Andrew3000

You are a class act. Bravo! And thankyou.

You are a class act. Bravo! And thankyou.

Totally agree, I'm very happy that footballers of his generation watch anime.

Totally agree, I'm very happy that footballers of his generation watch anime.

Stuff like this is very encouraging 
 

Barks hitting form just as CBT gets match fit might be no co-incidence! 
An extra benefit of the increased competition. 

You are a class act. Bravo! And thankyou.

Sign players who are used to playing in the sytem we're trying to implements and stick to that system. We'll then have a higher success rate with signings. Signing wingers, wing-backs, or full backs, then not playing with wingers, wing-backs, or full backs, is a recipe for failure. So too is signing slower defenders to play in a high line, orleavijg them exposed by pushing the other CBs high up the pitch.
Flip flopping between formations and having a mish-mash of players who prefer different formations (including the ones signed by Warne) were probably bigger reasons. We're looking better now because this formation suits the majority of our fit squad members.
We had Mendez-Laing and Barkhuizen contracted for the season, but Warne wanted to play a system which didn't use them so didn't sign anyone to play out wide. Except, a few weeks into the season we decided we now did want to play with wingers, but only had 2 players who were comfortable playing there. On to January, we finally sign a winger, only to change to a system which doesn't use wingers the very next day. With him back from injury and getting opportunities off the bench in a more settled system, he's starting to look better.
We signed Elder to play a fairly unfamiliar LWB role and he struggled early on. He then picked up an injury which kept him out for a while. He returned when we were playing a back 4 and looked settled after a couple of games. Picked up another injury and we've gone back to wing backs. Where will he fit in long term?
Wilson and Ward were signed for the RWB role but had niggles. Nyambe came in and we shifted away from a setup which used RWBs. Upon their return, we stuck with 4 at the back, which meant Ward/Wilson had to either play at RB where they have at times struggled defensively, or further forward where Ward doesn't have to pace to beat a man, and Wilson lacks consistent end product.
Which brings us back to Nyambe. Where will he fit in? He's good 3rd choice cover at RWB (behind Ward and Wilson), but you don't want him playing there too often due to his poor end product. He doesn't get in at RCB over Nelson, so would we drop one of our highest earners (Bradley) to put him in? Or do we go back to a back 4, drop Bradley and waste Ward/Wilson?
 
We're then onto the truly bad buys...
Fornah was always a bad buy who will cost us a few hundred thousand eventually. When we already had Bird, Hourihane, Smith, Thompson, and Sibley, with DRobinson coming through, Fornah wasn't the right type of player to sign. We needed either an out and out DM (such as Adams), or an AM with end product.
Embleton and John-Jules were high risk signings we should never have taken. With a number of other injury risks in the squad (Forsyth, Elder, Wilson, Waghorn, Washington) we couldn't afford to take on more. Embleton had only just returned to training after being out since December, and John-Jules was signed injured, having been out since the previous October.

Hey guys, not a Derby fan, but we recently had Kane Wilson come into the studio to talk about how he deals with the pressures of being a professional footballer. He mentions a few things that the club do to help the players psychologically, and recalls a game this season where he felt the pressure. A really great guy, and wish him all the best for the rest of the season.
If your interested in giving it a listen, the link is below:
 
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/staffordshire-universitys-performing-under-pressure/id1728680321?i=1000649169616

Saturday 16th March
vs Bolton Wanderers
Pride Park   KO 1500
 
This match as a song by The Smiths: Some Games Are Bigger Than Others
Opponents Bio: I had the honour of starting the match thread for the reverse fixture so may be repeating some of these nuggets of insignificant trivia. So in the hope that the forums' collective memory is worsening here we go again.
Bolton Wanderers are, like ourselves, proud to be one of the twelve original founder members of the Football League. Not only that, the opening round of fixtures back on 8th September 1888 saw the two clubs meet for the first of 136 encounters (129 league, five FA Cup and two League Cup). Furthermore, Bolton winger Kenny Davenport has the distinction of being the first scorer in English Football League history as he netted after just two minutes of the game. The Rams did come back to win an opening day thriller 6-3 at Pikes Lane, Bolton in front of an estimated crowd of 3,000. 
Bolton can proudly boast that they have spent more seasons in the top flight of the English game than they have outside of it and have seen giants of the game like Jimmy Armfield, Nat Lofthouse and Michael Ricketts sport their colours over the years.
Bolton are commonly known as one of three nicknames; The Whites, due to the colour of their home kit, Wanderers, as it's their name, or The Trotters, chosen by their first owner who made his fortune selling laxatives.
They have former Ram Ian Evatt as manager and also had a run of three successive bosses with Derby links between 1992 and 1999 as they were led by Bruce Rioch, Roy McFarland and then Colin Todd. Players who have represented both clubs include Franny Lee, John McGovern, Jeff Chandler and Andy Todd.
Opponents Dangermen: Chief threat is 13-goal Dion Charles although he is doubtful with a knee injury. Victor Adeboyejo has ten goals but is likely out for the season which leaves Bolton with three principal goal threats; Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, ex-Ram Cameron Jerome and Aaron Collins whose five goals and ten assists make him a man to be wary of in our third. Josh Sheehan also poses a threat from midfield.
Opponents Recent Form: Wanderers will rock up at Pride Park in third place, one position and one point behind ourselves and buoyed by an impressive 5-0 demolition of playoff chasing Oxford on Tuesday night. They are, however, winless in their last four away fixtures since winning 2-1 at Cambridge. Defeats at Blackpool (1-4) and Wigan (0-1) followed that victory and their most recent away games have seen them draw 2-2 at both Barnsley and Exeter. Whilst we're looking for positives, they have conceded at least once in their last eight road games. Their overall away record for the season is decent enough with nine wins, five draws and five defeats.
Derby vs Bolton History: Derby have had by some margin the upper hand in the head-to-heads with Wanderers. In 129 meetings our record stands at W64-D23-L42. One statistic stands out in the meetings on our turf though and it is this:
Bolton have never won at Pride Park.
There, I've said it. 
Since we moved to Pride Park, Bolton have visited us ten times in the league and drew on their third, fourth and fifth visits but went back up the M6 with nil points on the other seven occasions. We are P10: W7-D3-L0 with 24 goals scored and just five conceded when the Trotters come to town. They haven't scored more than once in any game at Pride Park and, alongside two victories by a one-goal margin, we have merrily spanked their chubby Lancashire backsides 4-0 twice, 4-1 twice and 3-0 once. Now if that isn't tempting fate I don't know what is.
Expected Rams XI: Possibly same again do we think? Maybe Smith for Hourihane if the latter is still feeling the affects of Yiadom's brutal tackle in midweek.
My Tuppence Worth: I mentioned it elsewhere but we have winnable looking (I know, I know) games against Blackpool, Orient, Carlisle, Northampton, Wycombe and Cambridge to come in the run-in. If we can do the business in those then a couple of draws in the games against Bolton and Portsmouth will be enough for an automatic place. What I'm suggesting is that given the respective fixture lists of ourselves and Bolton, a draw wouldn't be such a bad result on Saturday. If it's a must win game for either side then, in my opinion, it is more so for Wanderers than it is for us.
Other Fixtures of Note: It's a significant round of matches as apart from second versus third in our match, it's fourth against first at London Road.
Peterborough vs Portsmouth
Barnsley vs Cheltenham
 
COYR
 

And he gets one
 
 

Another goal tonight to put them 1 up. 

Scored the winner tonight. Good lad. 

1Wildsmith: 6 Mostly redundant. Left exposed by his mates for the goal which was Reading’s only shot on target.
35Nelson: 7 Quiet brilliance. 
5Bradley: 6 Should’ve snuffed out their chance; played even though unwell apparently. 
2Wilson: 6 A bit Don Quixote at times but has the prettiest tap-dancing steps which are great fun to watch.
6Cashin: 7.5 Masterful centre-halfmanship and smashed a header against the post.
23Ward: 7 Nip, tuck, top & side-spin; a sort of snooker-playing footballer with a pearler of a ball to Gayle for 1-0. 
27Blackett-Taylor: 6 A silky 5 minute glide about late on. 
32Adams: 8 Not just a defensive Rottweiler but now a quarterbacking distribution centre with exquisite long-rangers to his new friend Dwight. They’re going to play padel ball together. 
4Hourihane: 7.5 We are seeing a seasoned professional who used every ounce of experience to impact the game. Beautiful penalty under real pressure. 
 12Smith: 6.5 Twinkled his toes and neatened up the loose threads at the game’s end. 
17Sibley: 6.5 Definitely in the wing-back groove now; power-driver flew over. Should’ve stopped the cross for their goal. 
7Barkhuizen 7.5 New found form; stole the ball & provided express delivery. 
25Gayle: 8 McGoldrick-esque. Rapid speed of thought, balletic feet and acceleration. Will tally double figures in new found twilight.
10Waghorn: 5.5 Banjo & bovine backside. Lift the banjo …& swing. Try to hit it. Never mind. 
11Méndez-Laing: 7 Ample threat always prowling; enjoying a little less pressure to perform as others step up.
3Forsyth: 6 Given a canter to re-acquaint us. 
 
Overall deserved win. We’ve acquired a new dimension with Dwight and Ebou forming a telepathic football connection which promises much. There’s a new-found focus and belief and we didn’t seem to miss  Max. Everything’s in our power now. 

Erin cashins massive , he s hung like steptoe s horse 
he flashes it at training and never feels remorse
he goes up for our corners and never fails to score
And when’s he runs the channels it’s dragging on the floor
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh 
erin cash,,,,,,,,,,..,.

I’m going to this, my first attempt at an evening game since the brain haemorrhage 4 years ago.
if you’re in the west stand could you keep the noise down please? I’m usually barely awake by 8.30 so I’d be grateful if you didn’t wake me up just to watch a game of football.
Thankyou!

He's transferring his form to mens footie.  Sounds like he's got that scoring instinct, not just pace and power. Really promising, couldn't be more pleased.

Gayle Michail Antonio-d that one in!

Dajaune has strength and power. I always felt he was a little reluctant to use it.
If this loan allows him to feel more comfortable doing so, he's going to be some player.

Can we believe that back in October B4 came out with this blog. Portsmouth played more than half the match today against 10 men and could'nt win. With Peterboro (a), Barnsley (h), Derby (h), Bolton (a) and Lincoln (a) in 5 of their last 9 games to play, do you think that 5 point gap will vanish.

Sometimes posters on here can be proper twonks. 

What a huge result, but it’s probably wise to take it one game at a time bearing in mind how tight things are. There could be two points separating four teams all things being equal.
Reading will be another tough game in midweek where we’ll have to be professional and switched on to get the job done. They’ll be looking and thinking they could do a number on us like Charlton did.
It’s hard not to be positive at the moment though. We are in such a good place. Those back to back defeats could have been terminal but we have bounced back in style. Warne and the players are showing great character.
Adams and Gayle have given us some post January oomph that we missed last year. The whole squad are playing their part - see Bradley, Ward, Smith, Barkhuizen and Sibley all making important contributions to the cause over recent weeks.
Losing to Bird to injury will be a blow but it gives others in the squad a chance to shine. Hourihane and Thompson will be raring to go.
All we need is CBT to arrive at the party and it could be a really really fun end to the season!