EulogyForEvolution

To be honest, I would hope that if Bielik is called back to help us get promoted he doesn't feel like Derby County is a "prison".

We paid a lot of money for him. And he's on an awful lot of money. He was on an awful lot of money sat on our recovery table, pretty much since he signed. 

I get sick of the narrative these days that a player is "held hostage" by their club.

We all work in different sectors and we sign up to work for certain terms and conditions. 

The fortunes of the organisation I work for go up and down like a rollercoaster, and I don't work for them any less when we're at a low ebb.

And my terms are nowhere near as generous as his, by the way.

This isn't meant as a criticism of him, because he hasn't complained publicly. But I would hope that he'd be happy to come back and help take us up.

Solid point that. Especially with our injury problems and all the minutes in our players' legs over the last few weeks.

They had the best of the overall play. We had the best chances. 

Think where we were before Warne took over with our away form - I think he's done a great job to turn it around.

That was a fantastic watch. I think we all knew the players had a lot more in them than they were showing. It's brilliant to see us play some fast, attacking football, forcing the opposition into making errors.

As the fitness levels improve, so will we. Great start! COYR! ?

At the end of the day, we've done our time being a proving ground for new managers. 

Three out of our last four managers had never had a job before being appointed by us. The other had never managed in this country.

I wish Liam all the best but he was only appointed interim manager for a reason. I thought he was doing a decent job but the style of football was way too ambitious for this league - Cocuball reborn.

This seems like the most sensible appointment we've made in years. I have a good feeling about Warne.

I guess we can look forward to three centre backs, two wing backs who play more like full backs, and two sitting midfielders.

I'll gladly eat my words if we win a World Cup, but I'd love to see him be brave and play something like this:

                Ramsdale

James  Tomori  Stones  Chilwell

                    Rice

          Mount      Bellingham

Foden                              Sancho

                   Kane

Substitute in players like Trent, Shaw, Maguire and Grealish dependent on club form.

I also think Rashford deserves a recall. He's had a good start to the season.

42 minutes ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

There were a load of chances when Sibley wasn't on the pitch

I know we created a lot with Sibley not on the pitch, but I don't think it's a coincidence we've only scored league goals this season with him on the field, despite him only starting one in 5.

His movement and willingness to attack creates space for others. 

He's also one of our own. I'd like to see him get a decent run.

I don't know what Sibley has to do to get rewarded with a string of starts.

If he's on for the 90, playing in his best position, we create enough chances to win that for me. He created an absolute hat full and he frees up other players with his runs and excellent touches and movement in the final third. 

If Sibley doesn't start the next game Liam can put himself in the bin.

8 minutes ago, InstaRam said:

Hmm, maybe it might take a few more weeks getting a newly assembled squad to get used to each other as well as how they need to play in order to create and capitalize more in the final third? We have managed to get hold of the ball a lot, gets a fair few corners and aren't overly troubled at the back. Seems like a good foundation early on to me.

That said, a little more tweaks, in-form players, urgency and risk awareness might do us some good though ?.

Onwards and upwards! We took a point from home, almost unthinkable a few months ago!

I think for me the worry isn't the players or the time they will take to gel. It's the way they're being asked to play. A lot of the frustrating things from the last few years are very evident in this newly assembled squad already. 

The insistence on playing out from the back, the daft goal kick, allowing teams to reshape before we go on the attack, only taking risks in our own half, playing without midfield runners leading to an isolated front man, conservativism in our play right to the last minute...to name just a few.

I'll back the team and I wish Liam all the luck in the world, but I hope this isn't the plan. 

Having 80% of the ball is worth less than f*** all if most of it is between your keeper and your centre backs -even in the last f****** minute of injury time!

Dropping Sibley for this game because Korey Smith is too good to sit on the bench is nonsense. Sibbo changed the game again when he came on and I have no doubt we are a better side with him on the pitch at the moment.

The mentality needs to change quickly, because that was dire. 

Very frustrating to watch. How many times are we going to work it down the left with Hourihane and Barkhuizen, then pass it to Roberts for him to turn around, jog down the line until he's pressured, and pass it back to Cashin. 

We're also not the same team with Bird/Smith/Hourihane as a three. Sibley on for me, he should have started. Or Smith to RB and Knight into midfield. We need legs in there.

4 hours ago, David said:

Well no, if England internationals Tomori is willing to leave AC Milan and Mount Chelsea for us in League 1, I think we'd be daft not to ?

But Weimann, Vydra, Hughes all no, and Martin please let's not even go there! 

I'm with you on the sentiment, but we'd be mad not to take back Vydra, Weimann or Hughes at this level ? Not that any of them would come or accept the wages we could offer. 

As for this transfer, if it turned out to be true, I'd be pleased enough. We need a backup striker with a presence up front, and Waggy could do a job. The way he threw himself into the goalpost on the last day of the 20/21 season to help keep us up would be enough for me welcome him back ?

I'd say I can't believe it but I can. Coming away from that game with nothing to show for it so f****** typical ?

Collins and Knight should have had that game won for us or at least brought home a point, no question.

14 corners, point blank efforts on goal, and nothing. 

New season. New squad. Same old f****** Derby ??

Dominate. Don't score. Back foot. Concede. So disappointing. 

1 minute ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Reminds me a bit of when Howard joined. Took him a few games to get going

He's getting into the right positions. That's half the battle. Maybe he just needs some confidence - didn't have the best time at Cardiff. 

Really pleased with that half overall. We played some really good stuff.

1 minute ago, rammieib said:

This type of thing gets so messy. 

However, worst case here is that we don't pay him any of the wages but he wins his case that his contract can be terminated AND we have to release his registration and therefore, don't get a fee.

Best case now is that we are in the right. He doesn't get any wages for breach of contract (i.e Not turning up to work) and we can claim a fee if he leaves.

Why he can't have just acted professionally by coming back to work, getting his head down, privately asking for a transfer away, but getting fit, is beyond me. Personally I'd never treat my employer the way he is.

Exactly. I just do not get what he's getting out of this. On the back of his performances over the last couple of seasons a team would have bought him. We would have got him fit and ready for the season, he would have got his move, we would have received a fee, and he would go with warm wishes. Worst case scenario, he would have had to play for us until Christmas. Would that really have been so bad? I just don't understand it. 

This will be a great workout. Much more akin to the kind of football we'll be facing in League One. We'll need to work out how to grind out wins at places like this. Let's see if we can make the adjustments in the second half. 

Thompson is looking a bit light weight so far. We miss Bird and Bielik when they aren't sitting deep. 

This is going to sound overly critical and i don't mean it to be, but I would really love him to want to stay and help us out of League One. 

We spent an awful lot on him and he has spent most of his time with us on the treatment table. I won't criticise him if he leaves on loan or a permanent - that's just what football is - but I'd love him to decide to stay and repay the faith. 

As some have said, a season in League One wouldn't be terrible for him. 

                 Pickford
Trent  Stones  Tomori  Chilwell
                    Rice
          Mount     Bellingham
Foden                            Grealish
                    Kane

Initial squad of 26 (which I believe is likely for this World Cup):
Ramsdale, Pope, James, Walker, Maguire, Guehi, Shaw, Henderson, Ward-Prowse, Gallagher, Sancho, Saka, Sterling, Abraham, Calvert-Lewin

Hope to see Sancho hit the ground running under Ten Hag. If he does, he would go right into the starting line up. The Tomori pick isn't just bias, either. He's really mobile and naturally left sided, which we miss at international level a lot of the time.

If there is another party headed by Appleby that can come in and buy the club, I really hope it happens. I've had a general mistrust of Kirchner ever since he popped up. I was hoping to be proved wrong, but ever since then I've gone on to trust him less.

He revels in the spotlight until he's asked what's happening when things aren't going his way. At which point he 'no comments' it...no comment?! You've been flapping your trap enough when fans are all over you on Twitter!

If it's the choice between CK or the death of the club, take it.

If it's the choice between CK or some more proven, sensible owners, take that. Even if it means a hold up and losing some players.

Players come and go. A bad owner can be a bitch to get rid of once in place, as we know too well. 

Just now, duncanjwitham said:

It's not nice to bump old threads in the transfer forum though, and make everyone think he's leaving ?

We might as well get the thread warmed up. If Luke Plange is anything to go by he'll be bought shortly after his first goal ?

1 minute ago, Mckram said:

I think Wayne is right when he said we will know at the end of Feb.

We play Birmingham, Hull, Peterborough and Millwall at home by then…we should be going for 10 points as a minimum from these.

Assume we lose to Boro and Huddersfield, so 10 points in total would mean we’re on 24.

Reading already on 22 points, so would 10 points over that period be enough to close the gap…

 

Knowing us we'll beat Boro and Huddersfield and lose to Birmingham and Peterborough ?

I'm on my morning meeting going through the inbox and we have been FLOODED with emails. My MP will have an action out on it today. Fantastic work everyone. Keep the pressure up!

It was great to see the support for the club, but there is an awful long way to go yet. 

I didn't appreciate the Minister for Sport not being there for the UQ. I know how it works and he could have been there if he wanted to.

I also want to say a huge well done to everyone on this campaign. As I said before, I work in politics and things like this do not tend to happen without pressure coming from constituents. I'm working quite far away from Derby now but there have been so many emails coming into the inbox from Derby fans urging actions. 

Keep it up. Let's hope the Minister gets straight on the phone to the EFL.

6 minutes ago, Grumpy Git said:

WTF doesn't the sports minister get on his feet.

Total pisstake.

He can't. It's a daft rule, but once a Minister begins responding to a debate he can't tag out. 

He was in a Bill Committee...which it has to be said he could have got out of to answer a UQ, as Toby Perkins pointed out.

Almost as if he doesn't have anything constructive to say...

Margaret Beckett: "He said in his opening remarks that nobody wants to see the club go under. Well, some of us are beginning to wonder."

I want to hear something strong from the Minister on this soon. He isn't there, but he has to come out strong on it. Great to hear the contribution from Julian Knight MP, too, saying that the EFL should show decency after relying on a bailout themselves.