeaten until then. 

You only really need to look at the Cheltenham game. Bird came on at HT and tore them a new one for 20 minutes. PW then "has to" bring the skipper on. He takes Bird's role over and Bird gets moved forward and spent the rest of the match watching the ball sail aimlessly over his head. Why on earth was Bird moved when he was being so incredibly influential on the game?

Unfortunately, I think he will in order to shoehorn Hourihane in and IMO CH is not worth a start on what we've seen this season.

More fool them.
I thought he was a mediocre manager at best whose wages helped to drain the club's finances even further at a time we could ill afford to do so.
Plus I feel he was always instrumental in the removal of cocu and undermined him as the manager in his own desire for management.
And he will always be the man who was in charge when we were relegated to league 1.
A massive mistake by Birmingham that won't them take long to regret I fear.

Sounds more like Garry Cook and Rooney have some dodgy relationship within football. Rooney stayed with us through all sorts of problems, but as soon as the Kirchner takeover (which was set to involve Garry Cook joining as CEO) fell through, he decided to leave and pop off to America despite his wife hating the place. Garry Cook is then appointed at Birmingham and within months Rooney is being brought in to replace a manager performing well. For whatever reason, they both appear desperate to work together.

Anyone who has shown experience of:
1) Playing an attractive form of football, ideally 433
2) Using players to their strengths, not just trying to shoehorn them into a formation.
3) Using young players coming up through the ranks. No point having a Cat 1 Academy otherwise.
I don't maintain any interest in football other than Derby anymore, so I can't tell you who might be that man. Hopefully though there is someone out there who could come in sometime soon and make the difference (if Warne doesn't get a grip over the coming weeks).
 

I did not like that interview at all 
he’s not bothered about playing football in midfield and the likes of Sibley are simply not going to get a proper go in the league which is incredibly frustrating when we know what he can do but Warne didn’t sign him did he and simply wants to play all the highly experienced players and not give the talented ones a go.
frustrating and I still believe most supporters could manage the players we have and achieve the current level of performances 

I understand the decision to rest Bird but I don’t understand replacing him with a striker which changes our shape which was so effective midweek. If Sibley can’t get in to replace Bird in that advanced role of the midfield 3 then maybe he needs to get his agent to find him a club who will consistently play him. 
 
 

I don’t hate Paul Warne, I don’t dislike Paul Warne, I just don’t rate Paul Warne and can’t stand listening to him. This isn’t a new thing for me, it’s how I have felt for about 5 years now.
I am now trying my very hardest to appreciate him, and results like that on Tuesday and away to Peterborough help me with that. If he gets us up this season I will acknowledge and enjoy the achievement, but I have said it a few times before that I think any broadly competent coach ought to be able to get this squad up this season. We have a strong squad in a very weak league.
However, I still don’t think whatever happens that his football is ever going to be particularly pretty or organised and for that reason I do hope if he does get us promoted we still consider replacing him with someone with a record of achievement in the Championship. If he fails for a second season he should be sacked regardless.
Up the Rams!

Rioch, Nish, Todd, Lee, McFarland.
lm trying to search out the Graham Richards tribute to Francis Lee broadcast last night on the Radio Derby phone in.
…………...as he said “it was a privilege” to watch Derby County week in week out, those of a certain age were extremely lucky. 🐏
 
 

Maybe it’s my age butI have tears in my eyes having just caught the news about Franny.
He was one of the game’s great characters and gave his all for the Rams.
I was at the match when he gestured to the Man City fans who had been chanting “City Reject!” at one of their greatest servants after scoring the winning goal for the Rams!
He also did his trademark crawl into the penalty area and was the picture of injured innocence when the ref didn’t award a penno!
RIP Francis and condolences to your family.

Gutted.
Legend... no, no... an actual legend, not one of those tin-pot modern day legends you hear about nowadays.
 
Just watched again, the clip of THAT goal at Maine Road, so I write this with tears in my eyes, and goosebumps up my arms.
Such sad, sad news.
Gutted, I say.
 
RIP Francis Lee.  CBE
xxx

This really has hit me in the Hunters.
RIP, you brilliant bloke.

It's a shame he's remembered more for his penalties and that scrap than he is a great footballer that helped turn us into a championship team.
He was to Mackay that Mackay was to Clough.

My most memorable view from the Popside, ever, period. UTR.

RIP Franny; thanks for the memories.

Sod all that modern nonsense about not celebrating against your former club. 
Thanks, Franny. For a short time we were magnificent and you were a huge part of that.

"Look at his face, just look at his face"
The first proper diver in English football but what a player. Dispite all of the brilliant things he did for the Rams, most of us will remember him best for disproving the myth that Norman Hunter was a hard man.
 

We were lucky to have him for the last 2 years of his wonderful career. I remember when he signed for us, he said that he didn't need the money as he was already rich through his business, he just wanted to play football in that great side in the 70's. 
Never mind looking 'at the smile on his face', he put a great big smile on my face and that of 1000's of other Rams fans, RIP Franny.

So sad to hear that death of the man who brought me to Derby County. 
Rest  well Franny thanks for the memories 

Just got in. Thank you all for an entertaining read on the way home.
Not as entertaining as the game, though.
I might just go to away games only for the rest of the season!