WharfedaleRam

Wow. That's nearly 29,000 fewer than last week! Fickle supporters!?

My first game of the season last night as been at weddings the past two weekends. Player observations:
Wildsmith - Like him but still getting used to being sweeper keeper taking a few too many risks
Odouroh - Not ready yet
Cashin - made some daft errors over playing but recovered every time. Building on last season, stand by my prediction he’ll be one of best CBs in the league this season 
Stearman - worst player on the pitch, badly needed minutes looked very rusty so hopefully will stand him in good stead.
Foz - Typical foz, know what you’re going to get solid option
Smith - Got better as game went on. Calm head. Excellent option at this level. 
Tommo - struggled until Barkhuizen and Mendez Laing came on, moved inside alongside Smith (his rightful position) and finished game well, did play important role in first goal
Sibley - Excellent. Has to start Saturday
Dobbin - first half excellent struggled when they moved Bowery to CB. Like him causes problems and works hard.
Knight - Everywhere as normal
Rooney - What a debut, a serious serious talent who could be as good as Bielik. Possibly better. 
 
Subs changed the game, Barky and Mendez-Laing class at this level, everyone is behind Collins willing him to score. He will score he’s doing all the right things.
Overall - we didn’t deserve to win last night but we made 7 changes and used it as a test for the kids and they passed with flying colours and ground out a win helped by the big guns. We could barely put an 11 out 4-5 weeks ago. Massive progress.
All the players signed seem to be the right characters. They have talent but they are all grafters. That’s vital.
Its time to get very very excited about the potential of this squad. Once it clicks we will be on fire and have the potential not only to be promoted this season but be competitive in the championship next season.
I honestly don’t know how you fit everyone in the team in midfield and attack. Good players will be left out. We desperately need a right back. 
 

Boom!!  Fantastic game management since the goal.

Brilliant day for the country, brilliant day for women's football - heroes to be spoken about for years to come. So many good players - Mead, Williamson, White, Russo, Stanway, Kirby, Bronze all rightly getting plaudits but most under-rated has to be Lauren Hemp on the wing, seriously good player.
And I really wouldn't be surprised to see Sarina Wiegman in a high profile men's management job in the not too distant future - very impressive character.

The girls have shown such joy in winning and the celebrations are just a big party. 
Seems so different to the mena championships. It's half an hour after the match finished and the stadium is still well populated, the tunes are belting out and all the girls are thanking the crowd for coming. 
It's really lovely. 

This really does feel like a fresh start. I am so happy and full of enthusiasm.
If you think about it, all our woes were becoming visible prior to Covid. We entered the closed stadium era full of fear and doubt. Who remembers those echoing Rams TV games ? Then in the back of your mind the “this sounds bad, what’s going on?” The embargoes, the playing 16 year olds in cup games, can we loan anyone at all ! , will the wages get paid ? Then a brief respite as the stadium part opened, I shed a tear then when the team came out then but it was hard, so very hard. The us against them of last season a bitter attritional battle against the odds with the EFL sticking spokes in the wheels at every opportunity, yet we stuck together, found reserves of fervour, spirit and grit that will live in my memory. Then at the death, being tortured by a charlatan, a custodian of tawdry self promotion. We’ve done 3 years of penal servitude. Today we walk free. Let’s enjoy it !
Meanwhile we need a right back and we are short a striker. A problem ? Naaaa that’s not a problem that’s football. 

Women's football is what the men's game used to be and what it should be now. The Women's game is not making any multi millionaires. These ladies are in the sport for the love of the game - which is why they give 100%.
I have a daughter who plays football. The girls game at U9s, U10s, U11s, U12s etc is just as good as the boys and sometimes better. My daughter plays in the Nottingham girls and Ladies league for a team that beat Forest girls 9-3!
My Son plays in the YEL. Notts County girls play in that league and regularly hammer the boys.
Women's football is predominantly watched by girls and the families of those girls. I have been to several WSL matches and I have always enjoyed them. My daughter much prefers to watch the Women's game.
We have tickets at Wembley on Sunday for the Euro final and it will be a cracking day out for the family.

Byrne's contract hasn't changed though - the club simply extended by triggering the additional year option. So Byrne is objecting to being held to that contract, claiming the club was not entitled to trigger the extension clause, not the terms of it (because he agreed to those when he signed it). 
If he's still being paid, the club are acting correctly, because they believe the contract is valid, but if he's accepting the payment without fulfilling his obligations, he's in breach of contract and the club has the right to fine him under the terms of his contract. 

Last season the atmosphere and togetherness was phenomenal. Rams in big numbers home and away inspired the team to keep fighting. The Club had its future hanging by a thread & Fans responded & inspired. The result is that high calibre players have signed because they want to play in that atmosphere. But can Rams fans keep that support going now the context has changed? The learning points for us:
1.  Support in big numbers home and away: the cost of living crisis will impact here but Derby is a football city so expect the big numbers to continue. In any case, often the atmosphere was better when PP had 25k than when 30k.
2. Inspiring songs like we fight to the end, Allez Allez, Since I was young…are more likely to insure and raise the Teeam’s energy than Collymore’s a winker and other negative chanting. 
 
There’s a total change of context; we are no longer United in the face of extinction. We will be the big fish, the prime scalp. Teams will play in “Cup Finals” against us and raise their performance 20%. At times Derby will struggle. It’s at these points that we need to stay positive and stay classy and try to raise our new team to higher levels. Generate positive energy which will translate to the Team. Do this and we will move upwards and forwards. 
Can’t wait for next Saturday. ? 

So I would say that so far most of our signings have shown glimpses to excite us.
Not too sure Wildsmith is a top keeper but we said the same about Allsop.
Would prefer Cashin next to Davies like last year.
Collins needs a goal to ignite his season.
We need a keeper, a right back and a speedy striker for squad strength.
BUT
Wow! We have a team!
They will take time to gel and I hope the fans will be patient.
Not only do we look like surviving, we might actually be competitive.
Compare that to a month ago. Remember how that felt?
Please don’t be grumpy about the team. They’ll be okay.
Enjoy the ride. Those numpties at Wrexham are making the wrong movie!

Anyone seen any reports of a case of spontaneous human combustion in the Bristol area yet? ?

Imagine the pride he must’ve had writing the line below his name. What a man.
 

And I still have my boots ready to go.
My 100 yards time would be best timed by a sundial rather than a stopwatch ???

If Wayne Rooney didn't fancy starting another season with no money, no players, no owner, who can blame him? I admire absolutely everything he has done for our club and we'll be a poorer place without his presence.  Hope he acheives great things wherever he goes next.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

Gutted, but I don't really blame him with everything that has gone on. This has come out of no where
I wish him the best, he's handled the whole thing perfectly the last 18 months and gave us something to fight for this past season.

I know nothing about Clowes and have no inside information.
My gut instinct tells me that Clowes, if he rescues the club, is doing so out of love and duty for the club, and not to massage his own ego or reputation. 
I can get on board with him being a reluctant owner, a bit like someone becoming carer for a poorly relative and if it goes through and he owns the club, I hope sincerely that the toxic element of our 'fan' base either stay away or grow up.
I very much doubt the EFL would allow us to anyway, but I also instinctively feel that this is more about saving the club than splashing out on players and chasing a dream.
The club/team COULD find inspiration from any feel good factor from the terraces, so I hope that the fans give it.

You'll be playing at this rate !

Other than a lack of communication this week can someone explain what CK has actually done wrong for so many to turn against him as owner now?
If, like Nixon and now both Sky & the Mirror are reporting, that he has sent the money but it is being held up by AML checks, what more could/can he actually do? It sounds like he tried alternate ways to send the money around the 31st deadline which werent successful so he went back to the original way of sending it last Mon 6th.
Even if he did come out & say something, would the now sceptics have believed it anyway?
Seems to me like other parties are trying to dirty the waters with CK bid and it is working. Ashley is nowhere near being the saviour if like Q statement says his bid was too low to satisfy the EFL. If someone matches or betters CK bid then lets crack on, but so far its been all talk no action from these other interested parties. They all know what the cost is, it cant be any lower, so if you're serious, put up or shut up.

Cheers to @RadioactiveWaste

I see the doom-mongers are still scuttling around. The first bit of confirmed progress we've had in months yet they just can't resist putting in their pessimistic comments - you do have to wonder if everything else in their lives is surrounded in negativity.
Most fans who have endured the last couple of years will probably agree that all is not now cut and dried but let's enjoy the fact that at last there is some light at the end of this dark tunnel and it doesn't automatically mean there's a train coming full pelt towards us.
Today is a good day, we've not had many of them recently so for pity sake enjoy it!

Should there be a colon at the end of that sentence...!?