nick_d

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. 

Our own players have more goal assists for the opposition than us tells you everything about this team. 

There will always be other mitigating factors at play, work, childcare, transport, caring commitments, bed times with work/school the next day (aside from during holidays), geography, perhaps simply down to the costs involved etc.
From what I’ve gathered on here there are a number who attend home games on a Saturday with a fair commute involved so perhaps can only do so on a weekend.
People go when they can, if there’s something preventing them attending midweek that’s their business. We mostly get good crowds midweek for the league we’re in and excellent crowds on a weekend, none of which is to be sniffed at for me. 

I like Paul Warne and his staff, as people. 
 
From what I can tell, they're a decent, honest and principled bunch. 
 
I believe that's what attracted David Clowes to them in the first instance, alongside their record of success in League One. 
 
I'll also add that they saw those principles reflected in David Clowes, hence their decision to come on board.
 
From the start it was referenced by all parties the entire ethos of the club needed changing, and rebuilding work was needed from top to bottom, which is not the work of a moment, or indeed a few months. 
 
The backroom staff had been hollowed out to the bare minimum, across multiple departments. 
 
A review of the remaining staff saw several leave, and a new round of recruitment has taken place, building the club back up to operating strength across the board, from the casual staff,offices and the football support and academy roles, a process that is still ongoing.
 
That's not a normal issue that an incoming manager has to grapple with, rebuilding the back room to what it should be, while ensuring his requirements are met. We've seen a level of churn across the Academy management in that time, which must have demanded Warnes attention at various stages, in addition to the normal commitments management brings.
 
We've an owner learning about operating a football club, having taken over in sheer desperation, leaning on the manager he's appointed I presume, there seems to be no other football experts within his team we know of.
 
None of this is normal for a first team football manager, especially in his first job away from a much smaller club with different expectations, so mistakes and stumbles will inevitably happen. 

 
We got close enough last season that there were few grumbles about his position, yet after only two games, one in the league, there's a sizable minority calling for change, and a notable shift in how he's perceived. 
 
I'm not a natural defender of Warne, but will stand up for his work so far.
 
 I'm a self confessed football snob, and don't see him as the man to lead us back to the promised land of the Premier League, probably based around pre conceptions of his football philosophy rather than any evidence, but he's Clowes choice to launch that journey, and some of the criticism on here recently is well out of kilter with the job he's done so far.



 

Nah, not sure about that one bit.
Rooney had his personal interests but it's hard to deny he stood by the club in their darkest hour - sometimes paying out of his own pocket to do so. We all know Rooney had no invested interest in Derby and was here for a share of the club or some business interest - why would he be here for anything else. But my view is that he acted with decency and integrity (inside the boundaries of someone here for business reasons) and could have completely dropped us (and others around him) under the proverbial bus on more than one occasion. Doesn't mean I want Rooney back, or anything like that, but I do appreciate what he did for us at the time he did it.
I know, you don't agree!

The Mears maneuver

Forgot to mention that nml in my view is a winger and not an inside forward and only really works if we are looking to change things up ,not a starter in this formation 

None of them would get into this team

I think, to be more accurate, we have a lot of IKFAs on here at the moment....

I'm trying to fathom just how empty, sad, and pathetic someone's life must be for them to watch their team win a game of football on a sunny may day and proceed to go to that team's forum and behave like a complete t***. I actually feel sorry for you at this point.

Btw your 'famous atmosphere' sounded closer to a morgue than a football stadium. 

Taking a guess at the missing letters, it’s a shame you can’t be gracious in victory. You’ve posted some reasonable comments previously so it’s a shame you’ve let yourself down on this occasion. 

I’m not too down. It’s a pity but in reality we were short of pace, power and finishing up front, short on numbers in general and short in wide defensive positions. Small squad with a few quality players. Nearly made it and they all worked their socks off. I just hope we can keep Cashin, Knight and Wildsmith. Pretty sure Didsy will stay for an Indian summer because of the locality and he’s clearly enjoyed himself. To those not liking the football, truth is there isn’t a Warneball yet. There were games where we played long and ugly - and looked lousy at it. There were also games where we did tippy tappy and looked more than respectable. We have in all those games looked hungry which you need if you want to succeed. 
Ack .. you know what, I am looking forward to pre season, transfer chatter and planning for the next phase of our recovery. 
 
If we look at the hand of cards we had 12 months ago I’d say we played them as well as could be expected. I am not quite as edgy about players being nicked for rock bottom prices because the market and the game has changed since Covid. Unless a prem or parachute club wants someone I don’t think there is as much money around as folk think. 
 
I guess all will be revealed in the fullness of time. COYR

On the plus side this gives us another tilt at the Papa Johns next year

What a shame! In the end we weren't quite good enough to  get in the play-offs, and deep down many of us have thought that all season long. But that doesn't stop us having hope, and the players have done stupendously well to get this far. It is the old adage (well, a season long adage) that we only had 5 players on the books last August. But in reality we have cost ourselves the chance for promotion this season because we haven't been clinical enough in front of goal. But in part that is because it is night on impossible to attract strikers when all you can offer is a packet of crisps and two slices of lightly buttered bread. Although losing Odura was a blow - he might have been the difference, but I don't think he was handled properly, and instead of being given a run in the side in his best position, h was used as a bit part player. And he wasn't the only one - another one was subbed at the earlest opportunity again, today, when he was doing all right. Why is it always him who has to leave the pitch early?
There have been some baffling selection and tactical decisions which have cost us as well, but in some ways all this is understandable, especially with a manager brought in part way into the season with someone else's team and no room to change that. WArney had a tough job, and the lad done ok, I reckon.
It actually is feasible to have been in the play-off positions securely a coupe of weeks ago if only we hadn't thrown matches away one way or another. But then we get to my pet subject, the match officials. Soooooo many matches have been decided by crass decision making and/or incompetence, and we ought to have put ourselves into a position where those c***-ups don't cost us the points. But we shouldn't have to try and overcome them before they have happened, either. If only half the penalty decisions against us. at both ends of the pitch, had gone the right way, we wouldn't have ended up in this position. And while we are on about it, how come the ref gave a penalty against us for virtually no physical contact at all, but did absolutely nothing when Forsyth was physically man-handled to the ground in their penalty area later on in the game? On the odd occasion I could accept that it was just the rb of the green, but when it has happened match after match after match, and only a tiny number of dubious decision have been in our favour, maybe I sould be forgiven for thinking that there are other factors being brought to bear.
So on to next season - will we get any flexibility from the EFL regarding the business plan we have had to operate under, given that we are considerably further forwards in our finances than we were planned to be? LET's hope this is the case so we have a bit more room to bring the players in that we need. I'm not holding my breath though!
Finally - thanks to the players for giving of their best, even though it wasn't quite enough. And thanks especially to the fans - you/we have been fantastic yet again, all season long. Long may it continue!
I'll be there next season, and much to your chagrin I'm not going away from this wonderful bunch of contributors on dcfcfans!

Quite appropriate really that at the death our season has been decided by poor officiating (and that’s not to mention Barnsley should’ve had 2 penalties against Peterborough). We can go back to many big moments, Barnsley, Plymouth (twice), Ipswich, Peterborough, Ipswich, Port Vale (H), today, poor decisions at critical points in games, there have been lots of others, it doesn’t even itself out. But hey it’s a game of stats to some people!!! 
 
I know we’ve heard it all before but we didn’t start recruiting until 1 week after preseason started, we only had 5 players, we have the smallest squad in the league, a mix of predominantly kids starting their careers and over 30s. No different options to change things when it’s not happening for us, can’t really rotate, January window made impossible with restrictions we’re under. This is why we didn’t quite have enough against better teams in the league away from home, this is why we didn’t win games we should have done against MK and Portsmouth, this is why ultimately we’ve fallen short. Had we got in the playoffs we have match winners, we would’ve had a chance, think Wednesday will be very glad they are not playing us next week!! 
 
Thought we were excellent today and had we kept 11 on the pitch and not gone behind to that ridiculous decision we’d have got the job done. Can’t fault any of the players or Warne for how he approached the game. Lots of positive performances, im gutted for Curtis, it’s devastating for his career at Derby to potentially end like that. Unfortunately though he’s made that exact same mistake on a few occasions now and cost us goals. 
 
It’s a real tough one to take today. But credit to the players and Warne and his staff for putting us in the situation to fight for playoffs on the last day. Derby and Warne HAVE NOT FAILED this season, I’d say this season is about par, next season is a different ball game. Despite our restrictions a whole preseason and recruitment prior to preseason with a settled management, promotion is the minimum requirement next season.