DavesaRam

I got the feeling that when Warne made his re-arrangements, especially the substitutions, he got Wilson playing deeper, so the excitement he generates as a winger was much less apparent.

Well that was a terrific football match against one of the best teams to come here for years and we got off to a flier! Peterborough may have very quick players and may be great going forwards, but they struggle against the press. And from kick off we pressed them and scored. Then we stopped pressing! Probably deliberate - with the age if the squad and 3 matches in no time at all we didn’t have the legs to do what we did at Oxford. Kudos to Paul Warne for changing things early on, and for the earlier than usual substitutions, both things he wouldn’t have done not too long ago! In the end the best team won, but whether they should have done is another issue altogether. And they were ably assisted by their 12th man and his assistants. Yes DavesaRam has git his old drum out and is going to give it a right good banging. Although Vulcan Ram and Jono started it! The penalty incident gas been well covered, and given the ease with which Derby players get yellow carded how that wasn’t a second yellow I have no idea. But there were two other penalty shouts in that second half which haven’t had a mention. John Jules was pulled back on the 6 yard box with nothing given, and soon after Thommo was on the floor in the box, and got up to run to the loose ball and was tripped back to the ground and again nothing given. Although things have eased, I was actually surprised that the ref gave the first penalty, given his skewed approach to fairness. In addition both Wilson and John Jules were shoved to the ground from behind quite heavily and the ref waved “advantage” to the Peterborough man in possession. How can you give advantage to the offending player? And late on John Jules (again) was clearly blocked off just outside the area with nothing given, and we were defending another attack. There was plenty more of his lop-sided approach to justice, so yes this episode of poor refereeing did have an effect on the scoreline. But if we can’t defend simple high crosses, we can’t really complain. In the end we will have to get over this, use the week off to reset and go again. Although we lost we played a lot better then we were before the good run started so we have improved quite dramatically. And credit to Paul and his staff for enabling that improvement. And there are still more than 20 games to go. It’s still on, you Rams. We can still do this. Come On You Rams!

Some of the “silly fouls” will go when we get refs who don’t let the opposition buy free kicks with bus tickets

It was payback for one of our corners (no idea which one, there were that many) when a defender had his arm locked around Cashin’s neck. Should have been a penalty, but this is Derby we are talking about.

Well a terrible start. Or was it? Wildsmith made silly mistake when the striker was already diving, and an excellent free-kick from a soft free-kick. Get used to them, they'll be a feature of the match. But in reality we were still at least equal to them in those opening minutes. I noticed there was much talk form Oxford about our pressing and closing down, but it was they who were buzzing around anything in a white shirt at the start, but evidently it couldn't last. But the picture soon emerged of who was controlling the game, with Derby only coming short on end product. But so on top it was unreal. I noticed the ref clamped down on Nyambe for stealing about 4 yards for a throw, but let Oxford steal ten every time, until late on in the match. He gave them free kicks for next to nothing, but let lots go the other way. NML was hurled ot the floor just before half time but nothing was given, and he let them kick the ball away loads of times without reprimand. How many yellow cards have we had recently for that offence? The only surprise is that his surname isn't Simpson. But actually none of that matters because of the relentlessness of the team, who found just a bit extra zip in the second half. I had a few moments when I thought this was going to be one of those nights when the ball just won't go in, around Wilson's miss, but apart from that momentary blip it felt inevitable that we would score again, so yet another rival, posing quite a threat on paper, have been made to look quite ordinary, although Oxford were a better "ordinary" than many others. But doing it is something we are getting rather good at. I admit I was one foot into the Warne out camp a while ago, justifiably, but credit to Paul Warne for sticking with 4 at the back, because it works. Credit to him for being prepared to go that way, instead of insisting on reverting to his preferred 3 at the back. It takes courage to do that, but it is paying off. I worried when Bradley made his customary appearance - I often do, and for a few minutes while we made the adjustment we were wide open to the counter attack, but it did push us further up the pitch and the onslaught increased. Great substitutions, typified by Cashin being involved in our attacking moves from the substitutions onwards. He was virtually a midfield player. Highlight for me was the impact JJ had - suddenly we have a striker who knows the right place to be, and has the ability when the ball arrives slightly in the wrong place to make something of it. I really hope he can get a load of game time in, especially if he goes back to Arsenal early. I also hope we can hold on to him, because he could be the huge difference we are looking for in the next window. And it would budgetarily favourable as well (if such a word actually exists). We have now entered a period where we don't need to worry bout who we have got to play. We can let them worry because they have got to play us, so the only difference between the teams we face will be the colour of the shirts. And this feeling is reeeeaaaaallllyyyy good! COME ON YOU RAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anybody want to buy a staircase? 13 steps, a turning platform and three more steps? I’m floating up to bed tonight!

I’ve just watched the penalty incident again on Rams TV. Their man was going doen as soon as he got into the area well before the contact with Wildsmith. He knew the ball was gone and didn’t know the ref was on the payroll first half.

No babies from me mate. I self identify as a full, red-blooded male, as politically incorrect and unwoke as that is. But I will watch the Rams with you!

Tell us something that hasn’t hapoened all match!

There’s only been one team okaying this half. Oxford have bern sat on their coach since half time!

This is ridiculous!!!

Can we nick it? Yes we can!!!

And now ….. we bring the contractual appearance of Sonny Bradley!!!!

And the ref pulls us back again for a throw having let Oxford steal 10 yards every time!

How many equity cards have Oxford got?

There’s another kick away

And there is the difference. We’ve only git to let our shadiw brush acrisd their shirt and its a free kick, but virtually nowt has come our way. We’ve been in the ref’s face a bit - byt has anyone asked him why the EFL never send a ref to Pride Park who could be called a “homer”?

And probably wouldn’t get them.

How many peno’s have Derby had turned down because the olayer had list xontrol of the ball?

At least we are in the refs face who is giving free kicks to Oxford like Christmas presents and nowt to us.

Oxford know they will get the free kick every time

Not if you are Crooke playing for Middlesbrough against Derby - he got Beilik twice in 20 minutes.

The ball had gone, so that challenge simply gave the ref a decision to make. We are Derby County - there was only going to be one way that decision was going. Stupid Stupid Stupid

The ball had gone. No peno but stupid by Wildsmith

Well when that was our sole method it didn’t work. So lets hope Oxford have gone down that rabbit warren.