jono

47 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

I've asked Muckerette to inflate my ballions on Friday night.

 

That sounds jolly helpful what a splendid lady. Does she do that often one wonders. Just hope she knows how to tie the knot without popping them. 

Mrs Jono has promised me bacon and sausages for breakfast on Saturday morning. 

(and fried egg, toast, tomatoes and mushrooms ) AND says I don’t have to clean the grill pan before I leave for the match 

We need Ballions .. lots of Ballions 🐏

And Cashin is worth 30 million at least 

And Collions will get a hat trick 

And Will Hughes is coming back 

And DC is a hero who needs a Statchoo next to Cluff 

COYR 

B More B4 ❤️

3 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

Beat me to it 🤣 I was just scrolling down ready to post 2 more nah nights 

I’ll settle for this picture of Cashin heading in our 3rd

Love me or leave me

Make your choice but believe me

We love you

Ebou Ebou Ebouuuuuu

Dont you see can’t you feel it ?

we love you 

Ebou Ebou Ebouuuuu 

By that band with those girls in funny trousers, what were they called ? A Baaaa or something

36 minutes ago, Premier ram said:

Give it one of them Saturday Warney

That is such a brilliant teal talk. I hadn’t realised he had that side to his character. We are going to do this AND carry it forward to next season. I think it kind of explains how, after poor performances, we have bounced back so often and so well, rather than withered as so many “form” teams do. 

can’t wait for Saturday 🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏😎

9 hours ago, DavesaRam said:

A pretty good analysis, Jono, although Warne was obsessing about getting lots of crosses in before our midfield deficiencies became apparent. And in many ways our midfield deficiencies was largely because he kept playing a 2-man midfield, but without a ball-winner in there. Oh, and by-passing it whenever possible.

Thanks, and Aye, but what I am saying is we didn’t really have the natural  ball winner and the 2 weren’t really suited to rough a tumble league 1. So what was he to do ? Then add in that his mission is to get us out of this league, he had a proven system.
I think he was a touch obsessive early season, was desperately wanting to make wingers in to wing backs and play 3 at the back. The new players that could do that got injured, the remaining flank players were somewhat aging in the leg department or not very adept in the defensive component of their game. At that point he’d barely been in the job for a year.
When we had that good run mid season it was when he switched to 4 at the back because of the players he had left. It  showed me he could change his spots .. he still hankered after his preferred system, true ! but was pragmatic enough to accept he couldn’t have it. …. The ball winner you mentioned, arrived in the form of Adams. At least that’s how I see it 

I suppose it’s easy after the event to be sage and analytical. Just hope we can have a party on Saturday and for me he has a clear run without threat for at least half a season, as long as we are mid table”ish” on an improving curve; I am saying what I said 7 or 8 months ago. Patience before pitchforks 

6 hours ago, Carl Sagan said:

 

I agree with Bris and Tyler's logical assessment of Bris's comments. Indeed Warne only got us into this position because he has the best players at his disposal. Before the season began, like many (most?) on the forum I thought we should finish 1st or 2nd given the players we had. Let's hope we finish 2nd.

Has he used the players to get the best out of them? I think we've got decent midfielders, but Warne's tactic is not to use them, and to get the ball wide as quickly as possible and then bang in an early cross. It only works at all because we have better players - otherwise it would have been too easy to defend against. But Warne identified it as a way to win matches and we have won a lot of matches. Was it the best way of playing? Is the proof of the pudding always in the eating? Does the end justify the means? Maybe - it has been vital to get up this season, so let's hope it was worth it and we do.

I am not sure I agree with this angle. We certainly have better players than many; but the best ? I think that is debatable. Look at the midfield. The arrival of Adams has made a huge difference but prior to that I reckon or midfield was average. Bird is wonderfully talented but in this league often got out muscled and his skill wasn’t always enough for him to win those battles … so better or just good  ? Hourihan 6 years ago, yes a better player, but our Hourihan ? The one who gets caught napping against athletic sides ? A good player but “better” than the rest ?
The only areas where I think we had demonstrably better players was defence and out wide. We Haven’t got the better strikers and we hadn’t (until Adams) got the best midfield. 
 

Warne had “better” wide players and made best use of them to support our  lack, for much of the season, of a dynamic striker. This leads to a form of football that by necessity involves getting the ball in to danger areas via the wings and making good use of set pieces. All to create the greater number of chances to address those areas where we didn’t have “the best” players.
 

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see one touch midfield interchanges crafting chances with slick passing ; but too many of our players didn’t demonstrate enough of those skills either due to ability, age, or the type of opponent / type of football played in this league. 

20 hours ago, BaianoPOTY98 said:

Paul Warne barring a complete disaster has done his job, fair play to him and Clowes got it bang right 👌 but this is not the football I wanna watch week in week out, great that Warne has done his job and taken us up but sorry that’s not for me next year 😢

That’s fine and a valid opinion but pray tell, how do you suggest that gets changed ? It certainly won’t be by appointing a”young dynamic manager” who will change our whole culture; such is his or her genius … psst .. you have to find said applicant ? There isn’t a shop that sells them. Then there’s zero guarantee your choice will actually work. 3 losses and the faithful will be calling for his head, especially if we are playing sidey backwards and urrrrm not scoring goals.

It’s money .. we haven’t got cash to splash, few outside the PL have so like Warne or not we have to develop in stages in a methodical way. It certainly won’t happen next year or with your next Amazon purchase including free delivery and returns. So I wonder what you are going to do ? 

1 hour ago, Bris Vegas said:

Paul Warne deserves credit for getting us promoted. Doesn’t really matter how, his goal was to get us promoted and he has achieved.

But he will need help this summer. This current side under Warne finishes bottom three next season.

If we stick with Warne, he will need seven or eight new signings to give us a chance.

It might surprise you to know that most of us know we have certain aging players in the autumn of their careers. You don’t need to be a genius to realise that going up a league will mean we need reinforcements and replacements. Are you after another medal for stating the obvious. ?

Your posts seem to have particular themes .. this is one of them : State the obvious like it is some revelation that the rest of us have never even considered. So condescending. Pssst quite a few of us have been around a while, played the game and watched it at many levels over a lifetime

Alex Ferguson once said .. The first rule of intelligence is to remember the other guy isn’t stupid. 

26 minutes ago, Chester40 said:

Is there a Warne-confessional thread where the more vitriolic anti-Warne posters can bare their souls, recant their heretic views and thereby claim absolution and become a true believer with immunity from any 'I told you so' comments? 

Then we can all walk hand-in-hand into a better world, where grounds are like small cities, where the players have names you have heard of and it doesn't feel like a really weird coincidence if you happen to know someone who supports the opposition?

Love this post 🤣😊. Brilliant

BUT .. They will never recant. The first loss and it will be “I told you so” and the usual list of PW’s failings along with their reminder to all of us that they said it last season. 2 losses on the bounce and they will be wetting themselves with glee 😢

15 minutes ago, eccles the ram said:

Slightly worried,only slightly, about which Rams team will turn up. Go 1 nil up and then defend the lead for 50 minutes, or gung ho and score 3 or 4. Would like to think the latter but I believe it will be squeaky bum time for all the second half. Gary Monk has a HABIT of picking good sides against us.Safe travels to all who are travelling today. B4 will get us over the line either today or next Sat.UTR!

It’ll be nun of those ! It’ll be an alter nating game with a lot of crosses, we might even go behind until our prayers are answered and there is a resurrection 

I’ll get my coat 

How are we going to feel if:

I started writing a list of possible outcomes got halfway through the alphabet and gave up

3 points please then we can have a party next week. 
 

One of the better things about this team is that for the first time in a while we have had scorers from every position, makes you think. I’ve said I’d like a Casin header to seal it, but there’s a bit of would like to see Sibs christen his improving form. Tommo would be good too. Hope it can be “one of our own” 

On 17/04/2024 at 15:45, Crewton said:

I'm a few years older than you and haven't been able to listen to or watch the away games since the Northampton debacle - even then, I've had angst about when to check on the final score and even which website to get it from - it's ridiculous! 🙄

I may just try to sleep through the game on Saturday.

I have the radio on, so I can shout at it. Then if we are losing badly the black dog descends and the radio is turned off. Then all the mental gymnastics kick in. If I leave it switched off the boys will surprise me, or alternatively I have to keep listening cos they need me, or If I keep listening I’ll jinx them. So I go and cut grass .. but then slip back to BBc sport on an iPad just to check of its “safe to come out” Away games for half fans is torture ! 

On 16/04/2024 at 08:28, Tamworthram said:

The football this season has rarely been pretty, I don’t think anyone can deny that and the thought of more of the same isn’t very appetising. However, how much of that is down to the manager’s preferred style and how much is down to a need to adapt and do whatever it takes to get out of this league? Probably a combination of both. On the latter point, a lot of games this seem to blur into each other (which maybe says it all) but I reckon a lot of our entertaining football has come against the better teams in the league (I can’t substantiate that theory before anyone asks, it’s just a gut feeling). So, on that basis, I think we’ll either get rolled over pretty much every week (or, if we’re lucky manage to cling on for a point or three every now and then) or, we’re able to make some decent recruitment in the summer and will be able to go toe to toe with the more talented teams you get in the Championship - matching them to an extent in terms quality of football. 
 

Obviously the former is what we all fear whilst the latter is what we all want. I for one (not that it’s up to me of course), am prepared to give PW the benefit of the doubt and accept that, to a degree, the quality of football we have seen this season has been down to the league we’ve been playing in. I totally get that some members on this forum really don’t rate him, don’t like his football, don’t think anything will change if we go up, and want him gone but, I’m hoping such individuals (not aimed at you by the way) give their Warne out campaign a bit of a rest next season for at least a dozen games.

I have such mixed feelings. I can see the view of those who just don’t like our current style, yet what is fundamentally wrong with using wingers and getting the ball in the box ? It’s simplistic but it’s not kick and rush and I would challenge anyone who suggests it is. We have some intelligent players. Then dial in that this is L1 with the level touch, consistency and quality defined by that league  - which when lacking (which it is sometimes) makes silky tick tac midfield interchanges a bit of a lottery. Warne has adopted a style that best suits the skill set and consistency of the squad we have. The optimist in me thinks with a step up in quality there is nothing to say PW won’t change his preferences. We won’t know until A .. we’ve seen what’s available in new players, B if we can afford them and C if they want to come. For me he must have at least half a season to prove himself. And … can we honestly criticise him if the funds / players / opportunities are not there for him to adjust his current working model. ? 
 

The football hasn’t been electric but it has been entertaining, puzzling, awkward, frustrating and occasionally exciting…in equal measure. The clicheed suggestions from certain quarters that it’s crude or “Warne ball” are limp, inaccurate and unfair. 
 

We need some youth, we need improved touch and skill quality and a striker that scares people. The rest is fate but it’s 50 years since we could puff our chests out and really justify it on the field of play against all comers. That isn’t PW’s fault. 

32 minutes ago, angieram said:

We thought as much when he wasn't there last night.

Get well soon Wardy. I don’t think there’s a player in the championship, let alone L1 that can whip a cross like him. 
not being daft, but really, he can get pace, bend and that precious low trajectory at the arrival point.  Doesn’t work in every game against every team but he’s got a special ability that is hugely valuable. 

2nd or 3rd I am pretty sure 

Woahhhh you can almost taste it. 

They equalised, no subs on, Warne out !

2 hours ago, jono said:

The definition of hope = an elephant hanging over a cliff with its tail tied to a daisy ….Nevertheless..

Having borderland affinities and a welsh surname I have decided tonight that it’s COYS 

That effing elephant is related to Sir Edmund Hillary 

Oh ! Round objects !

The definition of hope = an elephant hanging over a cliff with its tail tied to a daisy ….Nevertheless..

Having borderland affinities and a welsh surname I have decided tonight that it’s COYS 

8 hours ago, DB83 said:

As for the game… we couldn’t beat Cambridge at home, so I have zero confidence that we can beat them away.

Same with Carlisle… they’ve already won 3-1 away at both Bolton and Peterborough… I fully expect them to do the same at PP.

I’ve been known to be wrong, of course, but… … …

That’s the spirit ! Well done that man. 

Anyway, If Warne gets us back he has my backing unless we look like relegation fodder. If we are mid table in mid season, scoring a decent number of goals then I’m onside and happy to see us rebuild the structure and finances of the club. We have to be competing but the prem can wait a season or two ! 
 

It’s results .. end of story 

4 hours ago, Oldben said:

Just assuming we will not have a decent budget in the Championship compared to many other teams.

The best available players there might look at us and say they've only just been promoted and they might be relegated, there are better championship teams we could play for.

Money counts, will we have that.

Will our budget be significantly more than warne had at Rotherham.

A number of the players we've signed barely got a place on the substitutes bench at the championship teams they came from.

 

Equally there will be players who want to be with a club that can attract 30,000 fans every week and the potential that brings. I know it’s a money game, a lot of life is, but I’ll bet my cotton socks there are still dreamers out there who think beyond the pay cheque at the end of the month despite what their agents tell them. 

45 minutes ago, Lokidoki said:

It’s not the soccer Gods, it is the fact that we played three in the middle, with good shape and total purpose. It sped the game up, made the passes more incisive and we were a structured team. This,  coupled with the fact that everyone looked like they knew where should be on the pitch made the game flow.

A good midfield should protect the defence and engineer chances for the attack, this we did throughout, perhaps until CH was brought on and for five it looked like we were going to stagnate again but then Corey moved into the middle and we got on the rails again.

it’s just a pity that in the past, a lot of us have seen the hole in midfield , when just two are played their and almost cried out for this to be noted and changed, to no avail.

I do hope that we can just maintain this for the final two and that lessons are learned.

COYR

 

I agree. I think Smith was hugely influential throughout the game. Adams breaks play up, the enforcer, Tommo never lets anyone breath but it was Smith as the fulcrum. Quick to pass, not too many touches, sees the ball that unglues things and sets us going forward. I can’t comment on away games but every time I see him at PP he does it right and makes us look more polished as a unit. 

6 minutes ago, Eddie said:

My sister (I was her carer today as her hubby was poorly so I was up on the wheelchair platform in the NE corner) said "I wish Sibley could tackle - everything else in his game is brilliant").

30 seconds later, you could hear the crunch. It was excellent - and inspirational.

Nice observation Eddie. Sibs didn’t produce a champagne moment (cut in, left foot bullet top corner ) but he was aggressive, alert, positive and all in all played his heart out for the team. MOTM ? Dunno, but he he was up there and played with skill and commitment. … in playground picks based on today, we’d all want Sibs. Take a bow Louis