Asanovic70

With this squad, we would be no better off with Steve, Lampard or anybody else

Agree. Getting close to the point where it might actually be for the best to enter into administration. I have more expectation that an Administrator might find us a better new owner than Morris, we take the points hit, sell a few more, and then start to rebuild the club ‘Cox’ style over the coming years. Our Club needs a reset.

Yeah, I think this could be an issue further down the road that we don't even see coming. I could see us winning today, getting a point against Hull and maybe losing to boro but beating forest ensuring a good start (8 points from 5 games if my early morning maths is right). But we would have played some of the weakest sides in the division and then having a horror september to follow it up on pretty much. 

We have got to get some points in the bag before more difficult games ahead ?

if we didn't really look like scoring against Huddersfield (one of the favourites for relegation) not sure what makes you think we'll flatten Peterborough? The issue is we don't have that many options going forward and Ferguson is correct, it will make it easier for manager's to plan for us in the long run. Maybe not right now but in 15-20 games if we don't add bodies and/or different tactics to the mix it will come back and hurt us. 

They did get battered by Luton but this will be their first game back at their ground at this level so they'll be really up for it. They might be quite pragmatic, sit deep, contain us and counter against our ageing backline in an attempt to expose the lack of pace. It'll be interesting to see what happens as just like against Huddersfield this is against one of the weaker teams in the division so will give us an early sense of where we could potentially be. 
 

I bet Steve Nicholson can't wait to retire.
He's a very good journo, unfortunately the paper he works for has joined the headlong rush for clickbait just to survive, and any good he can do is swamped by the rubbish his employer pushes out.
He'd have been fantastic at The Athletic.
That's not a slight on Ryan Conway either.

Might be an unpopular opinion, but Steve Nicholson also usually has something interesting to say after the press conferences, IF you can be bothered to wade through the rubbish in the other articles. 
It's about choosing the right ones and I sometimes get it wrong!

What I learned from the weekend, to paraphrase Mark Langdon from the Racing Post. Not sure I'm  any the wiser! I think it was interesting what Mark Warburton said on the post match highlights (Quest). After a strange interregnum (Covid) and empty stadiums, it will take time for sides/players to get used to crowds again. 
I posted that one side with a manager in place for at least a season usually challenges the usual suspects, the relegated PL sides with their squads & parachute payments. I now think Stoke could be that team if they sign Delap, meaning they could have four strikers once Campbell is back. O'Neill comes across as a durable manager, capable of organizing a side & after adding creativity (Vrancic), I'd be surprised if they didn't finish in the top six. They've downsized but were able to replace well. 
I thought Preston were going to disprove my prediction after taking the lead but that was a heavy loss at home to a promoted side. The loss of a GK didn't help but I think Alex Neil had done all he could under the circumstances. He is also regarded by some in the game as a manager whose sides are usually difficult to play against. So I anticipate Preston to make a change and I'd be surprised if they don't figure in the relegation dogfight.

Yes, I know that, but thank you for pointing it out to me. I mentioned in an earlier post in the thread (page 4) that if Neil couldn't take them any further, you'd hardly expect his successor (McAvoy) to do any better. 
Strewth, God give me strength.

Did you catch a glimpse of a cypriot passport in any of their hands?

We shouldn't even be entertaining this. He was great last season, and in a relegation dog fight, he is the exact player you need. Bags of character and commitment to the cause. 

Jim Wheeler has basically written exactly what he paraphrased in his interviews last week.
We wait to see David’s minutes for balance but from what has been said, and the cryptic tweets of a sun journo who seems to have “some” (only some) insight as to the EFL situation and how it’s affecting transfers, the main thing that has come out is Mel isn’t willing to (or at least won’t commit to at this point) backing the club for the remainder of this season. This could be because it would prejudice ongoing negotiations if he came out and said this which is a fair position.
While he’s made mistakes Mel has in recent years had my backing (or I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt at least) on the basis that he stands behind those mistakes until he passes over his custodianship to someone else. However I’m now for the first time questioning whether he will stand behind his mistakes which is concerning.
 
We will see with how quickly the embargo is lifted as to whether that is the case. If as Nixon seems to be indicating the current hurdle is the EFL want proof Mel will see through the season if he can’t sell the club, that seems a reasonable and responsible request from the EFL to me. 
I think some posters have been premature to say he’s ruined the club, but he could still ruin it and I think we will find out soon enough. Let’s hope not!!

Going for us to put in a cup tie style performance despite quite possibly the worst close season in personal memory (excusing 1984 & prior to that, started following us 1985 game by game. Even 1991 offered vague hope upon relegation after we extricated ourselves from Maxwell's ownership. The closest perhaps is 2005 after Burley left to be replaced by Phil Brown, a summer of uncertainty).  
Bet365, the last time I checked, has us at 7/2 to win (4.5-1), 22% chance of winning with the draw the most likely outcome. 
ITMA
Geoff Eltringham is the referee, who also presided over our home win last season against the same opponents. He was also the ref during Cocu's opening day win at Huddersfield (2019). Our record at home when he is officiating: 5W 2D 3L (world soccer net). Goals are at premium when he is the middle, 9/10 finishing under 2.5 goals. He has presided over one goalless draw. One goal may settle things either way & posters who tipped 1-0 may, hopefully, be proven right. I went for 2-1 as we've conceded in 6/7 home games & Clarke has left.
A win may prove a false dawn, however. Last season, Sheff W began with a surprise win at Cardiff & Rotherham won at Wycombe.
A truer indication of things may come against Salford in the EFL Cup & away at Peterborough and when games come in quick succession.
We may buck the odds on Saturday with the players inspired by playing in front of a home crowd and they may be the ones who get us over the line or back into the game. The Sporting Life/InfoGol twitter page (seasonal previews)  stated that Huddersfield were one of the worst performing sides last season in terms of data. 

It seems bizarre to say an opening day game is already a six-pointer, but it is, in the context that both sides are expected to be fighting relegation at this moment of time.

Looking ever more likely our team isn’t going to be the quality needed to be successful in this division through no fault of the players. Could I ask that anyone who intends on getting boozed up and starts groaning at the young lads every time they don’t go forwards/misplace a pass or start sarcastically cheering when we have a shot just stay in the pub?
 
This bunch of lads don’t deserve to be in the situation that they’ve been put in. They’ve been left woefully short for the rigours of a season in the most competitive division in Europe. 
 
Call the club/ Mel/ Pearce all the names under the sun in the pub before hand but in the ground get behind the lads and let’s use the us against everyone mentality to try and be competitive. 
 
Remember that our squad is weaker this season than last and we finished 4th bottom due to Weds’ point deduction last year. It could get pretty grim for us. 

Never had a second team in fifty odd years following Derby so I thought for a bit of relief from the obvious it was about time I  had one, Last week the young lad I work with told me he'd ordered a football shirt from a site that sends you a random shirt ,well after teasing him for days that it was bound to be the dogs or Man U he came in monday a proud owner of ,in his words,a well smart Chiezo Verona away shirt. So seeing as the only place in Italy I've been is Verona we decided to adopt them for a season. Knowing very little apart from the obvious about Italian football i thought I'd better google them,Seems the flying donkeys as their known ,after numerous appeals,have been demoted to serie D for financial irregularities and non payment of tax.You couldn't make it up
 

That’s a relief, for a moment (the past 12 months) I’d had the illusion that we were already having major issues.

Quick update: I have just left the meeting which is still ongoing otherwise I would miss the last train.
A decision was made not to release minutes for this meeting in the end, but I am free to get a write up out to you all as soon as I can. 
I do not have a laptop with me and would prefer to wait until tomorrow once I’m home and can go through all the notes.
I will aim to have it ready to post on the forum tomorrow.
Please do not bombard me with questions across the forum by mentioning me, PM, DM or text if you have my number.
I don’t want to be putting bits and pieces out there all over the place.

Basic league this season with occasional updates in 'mo55y's Prediction League updates, 2021/22 season' thread.
 No cup games, only league game predictions. 
Usual rules and format apply.
 
SATURDAY 07 AUGUST @ PRIDE PARK STADIUM

KICK OFF
15:00

Derby COUNTY
V
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

I think Sheff United & Jokanovic may take time to gel & what looks a good match up may actually end up backfiring.  He's inherited a squad familiar with one manager & his style of play. The likes of Brewster may thrive under the new boss, but the Blades are unsettled (Berge). I think Wilder's reputation took a massive knock after the owner revealed his side of the story. He basically said that he'd back him if they got relegated but asked questions about why some of the signings, like Brewster, were not working out. That seems a fair criticism. Wilder came across as a bit of a Billy Davies, pursuing his own agenda, agitating to leave a lot earlier than he did and clearly something must be amiss if WBA were divided about appointing him.
As for us, I think we are in a desperate situation. We have some talented players, but we also need the types flagged up by Steve Nicholson, 26-29 in age, experienced and in their physical prime to cope with a demanding league (know how). We, too, could receive a points deduction. If you flip things round and another side was in our predicament & experienced the close season we've had, you'd probably have them in the bottom three.
I think several sides in/around us last season have gone quietly about their business and have experienced managers who may not be spectacular but know football & the division. The likes of Coventry will be boosted by the return to the Ricoh, I agree about QPR, Blackpool have a promising manager, many of our rivals in our division play as teams (Luton). At the end of last season, we fell apart and were in freefall. 
I think Preston could struggle, if Alex Neil couldn't turn around things, the new boss may struggle and interim bosses struggle to continue making the same impact after getting the job on a permanent basis. Swansea have had a difficult summer and lost the spine of a team like we did under Frank Lampard: on loan GK Woodman, Guehi, Hourihane & Ayew in attack, whose contract came to an end. It's a good job & yet Eustace turned it down, perhaps because it'll be hard to maintain the momentum they've had for the last two seasons. 
Blackburn may struggle, Mowbray has done a great job but it seemed to fizzle out & there was speculation about his role - and if they lose Armstrong, he could be hard to replace. I also agree about Bristol City though they have enough experience to stay out of danger. They lack goals, but Weimann's return could be key.
You'd expect some of the promoted sides to struggle, Hull are under an embargo as well.
As for the top end of the divison, Fulham look most likely. Usually a side with a manager in situ for at least one season challenges. QPR & Middlesbrough perhaps with Warnock, love him or hate him.
 

Sorry, but look at the state of us. I don't understand how this isn't registering with some people yet.

Some people had reservations about spending the cash at the time. No need for hindsight. I can vividly remember sitting in my parents kitchen when news of the Butterfield/Johnson signing for £7m or whatever ludicrous figure it was broke on Radio Derby and we both said to each other that this isn't going to end well/we've lost the plot. Think at that point there was even some criticism of 'Mad' Mel from my Dad.
Not through any great knowledge of the players we were buying, but just because when Derby splash the cash it never seems to work.

Mel's tenure has to be judged on where he's left us and if we're being honest we're an absolute basket case of a club right now. He's been completely imprudent during his tenure, had no distinctive identity in his leadership of the club and has increasingly resorted to famous appointments papering over the growing cracks. Fundamentally, he's made so many mistakes he's harmed the club for potentially a very long time and our reputation with both the governing body and the outside world is at a pretty much all time low. 

He's not had bad intentions but he can't be considered an owner who has left us in a good place and the silence from him and the board since reality has bitten around the club hasn't exactly helped matters. He was more than happy to accept the applause and adulation early on in his reign so now he's got to be ready to face the music since things have hit peak awful.  

You've said it yourself. We gambled. That's the problem. It was no way to run a football club. It was reckless. And now look at us. But I hope you're right, I hope we can rebuild.

Like 99% of people on here, I don’t know whether he’s “doing his best” or whether he is the main factor in the club not being sold. It’s guesswork.
All I can judge him by is the state that the club (which he owns and is ultimately responsible for) is in. And it is in the absolute doldrums.