DarkFruitsRam7

Couldn’t find a standalone Clowes thread, so started this one. As someone who was very much in the Warne Out camp and thought Clowes was making a mistake for keeping him on, I have to hold my hands up and say he was bang on to hold his nerve and not be swayed by an increasing amount of hostility.
I still have my thoughts on how the club should be run differently, but we can save those for another day. I may have missed it, but this man needs a proper song ASAP.

What a way for him to go as well. Too young, but to see people paying tribute to your life across multiple countries while you’re alive must be special.

Merlin has Sky I think

Forest banter aside, I’m in shock that’s what Ashley young looks like now. He looks about 20. Is that Ashley Young’s kid?

Brilliant, just brilliant.
I don’t know what we’ve done to deserve all this good karma, but just when you think they have the upper hand on us, we pull ourselves together and they embarrass themselves in front of the whole country.
The spirit of Fawaz lives on.

Give him the freedom of Derby
 

Brilliant, just brilliant.
I don’t know what we’ve done to deserve all this good karma, but just when you think they have the upper hand on us, we pull ourselves together and they embarrass themselves in front of the whole country.
The spirit of Fawaz lives on.

Passion! 
BTW, if you're on X, Georgia Knight is well worth the follow. Takes some great photos.

They've beaten you to it...
 

This is beautiful
 

Brilliant, just brilliant.
I don’t know what we’ve done to deserve all this good karma, but just when you think they have the upper hand on us, we pull ourselves together and they embarrass themselves in front of the whole country.
The spirit of Fawaz lives on.

Cheers Duracell - ticket swap arranged. My brother and I get to go in the South Stand so it's a win-win for everyone!

Give him the freedom of Derby
 

Give him the freedom of Derby
 

Give him the freedom of Derby
 

Give him the freedom of Derby
 

Give him the freedom of Derby
 

Give him the freedom of Derby
 

I know someone every few weeks will bring up the Moment of Truth podcast up, but I started listening to it again Saturday morning after only listening to the first couple episodes when Warne joined us, and it’s maybe a really good moment in time to listen to it because there’s plenty to be taken from it about Warne and our coaching staff.

Two of David Clowes’ aims when he took over the Club were to bring integrity and also establish ourselves in the Championship within 5 years. We didn’t get promotion last year, much to many fans angst. On reflection, it was probably a good job we didn’t. We would still have been working to a strict business plan which would have tied our hands in the transfer market to some degree and made the season very difficult.
We have recruited quite a few players this year who will be able to play in the Championship next year. Some recruits haven’t been quite so successful. We will have a reasonable pot for transfers this year we have been told. Probably, Wildsmith, Nyambe, Cashin,Nelson,Elder,Ward,Wilson,Mendis-Laing,Blackett-Taylor,Sibley,Forsyth,Rooney should be ok in the Championship - I personally have more concerns about Smith, Collins, Barkhaizen, Thompson, Fornah, Gayle, Washington, Vickers.  We will lose Bird and Adams (for now?)
I think, with some shrewd business, we should be able to put together a competitive squad.
in terms of integrity, I think our progression has been amazing. There has been hardly any, if at all, negative news regarding our club in the media. The Management team all absolutely appear to be working together to a common goal. We have recruited (not to everyone’s like) good people, who want to play for the shirt, not just here for the money, as in the past. The Academy has made good progress in its rebuild and the are a few players who look to have good futures, hopefully as Derby players.
At our best and most confident, we do play some exciting football, score goals and don’t concede many. Yes, we would like to see more of the exciting times but our main aim has been to get out of this difficult league this year. Too often in the past we have had a soft underbelly and have struggled against strong, aggressive teams. We currently have a side, which mainly, doesn’t buckle against this type of side.
So I am happy with the progress of Derby County this last two years and look forward to what will happen next. David Clowes is a quietly shrewd business man and I think Paul Warne is an intelligent manager, who is a lot shrewder and football wise than many give him credit for. Not only this but he is a fantastic man-manager and team spirit builder.
Can’t wait to see what happens next.
 

I was there for the last auto season. I was 11 I think and gripped by football fever. That win to seal it against Palace was a truly great moment and one to savour.
If we get over the line on Saturday (and let's hope we do because frankly I don't think any of us could take the epic meltdown from all corners) then I shall be sinking a few beers (one at least for our dearly departed talisman of positivity) and savouring it because these moments don't come around too often.
Come on Rams, bring it home!

I have been taking my son to the match since he was 5. His first match was 2018. In the six seasons he's been watching Derby, he's gone to Wembley to watch Derby in a play-off final - one goal away from the Premier League. He's seen Derby play (on Rams TV) in an empty stadium during a pandemic. He's seen Derby escape relegation on the last game of the season in a 3-3 draw with a dramatic twist in the last 5 minutes. He's seen Derby go into administration, docked 21 points and be (as it turned out) 7 days away from not existing at all. He's seen Derby relegated to the 3rd tier. He's seen Derby, two weeks before the start of the season, with 5 registered players. He's seen Derby miss out on the play-offs on the last game of the season with some dodgy refereeing. He's now seeing Derby 1 draw away from promotion.
It's never dull at Derby.

Cheers Duracell - ticket swap arranged. My brother and I get to go in the South Stand so it's a win-win for everyone!

King Richard, Netflix, the amazing story of Venus and Sabrina Williams beginnings and their father Richard's obsessive and sometimes disturbing plan to turn two of his 5 daughters into tennis legends. It lags at times but does give a pretty honest picture, warts and all, of what he did to achieve his dream for them. Taribo West 7.5