S8TY

He was great last night with the ball first half, but needs to do a lot more without it in this team, where at the very least everyone puts a shift in. Defensively very timid and half hearted at best. Even Smith was giving him a right talking to when he just stood off from getting involved at one point.

Hi, Pompey supporter with our take on lasts nights game. I think the weather made the game less of a spectacular affair but the players, from both teams, put on a really good display. I thought Derby adapted to the conditions better than Pompey where the conditions negated the effectiveness of our wingers Lane and, especially, Kamara. I suppose you could say the same for Blackett-Taylor & Mendez-Lang, both players I would have liked Pompey to have signed. I think Derby quite possibly had the greater attacking threat on the counter in the first half whereas ours was a little laboured due to not being able to adapt to the conditions. I read with interest of the disagreement with your managers choice of the tactics in the second half. However, without a wonder goal he may well have got it right. Closing players down in those conditions was risky as slipping on the surface could let players in. Portsmouth usually play a closing down game but not so much last night. I think overall a draw was a fair result last night which probably benefits us more than your lot. 
I think the controversial situations were fairly evenly spread out. There was a handball leading up to our equaliser and I think VAR might have ruled out our first goal. Handling the ball by the keeper is a sending off offence normally but I think the ref got it right by allowing for the conditions. I don't think it was a 'nailed on penalty' because I think our player was looking to go down anyway, but on another day it could be given.
I thought it was a proper game of football from two famous old clubs. It was good to see the ground full with a decent away following that made themselves heard, which is normally difficult at Fratton Park. The game, allowing for the conditions, was a good advert for League One where both teams look ready for the Championship. 

Would love TAKING Brannagan off Oxford if we were to go up.
 

Adams Park Stadium
Wednesday, April 10th – Kick-Off: 19.45
Still a full week to go before another match to savour, this time against a club who can sensibly lay claim to having the greatest car park in all of football. So, what is there to say about L1’s perennial not-so-nearly men? Well, they have a fantastic chairman don’t they! Who else would be magnanimous enough to name their ground after our legendary midfield destroyer, Ebou? More to the point, how did he even know Ebou was coming to Derby? Clever chap, I suppose, which is probably why he now owns more ambulances than the NHS. As for Wycombe the town, well some brief research shows that Wycombe is notable only for being surrounded by places that are not dumps. Also, for weighing its mayors to see whether they have been getting rich on the public pound. Oh, The Cornetto Trilogy too, for any Hot Fuzz fans out there.
Moving onto Wycombe FC, well what can I say?
No, really, what can I say?
Oh, alright then! Their Wiki bio states that Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Founded in 1887, they entered the Southern League in 1896. Despite being around forever though, they’ve won the square root of feck all and in 137 years, have only managed to accrue around 7,000 supporters. I’m no maths whizz, but by utilising my trusty abacus, I’ve calculated that at their current rate of growth, they will hit Derby levels of support in only 508.86 years. Something to look forward to, then.
Key Threats
Well they are two-fold and to be taken seriously; firstly, there’s the threat of legal action and secondly, there’s a very real possibility that they’ll attempt to hoof half our team into the stands. Fortunately for us, we’ve already paid them out, so they’re now feasting on the bones of other clubs in financial strife. Also, their stands are tiny and their team is rubbish, so if any Wycombe player does attempt to half-volley Liam Thomson into the North Stand, he’ll probably miss it altogether.
On the pitch, after a seriously deep dive, the only threats I’ve come up with are Luke Leahy who has amassed 8 goals and 6 assists this season from @40 starts, Dale Taylor with 5 and Joseph Low with 4. I was going to visit their forum to try to discern some interesting insider titbits for you lot; team strategy, injuries, pie quality and the like, but I immediately realised I’d rather eat my own vomit, so I didn’t bother. Feel free to have a gander yourselves though.
The Team
I think we’ll likely see the same starting 11, or very close to it. Fortunately, we now have the aforementioned Ebou Adams, so when they kick us, he’ll kick them back. Several times each, probably. That said, I think if we play our own game and don’t get sucked into Wycombe’s peculiar brand of anti-football, we may well win and win well.
And sadly, that’s all folks, as the pub beckons and in truth, I’d not really counted on us getting past both Blackpool and Pompey and have nothing else prepared. A final note though, for away supporters looking for things to do before and after the game, might I recommend a trip to Henley, Marlow or Windsor instead?
COYR
BE MORE B4

Disappointed we didn’t hold onto the win but content to come away with a point. If you’d said to me last Thursday we’d come out of the Easter games with 4 points from the two games, still second and things very much in our control going into the final 4 matches I’d have taken it.
Good performances for me last night were; CBT for his attacking intent and drive, assisting the first goal. Ward for scoring 2 great goals, allegedly from something planned during the week and worked on in training 👏. Adams and Smith who were both effective in the middle of the park and look a good partnership in there. Collins for his CF play, and helping in defence (apart from his tired attempt to tackle Moxon) and setting up the second goal.
Everyone else solid enough in being organised and executing a gameplan, though Wildsmith gave me a few jittery moments.
The big plus for me last night, and some will no doubt counter this, was the mentality. Not that we “dominated” the game, but just that we didn’t blink. I thought the lads were organised and committed, not phased by the occasion or the weather. I said it last night and I still feel the same today, I think if we’d had deeper strength on the bench we’d have seen it out. I felt Collins should have been off earlier after his efforts….BUT another good away performance and result for me, and another decent performance against a “top” side in this division, something we didn’t manage as much last season. 
I’m happy and optimistic for the rest of the season 🐏 

A mention for two players one was brilliant in Korey Smith and one was immense in Ebou Adams just gets nicks on the ball when players think he’s not around and is a warrior please please sign him up 

1Wildsmith   6.
2Wilson     7
35Nelson   7.5
6Cashin     7.5
17Sibley    7
23Ward    8
16Thompson  6.5
12Smith   8
4Hourihane  n/a
32Adams   8.5
27Blackett-Taylor    8
14Washington   7
11Méndez-Laing  6
9Collins  7.5
10Waghorn  n/a

From the stands…
1Wildsmith                     5.5   Got to stop that…
2Wilson                          6.5    
35Nelson                       7.5    
6Cashin                         7       
17Sibley                         7       
23Ward                          8       Excellent goals
16Thompson                 6.5      
12Smith                         6.5
4Hourihane                   6
32Adams                      8   Immense
27Blackett-Taylor        8    Superb
14Washington               6
11Méndez-Laing           6.5     Less impactful in the middle 
9Collins                         7 Played well and physical presence
10Waghorn                   6

A mention for two players one was brilliant in Korey Smith and one was immense in Ebou Adams just gets nicks on the ball when players think he’s not around and is a warrior please please sign him up 

Hi Rams fans,
Have been following your forum for a wee while and thought I'd stick my nose in.
Registering took a while but I got there in the end, so.
To quote Neil Young, 'Tonight's The Night'. I guess tonight's game isn't pivotal, but things might be a little clearer..
Last night's results didn't help either of our clubs, in the end it's in our own hands.
Main reason for joining Rams board is the family split that exists....I am Pompey, my son is Derby., He and I have had
little contact due to past ructions between his mum and I...Last time I saw him he was a part time Celtic fan. (He was
born in Scotland, where I lived and was married for some 20 years. I took him to see a couple of Pompey games but
he wasn't impressed, took him to my school where I was a goalie...unimpressed. It was only when my ex remarried that
the Rams bug seemed to bite. Dunno if picture will show on this thread.
Tonight will be interesting, even if it's a dull game. A draw would suit us fine and I have to say that our final games fill
me with some dread. We had a 'blip' earlier in the season and recovered. This time, any blip will not be recoverable.
I have followed Pompey for over 55 years (youngsters refuse to believe me when I tell them we have an innate ability
to mess up just as we're about to cross finishing line. (I guess this is what attracted me to Hearts when in Edinburgh,
very similar ground, fan base and fatal flaws!) How you can beat us....classified I'm afraid but we have some very obvious 
weaknesses you can exploit. Don't go into game looking for a point, teams that have done well at Fratton have come out
and taken game to us.
Why are we top of the league? Many fans mutter 'They're nothing special..have seen much better' These fans are often right.
Many of our performances have been sub-optimal BUT the one aspect that has run through most games is a newfound
belief that, even if we o 0-2 down, the situation is recoverable. Games last 95 minutes or so these days...we manage to keep
believing the situation is retrievable. It's this that has sent us to the top...plus a pretty stingy defence, a creative midfield
and strikers who, on their day can tear any League One side to shreds. Last game against Wycombe their left back wanted
to go off suffering from 'twisted blood'. (Gag borrowed from Man Utd, George Best joke.) On their day, Kamara and Yengi,
supported by Bishop and Saydee are a real handful.
Lat night's results went pretty much according to form but previous games have shown all the maths and super computers
in the world simply cannot predict what will actually happen.
I hope you guys go up....Derby are a 'proper' club, part of the game's history BUT...so are we. Nobody has a divine right to be
'top of the tree'.....Anyone else remember the hushed tones from tv pundits when the mighty Man Utd were relegated?
It was as if there had been a death in the family.
Treat both success and failure as imposters....keep supporting your club. Good luck to all Rams making the journey down..
I see a few travelled down over the weekend and have already sampled some of our local beers.
All the best Rams...., Nick 
 
 

I would have taken the point before the game but having lead twice we probably should have taken all 3 points - Portsmouth really are not very good and neither are we but obviously we are both a fair bit better than many other sides in the league overall 
Let’s get automatic promotion and have a big rethink on how we are going to play next season and who we can recruit to improve us.

We defended well second half but but it was a lot to ask our defensive players to hold out for 45 
we could’ve asked more questions second half and @Caerphilly Ram is right …Collo looked out in his feet and maybe a Washington a bit earlier might’ve meant the second goal doesn’t happen as Collo was easily turned 
I agree a point before game was a good point but as I said before game pompy are nothing special and second half we sat off too much we should really have  beaten them twice this season imo 

A mention for two players one was brilliant in Korey Smith and one was immense in Ebou Adams just gets nicks on the ball when players think he’s not around and is a warrior please please sign him up 

We defended well second half but but it was a lot to ask our defensive players to hold out for 45 
we could’ve asked more questions second half and @Caerphilly Ram is right …Collo looked out in his feet and maybe a Washington a bit earlier might’ve meant the second goal doesn’t happen as Collo was easily turned 
I agree a point before game was a good point but as I said before game pompy are nothing special and second half we sat off too much we should really have  beaten them twice this season imo 

We defended well second half but but it was a lot to ask our defensive players to hold out for 45 
we could’ve asked more questions second half and @Caerphilly Ram is right …Collo looked out in his feet and maybe a Washington a bit earlier might’ve meant the second goal doesn’t happen as Collo was easily turned 
I agree a point before game was a good point but as I said before game pompy are nothing special and second half we sat off too much we should really have  beaten them twice this season imo 

We defended well second half but but it was a lot to ask our defensive players to hold out for 45 
we could’ve asked more questions second half and @Caerphilly Ram is right …Collo looked out in his feet and maybe a Washington a bit earlier might’ve meant the second goal doesn’t happen as Collo was easily turned 
I agree a point before game was a good point but as I said before game pompy are nothing special and second half we sat off too much we should really have  beaten them twice this season imo 

Dissapointed to draw as I thought there goal was offside and second goal was handball …but everyone played very well  well done DCFC and Warne 

A mention for two players one was brilliant in Korey Smith and one was immense in Ebou Adams just gets nicks on the ball when players think he’s not around and is a warrior please please sign him up 

Dissapointed to draw as I thought there goal was offside and second goal was handball …but everyone played very well  well done DCFC and Warne 

A mention for two players one was brilliant in Korey Smith and one was immense in Ebou Adams just gets nicks on the ball when players think he’s not around and is a warrior please please sign him up 

Adams nicks the ball for our opener and is such an important player for us and mention to CBT who was a threat all game and obviously Ward was great two great strikes 

Adams nicks the ball for our opener and is such an important player for us and mention to CBT who was a threat all game and obviously Ward was great two great strikes 

Dissapointed to draw as I thought there goal was offside and second goal was handball …but everyone played very well  well done DCFC and Warne 

A mention for two players one was brilliant in Korey Smith and one was immense in Ebou Adams just gets nicks on the ball when players think he’s not around and is a warrior please please sign him up 

A mention for two players one was brilliant in Korey Smith and one was immense in Ebou Adams just gets nicks on the ball when players think he’s not around and is a warrior please please sign him up