RamuelLJackson

This is pretty much exactly the take I came away with too.

It is interesting to note that since Jordan Ibe's transfer to Adanaspor, on a three-year contract, he has yet to play for them. You can only imagine how bad it is for him right now, stuck in Turkey, with no end to the suffering.
 

Not for me. I'm as miserable as ***
?

Couldn’t agree more.  We developed a siege mentality and it was one of the most enjoyable seasons for many years for atmosphere and togetherness.  It really winds me up when “fans” boo the team off at half time.  Like that helps them and takes the pressure off.

Good post. One thing I am weary of is our support starting to expect a win just for turning up because we are who we are. That increases pressure, and definitely lessens atmosphere with an increase of toxicity over every mistake made on the pitch. Last season was so great because there was support regardless and a lack of expectation. I hope we take that forward. 

Last season the atmosphere and togetherness was phenomenal. Rams in big numbers home and away inspired the team to keep fighting. The Club had its future hanging by a thread & Fans responded & inspired. The result is that high calibre players have signed because they want to play in that atmosphere. But can Rams fans keep that support going now the context has changed? The learning points for us:
1.  Support in big numbers home and away: the cost of living crisis will impact here but Derby is a football city so expect the big numbers to continue. In any case, often the atmosphere was better when PP had 25k than when 30k.
2. Inspiring songs like we fight to the end, Allez Allez, Since I was young…are more likely to insure and raise the Teeam’s energy than Collymore’s a winker and other negative chanting. 
 
There’s a total change of context; we are no longer United in the face of extinction. We will be the big fish, the prime scalp. Teams will play in “Cup Finals” against us and raise their performance 20%. At times Derby will struggle. It’s at these points that we need to stay positive and stay classy and try to raise our new team to higher levels. Generate positive energy which will translate to the Team. Do this and we will move upwards and forwards. 
Can’t wait for next Saturday. ? 

Just shows you how many big clubs there are down in League One now. It’s no longer just no mark clubs with tiny grounds (though there do remain some of course) as people might imagine - there are clubs with real history and a lot of support down there. That’s why it’s not an easy League to get out of, and why it’s going to be a tough old fight next year.
We can still be the biggest and the best of them all though, if everyone does their part. So long as the players do their job on the pitch, in terms of challenging for promotion, then the fans will do theirs off the pitch. We will fill most of the ground week in, week out, if we’re winning most games. That’s the way it always works.

Though in the interests of balance that would also be before the friendly at Stevenage . . .

But because of deadlines that had been published before our recruitment spree. It might be different now.

I like how Rosenior said when we beat the press we need to go forward more and not go backwards. Happened too many times in the past where we beat it but go backwards anyway.

Yes, yes and yes. Nothing wrong with building from the back as a basic system but when you have successfully invited the press you have to then beat it by moving the ball forward quickly thus isolating / making redundant the pressing players. Move it fast, as we did a handful of times yesterday and you beat it. Dither as we also did yesterday and get punished. 

As someone else said, that midfield 3 of Bird, Hourihane and Smith looks very good. A very good balance too

Most complete player at the club, currently. He appears to have taken another big step forward yet he still retains plenty of potential upside and that's a really exciting prospect for the Rams faithful. I honestly think this lad is ready to boss games now, he's that good. Another fullback, another winger and a rapid striker and we could do some real damage this season. 

After watching him in the last few friendlies, he seems to be at the next level already 

He's the one player from our academy that I couldn't handle leaving, so I'm glad he looks to be sticking around. I want to see him in a Derby shirt at age 27. I think he'll be a revelation

One thing is for sure - if we're getting promoted out of this division we will need to work out how to beat a team that's pressing us.

He's the one player from our academy that I couldn't handle leaving, so I'm glad he looks to be sticking around. I want to see him in a Derby shirt at age 27. I think he'll be a revelation

He's the one player from our academy that I couldn't handle leaving, so I'm glad he looks to be sticking around. I want to see him in a Derby shirt at age 27. I think he'll be a revelation

He's the one player from our academy that I couldn't handle leaving, so I'm glad he looks to be sticking around. I want to see him in a Derby shirt at age 27. I think he'll be a revelation

I wonder if Knockaert may be on the radar for a loan. Was my first thought after the "Premier League first team" loanees comment. He didn't get a look in at Fulham last year, so definitely won't this one, he'd know Rosenior from their Brighton days, and he would fit into the Championship All-Star theme of our other signings.

I always thought he was promising and better than average. Rooney saw something particular  and clearly mentored him in a subtly different way than some of the others; making him his sidekick DM partner. 
 
There was a time when I wasn’t fond of the 2 DM’s thing. Thought it was a bit back foot / retrograde. I thought he was better higher up, more influential. I might have been right but circumstances possibly made us do what we did - so perhaps I was wrong too. 
Either way, seeing him in the last 2 friendlies against quality opponents  .. he stood out, he is class, a real maestro. The ball to Hourihan, that’s vision and skill all in one. Time and again he has picked a pass with huge intelligence. I’d love it if he sees us back to the championship and Curtiss hands him the armband for an assault on the prem.  

Bobby Sands....bit of a dirty player mind.. 

Get away.

You should start it. Someone had to after we lost the last one. 

It was a friendly.  Legitimate to say the result doesn't matter and it was a very hot day. 
But I am more concerned than before.  Nobody mentions that Stevenage barely survived in League 2 last season and the League 1 versions of this style of play are much stronger.  Rotherham (last season), Wycombe, Accrington, Cheltenham and the like are fitter, faster and noted for the dark arts (not employed in friendlies of course) which means the learning curve may be sharper than some of us think.