jono

55 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

You are getting confused, it was Mike Leigh. Well worth a look if you haven’t seen it 👍

I watched it first time round. Michael Palin. But I think we have crossed wires 🤣

When I think about it, it’s a bit like us and Clough or Smith or Mac1 🤣

2 hours ago, hintonsboots said:

Yes that’s him. Great Mike Leigh play if you haven’t seen it.

Not Mike Leigh. It was Monty Python Eric Idle I think 

On 02/02/2024 at 12:29, Ghost of Clough said:

The process used for this season will need to be overhaulled. 12 summer signings and a further 2 in January, of which only 3 are likely to be regular starters is absolutely shocking (Nelson, Nyambe, Blackett-Taylor). This is also after the squad failed to place top last season, losing 3 of our first 11 (Roberts, Knight and McGoldrick) and not even having a right back in the entire squad.

It's summarised by having no long term vision. That's in terms of: a) bringing in younger players who will either maintain their current standards for longer, or have room for improvement; or b) planning how the players will fit into the team.

Warne put a clear focus on older and more experience players, based on the rationale of higher wages equates to better players. If more budget is put towards the wages, we'll end up with a stronger squad of players.
Warne also had no plan on how to fit the players into the team. This is demonstrated by early summer recruitment being with 3421 in mind, which quickly changed to 352, and then alternating between 442 and 4231 during the season so far. We signed a LB (Elder) to play as a wing back, but also signed Nyambe (RB) after already signing 2 wing backs. He also signed a slow CB who cannot play in a high line and is uncomfortable on the ball under pressure. We've basically got through from October with only 1 fully fit forward whowas 2nd choice last season and failed to improve on in the summer AND January.
The style of play our CF targets prefer also varied. Summer targets like Harris, Rhodes and Sharp all have different strengths and weaknesses. Similar with January targets such as Smith, Gregory, Mubama, Ennis. It's just a scattergun approach all round. Most of these targets compromise on the high intensity press Warne wants to implement too.

I just don’t see it like that. With Ward and Wash picking up long term injuries Warne was well stuffed. Add in the whole(not just DCFC ) football finances issues - take a look at PL spending. 
Then we look at the Warne wants older players statement. No he doesn’t - he was and is actively looking for players in their prime but has been priced out of the market. Now he could have gambled on kids and perhaps build for the future, I’d like that but a huge chunk on this forum would be saying he’s rubbish we need out of this league, where’s the quality - we have very impatient fans. Naaaa I don’t buy very much of your proposition. It’s a dog fight, we haven’t had much luck with injuries and we don’t have cash to splash. And … he changed shape when he couldn’t get the players he wanted for specific jobs, or if he did, they got injured. Yet ….. here we are in second place

Rest in peace Barry John. Great memories 

On 02/02/2024 at 11:07, tinman said:

The question was how do we change it up? 
the answer I gave was change the manager. 
 

or only answers approved by you allowed?

Changing the manager doesn’t alter a shortage of strikers or limited funds. Yours wasn’t an answer it was a political statement. Yes of course it’s allowed but you sound like a one trick, one policy pony. It’s an enormous yawn, a scratched record without thought. Just irritating predictable noise. Oh and we are 2nd in the table. 

39 minutes ago, Grumpy Git said:

But we've not dropped any of those points v any of this group. 👍🏻

And somebody has dropped something … because we are now in the automatics … got to fight to stay there, but they’ve got to fight to move us 

UTR … this feels good. New signings performing, damaged players recovering.. we can do this 

6 hours ago, Mucker1884 said:

Was late getting home, so was well into second half before catching up on here.  This and the beeb match updates.

Seen nothing.  Heard nothing.

From the comments on here:
It seems to have been an ugly win.  I'll not complain about that.
Max played to the max, it seems... and I'll happily add a slice of humble pie to my supper later, on that topic.  Well done, and thanks, Max!  🐏

I'd much rather have the points in the bag, than rely on the ifs, buts and maybes that adhere themselves to games in hand.  Let others do the hoping and praying on that score.  We're now the team they have to catch, and that makes a nice welcome change.

I hope those 3 magnificent points keeps @jono moist for the entirety of his birthday evening.

 

EDIT:

Just seen the vid of the goal... I'll take two slices, Max.  Beautiful through ball that!  👍

 

Second though... eh?  🐏🍻

Happy days and thanks @Mucker1884 very “moist” thank you .. brill birthday 2 lots of mates and a cracking pub dinner at Belper Lane End and 3 points. What more could one ask for.

My Burnley supporting mate found this for me and bought it on “t internet” which makes fun reading 

all’s good with the world. Sounds like Adams gave us a gooddebit and looks like a proper Ram. 3 points, good company and TB1 taking off with no reply (even if it was slightly delayed by “circumstances” ) grinning all over from ear to ear. 😎🍻

On 30/01/2024 at 09:02, Topram said:

There in absolute dire form so a Charlton win is likely 

But it’s my birthday today, that simply isn’t allowed to happen 🤣

7 hours ago, i-Ram said:

No, no, no. He was a pretty decent player, but he has not been on his game for 5 years. We have Washington and Waghorn supposedly back soon. That would be 3 average journeymen strikers, waiting for one above average journeyman striker to not be available. We missed out getting someone we needed. Gayle would just be a case of badly papering over cracks with expensive wallpaper.

But we are short of firepower right now. Definitely not the future, unlikely we could pay anything close to what he wants but then again I very much doubt any other club is going to except as a massive gamble.

If he wants to play for us because it’s close to home and he wants to keep fit and he’s getting near the end of his career, I’d happily give him a 6 month deal at normal squad pay with a promo bonus. Pretty sure that’s similar to what Waggy has. 
Warne is much maligned but along with DC I bet we aren’t handing out sweeties, long contracts to older players. They are doing a job for a specific objective. We won’t go anywhere and can’t look anywhere long term while we are in this league and still under the eye of the EFL. So of necessity deals will be pragmatic. 

I just remember at the end of one of the Rooney games that we won late on. He was on fire and with us celebrating. He’s got RAM written right through him. Delighted by this. 

On 30/01/2023 at 17:58, RadioactiveWaste said:

Didn't he have an injury he never really recovered from? Seem to remember Cocu saying something about it hurting him to just kick the ball with any force.

We never know these things but I think there was a long standing groin issue (behave 🤣) You can see how that would limit him, I remember having a hernia / pull there, you just can’t press the loud peddle but you don’t know until you have to.
I liked him, cocky sod, but you need em like that sometimes and that Leeds game was pure magic. He’ll always get a big clap from me. 

Welcome Ebou. Sounds good, decent aura from an instinct point of view. Glad he’s got a buddy in Wilson. If he has fire like Kane then all to the good.
 

My happy clappy self thinks this could be a very good signing.

Happy enough with Bird OR Hourihan but the two together don’t cut it. Is Ebou the key and will Warne rotate ?

3rd, just missing out on the autos on GD or GS. Win the playoffs emphatically (but only after 1st play off game is messy, slow and bad tempered filling us all with self doubt)

Towering header from Bradley gets us over the line 😎

2 minutes ago, Jourdan said:

I suppose where that plan falls down is players have to generate interest and also have to be willing to go.

I think we could do with 1-2 more like everyone else, but I don’t agree with signings for the sake of it.

We might just have to go with what we have and see if and how the injuries ease up.

I don’t know how other clubs injury profile looks at the moment but you can’t help feeling we have had our share of bad luck with Wash, Waggy and JJ all at once, but according to some that will be Warne’s fault too…. Buys glass, wrong training methods, should have, could have .. it’s tedious sometimes

On 28/01/2024 at 01:35, Anag Ram said:

Great goal today but where have the offsides come from all of a sudden?

Last few games it seems he has been caught quite a few times. Unlike him. Overeager to stay further forward?

He isn’t a fool, he’s instinctive and knows he lacks pace/acceleration. I think he’s gambling on that half stride as older strikers do ! Darren Bent anyone ? 
 

I want to take my hat off to Collo. What a trooper, real gutsy striker. A 6 yard box man who isn’t intimidated by anyone and has added some sound defensive headers in to the mix. As others have said, he lacked service and support early season but NML and Wilson are giving him ammo and he’s using it. Funny thing is that he gets written down as a bit lumpy and lacking finesse. True up to a point, His first touch isn’t great, he struggles to beat a man 1V1, but there’s a deftness sometimes, more than one neat back heel when we up the tempo. 
 

how many 20 goal strikers have we had recently ? Chrissy Martin, Steve Howard, Didsy. I think Collo might join them.

I remember a Journo (Times or Telegraph) saying “Steve Howard is an antediluvian striker with a shambling gait and right foot like a howiitzer” … Did ok for us. so is Collo. 

6 hours ago, DavesaRam said:

He has also limited the team by steadfastly refusing to play the youngsters when we are desperate for fresh legs, when we really need to give some if the old legs a rest.

He’s certainly been very cautious. I would have liked Brown to have been given more of a chance but the points haul over the last dozen games gives some justification. One thing for sure in my mind, now Tommo is back he needs using and I’d like to see more of Fornah he strikes me as being technically very capable and prepared to attack rather than play safe. 

31 minutes ago, Leeds Ram said:

I was close to the pitch today and in the section of the pitch (on the right hand side in the middle) that I could see it was obvious there was a lack of clarity leading to mistakes being made. Players didn't know when or where to run to, who they should be passing to, or the pattern of play they should be exercising. Laing was getting frustrated as was Wilson who had a stinker but oftentimes he was put in a poor position because he had so few options and Laing was all over the shop. To me it stunk more of poor coaching than anything else. 

I know what you mean from yesterday but these players are largely experienced men, and football is in constant motion. Regardless of coaching, where is the natural instinct ? When Fornah came on, his first touch was a one touch layoff and then he darted forward in to free space. That is from learning basics as a kid, they should know that anyway. 

8 hours ago, sage said:

It's not about me. 

It's not about Warne.

It's not personal.

Do you really think it's just me that thinks the football on display is largely poor?

 

Yesterday was, first half particularly and a handful of games at other times too, but no, I don’t think the football is “largely” poor. We are a bit inconsistent and make too many individual errors. Warne does ok, his post match summaries tell me that he sees what we see. His only failing seems to be having ideas that when  they don’t work, he sticks to them a bit too long. For example, early season 3 at the back and now the Bird / Hourihan thing. But remember, his options have been limited by a number of factors outside his control

1) Budget for new players

2) Washington, Waghorn, Thompson, Smith, Rooney, Ward all with, or coming back from  long terms injuries - Players that have a mix of skills or youth to switch things around. 

2 minutes ago, kevinhectoring said:

You should apply whatever metric you want Jordan. But until we play like a team that deserves promotion, we should all be worried 

I am worried because we only have one fit striker and too many of our “stars” have older legs. They don’t turn it on every week because they can’t. I am also worried that our manager is a bit inflexible on his starting midfield; but those things apart, results show that we are a team that are challenging for promotion .. where does your “deserve” come from ? For me they deserve to be where they are on the basis of the results they have achieved over the last 20 odd games.  
Ipswich last year and Peterborough this year are the only teams I have seen recently that played significantly better quality football all round than we do. This is league one, we are in it and in a strong 4th place. It is well deserved ! 

4 hours ago, Tyler Durden said:

So we obviously are skint and the likelihood of further incomings this January are slim.

If we are skint then it follows that Warne won't be going anywhere any time soon.

Who seems unwilling or unable to change the modus operandi of his team.

So what changes then?

Except that after a dire first half, he did change it and we won. 
 

yes, Warne seems wedded too much to Bird Hourihan, that’s for sure. We were so much better with Fornah and Tommo on the front foot.

but looking way beyond tactics and all the anti Warne statements on here ….If you look at that first half (and it was a horrible watch )  It’s the players who are misplacing passes, it’s the players who aren’t passing and moving, it’s the players who aren’t showing for the ball, it’s the players who need 3 touches before deciding to pass the ball sideways. Berate Warne all day long but for me a heck of a lot of that first half misery rests with the players today. And for all those saying Warne hasn’t got a plan B ? .. looks like he did have didn’t he ! 3 at the back did work .. funny game football. 
 

Nelson, Collo, Sibs (and Bird for 45 minutes ) the stand outs for me in what was a fine example of League one football .. God I hope we can escape, that wasn’t pretty 
 

Grim. Passing is slack beyond measure. No energy at all. Bird and Hourihan look like senior ramblers looking for walks without any steep hills, no wonder we try and go out wide. Need Tommo on 

1 hour ago, Chris_Martin said:

he has 2 goals and 5 assists in 23 matches playing as a CDM most of the time. That's basically a 1 in 3 goal contribution.  Bear in mind he doesn't take set pieces either to help boost those stats. What more do you want?

If your after more goals from midfield, surely it's whoever is playing as the no.10 s responsibility more than it is the CDM.

Your last sentence is they key one from my pov. We don’t have an effective outlet at 10. With the likes of Wash and Waggy you can pull CB’s and DM’s out of position. I suspect much of our failings in the midfield stem from this. Bird and Hourihan only really have wide as an outlet .. so they use it. Don’t think it’s all Warne ball .. I think it’s type of players as much as anything 

20 hours ago, BramcoteRam84 said:

It was just a s*** performance end of, consign to the bin and move on. I’m not panicking yet

I am hoping this is the case. Early in the season we’d have one good game then in the next, the same players would just look off it/lacklustre. The incidence of them being “off it” then fell and we made ground. 
Tuesdays performance was reminiscent of early season form and demeanour. No reason why we can’t get back on course. That said injuries have meant “older” players now have a lot of miles under their belts, I can’t help feeling the re charge capacity of a 30 something Vs a 20 something is significant. 
decent win on Saturday and all will be well. 
 

As an aside I think we miss the front foot options at the top of the pitch that Waggy, Ward and Wash could have brought.

I must be a bit odd (according to some views on here ) 

I actually like his summaries post match. Honest realistic, doesn’t want to slag players but will always drop a hint tempered by recognising players are human. As to results, we aren’t running away with as some think we should but we are at it and serious challengers. Then you get to style of play. Sometimes quite dynamic, sometimes a bit predictable. We don’t have a midfield balance or a general. That said, the hit it wide is because that is where our line breakers are strongest. If Wash and/or Waggy were fit we could well see more from the middle or the channels. 
another poster suggested we only had good results because we have batter players. I disagree. Some of our players have elevated natural skills that come out on the best of days but the rest of the time misplace passes, fail to control like so many others. Those leading lights have all passed their peaks and face a match by match battle against younger legs on average. I like Warne. Can’t stand the vitriol, don’t think he’s a genius but he’s a good manager. Derby need a hot shot in the front line and a dominating midfielder. We aren’t failing or playing bad stuff because of Warne. I reckon he’s doing a good job with what he’s got. 

Very disappointed but let’s get some perspective. We have had 2 bad results in 12 games. Early in the season it was 1 bad result every 2 games. Bad day, they happen, you lose games in any league. Saturday is crucial.