Carl Sagan

2 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

SOOOOOO

fed 

up

with

playing

a

five.

It doesn't work and we look lost and struggling all over the pitch.

This.

Cashin has struggled but the worst player on the pitch by miles has been Hourihane. I'd move to 4-4-2 and bring a lot more legs and positivity into midfield.

Hourihane off for Knight. Something like.

Wildsmith

Smith     Rooney     Cashin     Forsyth

Thompson

Knight     Bird    Sibley

McGoldrick    Collins

Need to control the midfield, get everyone higher up the pitch and bodies in the box. I'm always surprised when Warne picks experienced and slow Collins and McGoldrick together, with both inexperienced and speedy Osula and Dobbin on the bench. It makes attacking subs in the second half harder.

Currently a blood break as Wildsmith has cut his arm.

Got what we deserved so far. 1-0 Newport.

Without Sibley and/or Knight in midfield we have zero energy in there meaning Newport can dominate the match. I think it's the wrong use of our players. McGoldrick will drop deeper and deeper and play as a midfielder and then Collins will be isolated as cone of Bird, Hourihane or Thompson will make forward runs. 

And the team is:

Edit: Forgot we have 9 subs for this. An interesting bench...

I'd be amazed and deeply disappointed. 

15 hours ago, RoyMac5 said:

"Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Serbia's football association after its team hung a controversial flag depicting Kosovo in their dressing room prior to their World Cup defeat by Brazil.

The flag showed an outline of Kosovo filled with the Serbia flag, with the words 'no surrender'.

Tensions are running high between ethnic Serbs and the Albanian-led government in Kosovo, amid fears violence could flare up again, 23 years after the Kosovo war.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but Serbia - an ally of Russia - does not recognise it as an independent country..."

22 minutes ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

It isn't just a flag, though, is it?

You could argue Serbia wanting to take over Kosovo is not unlike the IRA wanting to take over Northern Ireland - for which Ireland's (sorry, now England's) Declan Rice got into trouble over before https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/mar/21/declan-rice-apologises-ira-social-media-england

5 hours ago, Foreveram said:

Didn’t realise this was here, has to be seen close up.

Whatever you do, don't blink.

7 hours ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

That picture looks like the Welsh have built a wall..... ?

Don't you mean we've built a wall to keep the sheepshaggers out? Oh, hang on a minute...

3 hours ago, Brailsford Ram said:

I like him as a player but his wages simply don't seem to be compatible with the agreed business plan that applies for the next 18 months. He's not been part of us this season. If we get a decent bid for him in January it's time to say goodbye and we all move on. Derby County stood by him during his recovery from two major injuries but I think Paul Warne is right when he says he doesn't want anyone in the club who feels they are a prisoner. He's already cost us a lot of money for only a limited return. Cut our losses as much as we can.

My expectation is that we'll still be playing most of his wages while he's at Birmingham. And if we're paying them anyway, he might as well play for us.

1 hour ago, Brailsford Ram said:

I haven't seen anything from him directly to say he has said he feel like a prisoner. But Paul Warne has said that he has had conversations with him and while quite rightly he didn't reveal the exact detail of the confidential talks, he concluded that he doesn't want anyone in the group who feels they are a prisoner. I trust that Paul Warne came to that conclusion fairly and honestly, based on what they discussed. There seems to have been something said for the manager to make that comment. Like me, make of that what you wish; it's just an opinion based on what I've read. 

I heard that interview but I didn't get any sense from it that Bielik didn't want to be at Derby. My recollection was it was a more general point from your village mate Warne that he only wants people at the club who want to be here. And that he's yet to have that sort of talk with Bielik. The lad has won promotion from League One before, likely has better facilities at Derby and knows most of the team. Obviously it's best for him and us if we can sell him to a team competing higher up somewhere, but if not I think it's quite likely he'll be back in Jan.

6 hours ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Once took a terrible dive (surprise, surprise) to get a penalty against us.

And they'd already won the tie, with this coming right at the end of the game. It was such a blatant Ronaldo dive for a penalty that meant nothing - I've never forgotten it. He should have been banned for 10 games and Derby awarded the match. If they did that sort of thing, it would stop the cheating.

Bielik starting in midfield for Poland today. The better he does, presumably the better for us. Having got his World Cup wish, I'd be happy to have him back at Pride Park for the second half of the season. But wouldn't say no if a £15m bid came in!

6 minutes ago, Bris Vegas said:

Wouldn’t Wales also go through if the US beat Iran? Or if Iran beat the US? With Wales then having a better H2H than England?

If Wales win and Iran and US draw, it would see England, Wales and Iran all on 4 points and US bottom on 3.

In that scenario I guess it would go down on GD which currently has England +4 and both Wales and Iran on -2. A Wales win and Iran draw sees Wales with a better GD.

So if all that is correct, then actually a Wales win guarantees them qualification. Bizarre.

 

The head-to-head record is unlikely to matter in that the order is:

1. Most points
2. Goal difference
3. Goals scored
4. H2H
5. Fair play record
6. Drawing lots

Wales start on -2 and England on +4, but England have scored more, so I think this means:

• If America and Iran draw then Iran have 4 pts and -2, so Wales just have to beat England to qualify. England would still qualify if not losing by more than 5 as that would take our goal difference to -1.
• If Iran beat America then Iran move to 6 pts and out of Wales' reach, so they need to beat England by 4 goals to overtake England because of goals scored.
• It America beat Iran then America move to 5 points, so Wales would again have to beat England by 4 goals.

Such lethargy. Very disappointing. 

But no one ever wins the World Cup by starting fabulously well and blowing all their group opposition away. 

Sadly, Southgate's attitude towards Foden and Alexander Arnold suggests we will remain too negative, and won't win the tournament despite the attacking talent at the manager's disposal. 

But I don't see us losing 4-0 to Wales, and qualifying is clearly the first objective. Almost accomplished. 

I see DCFC are playing the Roundhouse in March. Tempted for the name and their Twitter good humour when it comes to the Rams.

Wayne Hennessey channelling his inner Schumacher

We're in that position where money from a cup run is important. Should be a strong side. 

Wildsmith

Smith     Rooney     Cashin     Forsyth     Roberts

Sibley     Bird     Hourihane

Osula   McGoldrick

Subs: Loach Stearman Thompson Knight Dobbin Collins Barkhuizen

12 hours ago, sage said:

He said he was prepared to take the booking. The FA made the decision. 

What part of personal responsibility don't you understand?

"I would have taken the booking but the FA told me not to."

Moral cowardice. If you believe in it, do it. If you believe in it and people are trying to stop you, hide the armband in your pants and bring it out on the pitch and put it on. It's pathetic to say I would have done it but the consequences from either FIFA or the FA made me not.

9 hours ago, David said:

German middle finger up to FIFA

 

I feel it's just more moral cowardice. If you believe in it, wear the armband and take the booking. And make it a huge issue for FIFA. 

The brave Iranian team has put pampered westerners to shame. I hope the consequences for them and their families are not too profound. 

6 minutes ago, David said:

To be fair, he was born in Germany, German/Nigerian parents, moved to England age 7, spent 9 years here and moved back to Germany.

Only right he plays for Germany. Not a fan of trying to lure young players from other countries based on weird FIFA rules.

Get what you're saying, but in professional sport you tend to do everything you possibly can to create and advantage and to win. But, that said, picking England ahead of Germany (or Canada) didn't work out very well for Owen Hargreaves.

Feel it's a bit of an indictment of the English that Jamal Musiala, who came through the Chelsea academy and the England youth ranks up to U21 level, and says England is his home, is starting for Germany today. Apparently Southgate took it for granted he'd continue to play for us when Joachim Low went all out to land him for the German national team.

4 hours ago, Tombo said:

Bielik got 45 for Poland today also

Though a current(ish) Ram rather than ex. Hope he comes back after the tournament.

1 minute ago, Blondest Goat said:

Lol.  Never one to miss an opportunity to push your agenda.

Perhaps I'm never one to miss the opportunity to highlight idiotic tactics.

Australia trying to do a Derby under Rooney or Rosenior, the short goalkick to the keeper and playing out against the high press. And found wanting in exactly the same way, as we've seen over and over. 2-1 to the French.

2 hours ago, sage said:

Once England decided to go, it was a fair accompli for everything else to follow. 

Ideally this would have been done as a UEFA block boycott 

I would have supported them not going on principle but now they are there I want them to win. 

I do hope they find a way to protest. 

I understand and feel I'm a hypocrite for watching and wanting them to win. But we are talking about two 9/11s, except no one really is talking about it.

I don't really care about the rainbow armband as I see it as a sideshow and distraction from the deaths, but it's yet more moral cowardice not to wear it today if that's what you believe. The Iranian players didn't sing their anthem and their captain spoke out in support of the protest. Now his family might be imprisoned or dead. But Harry Kane didn't want to be booked. 

I want to see some moral courage from our players. Black armbands and a group silence before each game would be a start.