metalsheep02

I'll write something more serious than taking the mickey out of manager.
I don't enjoy Warne football. It's not just the style of football I have an issue with, I think it's the underlying problem of the most important aspect of any manager, is he getting the maximum out of his squad. And the simple answer is no. A big wage budget, as good of a backing as he will receive from our owner despite the circumstances with limits from the EFL, fantastic training facilities. He has no excuses in my view. 
Maybe it is an ego problem on my part, watching teams with significantly less resources than ourselves pass the football better and making our players run like headless chickens to regain possession, particularly at home, really grinds my teeth. I don't feel like Pride Park is a fortress under Warne. Strangely I don't feel confident like I used to. Surrendering possession at home does not give me reassurance that we are in control of matches, we are currently waiting on a massive error in the opponent's half or a 1 in 30 cross to find the back of the net. It is very basic, not much thought process and currently is giving us mixed results. Unfortunately Warne way is not for me although I do hope he has a lightbulb moment and conjures an attractive counter attacking style. 

Gabor Kiraly Palace goalie used to wear them every game 

Well with the rumours Norwich were very keen it wouldn't surprise me if Warne was hoping it went through so he could sign more crap and Cashin resisted.
 

His best signing so far is someone who wasn't even a target and only came here by the off-chance he played at fozzys testimonial 😀
Says it all..

Which is why you extend the contracts of the players you do want to build the team around. Cashin, Bird, Thompson and Sibley should be central to our long term plan.
At the moment, this is the best team would we could field next season:
Vickers
Rooney   Bradley   Nelson
Wilson   Fornah   Radcliffe   Elder
Ward   Washington   DBrown

Which "Hull lad"? We've been linked with Longman from them, but he's a winger/wing-back

You've gotta respect how crash happy Romain Grosjean still is after all he's been through. Nick Latifi levels of Wallaholism.

And Incycar later tonight - been more exciting than F1 this year and quite a few drivers who have progressed through F1 / F2

British Touring cars live on ITV4 starting at 11.15 for the whole days racing from Donington Park.
3 BTCC races, F4, Porsche cup, ginnettas, mini cup. Probably more entertaining than Max gently drives around in a haze of orange flares.
 

I’ve been around football and Derby for a very long time, since the 50s, and know that 4 games in is not enough to decide that we are not good enough for promotion.

Why would I? I was adamant that Thompson should have been brought into the side for matchday 2 and should have started every game since. I also would introduce Sibley to the starting lineup once fit
The flaw wasn't having a midfield of Smith, Hourihane and Bird and asking them to play in such a way which leave every single one of them and the defence exposed to counters. A change in style would have addressed that problem.
I have not said we shouldn't sign one midfielder, quite the opposite. I have said I would be annoyed if we signed two midfielders when we already have: Bird, Hourihane, Smith, LThompson and Sibley, with DRobinson and Radcliffe waiting in reserve. Two signings would further compound the short sightedness of this entire summer transfer window.

The 3 at the back formation!

Twelve months ago we looked like a Championship side, relegated by a points deduction and trying to play its way out of the division. Now we look like a League 1 team trying to scrap its way out of the division. The former may not have got us promoted but I know which I preferred.

Thanks chaps. Been watching them on Youtube but have found them on ITVx too now. 

I think they are on ITV 3 or 4 Saturday morning, around 9am.

I think they are on ITV 3 or 4 Saturday morning, around 9am.

Welhome waghorn I am so happy you are back at derby I hope you can add good play in set peaces and put some free kicks back of the net. And get this side ticking again and also get selby going also and help get collions score goals.
I am so happy you are back now let's get chris martin back now and goals soon start flying in again.

rubbish style

4 or 5 season's ago he would of been a great signing. Now he would be a typical Derby signing, picking a player up well passed his peak. Yes I know he's onlt 29 but he's not the player he was.

Ryan Woods has been s**** for years.  Show us the dollars.  Drives me mad .  We'll buy this player at less than he's worth, by giving you a player we don't want. This dumps there wage on you to give us room to offer the player you want to keep more wages to secure the move.  Feck off.

I would prefer that Chris Martin comes back to the club over Jordan Rhodes. They are similar age and their records are not dissimilar over the second half of their careers.
Neither have done much for 7 years. Their careers have stalled somewhat
In that time, their (very average) records are comparable:
Jordan Rhodes 212 (games).  38 (goals).  (5.57 strike rate)
Chris Martin 171   32  (5.34 strike rate)
Conor Washington 218   43. (5.06 strike rate)
James Collins 308   110  (2.8 strike rate)
Collins really sticks out for his superior record. Get the ball to him and he will finish. Even the much maligned CW has a better record than Rhodes over that time period.
Warne has intimated that whoever he buys will be a rough diamond and represent something of a gamble. I don't think the need for a striker is as pressing as many make out. For me, we need creativity.
 
 

I just find this such a revisionist view, and one that only really started to be voiced when it became apparent McGoldrick was leaving.  That's not to say there weren't  some people having such thoughts, but it wasn't a widespread view.
Prior to that it was all about who we could get to complement him and take the workload off, nothing about us not sharing the play around as a tactic, or because of his presence.
The only reason our system 'revolved' around him was because he was the only one up there with the skill to get hold of the ball and make something happen - It wasn't an intentional ploy to make him central to everything, it's just that if we played the ball up to anyone else it would be wasted or come bouncing back.
Mendes-Laing was knackered and became ineffective (still saw loads of the ball), Barkhuizen jaded from finding himself mostly out of the team, Collins was never in the right place (more interested in hugging defenders), Dobbin again saw a lot of the ball, had plenty of chances but was massively wasteful in front of goal, Sibley was shifted around, Knight usually deployed at RB/RWB, White lightweight and ineffective. We didn't really have anyone in the squad capable of running in behind a defence once Osula left.
Removing McGoldrick from the team would have solved none of those issues. Having him in the team didn't see others starved of the ball, if anything it was the opposite - he'd win it back himself and bring others into play, without him it was pinball. His presence didn't force Collins to stand in the wrong place whenever we crossed the ball in.
It's all just seems very convenient, and strikes me more as a phrase I saw someone use the other day - copium.
Putting that aside...
We may well be that we end up a more balanced team this season, but we're nowhere near achieving that yet. Where is this extra variety? The only thing we've really added to the team in an attacking sense is the wingbacks, and they're really just doing the same job NML was doing last season (just from both sides now), and maybe some extra pressing from Washington.
The other players we've been properly linked with in attack (other than Ladapo but it doesn't seem likely we get him) have all been fox-in-the-box types, upgrades on Collins - there's no added variety there, and we no longer have anyone in the squad who'll drop deep and offer the extra element of control McGoldrick did.

I have no problem with him whatsoever. We met him at a footy tournament in Aug 2021, just before we played them in the League Cup, my lad was 8 at the time and had a Rams top on. Despite being there to watch his son play he took a good few minutes to talk to my lad, have a photo and sign an autograph for him. My lads team beat them in the semis and he even walked over after the game and congratulated him. He didn't have to but he did. That says enough for me. 
I have said in a different thread that some of our fans are first class morons, witnessed first hand at Matlock. Total embarrassments. But every club has them.
As with all players, if he signs I will back him 100%.

It's not about balance and options though, it's entirely a numbers game.  If you want players to absolutely run themselves into the ground (which Warne openly admits he wants), then you simply can't get by with a small squad.  Burnout in the later stages of a season has been a consistent thing with both us last season and his Rotherham teams.  The smaller the squad, the more that is going to happen.

I think his dad owns a really good female racehorse. She’s Weston’s super mare.