RamLad1884

It's that balance between big squad and managing the wage bill again. Lowe/wisdom/Forsyth means our defence is covered. Evans is getting back to fitness and we could pull Sibley/Bird if we lost Shinnie/Bielik.

He should get injured more often, best he's looked in years 👀

It's my understanding that everything you've just mentioned has already taken place over the summer. Big earners such as Johnson and Butterfield gone, replaced with modest earners like Shinnie (you'd assume) as well as youth players. I'd be very surprised if by the time accounts come out for this current season we are still on that brink.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/10122175/Derby-mel-morris-60m-to-sell-bid-rejected/ Here's the Sun's original piece, worth noting the article said Americans had already flown in before Mel upped the price. One would hope the haggling on price isn't a sign of conservative spending/asset sales to come.

Agreed, no way is this a full takeover, the words of the departing directors suggest they leave to make room for the investors, I'd imagine MM will hold majority still.

I go by the words of an old football coach of mine: 'learn to win, then learn to win well'. That sticks out here. Liverpool didn't win the champions league playing all pretty football, nor Man City with the Premier League. The successful teams win games when they play poorly. Right now we've got a thin squad, some players either building up fitness or injured and an unsettled team under a relatively new system. I'd rather we win games ugly and improve over the season.

Like others have said, it looks like he just tried to hit it as hard as he could and see what happens. Don't think it was a cross, he wasn't aiming for anyone, but neither was it a shot. He was being closed down and probably thought if he hit it hard enough we might can a corner or lucky deflection.

When we talk about attacking full backs I think of the partnership between Brayford/Coutts a few years back. Both were capable wingers and defenders equally. What we're lacking is a player that can play the 'Coutts' role ahead of Bogle, that's able to track back and cover too. Holmes can/has played RB so it'd make sense to have those two playing interchangeably.

We've also gained a fair few points in games we had no right to win (brum at home/flukey own goal today etc). The season will have these kind of games, they tend to balance each other out.

Considering the amount of times Chris Martin has been messed around by us, to come back as well as retain his clear love for the club is great. Keep going the way he is and it will be the ultimate redemption story for him. A coffee with flojo would be good. It'd be interesting to see what he makes playing under Cocu after his stint at PSV.

Can understand some of the changes. Malone in for Lowe though? Considering they're trying to get a settled defense why change the LB?

Pulis to Rowett to Harris with a few in between? No wonder Stoke fans are turning on the club

I wouldn't complain if that was the case: fast, dangerous and no regard for his own safety!

Don't agree with Lawrence/Bennett whatsoever. Even if we take the morality of putting this pair in so soon, will they really be 100% focused on the game? We already know Lawrence is a confidence player, can't see him being very confident knowing a significant amount of the fans wouldn't have him in a job still, never mind in the first team. Either way, still gotta win, support the team Cocu puts out really. First time we've seen an established Bogle and Lowe together I think?

I can see your logic, but honestly it would be PR suicide to put either of these anywhere near the squad right now. At least wait until the court date has passed, even if their heads were in the right place we'd be sending an awful message to the public.