Tamworthram

According to the press, Forest may try to defend against their case on the basis that if they’d sold Brennan Johnson earlier (at a reduced amount) they would have been within the rules. Well derrrr. They should have done so then.

Nelson could perhaps have done better but Seddon was running in on goal and, to an extent, Nelson had to wait for him to arrive. Perhaps he could/should have tried to close him down but there would have been risk of committing himself too early. After all, he was the last man. I'd say, could have done a little better but not too much to be critical about.

I’ll give it a go (joining in, not leading you understand? 😀) if everyone else going is up for it. 🐏

Did anyone else notice they played “sailing” last night? Sadly (or thankfully if you’re not a fan 😀) they played it at the end as we were all leaving the stadium when no one was likely to strike up a rendition of “we are Derby”.

Steele usually talks a load of tosh IMO. I’ve started mentally turning off when he talks.

True but I doubt it’s not (and hope it isn’t) “you’ll never play for Derby again”.

Assuming you meant “full” back 😀. Sorry, just me being silly. Yes I did mean left back. I never did know my left from my right 😀

I’m really not keen on these “never wear the Derby shirt again” type comments. I’d be nervous the next time he’s picked at right back but it wouldn’t be the first time a player has had a shaky start to his career at Derby (or any club come to think of it) but then gone on to perform well. He was good going forward but there were some serious flaws in his defensive performance last night that need to be eliminated (or at least reduced significantly -no player is perfect) pretty damn quickly.

W10, D1 and L1 over the last 12 isn’t it? Which is even better. Agree on Vickers and yes, Fozzy is injured.

Like I said, funny how many of us see the game differently and that’s just football. You agree with the original post but I disagreed as have a few others. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I said his best game for a while (he has been off it for a while) not his best game ever or even his best game this season.

Hourihane may have scored the winning goal but, in my opinion, Bird contributed a lot more in terms winning the ball particularly in the first half. Hourihane did OK but it takes more than scoring a goal to win a game. That’s what often annoys me about “man of the match” awards. It often goes to a goal scorer (a la last night - there is no way Barks was the best player last night) as if any other contributions count for nothing.

I thought he did well (for most of the game) and possibly his best game for while in my eyes. Funny how we can see things differently. I guess that's football for you.

I agree to an extent but how do you distinguish between people who are unable to get to games and those that would normally attend but choose not to if it's streamed for free? Free streaming must inevitably lead to smaller crowds.

I don’t think “being local” is particularly significant. Burton aren’t bringing that many and I doubt many people will buy tickets in the home end just because it’s Burton Albion. I reckon much nearer 25,000 than 30,000. Maybe less given it’s going to be damn cold and it’s live on Sky.

You must be unlucky. Clear blue skies and not a hint of snow in Tamworth (just 7 miles north of Sutton Coldfield for anyone who doesn’t know the area).

I was talking to my dad yesterday about reasons why, even though on paper it should be a comfortable win for Derby, I fear a draw. I said I don’t really consider it a local Derby because their isn’t really a great deal of rivalry - probably because of the difference in the size of the clubs and how rarely we’ve played each other.

It’s what Charlton are aspiring to, not what they have isn’t it?

Firstly, sorry to be a pedant but Birmingham is a city not a town. The second largest (or third behind Manchester depending on how you measure it) in England. Secondly, and this is coming from someone living relatively close to Birmingham and having worked in the city centre for many years, why would you keep visiting Brum? 😀 I haven’t dug too deeply into the issue but I imagine it’s either a case of financial mismanagement or under funding of local authorities depending perhaps on your political persuasion. I don’t want to go down the political route either so I won’t speculate on which is the most likely cause - probably a combination of both. It also seems the council have been hit with a massive bill (something like £760m) to settle historic equal pay cases.

I don’t think the EFL would award points without completing the game unless 1) there was absolutely nothing riding on the result and a reasonable amount of the game had been completed or b) the innocent team were so far in front with very little of the game remaining so that the result was beyond all reasonable doubt. The Blackpool game referred to earlier in the thread would fall into the first scenario as it was the last game of the season, Blackpool were already relegated and Huddersfield were safe in mid table. The EFL have the discretion to order the game to be replayed in full or in part. If there was the slightest doubt over the result, they could order that the remainder of the game is played out. I think the best sanction against Reading would be a points deduction and a warning that if it happened again, all remaining fixtures would have to be played behind closed doors (or without home fans).

Neither were Bradford or Wycombe 🙁

I totally agree if they are on benefits for the right reasons but I think it's undeniable that there is a very small minority of folk that abuse/defraud the system. I think most of us are hypocrits to a degree but not to the extent of the likes of Vine.

Nice idea buy isn't our away form better than our home form of late. 😀

Given they’d only played 16 minutes and the score was 0:0 I think it would be wrong (and unlikely) that the three points should simply be given to Port Vale. That wouldn’t seem fair to me on the clubs that may be battling against Port Vale later in the season. The ideal outcome for me would be: Port Vale (and all the supporters who made the trip) are fully reimbursed for their expenses by Reading. Game replayed (possibly behind closed doors). Reading deducted a minimum of another 3 points (regardless of the result of the replayed game). Reading hit with a fine over and above the reimbursement of costs incurred.

Does he actually “campaign” against poor and disabled people? I must have missed all the controversial stuff you are describing. Fair enough if he did but I’d still much rather try to have a sensible conversation with him than Barton. I would also criticise people that deliberately chose to go on benefits rather than getting a job (major caveat here, I wouldn’t label everyone going on benefits in such a way. I am totally confident that the vast majority have little or no choice. Did Vine label all benefit claimants in such a way or did he just suggest that some do it? 🤷🏻‍♂️). Also what’s so controversial about saying “benefit fraud is a thing”? It clearly is as you concede. Regarding the cost of benefit fraud, this was estimated at £6.4b for 2022/23. So, not an insignificant amount. It is less than unclaimed benefits (£19b) but that doesn’t make it right or acceptable.