ramsbottom

I hate to be pessimistic but I have bad feeling about tonight. Everybody is building up the Bolton game as the be all and end all, and seem to have forgotten how Reading schooled us at their place. Of course I hope I'm 110% wrong and we smash 'em, but it'll be typical Derby if we slip up tonight, if only to put more pressure on the lads come Saturday...

I read a few pre-season 2 interviews with the writer, after I'd watched it, and in a couple of them he says Bren wasn't going to be as big a part of season 2 at that point, so he seems he likes the story going off in unexpected directions to what he originally planned. So I have a feeling she'll reappear in season 3. Really great show, did anybody else scream at the telly to stop Frank at the end of the last episode???

I can't see it ever happening. Even if they tried to do it on purpose, there's no way a manager could assemble such a ill-suited and downright crap squad for a Premier League campaign as King Bill-eh did. Look at Luton, even they've been able to chuck a decent chunk of money at it. For an experienced old head who's been around the division they turned to Ross Barkley, we signed Andy Todd...

Bolton have a stinker of a run in. Not a good time for their form to dip. On paper you have to say ours is looks the easiest on paper. I reckon if we come out of the next 3 games with 7 points, it's definitely on.

Our record for lowest ever points tally will never be broken. However I take comfort in the fact that the tree dwellers up the road are technically the worst ever premier league team for finishing dead last 3 times. As for United, they appear to be completely devoid of humour. You'd think they're well past the point of taking the rest of the season seriously, but they have this opinion that they should be doing better than they are. I think that idea expired for us around September of that season...

Exactly this. Warne and the players got pelters in the reverse fixture for not being able to cope with their style. So on Saturday he sets us up to counteract it. Going way back, everyone was up in arms with McClaren for having no plan B and only having one formation, now we have a boss who can set up in many ways, with whatever players he has at his disposal, and is still able to win games, yet still gets abuse from some quarters. The bloke can't win...

I have no idea why people don't rate/like him. If we'd brought back Chris Martin in the summer, and had the exact same output fans would be creaming all over themselves, saying how good he's been. I reckon it's just a case of his face not fitting. I for one love the lad, he's everything you want in a League 1 striker.

What you're suggesting could work but Warne seems reluctant to play an actual midfielder in the No 10 bar Bird earlier in the season, he's much preferred NML or John-Jules (!!??!?!) in behind Collins. Personally I'd like to see us with a proper 3 in the middle, Bird holding then Hourihane with Thompson/Fornah pushing on but I think that in turn will isolate Collins even more. We've looked at our best when he has someone in behind him. Whatever the formation I just want the midfielders to be in midfield, so many times we build up play and both of them are tucked in between the full back & winger and yards from each other, which doesn't help with picking up 2nd balls cause they're nowhere near their positions when the ball breaks into that area. Cheltenham were picking up our clearances from their long balls so easily and if they had more creative players, they'd have done some real damage...

I'm gonna say 4th, and lose in the PO final. It's The Derby Way...

The past few weeks have started to remind me of late stage Clough Jnr, where you were either for him, in the belief that he'll get the squad firing, or you were saying he should go as he should be doing a lot better with the players he had at his disposal. I think the majority of fans have the former outlook, but that's only because we've been winning, and being 4th without ever really being on top form (Oxford away being the exception) can't be sniffed at. For what it's worth I'm willing to give him more time, because you can see in flashes what he's trying to do, (I don't think for a second he's wanting us to swing it in from the side line 30 yards out, more flash it across from the edges of the box) but it does make you wonder why he's been unable establish what he wants after a full pre season, and half of it gone.

This is the thing. At the moment I don't think Warne is too fussed about playing through midfield, they're just there to pick up the scraps and cover for the full backs bombing on. The back four are doing the distribution for them...

Looks good on paper. I wonder if 3 at the back will work better with Nyambe being more mobile than Bradley? Something needs to change, cus we can't have too many more repeats of last night. And when I say a few, I mean none...

One thing I didn't get was when Ward came on, why was NML still on corners?? TBF to the lad, his dead balls are very good, and there keeper was iffy all game. Why were we leaving them to Nat when he barely cleared their man at the front post?

See below Once Nyambe's back we'll hopefully see Wilson pushed forward and NML moved in behind Collins. We know he's not a natural No 10 but a lot of our unbeaten run was with him more central.

I don't think it's even worth investing in another midfielder because they'll still be asked to play in the same way, which is to recycle the ball as quickly as possible and get it to the wide players. There's nothing wrong with that in theory but it's just not working. I don't know if I'm the only one to have noticed but Bird & Hourihane are never really in the middle of the field, they're always operating miles apart from one another. When either of them managed to play a 1-2 it's rarely with each other, and more likely to be either a full back or winger

Turns out you had nothing to worry about. Me on the other hand 😬

Like you I was sceptical about Poutine but then I had some from a van at Bustler market and it was a game changer. But I'm not going as far as @David and whacking fish into the mix. battered sausage maybe... Back to the point of the thread, taking into account we haven't played to our maximum 95% of the season, we've had plenty of injuries, and the fact we supposedly have a s**** manager is pretty outstanding...

I watched him at Macclesfield last season and he was the best player on the pitch, by miles. Surprised someone higher up didn't go in for him...

Similarly with James Berry, he's destined for bigger & better things. The lad can play

Revel Morrison is without a club. Worth a punt til the end of the season...

There's nobody in our squad that would've been able to turn and shoot the way he did against Oxford.

Let's not forget that he isn't a No 10, he's a main striker or wide forward. Until he has a good run of games in those positions we shouldn't be writing off just yet. The one change I was hoping Warne would make the other night was swapping him and NML. The praise he got at Ipswich shows he's capable at this level when fully fit.

Got to say I'm quite fearful of playing them on Saturday. Jordan Love looks the real deal...

I'm not really sure what point you're trying to make considering we have one of the oldest squads in the division. It's also good to see Rams fans fondness for writing off signings after the briefest of glimpses is alive and well 🙄