Ellafella

Derby totally lack any sort of control when we get into / around the opposition box. Just "hit and hope" crosses that invariably find a defender or sail everyone by. Oh for the days of Bryson/Hughes/Hendrick/Martin & Ward (J) when we weaved our way through defences like a hot knife through butter. 

Isn't that Becky Thingy at far side Lino? She's panting heavily! 

Apologies for the quality of the visual but they don't copy and paste very well. If you click on it you get a clearer version. 

Table 2 shows average ranks by players after 15 league games. The table gives Rank after 15 games and compares with rank after 8 games so you can see the "movers & shakers". I'll let you absorb the detail at your own will - apart from Nyambe who stays at #1; Bird 🐦has started to fly up the table and has elevated 11 places; Nelson has advanced 2 places; Waghorn has dropped 8 places...and so on.

The ranks/scores do seem to have "face validity" ie they fit in with my perceptions of players over recent games. The potential surprise is Hourihane who have advanced 3 ranks but still overall attracts a "below average" score - although by a very tiny amount.      

Once again thanks to those of you who take the trouble to post your player ratings each week - you're brilliant. I've caught up with the punching of all the data from the first 15 League games and Fig 1 and Table 1 give the numbers of the average aggregate team ratings for those 15 League games *. Fig 1 is an SPC chart (statistical process control). SPC charts show "common cause" and "special cause" variation in data - basically if there are significant differences in trend data. You can see from Fig 1 how the average aggregate ratings vary over the weeks - from 2 lowest scores of 86.7 (Oxford home and Stevenage away) up to 113.27 (Blackpool Away). What does that tell you? Probably just that ratings tend to be highest when we have won well and lowest when we have been roundly beaten (Oxford and Stevenage). In Fig 1, the heavy dark line is the overall average - so you can see when the Team has been rated "below average" (dots appear below the line) and "above average" (dots appear above the line). The dotted lines are the "control limits" (in an SPC x-bar chart, these lines are the average moving range of scores between the games. Any dots that appear "beyond" these limits, either above or below, show statistically significant differences. We will probably only see those if the Team's form shows a sustained improvement or a big reduction in performance. I've also calculated SD, Minimum, Maximum and Range so you can see how scores vary. So, when we won handsomly at Blackpool, there was still a difference of 12 between the highest and lowest aggregated rating.        

1. * Definition: The sum of ratings for all players given by each rater, divided by the number of ratings.

I'll post some more analysis during this week - including the average ratings for each player over the 15 games thus far from which we can see the ("statistically") best Team, based on DCFC Fans' Forum ratings. @sage noted this based on the 8 game point. 

Those of who who posted specific questions, I will look at those later this week, and post some answers.  

1Wildsmith 6.5 No fault for the goals; good save at the near post 2nd half. 

24Nyambe 6 Stout game but ponderous when attacking.

17Sibley 6 Late sub. Fed NML for the assist.

35Nelson 7 Calm and assured. 

5Bradley 5 At fault for the second when he failed to clear.

6Cashin 7.5 Had a notable impact on the game with incisive passes.

3Forsyth 5.5 Some sloppy passes and should’ve tracked their centre forward for the goal. 

2Wilson 7 Pace and proactivity and troubled their right-back; some effective delivery. 

4Hourihane 6.5 Equalised at the death. Lots of possession but slow and ponderous. 

12Smith 6 Lots of possession but cannot play the pass to unlock the defence.

7Barkhuizen 5.5 Pace but no product today.

20Ward 6 Some delivery which found a Derby shirt. 

8Bird 7 Sole creative type but nothing quite worked today. 

11Méndez-Laing 7.5 Tireless threat but too many poor aimless crosses. Missed a sitter of a header when totally unmarked. Made amends with his goal.

14Washington 6 Grafted but nothing worked. 

9Collins 5.5 Goal chalked offside. Doesn’t occupy the box enough. 
 

The game stats reveal that Derby should’ve won comfortably today but we’re actually lucky to have scraped a draw. Clearly Northants papered over the cracks and unless Warne gets a striker we will continue to fire blanks. I also don’t believe that Bradley is up to the job so another CH will be needed (assuming Cashin departs). 

Half-marks allowed; please rate all subs. Closes Thursday @ 18:00. Results by Thursday 22:00. Average is 6.00. Therefore, when a sub steps on the pitch he is on 6 - that's the baseline. Also indicate ATG (at the game) or TV (Tv).

1Wildsmith

24Nyambe

17Sibley

35Nelson

5Bradley

6Cashin

3Forsyth

2Wilson

4Hourihane

12Smith

7Barkhuizen

20Ward

8Bird

11Méndez-Laing

14Washington

9Collins

I wonder who his favourite character is? 😲

1 hour ago, MaltRam said:

I was running late last night, no lunch and no dinner, and grabbed a nice burger van cheeseburger outside. Scoffed before I got through the turnstile. Still hungry, so as the teams were coming out I grabbed a £6.50(?) chicken burger. I won't describe it, but suffice to say it was the single most disgusting thing I've eaten in years. Astonished I haven't had the thrupnys today and I left over half of it. Should have learnt my lesson after my cast iron pukka pie crust a few weeks back. Nah. I'm sticking to the burger vans from now on, far superior cuisine!

“…the thrupnys…”. 
Wonderful coin of phrase. One for the over 50’s there. Short for “thrupenny bit”. Pl. Thrupenny bits; Cockney rhyming slang for a loose bowel. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threepence_(British_coin)#:~:text=The British threepence piece%2C usually,⁄4 of one shilling.

On the subject of scran {inevitably the voice inside my head says that in a strong scouse accent}, I got this at PP last night: picture doesn’t do it justice really and did enjoy it. Since when did we become all cordon blue? 😲

1 minute ago, Ian Buxton's Bat said:

My view is that number 1 was probably a factor but it was probably largely number 2........no idea if influenced by DC but possibly influenced by a mid-match serenade of "your football is sh1te" at Stevenage.

If it was number 3, with players playing hoofball against orders in other games, I would have expected to have seen PW going absolutely beserk on the side-lines in the first halves at Shrewsbury and Stevenage and telling the midfielders to make themselves available for passes......and he wasn't as far as I could see.

The other possible mitigating factor is the size of pitch.......I've no idea if the last two away games were on tiny pitches but I can just about understand a slightly different approach if you absolutely KNOW it's going to be congested.

Lovely; and I agree. Thanks. 

4 hours ago, David said:

Just on that Rotherham thing, you know when you create a topic and later think why didn't I say that at the time? Maybe trying to avoid an essay, who knows but....

I never quite understood the turning up the nose of any Rotherham player that was linked, with any signing all background checks on their character on and off the pitch, if work hard in training etc. is all gathered by references, via third parties.

What's better than previously working with a player and wanting to bring them with you?

I can only put it down to that we're bigger and better than Rotherham to be signing any of their players, which kind of ignores the current league status of both clubs, or is it a Warne = crap so Rotherham players = crap assumption?

Don't get me wrong, there is a limit to how many former players you can bring before it looks like you're recreating Rotherham at Derby and that has to be a worry, this wasn't the case. As we've seen today with the Eustace link, these former connection links are always made, can't go bursting blood vessels over each one.

It's funny really as when Lampard was here everyone was asking where all the Chelsea superstar youngsters were, like Mount and Tomori were never here.

We're not too big for Rotherham players, need to lose that snobbery as he looks a useful player for us that many appear to be warming to now.

You're quite right @David but it isn't just an element of snobbery. I can expand (Oh May-tron! etc). 

1. Initially, I have been underwhelmed with PW's transfer business. Admittedly, as has been debated, we don't know the detail {budget-constraints, EFL cap, mal-influence of agents, state of the market etc} but nevertheless underwhelmed. Apart from pre-season Stoke and last night, Sonny Bradley looked "shot/jelly-legs" and accident prone. Elder, injured and invisible when played. Ward, not mobile. Fornah I like and he has a future, but J-J injured. Nelson looked iffy to begin with (but now a tank) and Washington initially looked quite mobile but off the pace still and with no obvious skill-set above being a squad-man. Last night Washington looked 15 yards quicker; that drop of the shoulder as he outpaced their defender was sublime, an expression from a footballer very much "in the zone" and his finish proved it. Was it a flash-in-the-pan - we'll see. 

2. So the "Rotherham" thing was a question-mark about PW's horizon really; not an expression of snobbery {though there may be that from some fans}. Some, including myself, have questioned whether Warne has been somewhat institutionalised by his Rotherham background and that he may have a tendency not to see beyond what he experienced/learned and believes as a result. His outward appreciation of Steve Evans last week {not a problem per se} was also a Rotherham link but in hindsight not good given what his team then did to us; His warm-words then looked obsequious and starry-eyed especially given the view that most fans have of Steve Evans from his rather "Neanderthal" dealings with Nigel Clough. 

3. Having been a big supporter of PW, my jury is now out and it is since Stevanage ; last night really helped me to begin to re-evaluate again and more consistent displays of good team-based football playing through midfield will put PW back in with me. 

4. That said - I don't like to hear PW say words to the effect of "fans must accept and "get real" that Derby County is a mid-table Third Division side". That and words to that effect obviously suit his agenda of building realism but are very ill-advised to use because it implies that he is accepting of that deep down when he is the one chap who should, of all the people in Pride Park stadium, least accept it and convey to the players that being a mid-table 3rd division side is NOT at all acceptable.  Again, it implies that his horizons don't extend beyond 45.5 miles north of Derby. Derby County is a big club, with a huge history and has a defining place in the history of football in England. It's not conceited to say it, and to lead it in 2023 requires a Big Club mentality. I have questioned of late, if PW has a big enough "vision" to understand that. In contrast, I warmly remember a young, handsome Peter Taylor, circa 1968/9 looking in to the camera and saying "I'm Peter Taylor and I'm going to the very top with Brian Clough and Derby County". He didn't say "Derby County fans must realise that they are a mid-table 2nd Division side and wind their necks in because I'm not used to being criticized, because back in Rotherham I won 3 promotions and they think I'm Pep". 

It's a privilege and an honour to manage Derby County; the current atmosphere of tension is actually positive if it drives the Club/team forward - and it can be the catalyst short-term to do that. If it produces more games like last night, then it will have been a very healthy week indeed.  

29 minutes ago, Ian Buxton's Bat said:

ATG

1Wildsmith 7 spectator

24Nyambe 7 solid.........better going forward as well last night

23Ward 7  really added some impetus......desperately wanted the ball

35Nelson 7 solid

5Bradley 8 really good game. Unclear whether his excellent passes through the middle, on the deck, were his choice or PW's instructions. Harsh to have a pop at Cashin for long aimless hoofs before we know what instructions were

3Forsyth 7.5 really good game

4Hourihane 7 got away with a few poor passes first half but generally very good. 

22Fornah 6   did OK in the customary game of post-sub position roulette

12Smith 6.5  did OK

7Barkhuizen 7.5 very, very good for an hour then faded a bit when moved to the left

8Bird 🦅  8.5 excellent

39Brown 6  would have been interesting to see him as the first sub for Washington playing in a team that was purring and knew its positions

11Méndez-Laing 7 very good

16Wilson 6 did OK

14Washington 8 very good. Eating small portion of humble pie today.

9Collins 6 missed a sitter but did OK. moved to a 10 to accommodate Brown, which isn't his best position but some nice link up play. 

Great comments as always @Ian Buxton's Bat and you have identified a key FACTOR for me which is the kernal of the Warne-Ball debate: we saw a transformed Derby last night; Bradley's passes through the lines (circa 35-40 yards to midfield) and other players' passes (quick, one-touch, give & go) were reminiscent of the MAC#1 era. So, why suddenly do we see those? Is it:

1. Simply because Northampton stood off, gave us space and time in which to play whereas other teams don't.

2. A change of instruction from Warne to Team to play differently (ie proper football not Hoofball).

3. Some other reason ie the players just spontaneously started to behave like a good football team.  

If 2, did David Clowes have any influence ie Did he say something like "The Derby footballing public are very knowledgeable football set and won't really tolerate 45 yard punts from Cashin into "air-space . Also, you perhaps ought to think about younger players coming through an academy which costs £5M a year to run and maybe start to show some intent (ie Brown needs some encouragement). 

I'm using a bit of poetic license here with the DC thing and not trying to provoke mischief but I'd like to think it's No. 2 because I can't bear industrial football (ie Charles Hughes Manual); suspect #1 has a part in it but really do hope this is the start of a pattern. 

We looked like a team with desire and finesse last night - was it a one-off in your view?  

6 minutes ago, David said:

Just on that Rotherham thing, you know when you create a topic and later think why didn't I say that at the time? Maybe trying to avoid an essay, who knows but....

I never quite understood the turning up the nose of any Rotherham player that was linked, with any signing all background checks on their character on and off the pitch, if work hard in training etc. is all gathered by references, via third parties.

What's better than previously working with a player and wanting to bring them with you?

I can only put it down to that we're bigger and better than Rotherham to be signing any of their players, which kind of ignores the current league status of both clubs, or is it a Warne = crap so Rotherham players = crap assumption?

Don't get me wrong, there is a limit to how many former players you can bring before it looks like you're recreating Rotherham at Derby and that has to be a worry, this wasn't the case. As we've seen today with the Eustace link, these former connection links are always made, can't go bursting blood vessels over each one.

It's funny really as when Lampard was here everyone was asking where all the Chelsea superstar youngsters were, like Mount and Tomori were never here.

We're not too big for Rotherham players, need to lose that snobbery as he looks a useful player for us that many appear to be warming to now.

You’re right @David you definitely didn’t avoid an essay 😏

1Wildsmith 6. Watched the grass grow. Caught a cross in the 67th minute.

24Nyambe 6.5 Solid.

23Ward 6. Dinked in some nice balls. 

35Nelson 6.5 Imperious.

5Bradley 6.0 Saw plenty of possession early doors & looked polished; Bullet header wide 2nd half with the net gaping.

3Forsyth 6.0 Busy. Some angled crosses begged to be bagged.

4Hourihane 6.0 Mobile & cultured passes.

22Fornah 6.0 Back on it & looked hungry though the game was done.

12Smith 6.0 Wisped about a bit. 

7Barkhuizen 7.0 Stretched them and looked a threat.

8Bird 🦅 8.0 MOTM Guile & endeavour.

39Brown 6.0 Late show and competed.

11Méndez-Laing 6.0 Busy. 

16Wilson 6.5 Energy and intelligence.

14Washington 7.0 Very bright first half.

9Collins 5.5 Needs to occupy the box.

4 goals, 3 points & a clean sheet but Northampton were poor tonight and really didn’t muster any kind of opposition. I doubt they’ll be that bad again this season. 

Half-marks allowed; please rate all subs. Closes Thursday @ 18:00. Results by Thursday 22:00. Average is 6.00. Therefore, when a sub steps on the pitch he is on 6 - that's the baseline. Also indicate ATG (at the game) or TV (Tv).

1Wildsmith

24Nyambe

23Ward

35Nelson

5Bradley

3Forsyth

4Hourihane

22Fornah

12Smith

7Barkhuizen

8Bird 🦅 

39Brown

11Méndez-Laing

16Wilson

14Washington

9Collins

20 hours ago, VulcanRam said:

What plenty of people have been saying about James Collins (minus the comfortably best finisher bit) but most of the time he's still everywhere except the penalty area when chances emerge. I think he'd be a much more effective finisher and player for us if he was told to cut out the build up the play, which he's not that good at anyway, and goal hang a bit more.  

Tbf to Warne et al, they have told him that. 

1 hour ago, jameso said:

Which Ping are you seeking a rating for?

Is it our lanky but dispirited forward, Drew Ping?

Could it be our shirt-tugging midfielder, Klaas Ping?

Or just our poor beleaguered supporter, Mo Ping?

Just pinging so that those who haven't yet had the chance to provide ratings do so, before the thread is "lost" amongst all the others. There is a tendency for posters not to provide ratings whenever we have a "poor result". 

Ping.

Half-marks allowed; please rate all subs. Closes Thursday @ 18:00. Results by Thursday 22:00. Average is 6.00. Therefore, when a sub steps on the pitch he is on 6 - that's the baseline. Also indicate ATG (at the game) or TV (Tv).

1Wildsmith

24Nyambe

16Ward

35Nelson

6Cashin

3Forsyth

5Bradley

8Bird

4Hourihane

2Wilson

9Collins

17Sibley

12Smith

11Méndez-Laing

14Washington

7Barkhuizen

1 hour ago, RoyMac5 said:

Just shows how poor this league is, and we're struggling to look like a coherent team. Just occasional flashes of football.  

^ This. We’ve been in the business 139 years.,,we should be trying to play cultured football not turnip field kick n rush with an over-ripe turnip. 

We’ve lost to a tub of lard…

I’m out

Awful football. My eyes are bleeding 👀.

EFL Asst ref said “Mendez-Laing was 100% OFFSIDE 😲

On 25/10/2023 at 15:41, angieram said:

1Wildsmith 6

24Nyambe 7.5

35Nelson 7

6Cashin 6.5

3Forsyth 8

4Hourihane 7

12Smith 6

8Bird 🦅9 

2Wilson 7.5

17Barkhuizen 7

17Sibley 6

14Washington 7

11Méndez-Laing 8.5

9Collins 5.5

10 Waghorn - I know a lot of what he did last night went un-noticed but to leave him out? 😉 7

I know - no disrepect to Waggy intended; pure oversight @angieram. I'll ensure it doesn't detract from his scoring average.