BramcoteRam84

This will be tricky. I’d go unchanged line up. Martin will probably score as he did at PP in the reverse fixture but fancy same score line, 2-1 to the rams

English football is going global, we’re trying to market ourselves like the NFL. Did I just see the EFL has just agreed an international deal for rights to EFL games? It screws over the fans, who in the majority of cases are local to their team and therefore don’t care about the global aspect. The premier league has started all this, the biggest error in the history of English football is to allow the Premier League to happen, an independent organisation to football’s governing body whose only focus is on making it the richest league in the world attracting the best players and having 6 teams who are superpowers who can win champions leagues. The result is a league disconnected from the pyramid rigged in such a way that only the clubs who had established global fanbases (the big 6) can prosper unless you had a billionaire to make you one of the superpowers which now with the introduction of FFP they’re seemingly stopping/restricting. Personally, I don’t care if an English team never wins the champions league again (unless it’s Derby). I don’t care if the worlds best players don’t play in the premier league, I don’t care if the premier league is labelled “best league in the world”, I want a top tier of English football that is attainable for 40-50 clubs and that the majority of those clubs have the chance to be competitive once in a while even if it’s not for a sustained period. If I had that, and an England national team that could win everything then that would do me fine and I think 90% of proper English football fans would say the same. Im not a socialist by any stretch but I do think some socialist principles need to be applied to English football to enable a proper reset of the game to make the whole league Pyramid more competitive. Without the playoffs the premier league would already be a closed shop by now and I still think this will be the season where the three promoted teams come back down and the three relegated teams go straight back up.

With a 25% success rate in our last 4 visits there is a fair chance that 90% of the regular fan base could be considered bad luck charms. I didn’t go to the old Wembley in the 90s, I watched (and cried) at home so my record is 1/3. I really hope we won’t be at Wembley this year and we can get up automatically but I’ll be there if we are.

Well I’ve got it: Derby 92 Bolton 90 Barnsley 86 However I’ve got Bolton losing to posh on last day, Derby winning their last 3 meaning we’d start final game in 3rd, and Derby beating Bolton. Also have us dropping points at Bristol this Saturday (draw), Pompey (loss) and Wycombe (draw), so 7 wins 2 draws and a loss. That Bolton game is massive.

Im pretty sure Shaun Barker picks it now or whoever is summarising for Rams TV.

Yes I was being polite, it was beyond gamesmanship at a point we were on top and while it didn’t affect the result it had a material effect in changing the course of the game for about 15-20 mins

Good win today. Well deserved. First time I’ve liked the way we set up with wing backs. Sibs and Ward were excellent. First 20 really good, then we had a period when nothing happened probably when their keeper had issues and the game was stopped. They had a 10 min spell brought about by us carelessly losing the ball, then an excellent goal, cash put ward in a difficult position with his pass, under pressure his first touch was outstanding, plays an excellent ball out wide (about the only ball he could play under pressure) Barks does really well, great cross from Ebou and the perfect header from Gayle. From that point we started to play with a flourish, got an excellent third, could’ve scored more then the game fizzled out as we made our changes. They were poor but you have to play what’s in front of you, we were ruthless at the right times got that second which by then we’d earned the right to play and managed to play some good stuff at times. We haven’t got that second goal often recently and as result every game has become a scrap. There is reason to be encouraged today, Gayle is a major threat, we might have found the formula with our wing backs and there was reasonable balance with Ebou and Bird in the middle. This coupled with the fact we’re getting players back from injury we should be strong for the run in to hopefully get us over the line, and if not, we should be strong for the playoffs.

Derby 4 Port Vale 0 Gayle FRGS

I think the endless head tennis came about from Charlton imposing their game on us, and us not handling it to then impose our game of the first half on them. They ratcheted up the physicality and brought on bigger and bigger players. If people get disillusioned watching our football they’d be suicidal watching Charlton play, Christ almighty. The most route one team I’ve seen in a long long time.

Don’t think you can criticise the subs made. Adams possibly but he’d been kicked from pillar to post and played majority of the game, Smith is just back from injury so need to be careful as Gayle also we need to treat carefully. You can definitely criticise started by line up, but only alternative would be sibs or Wilson at left back, Elder would no doubt have started if fit. I just thought Smiths interview after the game was telling the players sat back and played safe, the energy and physicality stopped in the second half as well as bravery on the ball. That’s on the players. But first half was a real opportunity to bury the game and team selection played a part in not doing so. It’s easy to blame Warne it’s more balanced to look at the collective. Im not calling people out for criticising Warne, if he gets us promoted this season or next that’s par performance no more than that, he should then be judged on what he can do in the championship band jury is out as to whether he’s the right man long term, just feel a lot of the criticism he gets isn’t balanced and not always fair

Not surprised to see all the “tactical geniuses” come out after a defeat. Criticism of Warne last night, possibly team selection with too many defensive players which meant not enough support for Gayle in first half when we were on top, but then the attacking players he brought on promptly disappeared (Barkhuizen) We played really well first 20 minutes but didn’t create enough, and overall played well first half and deserved to be leading in a game of few chances, the football first 20 in particular was good to watch. However second half we played safe and it cost us. Now some of you will be saying Warne tells the team to play that way and defend a 1-0 because it fits the narrative, that’s nonsense. You listen to Korey Smiths interview where he eluded to the players sitting back and being frustrated because they’ve spoken about it before and it’s cost them before. We weren’t ruthless we didn’t kill the game and opened the door to Charlton by gifting two goals with individual mistakes. We were in control. Yes Warne is probably due some criticism for how he set us up but the players lost that game last night and IMO they’re 70% to blame. Whether the pressure got to some of them who knows. Still second amazingly after back to back defeats (first time this season btw), 11 more cup finals and many more twists and turns. One positive, Gayle can be our Didzy when he’s up to speed. He was a class above.

Derby 2 Charlton 1 - Mendez-Laing FRGS

Blackpool are my biggest fear if we do end up in the playoffs. On their day they’re arguably the best team in the league. If they make the playoffs I think with the momentum they will have they’ll be a hard team to stop and think they could end up winning it.

If we’re not going to finish top 2 then who is? Bolton? The team who have just been smashed 4-1 and whose fans are probably in meltdown right now. Barnsley? Need to win their game in hand (against Bolton) just to be level with us, a team who not so long ago fans were also in meltdown wanting their manager out (sound familiar). The reason no one is running away with it (I think Pompey will be pulled back) is because all the teams at the top have flaws and are not quite good enough to dominate the league. Barnsley are back in the top 2 race now yet didn’t look any better than us, Bolton have been everyone’s pick and rightly because along with Pompey they’ve been the most active in the transfer market and spent the most money, yet they’re struggling right now. This will go to the wire and we have absolutely as much chance as the other teams. Big week ahead, Port Vale we absolutely should be banking on 3 points, anything else not good enough given they’re one of the poorest teams in the league right now. Charlton will be tough, they’ve taken points off Bolton and Pompey in the last two games, beating them will actually be a marker for our competitiveness. I think we can get top 2 but I don’t think we’re in the top 2 sides in this division. People can ignore this until they are blue in the face, the likes of Pompey Bolton and even Barnsley have had an advantage on us due to our restrictions. There’s a reason the average age of the squad is as old as it is. Yes we have a budget to be competitive and we are being competitive but that doesn’t mean top 2 should be a guarantee, and the playoffs as we all know are a lottery.

Thought warne hit the nail on the head with his post match comments. Gave away possession far too much and their pressing was very effective. We were well in the game and individual errors, switching off at set pieces cost us. There was hardly anything in the game, draw would have been a fair reflection of the game but fair play to Barnsley they got over the line. Too many players off it for us, some not helped by having to be played out of position (Mendez-Laing). Bird off it, Wilson really poor until he came alive last 20 mins when freed of his defensive duties, Adams is a brilliant destroyer in midfield but poor with the ball. Not having a striker has hurt us in these two games, seen enough of Gayle to think he’ll get goals, if Mendez clips that ball into Gayle coming in from the left instead of shooting Gayle scores, Mendez cut in at the end instead of using Wilson on overlap, poor decision. Two very winnable home games now, time for us fans to play our part again like we did against Stevenage. Still think we can get this done and over the line and enjoy a proper rebuild in the summer free of restrictions.

This, and there was nothing between the teams today. Draw wouldve been fair result

Except this has put them back in the race for top 2, it hasn’t ended our chances. This was must win for them today, it wasn’t must win for us. With the results, it’s actually no change for us with two very winnable home games this week. Think the next two games against rivals (Bolton and Pompey) will be more important than this one.

Looks highly likely they’re going to get a points deduction for FFP, and probably similar to Everton c.9-10 points, unfortunately though I think they’ll still survive. Reckon 33 will be enough which means Forest need 42-43 which is very possible from their current position. Luton starting to find it tough and Adebayo being out is a massive blow for them, Everton could get further points. So yes, the red dogs will cheat and get away with it.

Maybe we’ll start doing that now we’re no longer hampered by EFL restrictions which has stopped us doing this for the past couple of years.

Atmosphere was great today, South stand were on it all game and the other stands responded. Everyone was behind the lads despite the complete durge we were watching, constantly trying to lift them and drive them on, probably because despite the lack of cohesion in performance the commitment from the players was there for all to see. Everyone felt United for the first time in a while and I think that’s why Warne probably enjoyed so much, that and the full blooded commitment of the performance. Could be powerful in the run in. But the highlight was definitely the south standing singing to Steve Evans “have you ever seen your dick” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

He needs a shout out. He literally couldn’t stand up at the end of the game. He went to the well to get himself through that game. Literally put his body on the line for the cause as they all did. Great to see.

Full credit to everyone involved for grinding out that win what was always going to be a difficult game. Brilliant 3 points and the results went in our favour too!! It was always going to be an ugly scrap of a game which we stood up to well and limited them to few chances, but if not for Sibley’s 90th minute winner, this post could’ve been very different. I struggled all game to contain my anger and frustration and this started when drinking a doom bar in the harvester I saw the team news. Now the only caveat is, were the 13 players who played today the only ones fit enough to play a reasonable part in the game? That to me is the only possible justification for the team Warne picked today. Last time I was as disappointed at a team sheet was the 2019 play off final and the selection and tactics were akin to Nigel effectively playing a 4-6-0 at home to Leicester in the freezing cold in the middle of our horrific run in 2011. Back 3? Nyambe right wing back? More defensive players on the pitch than attacking ones. No wonder we couldn’t muster a single shot in the first half (or actually until the 76th minute wasn’t it?). The balance was all wrong from minute one. Half time came and went, no changes. Then the first sub, and it’s Smith! Another defensive minded player, although to be fair he got us passing more in midfield and it moved Wilson to wing back (where he should’ve started if we’re playing that system). Then Hallelujah an attacking sub, Sibs is coming on, but it’s like for like, we still have more defensive players than attacking players in the last 15 mins when we’re trying to win the game!! Barks had run himself into the ground, but Tommo could’ve also come on to improve the midfield balance. Then we manage to work a situation good play from Mendez and a great finish from Sibbo. Job done so suppose Warne got it right in the end, and 3 points is all that mattered. Thought the players did their best today with the tools they were given, Nyambe gave a sterling effort at right wing back, Bradley definitely MOTM, pleased for him but IMO shouldn’t have even started the game. If he wanted a back 3 then surely play Nyambe with Nelson and Cash, Wilson wing back and then either Sibley in a front 3 or Thommo in a midfield 3 with Mendez and Barks up top, would’ve given us more attacking balance and given us a more convincing performance and more comfortable victory against Stevenage who I thought were poor. Managers like players can have bad games and personally l thought Warne had a stinker today and got away with one. But I don’t care, 3 points is all that mattered and we’re in a fantastic position which is in my view also very much down to Warne, his understanding of the league and getting the most out of a squad which I still don’t really think is suited to his playing style, people bang on about the players he’s brought in he’s had 18 months etc, we’ve been dealing in freebies for the most part, hes been unable sign the young energetic talents the likes of which Posh have been signing. Well done to the lads today but as well as they did, I never want to see that same 11 on the pitch again unless it’s the last 5 mins trying to see out a game. The fans today were immense!!! Many times they could’ve turned but didn’t, we’ve got to do everything we can to help these boys over the line.

Let’s hope so 🤞

No and as Sage says we won’t know until 2pm tomorrow when the team is out and we won’t know how bad until Doms interview with Warne post match

And they would all fit in our wage structure and there are no fitness concerns over any of them? Didnt realise Forestieri was still playing, is he actually still playing. The other 3 wages or would they drop into league 1 would be the question. Wickham I think would be a reasonable target (willing to play in league 1 and affordable) but again the reason he’s playing at this level is because he has had a career that has been totally dominated by injury/fitness issues, which is the reason many are saying we shouldn’t have signed TJJ .