Carl Sagan

Max is really skillful, but doesn't impact the game enough. I've always thought the best he can do is to be like Michael Carrick, who was very good at what he did, and a lovely passer, but didn't reach the very highest level because he couldn't shoot or tackle. And that's Max. Today he had a great shooting opportunity, but is not a natural shooter and scuffed it. He ran the entire length of the field with the ball (not helped by Ward's aimless run), but then didn't know what to do with it. He made one tackle in the entire match. He needs to constantly demand the ball - to be our quarterback - but he doesn't get very involved. Today he only touched the ball 33 times. I think it was an error by Warne to try to turn him into a number 10 pre-season, and to keep pushing him forward, when he is never going to score goals. Would be much better off learning to play the holding role better. If he's reading this, I'm sure he knows it too, and I'd urge him to try to dominate the game in future. Shout for the ball and always make himself available. But if we're lucky enough to get a decent bid (anything into 7 figures), right now I don't feel it's worth hanging on to him. Brutal I know. I can understand the arguments for keeping Cashin, and Max should be playing at the same level, but he doesn't seem to be.

From the squad he picked, this was the right half-time option and the best Warne could have done. However... ...this was the problem. Thommo survived his first game on adrenaline, and I understand Warne keeping him in the squad after his goal, but he had no legs today (and that's his main strength). Should have been a game for Fornah. It's clear Hourihane and Bird don't give us nearly enough as a midfield pair - far too one-paced. Absolutely, the anywhere will do approach showed our heads had gone, after too many games in too short a space of time. Very, very poor. Wildsmith did well until the second goal. Cashin was immense, everywhere. Wilson came into the game well. Elder was a good sub on the left and made great blocks. Sibley made a difference in the middle. Great delivery to win the penalty, and he got our only corner by not being afraid to shoot, together with a fantastic block in our box, but sadly they equalized from the corner. Great performance from Collins - he can use his head after all. If John-Jules can play more minutes, he will still win us promotion - just oozes class and a desire to score. We're not the finished article yet, and this was a game too far, with Warne not changing it when he probably should have. But the manager reacted well and decisively through the game - his players let him down. Oh and where was the crowd? So little singing after the first equalizer, when the players really needed a lift.

Now the other lino flags Mendez-Laing off when well onside. How are they so bad at their jobs?

Absolutely this.

The ball going out of play then, six inches in front of the linesman, and him not noticing, shows just how utterly appalling the officiating is in this division. The ref realized it was a bad mistake, hence blowing for the "foul" on Collins.

Very surprised if he has close to a full game in him at this point, building back fitness. I'd have had Fornah at least on the bench, but probably starting.

Would definitely have changed it up for more energy, including bringing Ward in on the right. I think managers underestimate the importance of doing well against your old team. And I think it's a game when Fornah's energy would be valuable - he must be very disappointed to be out of the squad. Let's hope Warne has got it right and we start better than against Oxford. Come on you Rams!

Nice try, but that's the little (toy) Westie won in the grabbing machines on Brighton's pier! I meant the lovely black bear here, that's full of stars...

Quite a space-themed tree. But can you make out the Great Bear?

Isn't this the same thread as January reinforcements, but with a Leighton James quote? To be able to decide we'd need to know: What's the John-Jules position? Do we accept the Cashin bid? Is anyone (else) leaving?

If it's £4m up front I think we have to take it. That's a massive amount for a League One club, in this post-Covid era. It's also fair to Cashin and shows the other players if they do well, they can go to the Premier League. We've known of Brighton's interest since the summer so we should have a decent list of names ready and waiting. I remember when we sold Christian Dailly for a ridiculous fee to Blackburn, we bought Spencer Prior for peanuts just before the Dailly deal was announced. That would be the strategy here so the price we pay isn't inflated by any Cashin deal.

What do you call a snowman with a six-pack? The Abdominal Snowman

Great if so and indeed something I'd missed. In that case we might still have to take the summer bid of 3 million, depending on how the finances look. I'd rather keep him. Over Christmas I had weird dreams to that effect, time-travelling back to then and deciding what shares I needed to buy to make a fortune if I wasn't able to return to my own time. And what sporting events to bet on!

Absolutely. It was practically a done deal at the end of the last window and I don't see anything has changed. Brighton's interest was apparent for a few weeks and we tried to create an auction by making it public, but there were no takers at that level. Cash has done enough to maintain his reputation and a goal last night doesn't hurt. As a League One club I don't think we can afford not to take a seven-figure fee for a player who will leave for nothing in the summer. At the time we wanted a loan back for the season but Brighton wanted it until January so they could move him into the Championship in January after we'd had time to source a replacement. This time, we might get the loan back. Or if they pay more, we might have to buy someone in. We've had the last few months to plan for this, so should have someone ready.

Really hope we can keep John-Jules through to the end of the season - having nursed him through most of the first half of the campaign, I'd be surprised if Arsenal want him back at this point, given he has not proved his fitness over a number of games. I expect Cashin will go to Brighton for an undisclosed fee that's probably a million plus add-ons. Obviously a massive loss. Everyone in this team should want to play in the Premier League, and for a good PL club, so no blame attached to him leaving. No surprise if we lose Sibley and/or Bird too. Given our recruitment guy came from Oxford, I'd expect us to try to use the funds to bid for Brannigan, but I think he's too long on his contract left to be allowed to move. If we keep the current squad as is, I'd say that's decent. Keep and add a couple of players and that's a statement. But last night we brought Thompson in at the expense of Fornah on the bench, and that shows we have a big squad. Anyone we bring in, should be expected to be a starter or what's the point?

I tried to reply to this over Chrimbo, but you never get a moment's peace. I absolutely wasn't saying "the next two would swing it". Even though this is Derby, the answer is not black and white (and I'm a blue shorts and red numbers man) - it's a gradual process of improvement. At the start of the run I thought "more luck than judgement". When I posted here, I said "as much luck as judgement". When I got home last night and turned to Radio Derby, we were 2-0 down and I thought, "are we bottlers?" but we showed ourselves not to be. Many on here have said that we were doing well because we've been scoring early, meaning the opposition had to come on to us. It will have done the team the world of good to see that we are never beaten and can totally dominate opponents, even top six opponents, in this way. So the win last night is worth almost more than three points in terms of self-belief. A reason this game mattered, marking the halfway point, was that for the first time in a long time we now stand at two points per game, which is the launchpad for an automatic promotion push in this division. Previously when we've threatened to get there, it's been as if we've flown too close to the flame, and have fallen away. Now we're there, effectively in third place in the league, how will we react? Beat Peterborough and we'll reach the dizzy heights of more than two points a game, and this will begin to look serious. I still have doubts because this time last season we were in the middle of a 17-game unbeaten run and everything looked rosy. Then we fell away and effectively imploded. Obviously if we maintain the run I will be won over, and I do think last night will prove a big momentum boost. Let us hope. After the Stevenage defeat I said in another thread we would need to win ten games in a row to make ourselves automatic promotion contenders, and this wouldn't happen. To Warne's immense credit we've won eight out of nine and have put ourselves very close, with half a season now to go. Win the next two or three and I think we'll move into the top two. This division is relentless at the top, but last night did show we can be relentless in attack in one game, and that's a huge improvement on the more chaotic style we've shown before. And what Warne does well is I think he realizes only wins matter - at the top of the table a draw is pretty much as bad as a defeat in terms of the ground you lose. What a run this has been, but we must continue to win, win, win, and then win again.

There are few better nights than winning from 2-0 down, under the lights. Get in! Halfway through the season, taking us on to 2 points a game. Lovely way to end the year. Several mates are Oxford fans, so this will happily shut them up. Is 19 corners a record? Or at least for an away team?

It's good to see. That said, we're still only 4th, despite a very impressive run of results, and my feeling remains (for now) it's as much luck as judgement. If we establish ourselves in the top 2 that feeling needs to be revisited. Last season it was also a 7-horse race (ie a significant gap to 8th place) and we were the ones who bottled it and finished 7th. What a missed opportunity. Are we bottlers? Win the next 2 against rival teams, and we start to have the look of one of the leaders rather than one of the chasing pack. This is a test as it's easier to chase.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know --- USED TO KNOW Where treetops glisten and children listen To hear sleighbells in the snow --- IN THE SNOW Have a good one everybody!

21 games in, and we're effectively 4th behind Portsmouth, Peterborough and Bolton. Ahead of Oxford on goal difference. That's decent but at the very low end of expectations of about where we should be. But because only Portsmouth have got away (probably uncatchable) we're definitely in the mix for second place. The points per game are : Portsmouth 2.29 P'boro 1.95 Bolton 1.95 RAMS 1.90 At this point I'd be surprised if just under 2.1 points per game doesn't prove enough for 2nd place and autos, which would be 96 points, so 56 points from our last 25 games (2.24 ppg for the remainder). That's maybe 17 wins, 5 draws, 3 defeats. I think that's the marker from now on. Are we capable? I think we're not up to the demands the pressure puts on us, and we'll more likely finish 3rd or 4th.

Great to have the first UK spaceport approved for vertical rocket launches. The future is unfolding before our eyes.

Off to see Current Joys tonight, Nick Rattigan's current project.

Extraordinary miss from Collins after a lovely move, Bird to Mendez-Laing for a first-time cross with an open goal. But Collins missed. Now a red card for Orient. Yes!

Some great wing play from Sibley on the left. If only he were in the box too, to finish the chances off.

Thanks both! Yeah I have nephew Sagan in town this weekend and, having made him a mascot at an early age, he's cursed to support us as well. So I couldn't have gone on my own. Instead, we've had to pop on a plane to Greece, from where we can watch the match on the telly! Back in town later for Dear England. Come on you Rams! Sibbo to bag a double...