Carl Sagan

The six hours this season is only the tip of the iceberg:

It's obvious we need to change how we play.

Freedom of speech, very much including the freedom to disagree, is an important cornerstone of a healthy society.

At the same time, @David is totally right to say Twitter is a private company and make whatever rules it likes, and if you want too use Twitter, you have to stick to its rules.

The problem is that Twitter, in many areas, has become the de facto public square, but some views aren't allowed to be expressed. This is why Elon Musk considered buying it, as a healthy future of humanity will depend on the ability to openly discuss rules. But that's not the answer. The problem is that Twitter is part of a centralized Web (sitting on top of a beautiful decentralized Internet) making everything less efficient and designed around adding shareholder value by consumer engagement, especially more clicks, and these are driven by fostering argument and division.

I think nowadays Twitter founder Jack Dorsey regrets that decision. He started opening up about it in a series of Tweets in 2019.:

12 minutes ago, Jubbs said:

He's bang on. We are creating chances and we aren't putting them away. We have the 2nd highest xG in the league which proves we are creating chances, decent chances as well. Poor finishing is not Roseniors fault. 

I would suggest the opposition this season have looked significantly more dangerous with their 40% of the ball than we have with our 60% of it. Hence we have a minus goal difference. I don't think out setup leads to creating good chances; we only ever seem to have half chances. And by insisting on playing out from the back regardless, we give our opponents a large number of good chances.

Following the abject Lincoln defeat, Ed Dawes say to Liam Rosenior something like: that's no goals in 4 away games - do we have to change the way we play?

Rosenior's reply an emphatic no. Followed by something like: the system's working, we're creating lots of chances, but not taking them.

That's poor from Rosenior. Stubbornness is creeping in, when he needs to be flexible. I hope he reflects and realizes this is the wrong approach.

Just now, Ellafella said:

Looked a just decision to me. 

I've only got audio so don't know. The Radio Derby guys said it was "soft".

Penalty to Lincoln for a supposed foul by Knight.

And they score. 1-0 Lincoln.

1 hour ago, Brailsford Ram said:

Kevin, is it really surprising that most people on here struggle to take you seriously? You question the sanity of others while exposing your own insanity simultaneously. Please try engaging your brain before uttering your crap if that is possible with you. It would be a relief for you and certainly for the rest of us.

Curtis is fit again and I expect he will start.

Hourihane also starts as he's the player in the prematch videos.

Is Rosenior going to balance the energy and know-how better than he did for the Plymouth defeat, and start more youngsters with some senior players on the bench? I'm doubtful, but live in hope.

Only went through it once (it's a long document) but by my reckoning we have the fewest senior players (12) in the entirety of the EFL, which shows what they did and continue to do to us. Just as well we have enough U21s to fill the gaps.

Stretton is still registered with our U21s (as he also is with Carlisle's) suggesting there's the possibility of a recall in January.

7 hours ago, BaaLocks said:

Personally, and excuse me for maybe being a bit plummy, but I don't really see much to laugh or scoff at. The average soldier is a kid, with parents that love them, that has no real beef with the enemy they have been sent to fight, that is carrying out instruction inside the 'theatre of war'. Very few of them would not happily swop the experience for chance to go home, sit on the sofa and watch television - from either side. There is not much humour in that for me.

Indeed, and one of the very worst things about this has been the forced conscription of all Ukrainian men, forbidden to leave the country and forced to fight. I'm surprised how little criticism of that there's been. I'm pretty sure it's similar on the Russian side too, in that the Russians are desperate for more soldiers here, so a lot of kids will be sent in to die.

Apologies to @Sage but I'm going to answer the different question of who we would get, and I would expect a vote in the near future would give us President Boris. You can have good and bad presidents and good and bad monarchs, and I think most would agree we've had a good monarch these past 70 years. Obviously having a monarchy is idiotic in many ways, but because of the way social media and the 24 hour news media has massively amplified and promoted division here and elsewhere, I don't think this is the time to change it as anything other than monarchy would prove very divisive. Like, for instance, Johnson as President. As would Tony Blair. As for the suggestions here, I detest Macca's music and I used to know Susie pretty well, and she's quite political.

34 minutes ago, Gerry Daly said:

OK So what will you say if someone offers him a job next week and he goes? Who else would we get? You have to back your judgement in football and life generally otherwise you end up looking back thinking about what might have been   

If he goes then I don't mind because, as I've said, I don't think he's yet demonstrated he will be a good manager. He talks the talk impressively, but does he walk the walk? I was grateful to Rooney for his leadership last year but I was also pleased he left because he wasn't a good enough manager on the field. For me there are still too many echoes of Rooney ball, for instance the utterly ridiculous goal kick routines. If Rosenior were to go we would have our pick of a lot of decent managers. I hope Rosenior stays, adapts, and does better as the season goes on, but I'm not yet convinced and I don't want DC to find himself in a position of having to fork out too much in compensation if we find ourselves unable to climb out of midtable. Our goal should be to be challenging. I would wait until much nearer Christmas to see if we are.

I don't see the need to rush and think it's too early. He's done some good things and some bad things. I'd like to see more of the good things and have us much higher up the table (as a consequence) before making things permanent. Hopefully he'll get us there.

This now becomes Derby County's 5000th league fixture. At home we've beaten Lincoln all thirteen times we've played them, but away it's W4, D5, L4.

My team would be:

Wildsmith

Oduroh     Stearman     Cashin     Forsyth

Knight     Hourihane

Sibley

Mendez-Laing     McGoldrick

Collins

When Mendez-Laing is on the right-hand side, Fozzy pushes further forward, and when he switches wings onto the left, Oduroh plays further forward.

Subs: Loach Roberts Rooney Bird Barkhuizen Dobbin Osula

If Smith is fit he's on the bench instead of Rooney.

I remember when Diana died everything (including football) was cancelled for ages - which seemed totally ridiculous. It would be absurd not to do likewise for the longest-reigning monarch in the history of England and the United Kingdom. I'm an ambivalent Republican but she was a fantastic Queen if we were going to have one, and as a nation it's important we mark this moment and the transition. It's what Britain does well and the world expects of us. Me and Mrs Sagan went to Buckingham Palace last night and are at the memorial service in St Paul's this evening.

Saturday 3rd September saw:

Krystian Bielik start for Birmingham in midfield and play the first 73 minutes in their 0-1 away win at Preston. Described as a warrior performance: https://the72.co.uk/2022/09/05/birmingham-city-boss-provides-bielik-fitness-update-after-on-loan-derby-county-mans-warriors-performance-on-saturday/

Jack Stretton was an unused sub on the bench for Carlisle in a 3-3 home draw against Rochdale. However, Jack played for Carlisle reserves and got an assist, and has been commended for his attitude by the Carlisle assistant boss: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jack-stretton-derby-county-carlisle-7556432

Harry Evans made his home debut in a 2-1 win for Melton Town against Skegness.

Just looked at WhoScored https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/20/Show/England-Derby

and they say this is our best team selection, based on performances over the season so far, for the most common formation we use:

On 06/09/2022 at 11:49, Foreveram said:

Wondering why there is no tickets on sale for the Man City under 21 game yet when the league game after it has been on sale for a while. Two weeks from today.

It's a good question. I've asked the Ticket Office when they will go on sale.

2 hours ago, Tamworthram said:

Massive generalisation there and you're sounding like the Daily Mail who are obsessed with everyone going back into the office.

I know it's not the same for all types of business but It's largely only the ineffective organisations that are unable to manage the productivity of their staff. Speaking from my own experience, the last project I worked on (ironically Covid Bounce Back Loans) the timescales we had to work to and expectations were exactly the same as if I'd been commuting into the office (over the whole 9 month contract I never once met any of the rest of the team face to face). Same for my daughter who has now been working from home since the first lock down. She has the same productivity targets (in terms of the number of cases) that she has to meet.

I'm pleased if you and your daughter are working effectively, although I worry for the younger generation of workers, alone in their bedrooms, with no one to bond with or ask how something works or how to do things. 

Wokists scoff at the Mail when it is the most read newspaper in the UK so gets more right than it gets wrong. Sadly from personal experience, most people you call post-covid are in their bedrooms completely incapable of sorting any problem out. 

The one good thing about the cost of lockdown crisis we're now experiencing is that everyone will finally be rushing back into the office once they see how much their fuel bills are going up. 

2 hours ago, jameso said:

Very attacking. Maybe leaves Knight to do a bit too much of the honest midfield work though.

I agree with you about energy and consequences. I'd keep Bird in the XI. Have to be gutless and admit I'd be tossing a coin between Sibley and McGoldrick.

Haven't seen any suggestions of Rooney at right-back. Unknown quantity in that position but somehow I feel I'd trust him more (especially in an away game) than Oduroh.

Interesting about Rooney though I'd be happy to try Oduroh in the league. My sense is you lose more than you gain bringing in Bird at the expense of one of the more attacking players. But if you were to do it, I'd still play both McGoldrick and Sibley, benching Barkhuizen who affects the game less, and having Mendez-Liang swapping wings from time to time. But starting on the right as Fozzy gets forward a lot on the left anyway. 

Apparently Phil Bardsley and Danny Simpson are both free agents. Possibilities for the sort of short term deal to mentor Oduroh and allow Knight to move into midfield?

23 hours ago, Zag zig said:

McGoldrick was excellent but I’ve read the post match comments and wondering if I’m the only one that noticed that shot he had in the second half when we were still 2 up?

Can’t remember the full move but he ran and shot, which was either blocked or pushed wide. Collins though was a few feet further on, not offside and unmarked. Said to blokes around me he should’ve passed to Collins; only for one bloke to say he’d have blazed over. Can’t fathom why he thought that, as I’ve not noticed him do it yet. Seems he really has to win a lot over, a 2nd goal and us going 3 up might have done that.

This is just my opinion, as I noticed it at the time and thought we might regret that miss.

McGoldrick often takes the rather selfish option of shooting from a long way out when other players are far better placed. But, given our overall shot-shyness, I try not to mind because at least he shoots. But if I were his teammates, I'd be annoyed. 

11 minutes ago, sage said:

Re Collins going off. It made me wonder whether there is a clause in the loan from Sheff Utd

I wondered that too. Maybe we were really desperate to sign another striker?

Edit: Collins was trying to call/drag the team higher up the pitch and still even chasing down their keeper, and obviously buoyed having scored. Then off he came. Osala was unfortunate to be penalized not long after he came on, but after that he didn't do anything and we lost the leadership up top that Collins had been giving us. All helping lead to such a disjointed performance, so many youngsters on at the end in a game that needed properly managing.

The team should be:

Wildsmith

Stearman       Cashin

Oduroh                  Knight                      Forsyth

Mendez-Laing    Sibley     McGoldrick     Barhuizen

Collins

With Knight bringing energy into the centre. Neither Bird nor Hourihane is playing well enough to have earnt the shirt. There have to be consequences for poor performances and for good performances, and I hope Rosenior will realize that as well as identify the woeful lack of energy we're seeing in the heart of the pitch.

Subs: Loach Roberts Rooney Hourihane Bird Dobbin Osala

I'm assuming Chester, Davies and Smith are all out injured.

Couldn't even listen to the commentary on the day. Was hugely disappointed with the team selection but it's worse having forced myself to watch the full 90 on Rams TV.

It was a poor game, the Rams with no cohesion and no energy in midfield. It meant there was a lot more long ball than normal. I wondered if I was imagining it but WhoScored confirms the proportion was different from how we normally try to play. The only time our midfield has worked all season is when we play Sibley in the middle because he has the energy to link defence and attack and ability to carry the ball forward and play people in. Knight would likely bring even more energy although he's not as dangerous or skillful as a player. Without either/both of those we just ceded control.

It was Collins' best game for us, so seemed a mad pre-planned move to take him off when he was still full of running, to bring a raw 19 year old when we desperately needed to be able to hold the ball and have a focal point. Thompson is really struggling this season and again it seemed mad to bring him on when we needed energy and power and forward-thinking play in midfield. 

We're being told to do stupid things like boot kickoffs back to the keeper so Wildsmith can then kick it out of play from the edge of his goal area. What's that about? Ditto the daft goalkicks. Again our set pieces further up the field lacked imagination or execution. 

Rosenior talks a good talk but his actions don't always back up his words. This was on him, unbalancing the team and reaping the consequences. We're not playing to our potential at the moment because the selection and set up isn't right.