plymouthram

Curly Watts But look at the top 7 teams, there's a gap opening up, 8th and 9th placed teams have played 2 more games than Barnsley. It's currently looking like a 7 horse race for 3 teams to grab promotion.

Would have been terrible today if Wigan got a draw, they never had a shot on target. Their keeper (Mr Tickle) kept them in the match with 2 good saves, no wonder Everton want him in the January transfer window.

We've got more points at this stage of the season than last season. If we stick to 4 at the back and Warne does'nt switch back to 3 like last season then I would predict, we will concede the least goals in League One at the end of the season (that's providing we hang on to Cashin, even if it's a loan until the end of the season). MR WARNE PLEASE READ, LEAVE THE DEFENCE ALONE, DO NOT TINKER WITH A BACK THREE.

Luck = whether the better team wins, refereeing doesn't come into it. If the ref does'nt give you stonewall penalty decisions and gives the opponents dodgy penalties etc, that's down to luck. BAD LUCK for having a crap referee that's cost you the game.

Dodgy penalty!! he clearly put his hand up when the ball came over. Also in the same match when they equalised, Marlon pack handled the ball in the build up to their 95th minute equaliser.

Stats will state that most goals are scored between the 1st minute and the 90th minute. Some stone wall penalties that certain teams have not received and others have is also down to luck (the refs view does make a difference). Fitness levels do not determine a team losing or winning a game in the dying minutes of a match, it's down to game managerment and seeing out the game. It could also be down to luck (not Look?) that a decision goes against you. The Wycombe penalty was given and more stonewall incidents have gone against Derby in other matches. I am hoping that luck levels out for all teams and the eventual 2 teams clinching automatic promotion have deserved it over the 46 matches. As for the play-off winners, that could be determined on luck, based on several elements. take last season, just look at the highlights of Derby's match against Sheff Weds. The penalty given, not a lot of contact but given. The red card for Curtis Davies given, when he was'nt even the last man (cover by Cashin). If this game had finished a draw would the outcome of the play-off winners have changed?. My conculsion is: luck plays a bigger part of a League one team more so than a Championship or Premiership team and thats down to the standard of referee's at this level. If it all levels out for the 2nd half of the season, I believe Portsmouth's lead will be reduced. Another factor would also boil down to the January window, using Ipswich as an example who pushed on to gain promotion and are now benefiting from that.

These stats are only good guidance if the relavant teams keep up that performance for the rest of the season. At some stage some, if not all will drop off their PPG's. Just look at Portsmouth's March & April's fixtures to consider if they could continue at 2.29 PPG.

Every team needs a slice of luck, so far this season, Portsmouth have had bags of it. They are bottom of the list for conceding pens, top of the list for scoring late goals that alter the result. Lets hope their luck dries up and ours gets better. If Cashin goes in January, lets hope it's a loan back until the end of the season. Bird will be very hard to replace, so lets hope the powers to be at Derby ask for big money for him. Grinding out results seems to be happening in recent games, barring the Wycombe match, lets keep it up, getting results when not playing at your best is a good sign. And lastly Mr Warne, please bin the 3 at the back, we've looked vulnerable in defence and against the better sides we will get punished.

Got to agree with this, last season's January window was awful. Lets hope Warne and the recruitment get it right.

Talking of late comebacks, Portsmouth have done it this season a few times. In their 1st match back in August they drew 1-1 at home to Bristol Rovers with Yengi scoring in the 93rd minute. Bishop scored a 95th minute equaliser at Pride Park. Against Wycombe at home they won 2-1 with Shaughnessy scoring in the 98th minute. Then another home against Carlisle winning 1-0 Shaughnessy scores in the 93rd. Half of their 14 wins have been by the odd goal, lady luck seems to have been on their side so far this season. I don't want forum members reminding me that they were the better team at Pride Park that day, yes they was but Derby were poor back in September. Lets hope their luck and odd goal win dry up and (Derby) "We are coming for you Pompey" does happen.

Bloody Hell !!! Leave the Christmas Sherry alone

I know we are still 8 points behind Pompey, but i was looking at the remaining fixtures tonight. Pompey still have to play Stevenage (H), Oxford (H & A),Blackpool (A), Peterboro (A), Barnsley (H), Derby (H), Shrewsbury (H) Bolton (A) and Lincoln (A). And most of these games are in the last 2 months of the season. Even though, currently they have only lost one game, 4-0 at home to Blackpool, they have won a big amount of their games by the odd goal and maybe are due a bad run of form. Perhaps B4 was right and we will be coming for you Pompey. COYR

Charlie Savage is in his 1st year of a 4 year contract. If Reading are in financial poo they could let him go for peanuts.

Yes, worth another cheeky bid to get on loan

And scores goals, 15 goals out of 23 appearances this season.

Ovie Ejaria just been released by Reading due to injury and fitness levels, so I can't see Warne signing him.

I hope Warne sticks with the 4 at the back because we look defensively sound. This is backed up with our current Goal difference being joint best in League one. He still tinkers in matches though, even against Orient in 72 minute bringing on Sonny Bradley and switching to a back 3. For a short period straight after the subs being on Orient had chances then against them pushing for a goal we breakaway and seal the game. Why not just bring Bradley on and rest Cashin and stick with a back 4 ? I wish Warne would bin the 3 at the back, stick with what the team are managing better defensively. Just adapt Mr Warne and don't tinker like you did last season when we fell away after having a long unbeaten run. Then I might become a Pro-Warne fan, but for now I still have my doubts whether we have a manager that can push us onwards and upwards. COYR

Seen much of him 😊 Only Highlight footage, very fast and hits the ball very hard and fast when shooting. Scored again for Colchester yesterday in their struggling side, think he would have better stats surrounded by better players.

I like the look of Joe Taylor at Colchester (on loan from Luton). Only 21yrs old (had his birthday last month), scored 8 goals in 19 app so far this season with 2 assists. Very quick, not good in the air (only 5ft 7in). Out of contract with Luton in the summer, even though he was born in England has played 3 times for Wales U21s.

Isaac Olaofe at Stockport looks good just turned 24. Like his current stats, 12 goals in 20 games, 44% goal conversion from his shots with 74% of shots on target. You would'nt want his full name printed on a shirt though, it's Isaac Tanitoluwaloba Aduraoluwatimileyin Olaofe.

Rams win 6-0 hat-trick for Waghorn

Cashin, Nelson, Nyambe as the back 3. Sibley and Barkhuizen as wing backs. You must have watched a different game to me, most of the second half Barkhuizen was on the left hand side of the pitch in front of Sibley who played left back (replacing Fozzy who was serving a one match ban). Plus Bark's only played 17 minutes of the 2nd half and was replaced by Wilson. We reverted to 3 at the back when Bradley came on in the 74th minute, we were already 1-0 up at that stage.

What part of my story is fabricated and having my personal views is what the forum is all about. Injuries do play a big part to any teams season and even Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday had a lot of injuries last season and still managed to get promotion. Tiredness came about with the fact we had an older squad than most of the others at the top end of the table, plus playing the 3 at back with wingbacks covering more ground than a traditional left/right back stretches the team out when we lose the ball in their half. I'm right behind Derby and hope that we do get promotion this season, if we stick with Warne and he gets things right, I like many others will be happy. It's my opinion that we would do better playing with a back 4, which we have done in most games this season so far and that's backed up with us conceding the least goals in League one (FACT). Lets hope what Paul Warne stated what he would like to do in the transfer window does happen. Like I have stated before a few times on this forum, I hope that the manager can adapt the team to combat the differing styles of the oppossing teams. After last season, when interviewed, Paul Warne did state he classed his management/season has a failure. I think he's a honest guy and it's my opinion that we should not play 3 at the back with wing backs, it might work against the odd team but generally and already proven, a back four suits our current players that we have available to us.

No changes were made until the 62nd minute against Bristol, so we could'nt revert to a back 3/5. A 3rd centre half (Bradley) came on the pitch in the 74th minute. And Nyambe, who is no wingback played the full match. Agree, there will be situations and good tactical decisions to make that change to a 3/5 set up in certain matches, but overall with our players that are available to the manager, we play as a stronger defensive unit with 4 at the back. This is backed up by most of our games this season playing with 4 at the back and conceding the least goals in League one.

I am one that did'nt want Warne and had my doubts whether he was the right man to get us back in the Championship. My biggest hate of the Warneball football was playing 3 centrbacks with wingbacks. I did state; hoping he could adapt and try different formations. Last season he was forced to play mainly with a back 4 because of the players he had inherited from Liam Rosenior's hastly put together squad. We put a good run together and looked like we could pinch a promotion slot. Then he started tinkering with the team and trying out his favoured 3 at the back, we fell away and the rest is history. A new season and Warne brings in players to fit his preferred 3 at the back and wingbacks. Due to injuries and poor results against inferior teams he switches back to 4 at the back. And besides the odd few games where he got his tactics wrong ( Crewe, Stevenage, Shrewsbury and Cambridge) the team have started to get results and climb the table. The Port Vale game even had the team playing out from the back with Wildsmith feeding to defenders (Aka Liam Rosenior style). Please Mr Warne, drop the idea of 3 centrebacks, please adapt, have some tactical nouce against all these different teams in this awful League One. Don't recruit old players in January, especially wingbacks, go abroad if needs be and bring in some hungry exciting talent. If you fail to get promotion this season, I'm afraid you will gone. Crowds will drop off, good young players will move on and we will be back to how the squad was when Mr Clowes bought the club (Threadbare of players).