Carl Sagan

11 minutes ago, kevinhectoring said:

Wildsmith is motm most matches. Whoever picked him up needs freedom of the city 

He's a very intelligent footballer so I like that. Great game management in this one. Reading the Liverpool forum they all really hated him, which means he did his job well. Taking his time on everything and his tactical injury. But also, as he said in his post-match interview, applauding the Kop, which they noted.

7 minutes ago, Reggie Greenwood said:

Lad stepped up we don’t know if the others didn’t 

The science of taking penalties decrees you pick your penalty takers in advance and stick to that. You do statistically worse if you you ask people "who fancies it?" and then go with whoever steps up. I hope and expect Warne will know that. And despite Dobbin being such a poor finisher in open play, maybe he's excellent at taking pens in training? 

Radio Derby keep saying "penalties are a lottery" which is such bollox. It's an excellent test of nerve and skill. It doesn't mean we didn't do really well, but having missed 2 out of 2 in the league and 3 out out of 5 tonight, we definitely need to up our penalty technique.

But well done to the Rams for absolutely everything else tonight. Real shame not to claim the scalp. 

Lose 3-2 after Dobbin misses. But a great performance.

Just now, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

How can one team be so bad at taking penalties 

We really are terrible. Fozzy misses, but then Fermino outs it over the bar.

Sibbo scores!

Just now, Yani P said:

Hourihane misses useless

Set piece genius. "Wand" of a left foot!

Two changes, perhaps with an eye on penalties?

Knight and Rooney on.

Bird and Smith off.

5 minutes added time to play.

Just now, alexxxxx said:

Arrgghhh hope wildsmith is alright looks like he's injured his shoulder

On the radio they were saying it was a tactical injury to take some time out of the game and give us a breather.

25 minutes ago, Bald Eagle's Barmy Army said:

0-0 HT at Liverpool and people moaning. Can’t make this 5h17 up. 

I've not noticed a single person moaning.

2 minutes ago, Topram said:

Not NLM fgs he’s our attacking break outlet just like Sunday wrong sub 

NLM has no engine. He can't play a full game and we need him to be able to play some kind of a part at the weekend. It is what it is.

24 minutes ago, Ramarena said:

Hourihane back on corners ?

Depressing, as is playing Sibley at LWB meaning he can't be on corner duty anyway.

Listening to the Radio Derby commentary through RamsTV (great to hear Jamie Ward). They were looking at the replay and say a clear penalty to us if there was VAR, for the foul on Cashin. But no VAR until the semifinals. They criticized the players for not getting in the ref's face about it, and I would agree. You have to do this in the modern game. Once again we are far too nice.

They also have talked a lot about the game totally passing Osula by, saying it's clear he's either overawed or has no idea what role is expected of him in the team tonight. Suggest Dobbin should be on instead of him.

But the commentary team pleased and say we've looked good in parts and have held our own.

Come on you Rams!

3 hours ago, Ellafella said:

En route to L’pool #3:

slipping down nicely. 

Here's Roger Hallam, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion and "the brains" behind Just Stop Oil:

[content warning - he's an absolute nutter so he's talking yesterday about some very grotesque sexual acts, but for those who don't understand how wacko these people are, it seems important to show them]

6 hours ago, Unlucky Alf said:

The picture below has been printed in all the Daily Papers for a new game...spot the Ref, The headwind must have been gale-force 1001, His car insurance is provided by Confused.Com

What an extraordinary photo. I would suggest the ref has to be wrong to give both penalty and sending off when he isn't even in shot. How can he possibly tell what happened? Compounded by asking Forsyth if he had committed a foul!

We could/should play a very similar team to the one that beat West Brom in the previous round:

Wildsmith

Oduroh     Rooney     Forsyth     Roberts

Smith     Thompson

Mendez-Laing     Sibley     Dobbin

Collins

Which just sees Mendez-Laing for Knight and Collins for McGoldrick (presuming still out) in the last game in the competition. It was a good performance then. I don't see why we can't go to Anfield and win this with a similar approach. 

35 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

Stearman partnering Fozzy at centre back.

Confess I remain baffled that we play Fozzy who's really a left back as a makeshift centre back, and Roberts who's really a centre back as a makeshift left back.

I actually think the Steargoat has done pretty well whenever he's been called upon. The sort of pro it's good to have at the club.

Another option will be to bring Rooney in. Maybe as part of a back three?

3 hours ago, sage said:

That was a game for Bielik. Hope we can bring him back in Jan

He'd only have done his cruciate with studs sticking in the boggy pitch. Just as well he wasn't playing!

5 minutes ago, Ellafella said:

Half-marks allowed; please rate all subs. Closes Thursday @ 18:00. Results by Thursday 22:00. Average is 6.00. Therefore, when a sub steps on the pitch he is on 6 - that's the baseline. 

Wildsmith 7 I liked his general calmness, taking his time. Shame he didn't save the pen which went through his legs, but deserved some credit.

Smith 6 Playing out of position, tries hard.

Cashin 5.5 Would have been lower, but had done some things well in the first half, including always being involved in the game and trying to pass the ball calmly. Kept losing his footing thought. But a moment of stupidity over the pen and sending off. And this is what cost us the win.

Forsyth 6 Out of position. In a battle. 

Robert’s 6 Gave the ball away too much. Needs to be stronger on it.

Mendez-Laing 6.5 One of the better ones.

Spearman 6.5 Puts his body on the line and gives everything for the cause. Great blocks. Our best defender on the day.

Sibley 6 Didn't impact the game enough, but when he went off the midfield disappeared so it demonstrated his unseen value and how he makes us tick.

Hourihane 4.5 What was that? 

Bird 6 Good assist but anonymous in the second half when he needs to control the game

Dobbin 6 Should have put his chances away. Without any end product, I'm not sure what he offers the team.

Osula 7.5 Two goals gives him MotM. Both very well taken. Wish he'd be better holding the ball up and relieving pressure, but then he wouldn't have been loaned to League One.

Thompson 5.5 He really looks like a boy against men.

Collins 6 We need more from him on a day like today.

Awful clearance from the corner when all we had to do was get a little distance on it, but I also thought because we were well over added time the ref would still blow. But he decided to add another half minute and in it went.

A replay it is.

A textbook example of how not to manage a game, albeit in horrible conditions. The players need to remember the ball is their friend and they should play with it, rather than continually giving it to the opposition.

Just keep the ball, lads. Make triangles, play it along the ground, work it up the field, make them run around after it.

Having taken Mendez-Laing and now Osula off, we can't keep hoofing it into the channels.

1 minute ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Ref is buying everything Torquay are selling at the minute.

1 minute ago, Crewton said:

Ref's turned into a complete homer. 

1 minute ago, Ted McMinn Football Genius said:

WTAF never a foul

Just now, RIMBAUD said:

Comedy reffing at times

Just now, Black ('n' White) Sheep said:

And that wasn't a free kick either... another ducking useless ref.

Yet again we've got a ref for whom it's too big an occasion and they've lost the plot, now giving every single thing the Torquay players ask for. It's so frustrating not to have proper officiating.

4 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Only just noticed that Hayden Roberts has the biggest chin I have ever seen.

It's no attempt to play the ball by Cashin and a clear shirt pull (which for some reason is meant to be clearer than the push on Dobbin). But Fozzy was there for cover so it should have been a yellow. Again the ref playing to the crowd.

Stearman coming on for Mendez-Laing. 

We lose our best outlet, but I'm surprised NML is even playing as he doesn't have the stamina for all these matches.

Tough rest of the game. Players need to step up and restore the margin quickly.

Slow motion penalty to Torquay for a tug by Cashin. 

Red card for the young Irishman.

It's going to be a hard next 45 minutes or so.

Sibbo having to tread on egg shells, so it's great we got the second so early and Warne felt he could take him off, Hourihane now on. Even if I lose my bet on the lad to score and we also will lose some legs in midfield as a result. 

Half-time

Cashin immense as ever.

Two good chances for Dobbin, but he is such a poor finisher. 

We should have had a second or third when players are finding it quite easy to create a scoring position and so are taking the shot (understandable), but when someone has been nearby in a much better position.

Bird with a great assist for Osula's very well taken goal, seeing the loanee get across the defender to reach the low cross first. But Bird very fortunate not to be booked early for a bad foul, just as Sibley was unfortunate to be booked later for trying to control a high ball on the end of his boot. Commentators trying to make a controversy out of it and are clearly disappointed even Holloway said not a red. So then they try to claim Torquay should have had a penalty and don't even show the push on Dobbin that might have been. But Derby's was a much better shout than anything for Torquay.

We're inviting a lot of pressure on, but have been equal to it so far. We should keep it simple, get the ball wide on the right and work the chances and make sure we take one or two. Then start taking players off to rest them.

We need to control the ball better. In this wind and rain, we need to keep the ball on the floor and use our better control and skill and pace to be a bit more ruthless.