Zag zig

10 hours ago, IslandExile said:

Jesse Lingard. So it continues....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68812570

 

My pick of those quotes is Jesse being active on social media! Wonder if he’s treating them to some Tik tok moves, with contorted hand gestures to show how cool he is? 🙄

Got to be one of the lamest away games of the season and the almost kamikaze end summed it up; disjointed, no cutting edge when chances came but ultimately they were just underwhelming.

Head scratcher when we had above a week to plan for this game.

2 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

More composure needed. Business end of the season, let's act accordingly.

Yep, that’s all it needed.

Team putting us fans through the wringer but just got to take a chance 2nd half. C’mon Pep give them an err pep talk. We can win this.

2nd because no way will our rivals win every game on current form.

Beat Wycombe I genuinely think the belief running through the team will sky rocket; we’re going to be fine, positive mindset and all that, just can’t see us losing many points between now and season end.

38 minutes ago, Eoghan1884 said:

A mention to Sibley, a shaky first 10/15 but after that he did very well against one of the best wingers in the league. 

Bizarrely, I think they tried to play the ball over the top to their winger and it helped Sibley read it better, he just had to allow space and let the ball zip out; which he did a few times very well.

24 minutes ago, Ambitious said:

I doubt this will be done by the last game, the Carlisle one promises to be a tense home game. 

Reckon plenty would still take that given the atmosphere we’ve created lately and how we’re getting results at home. Know I would and fully expect us to do the job now 👍

2 minutes ago, Kernow said:

Big, big deflection is the only reason that went in, but guess what? I couldn't give a hoot!

Went in because he took the shot 😉

Complete passenger some games, how he stayed on the pitch today baffled me.

No doubting he’s had a good career and he should be better in this team, but take away he can tuck the odd goal away around the box, his final ball can be quite poor. I’m sorry to say but far too wasteful for the calibre of player he’s supposed to be at league 1 level.

6 minutes ago, strawhillram said:

Is it an illusion that we are in second place

No but it’s the hope that hurts you as a Derby fan.

Really exasperated by this performance, because they genuinely looked terrible when they came to Pride Park, but we both missed chances and underperformed today.

Very deflating after last week.

4 hours ago, 8Leeds said:

Just watched the highlights back. My god I miss that squad of players. What a team. 

My lads were younger, it’s funny though other than the Lampard season, the eldest said last weekend for different reasons this season is one of the most exciting they can remember since the Mac 1 team.

He qualified it that the football is nowhere near as good or easy on the eye, but for the first time he’s excited we could go up automatic. He barely remembers the Davis team and following season (phew). Kind of gave me fresh perspective about that season, we were so good, yet faltered.

So now I don’t care, I’d just like them to have a successful promotion memory, head into town after Carlisle game and I’ll live all my glory day memories, whilst they enjoy their first true promotion one. 
 
Still feel that team would’ve evolved in the Prem, maybe struggled but for all the great wins; it just always reminds them of that final.

15 minutes ago, Phoenix said:

"the Premier League has no "fixed formula" for points deductions based on the size of a breach"

I wonder what size the brown envelope was.

Anything involving the Fat Greek is presumably XXXL, though maybe the odd salad dressing.

3 hours ago, MarsdenRam said:

Four is not enough for my liking. Forty maybe...

A point every £8.5m, one way of looking at it.

My mate just left to head back to Telford, nights like these test your resolve.

The 6th sees scores more leave.

11 minutes ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Are you Derby in disguise?

My blades mate there text me and said he couldn’t remember us getting tonked like this; says he hopes they never go up again if the owner hasn’t got ambition to shop at more than Poundland. 
 

So far out their depth.

23 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

11 goals/assists in 11 U18 league games this season and he's still only 16 (until tomorrow).

I think it's a really special crop of players and wouldn't be surprised if we challenge for the title next season. 9 of today's starters are only first year scholars. 

Suggests given tiger ages and inexperience, they are being coached well too  🐑 

1 minute ago, angieram said:

Sonny Bradley is starting to play consistently well, but could this be a double-edged sword for us? 

In order to keep his place in the team, it more or less forces Warne to stick with three at the back.

I feel our best football this season has been played with a back four. I just can't see Bradley in that set-up.

 

Good point.

Was thinking about this myself, but more along the lines, if we play a 3, with Adams sitting in and extra bite to stop teams running through us, could we play Bird and maybe Sibley in front for more creativity. Know Sibley gets his knockers but I genuinely felt taking him off yesterday, made it more comfortable for them.

My issue with the 3 is not so much it doesn’t work defensively, it’s more the capabilities of our wing backs going forward. Which I think is why you would suggest 4-3-3? So I’m trying to think what allows them to be more effective, ball players with attacking instincts in the middle?

11 hours ago, Sufferingfool said:

Sadly that was the same for me especially with Eric Steele. I have been able to listen to the commentary of away games recently but today briefly turned it on but only lasted a couple of minutes. It always sounds so negative and leaves me feeling depressed and angry. I’m aware some like it but I’m not one of them.

Whenever I hear Malcolm Christie, even if after the game, in terms of punditry his analysis seems good, you’re given a feel he knows what he’s talking about but he’s far more upbeat.

Steele may have been a good goalkeeping coach, knows his onions but boy us he dull on the radio this season; he’s full on grumpy old man.

11 hours ago, DB83 said:

I’m constantly surprised by the number of people on here who seem to be expecting and indeed demanding that we cruise to promotion. It very rarely happens; even Leicester are no longer cruising to promotion this season. We’ve only managed automatic promotion once in 37 years, and we’ve recently been at probably the lowest ebb in our history. It would have been nice to win today, but guess what, the teams in first and third place didn’t win either. We still are in with a good chance.

I’m totally with you on this, there is seldom anyone strolls the league, the opportunity to go up is clearly there though, as the league looks weaker this season and we’re definitely one of the stronger teams, that why we’re 2nd!

Just think there was a fair bit of frustration yesterday, Barnsley barely troubled us, we wasn’t outplayed, yet we gave away a lot of possession. Midfield was particularly guilty and final balls were quite disappointing into or around their box. We just didn’t create much did we?

Still think we’re going up myself, but losing Collins was a blow. Let’s see how we can gel with Gayle and hopefully Waghorn will be back to play a part too.

We can all worry about Warne’s style, what we lack when we’re up, we just need to get behind them for now, it’s still ours for the taking; others are equally slipping up.

10 hours ago, angieram said:

Did you notice the brace on his leg?

😂no he was a few rows behind me but getting plenty of selfies

On 23/02/2024 at 09:20, Anag Ram said:

Collins is nothing without his physicality.
He has to be able to charge around without fear of injury. The opposition will target his injury if he comes back too soon.

I’d rather he was 100% fit before he risks a return.

He didn’t look too bad in the stands today. Think if we’d have won he’d have started the bounce.

Good to see him, Vickers and Jake Rooney in the away end supporting the lads.

10 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

…..,,delivery from wide wasn't consistent enough (Wilson at one point beating 3 men & then shanking it into touch!?!) Their fans who I spoke to after match were surprised we sat back after scoring...becoming a very Derby trait this. 

Really agree with this bit. Thought we never put many decent balls in and Wilson was particularly frustrating, as the number times he was in promising positions to cross and either held on too long, overhit or that moment which he did all the hard work but needed to cross sooner.

He was a bit guilty of flattering to deceive a fair bit, though I cut him some slack for keeping going to get in those positions; the end product, like the fane was just frustrating.

1 hour ago, Rich3478 said:

Thought we probably deserved a point without playing well, not making Barnsley play well to win is annoying!

really struggled to create anything, and our balls into the box weren’t great.

not a bad day results wise though, Barnsley joined the pack but otherwise not too much damage done. Could do with a little winning run of four or five games now.  Consolidate second place.

Just got back and don’t understand the real negativity. We were ok, they scored a worldie, it wasn’t a bad performance for me, just lacked killer instinct when we got in front. Stuttering start 2nd half and bizarrely got better towards end without creating clear cut chances.

Seen a lot worse performances at Barnsley away. Still all to play for.

29 minutes ago, Reggie Greenwood said:

Long may both continue 😅👍🏼

Luck ran out. To be fair, purely on BBC stats it looks very one sided towards Bolton and somewhat likely they would score.

Just looked at the first half stats.

Aside from the score line, the only other one Cambridge are on top, is fouls committed. Looks like they’re kicking lumps out of them!

1 hour ago, G STAR RAM said:

Wasn't on about QPR in particular.

Sure he wouldn't post these figures up without evidence, it's just the ones where he throws a hand grenade into the mix and then disappears when challenged on them. 

Wish one of these days a club would take him on. Rather suspect though, in a lot of cases there’s no smoke without fire and clubs probably don’t want the scrutiny either.

Really dislike the bloke, because essentially he’s become an expert in others woes, never mind football finance.

5 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

My preferred line up for Saturday below - I would start Gayle irrespective of lack of match time at Stoke. If we go with the final third options from last Saturday, Barnsley will box us in & eventually overwhelm us - we need that out ball & someone for Barkhuizen & Mendez-Laing to play off. I don't expect Gayle to be able to give more than 60 mins but at that point, there should be more space for us to exploit.

I would also revert to a flat back 4 in anticipation of a tough first 45 mins with Bradley dropping out & Nyambe coming in at RB (if fit). Energy on Saturday is going to be crucial also & hence I would look to start Liam Thompson to rat for the ball higher up the park & make runs in support of that front 3. 

 

So wouid I.....so long as you get beat at Blackpool 😉

Swap Bird and Thompson in position I’m with you 👍 but not convinced Warne will play Gayle from the start or drop the 3 at the back from the start.

Fingers crossed a point (or better) too.