Norman

1 hour ago, Gaspode said:

A few years ago, one of our local councillors asked people to let her know what people thought of the city centre and any improvements that were needed - what a progressive and positive approach you might think....

My wife replied that she found the city to be quite threatening, particularly the groups of young men and the number of down-and-outs, drunks, druggies and other ne'er-do-wells that congregated on St Peters Street shouting at each other and passers-by...

Rather than respond that they were aware of the issue and were working with the police and city centre management to address the concerns, the councillor told my wife that she should not see these people as a threat, but rather that she should welcome the opportunity to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds! These are the sort of people that run our city and the reason it's such a damn mess.....

Some are on probation, many not re-called when they should be to prison due to the low-risk threat they are seen to present to the public. That and the overcrowding in prisons. 

Many have been given every chance at a fresh start. Months of free accommodation in pretty nice houses, bill-free, with a starter pack of duvets, pillows, TV, kettle, baking trays etc upon release. Give it a week and many are on spice and getting banned from food banks they have no need to be in considering they are bill-free and can't be released without UC being ready upon release. Some even sleep rough despite having a nice house to go back to whilst they are supposed to be sorting themselves out a job and sorting out long-term accommodation. 

It's the areas they congregate that's the problem. Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester etc all have the same type of resident. It's that the areas in Derby are prominent where they congregate. 

I don't like cats. Their annoying. 

10 hours ago, jagerbob said:

Suprised to see Smityh and Hourihane leave when you consider Bird has also gone.

That leaves us with Thompson and ... and... erm anyone? I guess this might mean Adams is coming back, but even with that leaves us short. Hope we sign at least 2 central midfielders if not 3

I'm not PW's biggest fan, just for the football we have played. But, he's clearly a very switched on, intelligent bloke - and he has stated that they have been having recruitment meetings for months, with himself pushing he agenda to look at Championship quality players, despite not knowing at the time if we were going up. 

He knows what he needs. I'm also expecting us to play like the last season he was at Rotherham. High intensity pressing, with one of the 3 CBs having the free role of attacking everything in the air and getting tight to the main striker at every chance. I'm quite excited to be honest. 

Has PW said anything about him and pre-season?

What a job the academy staff have done to keep us performing at such high levels, despite being torn apart over the last 3 or 4 seasons. 

I know Paul Warne and his management team have done a great job, but I think its being matched by the academy management team.

Clowse must be a very happy boy. 

10 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

Jon Percy saying in his latest article over 20,000 sold already. Not seen anything official from the club on that but if he’s correct it’s decent going. 

Nearly 20,000 sold - which is probably why the club haven't announced it.

2 hours ago, Macintosh said:

Thinking we won't be in a position to pay fees or have to, and we plan for one season at a time, no more than two-year deals. Strikers: Danny Welbeck, Jay Rodriguiz, Chris Wood or Oli McBurnie could be possibilities. Matt Ritchie, Seamus Coleman, Jack Cork, Ryan Fredericks, Ben Mee, Aaron Cresswell all of these are out of contract from PL teams and may be within our reach at a pinch. Obviously Will Hughes but he will be snapped up. Next division strikers: Kelechi Iheanacho, Aaron Connolly, Sam Gallagher, Jamie Vardy, Scott Hogan, Tyrese Campbell, Lukas Jutkiewicz, then Alex Mowatt, Jaydon Bogle, Stuart Armstrong, Axel Tuanzebe, Adama Traoré, Chris Willock, George Saville, Bradley Dack, Sam Morsy, Josh Windass. Not forgetting Ben Gibson, that would be funny. Players that impressed: Harrison Burrows, Jonson Clarke-Harris, Devante Cole, Liam Moore, James Husband, Shaun Rooney, Femi Azeez. Some from abroad. Some top loans. Spoilt for choice. 

And will David Clowes be actively looking to sell the club? Would Mike Ashley be wanting to come back in? Is there a deal to be had with naming rights for the stadium, and can we get a big deal for shirt sponsorship? 

 

 

No, no, no, no, no.

I don't like Warne's football, but I do like how he goes about his transfers. And I'd like to think all those ageing players on expensive wages, and no motivation to play for Derby, aren't on any list we compile. Obviously there is the exceptions in that list, like Burrows etc.

Sign Ebou, extend Sibley and Thompsons deals and then start targetting hungry players on low wages.

Calm down. They've had a ridiculous run of fixtures in 21 days. He's rested them in midweek and they'll all be back in the team on Saturday. 

He's not going to risk some players having not had a game for a couple of weeks going into a playoff semi.

4 minutes ago, one_chop said:

Have Bolton rested any players ?

As strong as they could line-up, injuries aside. 

I'd go full Football Manager on the squad and let them all go. 

Put the scouting budget and any transfer budget into the wage budget and sign loads of free agents.

Then ask for a stadium extension and a senior affiliate club that I will loan their best youth players from for free.

All will be well when the team cohesion starts to blend and they get used to my all out attack gegen press tactics.

What am I reading? I know we've all been through some right bottle jobs following Derby, but come on.

Barnsley ruled themselves out yesterday.

Peterborough have a horrifc run of games in 21 days and rely on a high energy game. 

Bolton really struggled to beat a poor Bristol Rovers team and haven't taken any more points than us over the last 5 games - and we've had to navigate Portsmouth, Blackpool, and Bolton themselves in that time.

Wycombe are playing a final this evening....beat them and it leaves 2 home games and Cambridge away. 

Honestly, I can see us winning the next 2, and Bolton drawing against Portsmouth, and it all being all being effectively over. Only 6 days to wait.

22 minutes ago, TigerTedd said:

Man Utd are so s***!! And I heard Ohara on talk sport talking about how they could make a late charge for the too 4. They’re literally closer to 12th than they are to Tottenham. Just cos they’re in 6th doesn’t make them any good. And they’ve scraped through most games to get them the few points that they’ve got. Every time they beat some nothing team like Everton, it’s all ‘oh, this is the turning point for United.’ No it’s not. They’re just crap. One half decent result isn’t going to change the 20 appalling performances. Beating Liverpool in the cup makes no difference when they get dumped out by Coventry and get out played by Brentford in their next game. 

11 points behind 4th with a vastly inferior GD to both Villa and Tottenham, with only the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Brighton away left. 

Easy.

They could have easily lost 4-0 last night. SM's face said it all when Mount scored. 

2 wins and a draw will do it. 88 points. Don't think anyone else will get more than 87 points now.

Bolton haven't won away in 8 games and Peterborough and Barnsley won't get more than 5 wins and a draw each in 7 games. 

I'm usually pessimistic in my outlook, generally, but I think we are going to finish top 2 now. 

2 minutes ago, Rich84 said:

Barnsley have only lost once on their travels in the league this season......

And what a team that was who beat them. 

Still very difficult to win 4 and draw 1 away from home. Draws won't do for them anymore. 

16 minutes ago, Bris Vegas said:

It’s pretty much basic math given some of the other teams have to play each other.

It’s hardly a jaw-dropping, know-it-all prediction. With only 7 games remaining the picture is pretty clear.

None of the other teams below are averaging more than 2 points per game.

Let’s be generous and give them better than that for the run in.

Bolton to take 16 from 7 (2.3ppg)

Posh and Barnsley to take 19 from 8 (2.375ppg)

So Derby would need 4 wins, Pompey 3. 

 

Yup, I think Barnsley have 5 away games left. That's a big ask to go at 2.4 points a game average with that many away games. 

Then Bolton have to play Peterborough, so one of those, or both if they draw, are going to have to go at well over 2 points a game average to get to 90 points. 

4 wins should be enough. 

One Curtis Nelson, there's only one Curtis Nelson.

Slightly unrelated, but Bristol City 6 points off the drop as it stands.

Cheeky bid for Knight and Bird on the way past them?

1 million for both?

I've always wanted us to have another crack at the Football League trophy anyway. 

Hopefully we draw someone like Leicester City U23s in the group stage.

Just now, Charliegeorge1962 said:

This is a must win game today.

Bolton already winning and with 2 games in hand too.

We've got ourselves a slow typer.

1 minute ago, Turk Thrust said:

Just shows that you can’t read too much into the match stats. Possession Exeter 70% us 30%;  shots them 13  us 9

What was the xg?

Bellingham, Forden and Rice.

Playing in behind Saka, Kane and Rashford (just jokes) and Grealish.

The best (imo) Right Back in the world in Walker and a decent enough defence.

Please don't waste it, Gareth. I fear you might do, though. 

36 minutes ago, Alph said:

I just finished the Putin interview. 

It's as expected. His contempt for an independent Ukraine is obvious. The first hour is hushed Imperial claims 

I mean it's just the other side of the coin. It's not a lie. It's his truth. As America peddles their truth. Convenient historical facts. Convenient omissions.

Finally. Someone says it. I don't care if it's Tucker Carlson, Jeremy Corbyn or James Collins doing the interview. Why would you not want to listen to his uninterrupted version?

Sure, it might not be new to people who have followed the war closely, but for those that haven't, the platform has been provided, for whatever reasons, a two hour interview with a man you can't usually sit in the same room as unless there is a 200ft table between you.

4 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

Warne really didn’t bring Washington in ‘in desperation’. He bought him previously for Rovrum and he bought him again because he obviously rates him. He was his striker pick. Frankly he was, and always will be, a very poor choice.

There is no point buying a holding midfielder if Warne wants to persist with his tactics. It’s like buying a caravan for a Porsche Boxster.

If we had a decent alternative coach I would be fully behind getting another midfielder in, but not sure it would be a holding type. One who could pass forward and run with some intensity creating in the middle would be ideal.

 

He did have Crooks who did this for him at Rotherham. But I guess trying to find someone like him on our budget would be like trying to find Collins onside. 

2 minutes ago, Barney1991 said:

We can’t scrap the tikki takka stuff as we never played it lol 

That was the joke

Right, we need to score twice quickly. 

Scrap the tikki takka football!!!!

Get it to the full backs and hoof it up the line, then lose it or cross it out of play. Football isn't hard, Derby!!!!