OohMartWright

The player who played the whole game and was our only creative midfield outlet

Because our manager is a fitness coach in a bobble hat whose only tactic is to run and smash the ball in, the average squad age is 76, and we’ve replaced David McGoldrick with Martyn Waghorn who’s scored one goal this decade. 
Oh, and our budget to do anything about these things is £2.50 and a bag of quavers.
But apart from that, everything’s fine. HMS piss the league and all that 

At this stage the cup is hugely important to provide a testing ground for new and young players. And getting everyone fit and used to playing with each other. Team tonight looks well-balanced for that. Hope they deliver and we get the first win. 

Congratulations to @Owen87ITK and Alice on their wedding this weekend.  
Spruced up well, we expect no less! 
 

Have to agree, I’m sure Warne will want them to get Saturday out of their systems. Had they performed on Saturday, I believe we would have seen a different lineup this evening. Let’s hope it works 🐏🐏

I presume he’s an interceptor?

Best 11 we can field ATM

Up at 3.30 heading to airport,  going to be along day , back home midnight..
Buzzing now and ticket in South stand 
Up the rams 

We are a “Warne work in progress” for sure but, in a nutshell, NML played centrally will start to bang the goals in, fed from the apex of Midfield by mercurial through balls threaded through the eye of the defence-piercing needle that is Max Bird’s left peg. Joe Ward will find Collins’s forehead with metronomic periodicity. Once the new left-siders are fit (Elder, mainly) better balance will be achieved, principally benefiting Louis  Sibley who will re-emerge as the destroying angel reincarnate. Result: 15 games in the Derby team will be a finely-tuned Rolls-Royce produced Merlin engine, with principal pilot Sonny Bradley in the cockpit smashing through with aerial power to wreak occasional havoc on opponent defenders. Curtis “Horatio” Nelson will observe from the poop deck and also fire the odd musket ball goal-ward. By Christmas/New Year, HMS Derby County will be sailing in clear blue waters, cutting through the waves inexorably toward Championship-landia, observed with dignified pride from the West, by Admiral Clowes. The good ship Derby will reach land 2 weeks ahead of schedule. 

So, hoist your mainbrace, chocs away, and standby for another memorable season. 
 
ps Connor Washington will also become a cult. 

yep, sure does, wrong thread for predictions
 
https://dcfcfans.uk/topic/41723-v-wigan-h-predictions/?do=getNewComment
 

Me.
I thought we looked a good team against a team in the league above - not having that Shef U are Prem, well not that lot on the pitch today! 😄
I don't like 3 CBs never will, but it will be good enough in league 1. We have enough and differing options to create chances and we even have a relatively decent (albeit limited) strike force.
So yes the squad now looks stronger and mostly better balanced in the spread of experience and skills. #COYR

Could be a challenge getting past Mr Tickle in goal!
 

Paul passed away early hours of Sunday morning. 
A Mickleover lad who went to Bemrose, did an apprenticeship at Leys. 
Life long Ram and brave as a lion. 
 
RIP mate. Since we were young….🐏❤️
 

To bring things back into focus for @IlsonDerby’s benefit, I think this should be the lineup for Saturday. With a bench of Vickers (if fit), Wilson, Rooney, Thompson, Washington, Barkhuizen (if fit), Waghorn (if signed). 
NML and Bird to get into those attacking areas to support Collins as they have in pre-season, Forsyth offering a more solid option than Thompson on the left who can come on to rest Fozzy’s legs once we’re comfortably in the lead. 

I remembered it ended badly, but I'd someone excised from my memory that it was *that* season ending in that awful match. Another moment for the club that has scarred many of us on here.
It's a reminder that automatics have to be the target - leave nothing to chance. And that should tell everyone how important this game is. Last season, Barnsley showed the best form in the division all the way to the end of the season from October, yet still finished only 4th. We cannot afford to start slowly and have anyone think the opening games don't matter so much as we play ourselves into the campaign. We need to be ruthless from the off. We need to hit the ground running and not look back until the season is over.

Fozzy comes in for Thommo at LWB but otherwise the side that started today starts next Saturday for me. Even if we bring in 1 of the 2-3 PW seeks they won’t be up to speed enough for a starting berth. 

Well if that is Paul Warne hoofball, bring it on! It was a very enjoyable watch and we gave a good account of ourselves for 80 of the 90 minutes. All three goals against were from our sloppy play - it isn't as though Sheffield United ripped us apart. They did create a couple of good chances, but that was all.
We are certainly showing more aggression and bite in our tackles, and more threatening with crosses and corners, all a plus on recent seasons. To me though, Nelson had a few wobbles with the ball in defence, and Waghorn did his "trapping a bag of cement" impression on one occasion, although otherwise he actually looks like a footballer, so may well do well in this League.
I am taking a different view about Hourihane than most - yes he can be quite creative, but several times in his pre-season he has been guilty of just lumping the ball high and long, more in hope of it reaching one of our players than actually passing the ball. And he often misses the obvious defence splitter, opting to turn and go the opposite way, or backwards. So instead of the creative edge, he ends up breaking up our play, stifling the chance of surging forwards. Just my opinion, mind.
And regards Tommo, caymanram said it well with this: "To be fair he’s up against a quality of player he won’t meet in League 1. His attacking contributions looked good, and I hope he doesn't get a season of being played out of position, or kept on the bench, because pre-season has shown that he has plenty to offer. Your observation also leads us to why it was good to end our pre-season against such strong opposition. Regardless of the result, we won't come up against that quality of performance in League One, apart from maybe just one or two. I think we are looking good for a fun season! Whether we actually have enough to get the job done I have no idea, but I am looking forwards to being there to yell my head off for them!
COME ON YOU RAMS!

Actually a good game to watch as far as friendlys go. I think Warne will have learned a lot today, bit worrying the last 10 mins, Smiths mistake and no cover in front of the centre halves. Plus points Washington looked sharp and looks a good signing, Waggy may of earnt himself a contract, centre backs look strong, Forsyth can do a job at LWB and Nelson’s long throws could provide a few goals. Would still like to see at least one more striker. Overall feel positive about Derby performance and the season ahead.

enjoyed that. Shame about the 2 minutes of sloppiness but all in all a good run out. 
 
Would be happy going into the season with Collins, Washington, Waggy and another upfront. Think they all offer something different and can all cause problems at this level. 

Sloppy and tired couple of moments by Derby punished by their better quality.
The score doesn’t reflect the performance in my view, however it goes to show what can happen if we switch off. 

That bit of hold up play/turning from Waggy is EXACTLY what Collins doesn't do. Really liking how hungry Waggy is looking 🙏

Forsyth has to start LWB over tommo for me vs Wigan, more reliable in defence and a better crosser of the ball Imo.

I haven't voted because the options are too polarised.
However, I would obviously prefer to see us winning playing attractive football. I was a bit fed up during Rowett's run to the playoffs, for example, because I knew those players were capable of so much better! 
I thought Warne would play much more pragmatic football than he has so far, tbh. But I did see some great attacking moves and not as much spoiling of play as I expected last season. We didn't really have those sort of players, thankfully. When we did resort to hoofball it was because we didn't have the speed of play yo break down an opponent.
This season my expectations aren't set to one sort of style or another. I think we'll be set up to defend leads etc and will therefore expect a bit less artistry at times. But as long as we have a team with Bird, Hourihane,  Mendez-Laing in it, we're going to see some football being played on the deck, so I'm not too worried.
I really like the fast transitions, and don't feel the need to moan when this sort of play breaks down, because I can see what we're trying to do. 

Just watching the highlights of play off semi final at Belland Road on Skysports football no matter what the outcome of the final against Villa that night at Leeds last long in great Derby wins. 

Yep I recall thinking well that’s been a wasted journey even before the game began. We only came to life with 20 mins to go 70 min too late.