ScamRam

That’s not true, he’s just come on! 

5-2-2-1 formation
Or has Wayne been playing CM01/02 again and gone with the infamous christmas tree formation?

Did we actually ruin any of them players.
I don't look at any of them and think they got massively worse during their time with us.
We overpaid for some of them, bought some of them based on highlight reels and played some out of position.
Other than Anya, dont think we affected any of their careers though, they left exactly as the players we signed in my opinion.

Yeah I had a pheasant pie like that once

Chris Porter, two great goals against Swansea in 2009 and I finally thought 'we have found a striker'!! Hip injury curtailed his career

Chris Porter, two great goals against Swansea in 2009 and I finally thought 'we have found a striker'!! Hip injury curtailed his career

I'm writing this because I've been thinking about it for a little while and I feel that I keep see people misdiagnosing what we are trying to do and why it's not working. (Also because I'm a bit bored whilst a bit ill). This isn't necessarily an attempt to defend what we are trying to do or whether it's the best approach to take (although I do think there is merit) but more an attempt at explaining the tactical intent and why we aren't meeting that intent or at least not consistently. It's worth noting there is an amount of variation in what we have tried to do but I'll try to cover the gist of it and where and why it's varied a little.
The Intent
The primary goal of what Rooney is trying to tactically work towards is aiming to create a chasm of space in midfield in front of the opposition defence for the 3 attacking midfielders (Lawrence particularly) to exploit, with the secondary goal of if that doesn't work having an overload out wide. We do this by working the ball out from the back and having players drift from their starting positions into space we manufacture in turn creating more space where we want it. With that in mind we can look at the player's roles.
GK, CBs - Not much to really explain here and they aren't doing anything fancy. The important bit is that we expect the ball to move around between them a lot and so need to be comfortable on the ball and able to shift possession quickly and accurately. Also the centre backs may be called upon to cover the space wide that the full backs vacate so in an ideal world are positional aware and quick.
Fullbacks - Almost used as wing backs the idea is that when we are building possession they push very high and wide. This is to achieve a couple things; provide width, give an out-ball for CBs and GK or a switch ball for a midfielder and push the opposition wide players back and out of the way contributing to space opening up where you'd typically see the fullback. There has been a minor variant on this with one of the full backs playing high but narrow acting as a pseudo-midfielder with the attacking player in front of them providing the width.
DMs - With the space vacated by the full back the DM on the side possession is moving towards can freely move into that pocket of space hopefully dragging their opposite number out of position and if they aren't tracked they will have time and space to pick a pass. The idea is goes quickly into them and the quickly on either into the 10 or to a wide player on their side. By doing this it contributes to trying to moving the opposition around, get them out of position and ideally out of those central areas which brings me on to the next group.
AMs - This whole tactical system is designed to give these players a platform to play, with the movement of the fullbacks and the DMs the AMs should find it a lot easier (if the ball has been moved quickly) to find time and space in the centre of the park where they can turn and hurt the opposing team. My belief is that there is three nominal roles the left sided player operates as a wideish playmaker, the right sided player operates as the most direct of the three looking to run at the opposition or in behind and the central player is to be somewhat in between both whilst also being the primary target for most of the build up, possession and I suspect the player wanted to be on the ultimate end of the move. You'll notice that there is a big emphasis on getting the 10 on the ball as much as possible. Typically the wider players are inverted so they are more comfortable coming narrow.
CF - Unlike a lot of tactical set ups, the striker isn't here primarily as the focus of things and more as almost a decoy. The idea is they consistently make runs beyond dragging the opposition back and have them back peddling when an AM breaks into the space in front of them. The importance once again is all about disrupting how the opposition set up in order to create space.
Ideally in the build up you'd expect us to look like this (assuming an attack on the right)
 
      
 
And if you look at in that regard I believe you can start to see how we expect to create passing triangles in order to work possession. It then shifts to something closer to this further up the pitch (again assuming an attack on the right)
 

(Diagrams aren't perfect but I hope they get the point across)
The Execution
Whilst the above is the intent we often see it breakdown well before the final third giving the impression that we aren't going anywhere and it's partly we see some players end up consistently coming very deep. What's basically happening is to an extent we aren't able to execute what we are trying to do tactically and forever recycling the initial phase of it. The problem is rife throughout the team and there are a lot of players out there who are clearly unsuited to doing what is asked causing severe breaks in the tactical cohesion. 
GK Roos is actually perfect for the role in terms of his attributes. Whilst he may have his moments; at this level his distribution is excellent and he is fast off his line if somebody breaks beyond the defence. CBs Admittedly this feels a touch unfair to criticise and in fairness they've made about as a good a fist of it as can be expected but fundamentally we need CBs much more comfortable on the ball the Davies and Stearman if we want to build out from the back. Jagielka coming in will help this mind and if we can pick up Mengi as well we will be golden. Fullbacks  Forsyth just isn't really quick enough anymore to properly stretch the pitch and then return to position, Buchanan returning will improve this but I think we need start seriously considering bumping Williams up to second choice. Byrne whilst he has made mistakes is probably ok in the role with a couple caveats; ideally we'd have someone a little faster and more capable of drilling the ball into the box (as opposed to Byrne's floaters). Ebosele would fix some of the issues but is a little rawer in possession than Byrne. Also whilst Byrne is fine with the primary role, he is clearly supremely uncomfortable playing as an inverted full back as we saw against Peterborough. DMs Bird tactically and positionally completely gets what he should be doing and whilst it might look odd is following the plan set out for him to a T.  The ball comes into and back out from him quickly and reliably. The only minor problem is because of the position he is taking up the quick forwards pass is typically on his wrong foot  and he'd be far better off if he was playing on the left half of the pitch. Shinnie however is arguably one of the biggest issues in the current set up and blatantly unsuited for it. Tactical he looks unsure of his role and the number of times that one of the following happens when he gets the ball is significant; the momentum of the move is killed dead because he takes too many touches, he gives up possession or he passes in a such a way that the next player does. As much as he is liked if Rooney wants to tactically make work what he's trying to do, Shinnie has to come out of the side. AMs The system has been built with Lawrence playing at 10 in mind and whilst he hasn't perhaps pulled up any trees he does seem to tactically understand what his role and what he should be doing at a given time. Need a bit more creatively from him and I think we will see that once other things click into place. Morrison somewhat similar to Lawrence I feel was firmly in the coaching team's mind when thinking on how they want to play this season and does his role well The problem position is the RAM slot. The plan very clearly was to get Aluko in here. Jozwiak and Ebosele have started here but neither are really right for both being right footed and given that Byrne behind them can't play the compensatory role. The player very clearly most suited to it is Sibley but it's just a question of whether Rooney gets over his hangups with him as he looked like a clear fit when he came on versus Peterborough. CF This is also where there has been a bit of a problem. I really like CKR but this system needs someone energetic and spinning in behind to open up the space and keep the opposition honest and it's just not his game. It wasn't surprising to me that the game seemed to change when he got injured and Stretton came on because suddenly spaces started to appear. I'm relatively convinced Baldock was being brought in with this in mind and was going to be earmarked as first choice. Personally however I think Stretton looks a better fit and I suspect is more likely to be clinical when it comes to chance creation.  Whilst it might not look great now with perhaps a couple signings/players returning to fitness it could quickly click into place, it's just down to Rooney and Co to realise why it's not working and fix it. For example a theoretical line up along the lines of the following would likely execute the plan set out pretty well 

yeah bringing on pen takers works (rashford, sancho etc)!!!

Do you think Rooney left him a message on his answering machine. 

Maybe play a part in our Great Escape and we stay up ?

Puyol was under 6ft too  Michael Johnson wasnt the tallest either.
If you arent 6ft plus you have to read the game very well and have excellent decision making. Knowing when to challenge, when to drop, when to go tight, when to contest a header are all skills that can help you win physical battles.

Colin Todd 5' 9" 

The Dean Saunders type. 
Lawrence needs to be sensible and not be a smart arse taking penalties. One f@ck up and the knives will be out 

Born in Manchester, all family are Reds but moved to Cornwall in 1970 where there is no League team. Saw 'Arsenal 0 Derby 2' in my maths book about 9 yrs old and been hooked ever since. Moved to Worksop in 78 and first game was Nov 79 4-1 v Forest! Son and Daughter now Rams as well.

Born in Manchester, all family are Reds but moved to Cornwall in 1970 where there is no League team. Saw 'Arsenal 0 Derby 2' in my maths book about 9 yrs old and been hooked ever since. Moved to Worksop in 78 and first game was Nov 79 4-1 v Forest! Son and Daughter now Rams as well.

Born in Manchester, all family are Reds but moved to Cornwall in 1970 where there is no League team. Saw 'Arsenal 0 Derby 2' in my maths book about 9 yrs old and been hooked ever since. Moved to Worksop in 78 and first game was Nov 79 4-1 v Forest! Son and Daughter now Rams as well.

Born in Manchester, all family are Reds but moved to Cornwall in 1970 where there is no League team. Saw 'Arsenal 0 Derby 2' in my maths book about 9 yrs old and been hooked ever since. Moved to Worksop in 78 and first game was Nov 79 4-1 v Forest! Son and Daughter now Rams as well.

Born in Manchester, all family are Reds but moved to Cornwall in 1970 where there is no League team. Saw 'Arsenal 0 Derby 2' in my maths book about 9 yrs old and been hooked ever since. Moved to Worksop in 78 and first game was Nov 79 4-1 v Forest! Son and Daughter now Rams as well.

Grew up in Lincoln in the 70s and started following Arsenal after they won the double in 1971. My favourite player was Charlie George and when he moved to Derby so did I and stuck with them ever since

I don’t actually have any connection to Derbyshire, funnily enough.
I wasn’t born there. I grew up in an NG postcode, likewise my primary and secondary school had an NG postcode. 
I left the UK permanently when I was 20. 
But my dad, who also had no previous connection with the area, moved to the EM in his 20s and later worked in Derbyshire. 90% of football supporters at his work were Derby fans, so it was easy for him to follow them and later take me along when I was a kid.
My first game of memory at PP was around 97. We beat Coventry, and I specifically remember Wanchope scoring by chipping the goalkeeper and Richard Shaw (with his dreadlocks!) sliding back to try and clear it off the line and ending up tangled in the net aswell.
 

Born in Gloucester, live in France. Dad a lifelong Derby fan, no real football team in Gloucester, and I started getting into football in 1974/5, so I didn't tke a lot of indoctrinating.

Born in Manchester, all family are Reds but moved to Cornwall in 1970 where there is no League team. Saw 'Arsenal 0 Derby 2' in my maths book about 9 yrs old and been hooked ever since. Moved to Worksop in 78 and first game was Nov 79 4-1 v Forest! Son and Daughter now Rams as well.

Born in Manchester, all family are Reds but moved to Cornwall in 1970 where there is no League team. Saw 'Arsenal 0 Derby 2' in my maths book about 9 yrs old and been hooked ever since. Moved to Worksop in 78 and first game was Nov 79 4-1 v Forest! Son and Daughter now Rams as well.

I'd like to imagine that there is a Real Betis forum in Spanish somewhere on the Internet and they are currently having an absolute meltdown about being beaten in pre-season by a second tier team with about 8 senior players on the books that are being managed by a clown.