chadlad

Although I enjoyed the game, Boro really are a horrible team made in the image of their Manager. So much feigning injury, leaving a foot (or elbow) in and gamesmanship (cheating). I really hope that we never, ever have Colin as our Manager.
I felt we mostly stood up well to their strong arm tactics, however the weakest referee that I can remember at PP didn’t help us at all. We did well in the first half and on the balance of play perhaps deserved to be ahead. However in the 2nd half Boro pressed us hard so a draw was probably a fair result.
For me Jagielka stood out a country mile, always talking to and organising those around him. We lack a strong but skilful 15/20 goal a season striker, dare I say it, of the Chris Martin type. It’s funny I was never a great fan of his but I reckon he would have made a big difference to us in the final third yesterday.
 
 

Roos 7 - although his Cruyff turn gave me a heart attack, he was pretty solid. Dealt with high balls fine & their few forays well
Byrne 7 - much better defensively than at the weekend & got forward a lot more. Still looks slightly muted compared to last season though
Buchanan 7 - just about managed to contain their right side although needed help from his winger. His driving run led to the goal
Davies 8 - excellent all game. Just knows where the danger is before it even happens & deals with it
Jagielka 8.5 - an excellent full debut. So much class on the ball & wins everything. Great signing
Bird 9 MOM - absolutely superb game. Bossed that midfield - passed through the lines & over the top to great effect, conducted everything & was fantastic defensively both with his interceptions & even a couple of meaty tackles
Shinnie 6 - had a weak first 30 mins where he nearly let their lad in down our left (but they over-ran it) & another poor pass a bit later getting us into trouble. Improved thereafter but his ponderous nature at odds with the fluidity around him. Obviously made a couple of crunching tackles late on which seems to have swayed some opinions on his display
Morrison 8 - such class on the ball, drifts around the pitch looking for space & so inventive. Too good for this division when he's on it
Sibley 7 - started well & liked his interplay with the other front players but faded as the match went on. Also felt he could have offered a little more defensive cover at times
Jozwiak 8 - well done Kamil - much much better that. A persistent pain for Hull especially first half, so unlucky to hit the post & panicked their back line with his direct running. Worked much harder defensively too
Baldock 8 - exactly the type of front man this system needs (and I say that as a massive Kazim fan). Worked hard, moved around constantly creating space & scored the all important winner
Forsyth, Stretton & Stearman - 6 - all did steady jobs coming off the bench to secure the win

Roos  6.  Not at fault for either goal  steady otherwise, kicking is questionable but we insist on playing it backwards to him and putting him under pressure  
Byrne   3. Steady game until the last minute calamity Sunday pub league attempted clearance. Loses 3 points for costing us a point against a team who will be down there with us at the end.
Forsyth  5. Average game from Fozzy. 
Stearman  5. Settling into a partnership with Davies, working around the lack of pace. Too much tippy tippy passing around the edge of our box. Only following orders though.
Davies   5. As above. Should be wearing the captains armband. 
Bird   4. Offers very little imho. Breaks up the odd attack but most of his games, including today, are instantly forgettable.
Shinnie  4. As above again except runs around a little bit more. Always seems one tackle away from a booking. Him and Bird are the worst midfield duo I have seen since my first match in ‘86. 
Morrison    6. Flashes of what he is capable of. Looked for and wanted the ball. Hopefully will continue to improve and we see the real player in a few weeks. 
Ebosele    4. Tough for him today. Our master plan of pinging it long for him to chase was sussed out quickly and left him chasing shadows. 
Lawrence    2. Captain Unfantastic. Ineffective throughout. Poor leader and awful choice for captain. Spent too long rolling about the floor and complaining. The one thing he does not inspire is confidence at any level.
Kazim      5. Not his day. Nothing stuck and looked off the pace. Injury set back will cost us dear I fear. 
Stretton   6. Thrown up top alone against 3 CB’s. Made some intelligent runs and cracking instinctive finish for his goal. Needs to work on his first touch but encouraging signs.
Sibley    7. Was the driving force after his introduction. Looked dangerous whenever he ran at players. His foul lead to their first, needs to work hard on that side of his game. Must start Wednesday. 
 
Joz.   1. Entered at 0-1 in 87th minute. Sleeping as his man gently strolled past him to set up the equaliser. Awful cameo from him. Clearly does not want to be a Derby player. If we can recoup our outlay he can go ASAP. Not a championship player but could rip up other less physical leagues. 
 
Rooney and the clowns. 2. Same formation, set up and tactics that have yielded us 8 points from 51 and 1 win in 18. Nothing changes if nothing changes. Whilst I understand we can not afford to sack him but can we not place him and his circus on gardening leave and use Mac and Wassall? I would rather pay Rooney to stay away than continue dragging us down…..
The Derby County Championship farewell tour 21’-22’ is well under way. 

Don't post a lot but plenty of positives tonight for me.
Seen a few criticisms of Stretton, whereas I was really impressed (weird how we all see the game differently). I thought his movement was superb, also Michael Owen-esque off the shoulder and actually allowed Watson to play them superb passes.
Unpopular opinion but I am not CKR's biggest fan (although I admit he serves a purpose for us the way things stand) and I think Stretton is a genuine serious option for us as he allows us to play a different, more expansive way. For example, Watson wouldn't be making them passes with CKR up front as there would be no-one making the runs. That being said, I thought Stretton looked understandably rusty in terms of his touch and reactions but that will come with games and not something I am concerned about.
Thought Watson and Sibley were standout tonight. Watson got a lot of the plaudits but thought Sibley was excellent again tonight and in my opinion is the most dangerous player in our squad and simply has to play. Watson is a delightfully cultured footballer. Both very good in their own rights.
Festy is a bit of an anomaly and it showed tonight. Frightening pace and direct dribbling ability but his technical ability and decision making is awful. Will still be a very good option to have and will scare teams to death because of the former.
Yes it is Salford and I am not getting carried away with a penalty win over a League Two side but that is the most I have enjoyed watching Derby play for a long time. We actually showed creativity and intent so hats off to the young lads for that and the character they showed.

You lot are something else. ??
Appreciate all the messages, especially the one that said I’m young. Whilst I hear all the you have nothing to apologise for messages, I feel I did and couldn’t just swan back in here like nothing had happened.
Now I have addressed it and the football is back, hopefully we can all draw a line under this episode and move on.
This is a time when we all need to be together right now.

TLDR; Enough to be positive about, but the same old problems remain.
I wasn't expecting much from this game. I was just glad to be back, in my second home, with my Dad.
Given the circumstances, the performance yesterday was one deserving of praise. The defence looked largely untroubled. Impressed by Stearman, who I wasn't confident about. It showed a little that he and Curtis Davies hadn't played together, or even trained that much together, and didn't even know if they'd be playing until the day before, but otherwise they showed promise. Thought the full backs kept getting caught out, especially Foz as he was pushing so far up the pitch.
Shinnie was excellent, he was everywhere. Bird did okay, but needed to get on the ball more - need more of those razor sharp passes that set Watson and Sibley away. Thought the former was unlucky not to get a penalty. Lawrence was busy, work rate excellent, shame he wasn't that productive, but again unlucky not to get a penalty.
Definitely need another striker. A typical Colin performance, but sometimes you need something a little different. Jozwiak, I dunno. Feel like he just needs the confidence. One to go in off his backside or something. Went on a great run, but just kept... well... running, where there needed to be a shot or a final pass.
Such a Derby goal to concede though. But again, when the 2 CBs have barely been playing together, or weren't even sure if they were going to be playing... how do you work on set pieces?
A point was a fair result to me.
But none of that matters to me now. For sadly, my Dad passed away suddenly Sunday morning. A lifelong Ram who saw Derby win championships, beat European giants, drop to the third tier, nearly go out of business under Maxwell, and rise back again to the Premier League. I'm just so glad that, even with Derby in the situation they find themselves in, he managed to see one last game with me, one last goal. What happened on the pitch wasn't especially memorable, but the day definitely will be.
Up the Rams. Be kind. x

Roos 7 - couple of good stops & good with ball at feet. Did OK against their very good delivery from wide
Byrne 5 - struggled against their left winger/wing back & barely ventured up the park
Forsyth 8 - thought he was very good today. Constant out ball for Roos, looked a lot more assured in possession & put some decent delivery in too
Davies 8 - very composed all game & got the goal. Leader
Stearman 7 - very steady, good in the air & rarely looked flustered. Good debut
Bird 5 - dont think the tactic of Lawrence picking the ball up deep & him moving out left does much for his usual game. I want Max on the ball & directing traffic
Shinnie 5 - sloppy technique at times & some weak set pieces. Tenacious as usual when in right position
Watson 6 - some good touches & ran onto a through ball for first half penalty shout. Anonymous at other times, want to see him demanding the ball, one touch & then moving into space to drag defenders around
Lawrence 6 - lot of effort but getting the ball too deep to hurt the opposition. Needs to be final 3rd around Kazim
Jozwiak 4 - poor today I'm afraid. Noticed men running past him a couple ot times & his general quality on the ball not good enough. Missed a very obvious pass to slip Sibley through on goal second half
Kazim 5 - struggled with lack of support & generally seemed muted. Lost his man for their goal
Sibley 7 - as ever, direct & looked to run beyond Kazim. Couple of decent efforts second half & our best chance of a goal
Ebosele 6 - couple of flashes but couldnt get him into space to drive at them. Agree with Rooney he's wasted at RB

It felt so good to be back at PP and I felt that we did okay considering the turmoil within the club atm.
Forsyth had a really good game as did Curtis Davies, however Joz was disappointing. Our starting 11 lack any pace both front and back and Huddersfield were happy to press high up the pitch. This changed with the introduction of Sibley and Esobele, suddenly the our opponents were worried about runners in behind and we looked much more threatening.
Looking at the highlights for their goal it looks like 3 players are offside when the free kick is actually taken. Kazim loses his man who scores with a header from inside the 6 yard box, I felt at the time that Roos could have come for the cross. He did however make a great reaction save late in the game. Sibley had a great chance near the end but a draw was probably a fair result.
Hopefully we will improve as the season progresses.

It felt so good to be back at PP and I felt that we did okay considering the turmoil within the club atm.
Forsyth had a really good game as did Curtis Davies, however Joz was disappointing. Our starting 11 lack any pace both front and back and Huddersfield were happy to press high up the pitch. This changed with the introduction of Sibley and Esobele, suddenly the our opponents were worried about runners in behind and we looked much more threatening.
Looking at the highlights for their goal it looks like 3 players are offside when the free kick is actually taken. Kazim loses his man who scores with a header from inside the 6 yard box, I felt at the time that Roos could have come for the cross. He did however make a great reaction save late in the game. Sibley had a great chance near the end but a draw was probably a fair result.
Hopefully we will improve as the season progresses.

It felt so good to be back at PP and I felt that we did okay considering the turmoil within the club atm.
Forsyth had a really good game as did Curtis Davies, however Joz was disappointing. Our starting 11 lack any pace both front and back and Huddersfield were happy to press high up the pitch. This changed with the introduction of Sibley and Esobele, suddenly the our opponents were worried about runners in behind and we looked much more threatening.
Looking at the highlights for their goal it looks like 3 players are offside when the free kick is actually taken. Kazim loses his man who scores with a header from inside the 6 yard box, I felt at the time that Roos could have come for the cross. He did however make a great reaction save late in the game. Sibley had a great chance near the end but a draw was probably a fair result.
Hopefully we will improve as the season progresses.

We're in for a long season, but we knew that already.
Betis played in second gear, little more than a training match for them. We were in fourth, going up hill.
The highlights of the game were Darren Moore being there, greeted with a tired "did you bring your boots Daz?" by the comedian in the stands. Also the pitch looked better than anything that was on it.
I don't know whether the mid afternoon home made brownies wore off at half time, but I had a major realisation whilst watching the subs warm up, that it was nearly 10 years since watching Will Hughes do the same at Peterborough. The difference could not have been more stark. Back then we were assembling something, building towards a future.  Sure it was slow progress until Mac came in and I don't think I appreciated this at the time, but at least there were some bright sparks. Right now it's a struggle to see any on the horizon. A 53 year old Phil Jagielka and assorted journeymen dross on trial is hard to get excited by. We're back to 2008. Only with even less money.
The crowd were rather enthusiastic for a pre-season friendly, perhaps naive, or just more generous of heart, half ambled jogs down the touch line by substitutes were greeted with warm applause, the 40 odd Betis fans waved scarves. It was only when I spotted them that it occurred to me that we'd been robbed of a more aesthetically pleasing game by Betis' decision to abandon their classy green and white stripes in favour of a dull blue away kit. I hope they get relegated this season as punishment. 
If there's one thing that's good about Pride Park though, it's the view from the concourse of the Toyota Upper on a summer evening. Even the £5 Pedi tasted alright as the sun faded over the Gas Works and car showrooms at half time. Beautiful in a way.
I don't think I'll be at many games this year, a few London away games around friends birthdays and the odd early cup match perhaps. Given where we are as a club, I don't think I'll miss many special moments.
Up the Rams.
 
 

A beautiful and thought-provoking piece @JoetheRam(love the avatar) which on reflection reminded me of that great Orwell quote, " If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.” 

Regardless if we win every game this season I want Rooney to leave. 

The wrong doing was putting yourself in that situation…

The wrong doing was putting yourself in that situation…

The wrong doing was putting yourself in that situation…

you said that the team last season wasn't good enough to even stay up and we're now a lot worse off than that ?

A few weeks of pre season for a new manager isn’t ideal, but it’s much better than having to bring someone in to fix a sunk ship come January after Wayne has finally walked.
Byrne, Jozwiak, Sibley, Bielik & Knight (when fit) are players that can be immense under a manager that actually knows what they’re doing.
Hopefully we can let him go by mutual consent, give him a small payoff and let McClaren sort this out.

The wrong doing was putting yourself in that situation…

The wrong doing was putting yourself in that situation…

The wrong doing was putting yourself in that situation…

That blow on the head you took around the time Wazza was appointed must have been worse than I thought Macca……

The wrong doing was putting yourself in that situation…

If he resigns I wouldn’t have thought it would cost anything.
He just needs to go, the guy is an embarrassment.

Maybe ask him to resign. Failing that suspend him, then ask him again, nicely of course ?