nick_d

Everyone in the world can see that as the obvious change. But no worries, we've got super Wash who'll run all day but do f*** all. 

Maybe, after all the Mel Madness, he thinks it would be better to just sit back and let the football people get on with the football?
Seems like a good idea to me.

I purposely didn't read the forum until I was home and I'm so glad because you saved me the bother of posting earlier because its exactly what I would have said.
Every week its constant moaning about just launching the ball aimlessly, yet today we played the ball constantly on the floor.  Passing was fairly crisp and our control really good. Lots of angled balls between their backline but then our final ball was either poor, the shot blocked, we didn't attack the ball or it just didn't fall right.
Pretty much controlled the game and if we'd had a better striker and/or a bit more luck then we would have won 2 or 3 nil. Set pieces were pretty poor to be honest though.
The boos were aimed at the ref/linesman who were awful 2nd half.
I actually enjoyed the game other than our failure to score,  and its clear the agenda of a few regular posters is just to moan relentlessly, regardless thus rendering the match day thread almost pointless so I will avoid it in the future I'm afraid. 
Disappointed and of course 'we should be beating' Cambridge but we missed good chances and were the only team playing football.  
 

I’m not surprised. Great interview.
And I agree with everything about your post @angieram. 
Far too many on here (sheep not rams) wallowing in their own misery, posting miserable posts in their miserable efforts to get some miserable enjoyment when the football team they proclaim to support miserably fails by loosing a game, yes I repeat a game, yes I’ll repeat a game of sport called football that should be enjoyed, as the team we all support tries it’s hardest to win as many games possible to achieve everyone’s goals and hope.
Whilst one of our fellow players is currently suffering and feeling real miserable pain through the loss of life to a special loved one in life.
Whereas a lot of us on here love Derby County Football Club and choose to support it, whatever division it plays in, whatever managers and coaches lead and coach it, whatever financial, whatever recruitment, whatever staff, whatever groundsman, whatever players play for it, and even whatever fans support it.
Up The Rams 🐏 

There are a number of contributors to these pages, genuine fans all I’m pretty sure, whose informed and interesting views I have enjoyed reading over the years but whose opinion of our manager is consistently less than positive, couched always in terms of ‘I want him and the team to do well, but….’  The latest ‘but’ appears to be his use (or non-use) of academy players.
Are we really all so cynical nowadays that we don’t believe what we’re being told in interviews or have we just stopped listening?
Warne has explained how much benefit he will get as manager from an academy player breaking through into the first team.  It’s in his interest for that to happen as it stretches his budget and allows him to spend more elsewhere.  Even if you (mistakenly imo) believe that he’s not ‘interested’ in young players, surely you can understand that he might be keen to extend his financial reach and recruit more widely?
He’s explained - and we have the photos to prove it happens - that players from the academy join in first team training sessions so that he and his staff can look at them but also so that the players themselves get a taste of the requirements of being a first team member.  He’s explained that they have to perform, to make the most of their opportunity.  Hasn't football, at all levels, always been the same?  It’s dog eat dog.  You have to perform all the time, now more than ever. Those who work hard, and not necessarily the most talented, get to have careers.  Twas ever thus
Hasn’t he said that he has to be sure that a young player won’t be destroyed by the experience of playing in the first team?  In these somewhat softer times aren’t we all aware of the mental health of individuals in a very tough work place - David Clowes directly referred to it in relation to Rosenior, for example.  Warne has said that he has seen a player’s career destroyed by being thrown in at the deep end too soon; Will Hughes (for example) was introduced gently - played on the wing/played for a few minutes at the end of a game before he was allowed to play regularly.  I was there at Steve Powell’s full debut v Liverpool.  It wasn’t his actual debut if I recall correctly.  But Steve (like Tom Huddleston) was a freak of football nature - a 16 year old in a man’s body, steeped in football from his father and with the mental strength to go with it.  There’s a reason that boys very rarely play men’s professional football. Shouldn’t we be glad that a senior member of our management team has the long term career prospects of our youngest players at heart rather than short term gain?  If you were a parent of someone coming through wouldn’t you want your son (or daughter) to be looked after?  We’re a tough crowd in a tough business and I don’t want a player destroyed by a poor performance in front of a Pride Park crowd. I want a manager to play someone when he thinks that player is ready, not before, and if he errs on the side of caution then good. Better that than destroying a career.
And what experience do our current academy players have to bring?  It’s not a winning experience, that’s for sure.  And lest anyone thinks I’m criticising, I’m not.  The academy was pillaged to help us have a club to support.  16/17/18 year olds couldn’t cope with under 21 football last season and they’re struggling again this season despite additions, so how are they going to cope with League 1 football? But Warne has described the regular meetings he and his staff have with those in charge of the academy (and recruitment) where they discuss who is ready for the opportunity, initially to train with the first team and then to show what they can do.  Shouldn’t we applaud that approach?
By all means criticise Warne for team selection or substitutions or formations or whatever if you want to but let’s not manufacture a lack of interest in young players coming through our academy as (yet) another stick to beat him with

“Let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal”  still brings a smile

“Let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal”  still brings a smile

I would like to apologise to what appears to be a good number of my fellow Rams fans on these pages.  I have driven for about 5 hours today, spent £40 on petrol, £25 on a ticket and another £10 odd on sundries like the best pie I’ve had in ages, parking and a programme. The weather was fantastic, the scenery only matched by the Peak District and the ground was a proper old football ground with, from my seat, the wierdest view in football.
Oh, and although it’s hard to gather from these pages, my, our, team won. 2-0 away from home against a team in good form according to their manager, late of this parish, and with some excellent individual performances, an improved overall team performance, in front of a vociferous and supportive away following.
I’ve had a cracking day. Sorry.

“Let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal”  still brings a smile

“Let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal”  still brings a smile

“Let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal”  still brings a smile

“Let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal”  still brings a smile

Very sad news for Josh and his family, the support from his colleagues will be needed at a difficult time like this, sometimes there’s more to life than football. 😔 
Perhaps something could be arranged by fans to show support at the home game? Applause at the 31st min or something?
 

Back to school 😉

Thought she was a good ref, loved it when she booked their player for asking her to card Cashin after he had fouled him.
got all of the major decisions right there maybe a hint of offside about the goal but too close to call on any replays I have seen.
Be happy if she reffed every week after the dross that normally officiates us

Thought she was a good ref, loved it when she booked their player for asking her to card Cashin after he had fouled him.
got all of the major decisions right there maybe a hint of offside about the goal but too close to call on any replays I have seen.
Be happy if she reffed every week after the dross that normally officiates us

Thought she was a good ref, loved it when she booked their player for asking her to card Cashin after he had fouled him.
got all of the major decisions right there maybe a hint of offside about the goal but too close to call on any replays I have seen.
Be happy if she reffed every week after the dross that normally officiates us

Thought she was a good ref, loved it when she booked their player for asking her to card Cashin after he had fouled him.
got all of the major decisions right there maybe a hint of offside about the goal but too close to call on any replays I have seen.
Be happy if she reffed every week after the dross that normally officiates us

Thought she was a good ref, loved it when she booked their player for asking her to card Cashin after he had fouled him.
got all of the major decisions right there maybe a hint of offside about the goal but too close to call on any replays I have seen.
Be happy if she reffed every week after the dross that normally officiates us

Thought she was a good ref, loved it when she booked their player for asking her to card Cashin after he had fouled him.
got all of the major decisions right there maybe a hint of offside about the goal but too close to call on any replays I have seen.
Be happy if she reffed every week after the dross that normally officiates us

Thought she was a good ref, loved it when she booked their player for asking her to card Cashin after he had fouled him.
got all of the major decisions right there maybe a hint of offside about the goal but too close to call on any replays I have seen.
Be happy if she reffed every week after the dross that normally officiates us

Thought she was a good ref, loved it when she booked their player for asking her to card Cashin after he had fouled him.
got all of the major decisions right there maybe a hint of offside about the goal but too close to call on any replays I have seen.
Be happy if she reffed every week after the dross that normally officiates us

Point was fair on balance. I thought they played a bit more football than us, but that's a low bar to clear.
My problem with the game was how little excitement there was. Drab, dull football. I know it's L1 but most of that squad have played Championship football...we must capable of much better than we're showing.
 

Worst idea....ever.
I can't get to every game and that's how I follow the game!
Talk about chucking the baby out with the bathwater.
Orrr..people who are a bit touchy when challenged don't write in or read that thread?

I'm not a big fan of the comment for a few reasons: 
1) He has signed eight experienced players: Vickers hasn't beaten out the Wildsmith, Elder hasn't beaten out Forsyth, Nelson and Bradley have both shown deficiencies with the latter losing his place to a youngster who was already here at the club in Rooney, Washington and Waghorn finally got their chance but were placed behind Collins originally. Ward and Wilson have got injured early on. 
He has all summer been adamant on how important the recruitment strategy is and how he's got to be their best mate before they get a chance to play for the club. He's now essentially saying the players he (and Thomas) have picked for the club aren't good enough. 
2) Not a top 3 team, ok... but it's a top 3 budget we're playing with and a significant commercial advantage that dwarfs 95% of the teams in the league. Bolton are the only side even close to being within the ball park. He is essentially outing himself, Thomas... whoever that they're not being efficient with the money they've had to spend. 
Ultimately, you have to get the most out of what you are given. We've spent our money on a bunch of experience senior pros, with little resale value, essentially banking on promotion this season. Now we look way short of that standard, it's easy to highlight the short-comings. The plan can't be to recycle through free agency every summer, well it can, but ultimately it's such a poor way to build and develop a football team. I think for Warne, in particular, his philosophy and recruitment couldn't be further apart. 
I said he strikes me as someone who knows exactly what he wants, but not really sure how to get there - perhaps a few too many compromises with the recruitment staff (I'm not sure). Three at the back, with the way he plays it, needs athletes and we don't have any. Every team we have come up against has had no problem separating our centre halves and creating huge gaps around and within the box - it's fundamental that those three either have good athleticism or are disciplined and organised to the point where those gaps aren't there anymore. Same in midfield. We just don't have the personnel and we haven't even tried to bring it in. 
I'd say with the players we have we really need a back four to reduce gaps between the players and the requirement for athleticism: Rooney, Nelson, Bradley, Cashin, Elder, Forsyth can all play in this fashion. The midfield just don't really have the legs, so really you need to reduce the space between them. I feel something like a 4-5-1, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 formation is our best chance of getting something out of these players in this team. 
Based on what we have, on what I've seen so far this season the next game I would go with: Wildsmith; Rooney, Nelson, Cashin, Forsyth; Thompson, Hourihane; NML, Sibley, Washington; Waghorn. 
A flat back four, nothing stupid and nothing cheap - no easy outballs down the wing for the opposition. Thompson and Hourihane. Not too comfortable about that, but Thompson offers energy and drive. Hourihane can provide an end product. The front four have a little bit of pace, a little bit of purpose. a little bit of drive. Waghorn is technically our best striker at holding the ball up and bringing others into play - he has to start at the pivot. The important thing is just to reduce that space between our defenders - everyone will be a little more comfortable. I'd also like to see us play a lot closer together - we have technically good players in midfield at this level - why do we insist on stretching them so far apart, making their life difficult and (again) creating these huge gaps for teams to hurt us on the counter. 
It's been my biggest frustration with Warne's system - it's a little chaotic, it's a little bit spread out which leads to small errors becoming a critical ones.