Anon

What Rooney achieved under difficult circumstances in the relegation season is admirable. I do dispute the narrative that he had nothing to work with. Plenty of our players that season walk into other lower half Championship teams. It was really only in the striker department where the squad was comfortably below the level required.
Anyone want to talk about his first season in charge at Derby? I'd argue it's a much more accurate representation of his ability than the extreme circumstances of the 2nd, which he is unlikely to ever face again. He nearly relegated a team that was easily mid table in terms of ability. I appreciate he inherited a poor start from Cocu, but Rooney had 35 games. His points per game extrapolated over the season would've been good enough for a 20th place finish. He played awful football and took us on one of the worst runs of results in our history. If it weren't for Marlon Pack's equaliser against Rotherham, we'd have gone down.
So many people still have stars in their eyes when it comes to Rooney. So many people queuing up to make excuses for his objectively poor managerial record. He is afforded more leeway than most managers because of his celebrity status and his incredible achievements as a player. I don't care about that. I'm a Derby fan, not a Man United fan. I only care about what Rooney did as manager of this club, and the truth is that he was pretty bad.

You’re not using yours for its intended purpose 

You tell 'em!!! 🤣

Here’s some concept designs I’ve put together. All influenced by the We Are Derby colours that were introduced by the club last year. Have at them ✌️🐏

I think you great break Rooney’s spell with us into several parts.
As a player, there are 2 distinct differences between pre and post the COVID break.  At the start, superb.  He ran the show in lots of games and was in good shape.  After the restart, he was totally out of shape and was hinderance to the team.  In Ryan Conways book I think it’s Max Lowe who said they’d all been given individual trading plans to keep in shape.  When they returned, Rooney had obviously put on a bit of timber and after running 1 lap of the pitch on the first training session he gave up and went back in the changing room.  He looked off the pace in matches and could barely run.
Then as a manager there are also 2 parts.  When he took over he was shocking.  No tactics, no plan.  You’d think for someone having worked for some of the best managers and coaches and with an aspiration to be a manager he’d have an idea how he wanted his teams to play.  We just did what the opposition did.  Then the administration season, which I think is his finest moment.  We did start with a plan and structure as to how he wanted us to play.  Although I think he was a bit lucky to have a good coaching staff with him.  But from the admin announcement he became a leader.  He lead the players, the staff behind the scenes, the fans - everyone.  He galvanised the club and the city.  It was us against the world and he created a siege mentality.  He didn’t let the points deductions get to anyone.  Many would have given up, he gave us all hope and belief that we could stay up.
I’ll always remember that last season, weirdly one of the best despite the ending.  I wish him well at Plymouth, except against us!!  You have to admire his desire to keep going and trying again.  I hope he takes the time to get his backroom team right as I think this will be key to whether he makes a good go of it or not.

Without living in the blokes brain, I have no idea if he fancied Cocu's job.  That 30 minutes he had against Blackburn was however, the most singularly revolting performance i've seen, so at that point, in particular how he should have been playing at that level, he clearly didn't fancy keeping himself in the relevant shape or mindset to carry on playing. Any dedication or will to win was gone. 

I find the ECB's logic odd in that they want pitches to produce test batsmen, then fine Somerset for producing wickets conducive to spin. Leaving aside the sportsmanship aspect, that is precisely what any Indian groundsman will be doing whenever we tour. Surely learning to survive and prosper on such tracks is a valuable skill to learn?
Do you think it has anything to do with advances in technology and better resources? The ground staff are incredible in that they can produce a beautiful flat track in adverse conditions, when in decades past the weather leading up to certain games would've made such a feat impossible.

I find the ECB's logic odd in that they want pitches to produce test batsmen, then fine Somerset for producing wickets conducive to spin. Leaving aside the sportsmanship aspect, that is precisely what any Indian groundsman will be doing whenever we tour. Surely learning to survive and prosper on such tracks is a valuable skill to learn?
Do you think it has anything to do with advances in technology and better resources? The ground staff are incredible in that they can produce a beautiful flat track in adverse conditions, when in decades past the weather leading up to certain games would've made such a feat impossible.

It seemed to start a few years ago with the ECB complaining about low scoring games and wanted better batting pitches in the championship, because that would help produce test batsmen (ECB logic) so we ended up with these pitches that never do a huge amount and go completely dead after a couple of days.
I know Derbyshire and Glamorgan are two clubs who have been vocal about trying to get some life back in their pitches but without being an expert on the subject, that may need digging up the entire square and starting again. Which obviously is costly so clubs will be reluctant to rush into that.

Jack Butland

200 for Matt Lamb.
What an innings. Supported by Guest, Donalds better that a run a ball 67, and a watchful Anuj Dal, the middle order that was under fire has really come good…..fingers crossed we see more of it going forward.

Feckhem!
She'll live where she wants, she'll live where she wa-a-ants
Foreveram's sister, she'll live where she wants.
💪🐏

Word is that Plymouth have offered him all the Ginsters pasties he can eat. They shouldn't be writing cheques they can't cash.
I wanted him to fail at Birmingham because I didn't like the way he was parachuted in at the expense of a better manager. That isn't the case here, so I hope he does well. I'm really not sure about his job selection though. Plymouth have a relatively small budget. It's going to be tough. It would probably be better for Rooney if he took a league 1/2 job at a team with a more competitive squad and budget for that level.

100 for Lamb. Good to see the opposition dropping catches ane being made to pay for a change 😁

To be fair he did a great job in keeping Plymouth up this season 

Yeah, I thought the 2 bowlers made sense. Tickner has bowled well and  been unlucky, I think its 7 catches he's had dropped, add those potential wickets to the 8 he has and his figures look far better.
I think our 3 main bowlers (Tickner, DuPavillon, Chappell) are too similar - tall & hit the deck with pace, which is where Mohammad Amir makes a difference. 
Lamb is too high at 5 and he still appears troubled by his back to me, that's where the potential batter would slot in. How you have at 6/7/8 is very much open for debate.
I certainly think an overseas bat for the T20 makes sense when you've signed Pat Brown, Samit Patel, Ross Whiteley, & David Lloyd. Don't think we need more than 2 specialist bowlers with all the genuine all rounders we have.

I can see why Arthur went with two overseas bowlers. At the back end of last summer Came and Reece were established as openers, Guest had been good at 3, Madsen is Madsen, and there were lots of positive noises being made about Lloyd and Lamb. Who are you dropping for the specialist bat? Yes, I understand that this looks ludicrously optimistic with the benefit of hindsight considering our current season averages, but there weren't many who were predicting the batting would be this poor last September. Batting collapses are the most frustrating and most immediately visible sign of a struggling team, but they aren't why we've barely won any games for the last several years. We can't take 20 wickets in 4 days. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Tickner and Dupavillon are the remedy to this, but I understand why Arthur prioritised this area of the team.

I can see why Arthur went with two overseas bowlers. At the back end of last summer Came and Reece were established as openers, Guest had been good at 3, Madsen is Madsen, and there were lots of positive noises being made about Lloyd and Lamb. Who are you dropping for the specialist bat? Yes, I understand that this looks ludicrously optimistic with the benefit of hindsight considering our current season averages, but there weren't many who were predicting the batting would be this poor last September. Batting collapses are the most frustrating and most immediately visible sign of a struggling team, but they aren't why we've barely won any games for the last several years. We can't take 20 wickets in 4 days. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Tickner and Dupavillon are the remedy to this, but I understand why Arthur prioritised this area of the team.

I can see why Arthur went with two overseas bowlers. At the back end of last summer Came and Reece were established as openers, Guest had been good at 3, Madsen is Madsen, and there were lots of positive noises being made about Lloyd and Lamb. Who are you dropping for the specialist bat? Yes, I understand that this looks ludicrously optimistic with the benefit of hindsight considering our current season averages, but there weren't many who were predicting the batting would be this poor last September. Batting collapses are the most frustrating and most immediately visible sign of a struggling team, but they aren't why we've barely won any games for the last several years. We can't take 20 wickets in 4 days. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Tickner and Dupavillon are the remedy to this, but I understand why Arthur prioritised this area of the team.

I love Derby. Lived here all my life. 
I like that it looks like a giant industrial unit. I wish there was more cladding. Derby gets stuff done. How long have they been messing around in Barcelona with that Sagrada Familia? Get some cladding on it, boom! Done. 
Thankfully the IntuWestfieldOn is slowly killing off all that old stuff. Cathedral quarter is soooo boring compared to the vibrant expandy foam shopping paradise and it's 10 mile shadow. 
Sometimes I go shopping in Notts or we go to laugh at their castle and boast to the locals about our new velodrome corned beef can. They have these silly things going on all the time in the square and it's just so tragic. I feel sorry for them. They'll never know what it's like to navigate the potholes into Derby town and experience the 3 light xmas turn on or even just enjoy lunch while taking in the views outside the Asbestos Rooms. In summer they have a beach. But we have a fountain all year round!! Water not included 
All cities have ran down areas. Derby doesn't. We just have area. I've lived here all my life and I enjoy the potholes as much as anyone. I have faith in our police to protect McDonalds from speeding motorists. Whether I'm in a 16 hour traffic jam because one car broke down or whether I'm taking my tools into yet another HMO, I find the smell of cannabis relaxing.
Some people say a lot of the money invested in Derby has offered no improvements for years. To those people I say where were you when they spent a few mil changing the exit/entry points to parking in Alvaston? 
We went to P'boro not long back. Didn't expect much and after a nice stroll around the Cathedral and sitting out having some food in the square I thought about how I miss the 20ft rings that "symbolise Derby like Big Ben symbolises London"

Can I ask who is moderating this thread and why a post that was in no way offensive , abusive , personal or had any bad language but simply corrected a post that totally mis quoted something I said has been removed?
if it’s an echo chamber thing then please say so then at least some of us can stop bothering to read this stuff ,,, it’s a serious question and would appreciate a decent fair answer as someone who buys into this forum and bothers to get involved in all areas including football 

Chris Martin did ok at Fulham.

Perhaps people thought that large numbers of people venting their anger with the actions of a bunch of middle aged Israeli politicians on a 20 year old girl from tel aviv might be a tad unfair and supported the underdog?