DavesaRam

I would agree that when a team goes behind the may well up there effort to try and get the equaliser, but that doesn't mean that we will. Many times Derby have one 1 - 0 up by being the better team, and then rather than keep on playing in the manner that gave us the upper hand, bringing on another defender sends out the wrong message, and compromises the team's ability to maintain the upper hand. On Tuesday, we had a load of shots on target, but how many did Port Vale have? One, possibly two. They aren't hot on goalscoring, so should we suddenly get scared that they might start rattling goals in for fun? On top of this, we have played several teams who have put a load of goals away, yet against us they have hardly posed any threat at all. Which means that we are restricting them to very little opportunity. Now I am not proposing a gung-ho approach of piling player forwards to get the second, just that we keep on doing what we are good at, and what has got us in the lead in the first place. If we really are getting over-run, then yes make the necessary changes, but don't do it if it is not needed.

Yes, but it was an amortisation method used widely in the real world of business and commerce. It didn’t break any laws either, just an EFL rule that didn’t exist for another 3 years. They were after blood, and were determined to get it, come hell or high water - even if it meant pumping a gallon or two in so they could say “Aha!!! We’ve found blood. You are guilty as charged”.

It is all down to Mel, but the root cause isn’t his bending the rules, or his spending. It goes all the way back to when the EFL made a gigantic balls-up of the TV deal when, having seen the Premiership get the caviar, they accepted yesterdays chips and pork scratchings. Mel and the then owner of Leeds set about creating a breakaway league, and even tried to arrange a friendly match between the clubs to launch the campaign. It came to nothing, but the ghoombars at the EFL made a note in their equivalent of Jack Charlton’s little black book ……… and waited. And when McGuire poked his snotty little nose in to our affairs, they pounced. We would almost certainly have done the overspending, simply because Mel is Mel, but it wouldn’t have reached the levels it did if it wasn’t for the EFL’s lust for blood.

None of them were. But two of them were scoring freely, and two of them weren’t. So we gave the two who struggled to score nearly 90% of the match, even after we had gone behind and needed goals. When Marriott and Waghorn did finally come on Villa were getting spare clean shorts ready, and we scored within minutes. But they were brought on wwwaaaaayyyyy too late and ran out of time.

“One goal, he’s only scored one goal, He’s only scored one goal” to the tune we use when we sing “ten men, we only had ten men” to the Trees. Then we modify it each time he scores. In no time at all we will be singing “Ten Goals, J J has scored ten goals”, which in half a season would make him the 20 goals a season striker we have been desperate for!!!

Naahhh. That was Richard Keogh’s fault!

Or: we were one team selection of the right strikers to start the match away from the Premier League. Instead Lampard had us playing for nearly 70 minutes with two strikers who couldn’t hit a barn foot with an entire lorry load of banjos. Now why would he do that?

Don’t be silly!

There are even times when a description of madness needs context! 🤪

Click and kick-on it is then. I'm all for that! Oh, and no going back to "wing it and whack it" please, becuase doing it this way works!

Great match, Mr Warne. You sent us out to play football on the front foot. But it wasn’t just gung-ho let’s get at ‘em, it was well managed, using patience when we needed. We had a couple of wobbly bits in midfield, and a couple at the back, but weren’t really threatened. Only one or two Port Vale shots on target all match. We kept playing the ball both on the ground and through the midfield, as well as using wings and crosses. What’s not to like?

Barker’s got MOM right. Wilson!

Bradley at 84 minutes. Who was it said 81 minutes? What do you know about football? 🙄

Cross at ground level, funnily enough. That’s how we’ve scored our last 3 goals.

JJ’s first kick 1 - 0!

Oooohhh off the line

Their keeper just carried the ball out if the area for that dropkick.

According to Barker, Ikpeazu was the most fouled player in the EFL recently. So he dives more than he throws people out of the way, then.

Great start!

One, but we have had several. Kane Wilson is the stand-out player for me. Downside is Sean Barker - Ukpeazu bundled Cashin to the ground and Barker thinks Cashin was lucky. Hasn’t Barker ever seen the brick outhouse before? Ikpeazu is a thug who has a future on the Olympic diving board.

Good first half. We’ve had the upper hand for quite a lot of it, but with some contentious refereeing Port Vale are ripe for being given a win. Referee aside we should win this.

Ikpeazu just wanted a penalty for falling over. Come on ref, there was your golden opportunity!

Something good by the referee? You’ll be lucky!

He didn’t miss it, he turned it down - it’s his job.

Hand in NML’s face isn’t a foul, apparently.