DavesaRam

About as bad as the one by the West Stand?

Apologies if my opening statement was a little deflating. I tried, rather poorly it seems, to provide a contrast with how it looked with how it turned out. However, after Wednesday night, we we stood on the threshold of making automatics secure, and not only let the door slam in our face, we slammed it in our own face. Yes, some of the players didn't turn up, but most of that failure was down to tactics, hence ethe caution. But what a turnaround. Instead of running scared of the opposition and surrendering a load of territory, we put in a most accomplished and secure performance. It wasn't Stevie Mac 1 stuff, but we had way too much for Leyton Orient and played like it. After Wednesday, who'd have thought it?

That was actually the most comfortable afternoon at Pride Park for ages. Having said that, my heart sank when I saw the team sheet, because like a bad smell, Bradley was back in. My only surprise was that Warne's other boyfriend Hourihane wasn't starting, but like Bradley of old, he was the first sub to come on! But they guy done well. But as for CBT - he is clearly a confidence player, and almost vanished after the miss on Wednesday evening, so what better way to boost his confidence than to drop him. Nice one. I hope he gets a chance to shine before the season ends. Getting to my seat before kick-off looking at the teams out on the pitch, and I felt confident of a win today, and indeed we simply had too much for them today. It was a good performance all round, no-one messed up, no-one failed to turn up, and no-one got injured, and for the modern game, that last one is a miracle! Stand outs were Thompson, who makes such a difference in the middle of the pitch, Cashin (as always) and Sibley, who had one of his best games for a while, and the defence was pretty sound, ensuring no shots on target I believe. And a big shout out to Wilson, who continues to do amazing things with the ball. First half though, apart from the corners, there wasn't much of a threat on goal from us, either, although we looked the most likely to score. But as the game opened up in the second half we created a lot down our right. One particular move had Sibley flicking the ball over his opponent, a three man one-touch passage and a cross, with NML putting a deft flick on the ball which went inches of the top corner. What a goal that would have been. See - we can do it! (Play football, I mean). There were some bizarre decisions from the match officials in the first half, which I put down to League One standard refereeing, but second half they managed to lower the bar considerably, but thankfully nothing match-changing. And finally a BIG, nay HUGE shout out to the fans- the support was superb today, with large sections of North Standers joining in with the noise - Good Onya! And the Orient fans singing "National League Champions - you'll never sing that!" - Excellent!

Now we’ve only got two more chances to throw it all away! Woo Hoo!

That doesn’t matter - we never use it.

Thanks for that, mate! Actually Wycombe were better than you have just described, although our defence was fairly solid. And yes, you have moved away from the dark arts, although you were time wasting from the very start - but then so were we! Ut you started committing a lot of quite cynical fouls once the substitutions happened, and your ball boys were very naughty when it came to giving the ball to one of our players. Unfortunately our manager’s tactics are so one dimensional that even a sheet of paper looks like rough terrain, and you quickly worked out how to stifle us. If because of last night we end up in the play-offs, we won’t get promoted. I actually enjoyed the football you played once you had woken up, so once you get rid of your ambulance-chasing chairman you should start to go places.

I notice Warne has been blathering on about some of the players being off par, and seems oblivious to the effect of how he sets the team to play. Last season it was dire until injuries forced him to go 4 at the back and we went on a good run. But as soon as he could he went to a back 3 again - - - and the run ended. This season it took the fans kicking off before he let us start playing somewhere near ground level, and using midfield a bit, and we went on another good run. But gradually he slipped us back to going wide and cross it, going full on at Northampton, who demonstrated that teams had rumbled us. All they had to do was double up on our wide men and we are stuffed, which is all Wycombe had to do to us last night. The latest rash of injuries should have hurt us big time, but forced us to play 3 in the middle and we did ok. So why the hell did he go 2 in the middle plus “Wang it wide and punt the crosses in” last night? Wycombe doubled up on the wide boys and yes, we were stuffed - - - again! 🙄 Yes the players have a lot to answer for, but when you are asked to do your job in a way that you know is no good, but you have a gun at your head that says “that way or the highway” it is demoralising - I know from personal experience. For the remaining matches can we have a giant flag made to wave at Warne that says. “4 AT THE BACK AND 3 IN MIDFIELD PLEASE, PAUL”?

They knew what they had to do before last night and before Northampton, but didn’t do it.

Sounds like you know a bit about football. Don’t let Paul Warne read this or he’ll have you banned from the forum.

Only a tactical genius would do that.

Did you really have to post that?

So having calmed down (again), here we go: First half I was ok with the Rams, because we had been competent overall, aided by Wycombe's terrible start. They were awful. Even so, we should have been 2 or 3 nil up. But most of our threats came from a long hoof upfield (the only times we played through the middle?), but there still were some concerns. We did have one move of very slick, one-touch passing which sliced them wide open, I think ending up with NML trying to convert the rugby try! But after 30 minutes or so Wycombe seemed to change things up and were getting into the ascendency. This continued in the second half when they went up another ger, and we were left chasing shadows for much of the half. The highlight of the the half was Smith's performances, with 2 or 3 "Gorgeous George" through balls - delightful. What was he doing playing the ball through midfield? The real issue is yet again we treated midfield as though that is where you go to catch the plague. So yet again we find a way to play that works, and then we slither back to the tied and trusted methods which we have proved over and over again don't work. Our main gambit is still "get it wide and cross it in", and just as Northampton did, Wycombe simply doubled up on our wide men, and it was effectively game over. And when we did cross it, there was only 1 or 2 of ours in the box. Were we holding back to guard against Wycombe catching us on the break? Will they did anyway, because we only had 2 men in midfield. So having played with 3 in midfield and avoided the collapse which our crop of injuries should have brought us, we went back to 2 in the middle, and spent much of the match being over-run there. Add in that a number of players yet gain didn't show up in a crucial match and in the end a draw was seemingly a good result. Only it wasn't. I wonder if the no-show performances is because the players know that no matter how hard they try, they are being asked to play in a way that doesn't work? And for anyone who wants to have a go at people who have the temerity to criticise what is happening: as I said earlier in this thread, with this bunch of players it should be Portsmouth who are fighting for second place, not us.

Its not so much we don’t know how to play through the middle, it is more that the players are not allowed to.

WE used to football in those days. If only ......................

I stumbled on a Youtube video of all of Chris Martin's goals (97, I think).Oh what memories. And no, I am not calling him to be brought back to Derby, his day is done. But if only we could see team football like that again. We have the players to make a passable imitation of it, but with this coaching team, it ain't going to happen.

And here is why: as I said a few comments ago, we should have been clear in top place ages ago, but because of gutless performances and absolutely terrible formations and tactics we are now asking our rivals for favours.

Sadly Portsmouth will have secured 1st place and taken their foot off the gas when they play Bolton, who will therefore take 2nd place! It should be Portsmouth fighting for 2nd place, not us.

Not enough

Should be a booking

Its gone a bit old Wycombe since their subs came on - loads of free kicks

Come on Derby we’ve got to beat them. Their number 22 is wearing a man bun!

Ooohhh

Comparisons with Northampton are incorrect. You can tell we are on the pitch tonight - we’ve played loads better, apart from the finishing.

Take tour rime, Wycombe, why don’t you?

And it is Rams TV in the UK, so no need fir vpn airways tonight!