EtoileSportiveDeDerby

Problem: <add your rant, point of view here>
Solution:bin it
Simple as that. Football was fine for many years, a few mistakes along the way and all well remembered, Maradona hand of god, Henry light touch, Lampard ghost goal.  We watch howlers by players in L1 week in week out, some defying the laws of physics, it’s football and refereeing is an integral part of it, it should have been kept that way. It wasn’t really broken so no need to fix it.
 

Problem: <add your rant, point of view here>
Solution:bin it
Simple as that. Football was fine for many years, a few mistakes along the way and all well remembered, Maradona hand of god, Henry light touch, Lampard ghost goal.  We watch howlers by players in L1 week in week out, some defying the laws of physics, it’s football and refereeing is an integral part of it, it should have been kept that way. It wasn’t really broken so no need to fix it.
 

Managers can accept strikers missing sitters and goalkeepers dropping howlers so they should accept referees make mistakes as well

VAR only came in because of the constant abuse the officials received from managers, players, pundits and fans alike.
Scrapping VAR will make the game so much quicker and more enjoyable (you can celebrate a goal without the doubt of whether it will be pulled back for something minor).
But scrapping VAR will only work if officials are treated as humans and we accept their mistakes are part of the game.

It's a crazy idea and spoils the game. It's so refreshing to watch a match without it.

I think it as simple as if there is a sniff of Hamas, a tunnel, they just blast it. If, sadly, children, civilians happen to live or be there that’s curtains for them. Gaza city has started to look like Aleppo

I think it as simple as if there is a sniff of Hamas, a tunnel, they just blast it. If, sadly, children, civilians happen to live or be there that’s curtains for them. Gaza city has started to look like Aleppo

I think it as simple as if there is a sniff of Hamas, a tunnel, they just blast it. If, sadly, children, civilians happen to live or be there that’s curtains for them. Gaza city has started to look like Aleppo

So Paul Warne will be there then 

Me thinks the football is getting in the way of the VAR sh!t show. We just need a proper howler as a finale like the disallowed Liverpool goal. L1 football, crap refs, Saturday 3pm kick offs and no VAR, bliss.

Me thinks the football is getting in the way of the VAR sh!t show. We just need a proper howler as a finale like the disallowed Liverpool goal. L1 football, crap refs, Saturday 3pm kick offs and no VAR, bliss.

Made a live human sacrifice in the centre circle, whilst saying 'Jimmy Savile is my hero' and 'I support Forest'.
Now anyone can make a mistake - or even two - but supporting Forest is a step too far.
 

It's hardly 'tick box' if there is a determined effort to increase diversity across the board by PGMOL. That's a plan.
Tick box is when there is a small concession to appease people whilst largely carrying on as before. Often by appointing someone not good enough to do the job.  That's the illusion of a plan.
Personally I think that good referees should be promoted and drawing attention to the fact that they are good will only encourage new people from more diverse backgrounds to take up refereeing and it become the norm.
I remember when there were comments about Sian Massey-Ellis on here every time she ran the line at our game. Now she doesn't even warrant a mention! She was, of course, very good again on Tuesday night. 
Wished all our assistant referees were as good as Sian and referees as good as Rebecca. 

Could I just say congratulations to Rebecca Welch who will be officiating in the Prem tomorrow.
Best ref we’ve seen in League One.
Much deserved recognition.

I'd stick with the same XI for Crewe.
Make 11 changes for Wolves U21.
Back to the winning XI v Barnsley.

I think we've reached the point now, when a manager starts clutching at straws, desperately trying something new to stave off the seemingly inevitable parting of the ways. 
 
I'd imagine tomorrow's training session will see Sonny Badley up front, Josh Vickers banging it long up to him, and James Collins so far offside he's mostly retrieving the ball for goal kicks. 
 
Warne will return to the managers office in despair, coffee in one hand, Winter 2023/23 holiday brochure in the other.
 
He'll thump his head on the desk in sheer frustration, and begin typing out his resignation letter. 
 
"FFS, even this desk is against me" he'll moan, as his fingers struggle to hit the right keys as the table wobbles precariously back and forth.
 
Investigating further, he realises the force of the head butt has dislodged a dusty old folder being used to even out the wonky desk legs. 
 
He picks up the folder, expecting its probably just some old accounting ledger we didn't want the EFL to see, and wipes the dust from the cover.
 
'The Steve McClaren playbook'.
 
He opens it gingerly, like Indiana Jones opened the Ark, and gazes in rapt wonder at its contents. 
 
He realises, for the first time in his life, that the ball serves its purpose better on the floor, passing can be better than running, and effort is no substitute for ability. 
 
He slides the holiday brochure back under the table leg, and sets to work typing up his new vision of football management, ready to impart this knowledge of his staff and players, and before we know it, the Rams are flying up the table. 
 
All I needed was time, he'll declare to the local media upon automatic promotion in April 2024.
 
Prologue.
 
It's October 2024, and the Rams are struggling to establish themselves back in the Championship.  
 
The fans are unhappy, the owner's coming under pressure to make a change, so Paul dips once again into his managerial bible. 
 
It's done him so well, so far, but try as he might he can't find any answers. 
 
He knows there's a section called Plan B, but he's never had to delve that deeply, all his prayers had been answered in the first section, so he was saving Plan B for the Prem. 
 
Needs must though, so he turns the page eagerly.  
Plan B.























 
It's blank, obviously, apart from a picture of a giant mug, and a Newcastle telephone no.



 

Its the Derby way! An indifferent first couple of months to divide the fans, then a good run in November/December to get our hopes up
Join me here in February to see what happens next!

So would I 

I’d have Taylor Swift. 

As a kick off. I did the Worksop (Halloween) half marathon this morning.
First event since turning 50 but respectable sub 1h50 mins.
Pretty hilly, but nice scenery in Clumber park for a chunk of it. Very well organised and good facilities at start/finish. Done it a few times before.

Dunno, but I've just put a bid on a coffee machine on eBay that needs a new owner.

Can’t find it. Is that in the Other Sport section?
some say we can’t afford to sack him, only DC knows. DC seems to be proper football man to me, he will know that coming out to speak will be be quickly seen as the dreaded vote of confidence and just add fuel to the fire, so best to keep it internal. I am good with that but make no mistake, the football is dire, the league is poor and with our squad we should do so much better. I have no doubt that DC can see this as well and he’s the man with the finger on the button.
 

I understand that when the football isn’t pretty, and the league position is dire, football fans will inevitably lash out. However, I am amazed that there are a good number on here tonight slating our owner. This is a staggering state of affairs even for our club, only some 15 months since he saved us.  Cool it down lads. 

I hope that isn’t the barometer that Clowes is using. This league is s**** which means we could have Kermit in charge and we’d probably still be winning half our matches. 

10 more threads and I heard Clowes will consider it