ram59

It was interesting to hear that the squad didn't come in for training on xmas day, they all had to film a run at home and post it on the WhatsApp group. I think that we all would have expected Warne to have had them in for a training session on Xmas day, especially after having a day off on Friday. This would tend to suggest that Warne is open to managing the training towards the end of the season.

Like the stat that you can only win games by having a majority of possession and passes, even if 80% takes place between your own back four in your own half.😉

Haven't you heard? The EFL have decided to redraw the league tables this season, they will be based on xg instead of the ridiculous points thing. They're just deciding how to downgrade Wigan and Reading's xg, to account for their respective punishments.🤔

Our run of results have been stupendous and certain aspects of our game also. We've only conceded one non penalty goal in our last 8 games, Chrissy Martin's for Bristol Rovers. In fact, I'm struggling to remember the last top drawer save made by Wildsmith. Despite our great first half yesterday, we only had a limited number of good chances and we should have put the game to bed with that dominance. But it's a start and Cloughie started by building his team at the back. Hopefully, with a couple of key attacking signings, we will kick on from this platform and truly dominate teams for the remainder of the season.

You could money on what would happen next.😄

We need to be quick off the mark regarding striker options, as it stands, we only have one fit striker for next week.

I checked on my phone at full time, the sky app said 3-1 to boro, so I checked the BBC app, which also said 3-1.🤔

Definitely, it's about the economics, if that's the only path that achieves promotion, as our income will increase by a minimum of around £6m with promotion. However, if we feel that promotion will be achieved without the money raised from his sale, we may feel that Cashin will be more important to our potential championship campaign.

I thought that there was a supporters' group coach from down your way that goes to games, I'm sure that I often pass it on my way back to Brum.

From a Lincoln view, he MAY NOT have played him onside. With the lack of conclusive evidence either way, it wasn't a decision to get annoyed about, which ever way it went.

Stats wise, I've just been looking at Dan Kemp, on loan a Swindon from MK with a recall possible. Only six months on his contract, 11 goals and 8 assists this season.

I was refering to the Bolton ref who was heavily criticised by the assessor as having made several incorrect game changing decisions. Regarding the Lincoln game, I thought that Collins was offside at the time, but the club's highlights show seems to indicate that he was onside, a marginal decision similar to the Wycombe goal on Saturday. I tend to accept marginal decisions, even wrong ones, but some of the penalties we conceded last season were ridiculous, thankfully that situation seems to have improved somewhat this season. It's not just the number of dodgy decisions for and against that need to be considered, it's also the impact that these decisions have on the game. If Collins' hadn't stood, would it have changed the result, probably not. If the Wycombe penalty had been pulled back for an offside decision, that would have definitely changed the result. As I've said, fine margins and a bit of luck one way or another.

We have to utilise our players' strengths better. Ward's main strength is his 'Beckham like' delivery of the ball, that is to say that he can whip in the ball with both a right to left curve and a dip. This enables our central forwards to have a chance of the ball dropping down between the usual pair of towering central defenders that most teams seem to play, whereas the flat crosses have no chance of reaching our forwards. His early curving crosses also enable our forwards to run in behind their defenders, this nearly came off against Lincoln, but for the excellent anticipation and handling of their keeper on several occasions. I would also like to see him more involved for our free kicks, when the occasion calls for a right footed shot or ball in.

Merry Christmas to you all, may all your hopes be realised. 🐑

Luck can play a significant part in football, some teams seem to have a run of good fortune, some don't. Portsmouth seemed to have a bit of luck on Saturday, their only shot on target was from a dodgy penalty. Take Barnsley this season, they beat Vale 7-0 on the opening day of the season, guess which team had the most shots in that game, as did Stevenage on Saturday. Remember their bizarre winning goal in injury time recently when their striker barged the keeper, Collins would have earned a yellow card for such a challenge. They got a point recently after the ball went out by a couple of feet, so much so that the other team just stopped playing. Fine margins can decide games and we seem to be proportionately punished more for individual errors than our opposition. We have scored than twice the amount of goals that we have conceded but I struggle to remember many goals that we have been given. Whereas, a high proportion of the few goals conceded have been down to individual errors by our players or referees. When the luck is going your way other teams don't punish these errors. Take Chelsea at Wolves today, Wolves gave the ball away at 0-0 and somehow Sterling managed to screw up a 3 strikers against one keeper situation, it was Wolves' lucky day today. Maybe they deserved it after some dodgy VAR decisions against them this season. ATM, the shocking referee performance in the away defeat at Bolton, is possibly making quite a difference to the league table. I just hope that it doesn't cost us promotion at the end of the season.

What must their forum be like, when you consider the criticism our relatively low paid free transfer players get on here?

As annoying as it was, to be going to a game on a Thursday evening, the club's thought process behind the fixture change is sound. We had a 5 day break going into the game followed by another decent 5 day break going into the Wigan game. We should be relatively fresh for that game, unlike Wigan who only have 3 days. Then we get the knock on effect, we only have 3 days to the Oxford game, but Oxford will be playing their third game in only 6 days. Likewise, when we play Peterborough, it'll be our third game in 6 days, but Peterborough will be playing their 4th in 9 days. Strong squads will count for quite a lot over the holiday period, players coming back could be crucial, we could do with Waggy back

I wouldn't describe his achievements as remarkable, they got promoted as a result of some questionable decisions in the play off final, then he had massive budget to spend on the team when they got promoted. He's done okay, but not remarkable.

To be fair, he's spent over £300m is only out of the relegation zone because the 3 poor promoted teams haven't spent much.

That'll be another £100m spent on new signings in January, then.

We were also denied a blatant penalty in the dying seconds.

Never mind whether it was a marginal onside or offside, look at the positioning of our players, it's woeful. Over the far half of the pitch we have 6 players to their 3, but on this side we have 3 to their 4!

As I've posted on another thread, I would hope that transfer conversations have already taken place and contracts will be signed early January, hopefully allowing Cashin to remain at Derby for the rest of the season. This would allow early purchases to made giving us 4 extra games with a stronger squad, as opposed to end of window signings.

In a perfect world a deal for Cashin has already been sorted with Cashin remaining at the club on loan for the rest of the season. It makes a lot of sense if the transfer was as close as we were led to believe in August. Since then, Cashin has done nothing to damage his reputation and it makes more sense to leave him here in an established position rather than loaning him out to another club for 4 months and not be guaranteed a place. If reports are to be believed, other clubs are interested and will have to better the potential deal from Brighton. If Derby have anything about them, they should have this deal in place and ready to go on Jan 1st, in order that we can go out and strengthen the team asap.

Every game is starting to feel 'big' or maybe important is a better word. Any points dropped will be punished by a number of the teams around us atm.