Dordogne-Ram

Straight from the horses/footballers mouths:
Wildsmith was asked about rumours of him leaving Derby. He has not yet been offered a new contract. 
Ebou and his missus are absolutely loving everything about Derby. He said there are several things that need to fall into place about signing but seemed positive. He is the loveliest down to earth person. Didn’t stop smiling all night. If we need to forcefully restrain him to keep him here count me in! He doesn’t mind the Ebou chant sounding like booing. 
Dwight Gayle is recovering well and hoping to be back next week.
Max Bird still very much focused on the next too games, despite moving on. 
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing smells very nice
 
 
 
 

Me giving Ryan Nyambe a bit of advice on how to handle those tricky wingers next season. 😂

Thank you for the gracious comments.  I'm a bit *ahem* tired and emotional - it's been a relatively long wait for us to get back in to the second tier.  I'm rooting for you to get over the line and other results this evening appear to have been in your favour.  Good luck and raising a glass to B4.

Cledara Abbey Stadium: KO- 15.00
We’re on a mini-run, aren’t we, but despite having our fate firmly back in our hands, the pressure to perform remains; two wins from our last two and we’re back in the sunlit uplands of the Championship; a loss, or even a draw and potentially the pendulum swings again.
It’ll be interesting to see whether we might see one or two back in full training this week, but it’s hard to view the win against Orient as anything other than one of our most complete performances this season and this despite being far from clinical in front of goal. Will the confidence garnered see us approach the game with the same positive approach? One hopes so! Another slip up when seemingly set to turn the screw and inevitably, PW’s management will be under fire. A win and we head back to Pride Park with only Carlisle standing between us and our first promotion since 2007.
Our Opponents:
The club was founded in 1912 as Abbey United, and took the name Cambridge United in 1951. They played in local amateur leagues before joining the Southern League after finishing as runners-up of the Eastern Counties League in 1957–58. Under Bill Leivers's stewardship they were crowned Southern League Premier Division champions in 1968–69 and 1969–70, which helped to secure their election into the Football League in 1970. 

Recent Form & Key Players:
Off the back off two absolute kickings from Reading, 4-0, then a 6-0 hammering from Lincoln, Cambridge were held 1-1 by Northampton before closing out March with a 2-0 loss away to Bolton. April has seen them draw at home to Charlton and lose by the odd goal to Blackpool, before showing better form in defeating Wigan 3-1 at home.
Top of the scoring charts sits Gassan Ahadme with 11, with Fejiri Okenabirhie next best with 9. Ellis Kachunga is next best having netted 6 times in 34 starts. Sully Kalkai tops the assists list with from Jack Lankester and George Thomas with 4 and 3 assists respectively.
Rams Match Squad:
Hard to get away from the 11 that started against Orient, given the resounding nature of the win and the style in which it was achieved. A buoyant Paul Warne confirmed in the post-match presser that everyone came through unscathed and it was interesting to hear him saying that we had more energy coming off a shorter break than was the case at Wycombe, where he felt we lacked energy, despite the 8 day break.
The injury picture remains murky and it’ll be interesting to see whether Gayle and Bird might be fit enough to make the matchday squad. I’ll not bother with my selected 11, as I always get it horribly wrong and the gaffer seems to be doing a decent job matching squads to opponents without our guidance. Instead, here’s the top of the table as it stands:

Don't forget to keep an eye on @Caerphilly Ram's injury updates thread across the week, for any snippets on player's likely return dates. I'll append anything I see to this htread as best I can in any case.
The Promotion Picture:
Some key fixtures tomorrow night, none more so than Bolton’s home game against Shrewsbury, whom we know to be a strong and obdurate side, though one lacking the Trotter’s class edge. I’d expect Bolton to take the points, but should Shrews grab an early lead, it could make for rather tougher game.
Oxford, fresh off the back of their 5 goal hammering of Posh play hosts to Lincoln City, whose charge towards the play-offs has faltered a little in most recently. It ought to be a tightly contested affair and to be honest, I’d not be surprised by any result.
The aforementioned Posh have what appears to be a routine task against lowly Fleetwood, but what will be the aftermath of their humbling at the hands of Oxford on Saturday. Might they have a hangover?
Perhaps the best tie of the round features champions-elect Portsmouth hosting Barnsley. A point will surely suffice for Pompey, but I expect them to win and win well en route to a thoroughly well-deserved title win. They’ve been excellent this season and this despite being one of the few clubs with comparable injury concerns to our beloved Rams. It'll be good to see them back where they belong after some very difficult years of their own.
Of the weekend ties, the most interesting involve Peterborough, who have a tricky away game at Bristol and Bolton host Port Vale. It seems odds on we will be going into the final week needing to beat Carlisle to be absolutely certain of promotion and I doubt too many Rams fans will be counting their chickens early! 
Final Thoughts:
A brief digression is in order to congratulate Eiran Cashin and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, both of whom made the EFL League 1 Team of the Year. Bit miffed that Curtis Nelson was overlooked to partner Cash at CB, as for me, he’s been top of the pops for us, but I doubt he’ll mind too much if we win come Saturday.
A last word as always to all Derby fans travelling to the game, safe journey to and fro, Rams and Ramettes and hopefully plenty of good stuff to chatter about on your way home. Honestly, I think our away support has been as good as any in the entire EFL this season and they’ll hopefully be rewarded with another complete and controlled performance as we ourselves edge closer to that vital 2nd place finish.
COYR
BE MORE B4
 

Nobody thinks you are banging on , Daniel was loved by all of us , big character , great lad, his presence will always be felt while there’s a Derby County Football Club , much love to you and your family
 
             BeMoreB4.  COYR

Thommo is a brilliant footballer and a good asset to the team. His ability to keep the ball and his naturally attacking mentality is so important to us. 

Hello again,
I had a great afternoon yesterday at Pride Park, obviously helped by the outcome. Absolutely brilliant support, underlined by the fact that a Premier League fixture down the road had a lower attendance, even with the decent following that the West Midlands sent over. Decent noise throughout the game too, Pride Park seems to work well with the crowd sound and atmosphere - some of the new stadiums get this wrong. I don't think anybody has managed to emulate atmosphere from the old stadiums that were touched by the hand of Archibald Leitch but Pride Park certainly has most of it and, of course, the people component. 
As for the game, it seemed to me that there looked to be a division between the two sides. I felt that the club, city and fan base seemed to be out of place at L1 level. 
Back soon.

League Table since October defeat at Stevenage - just for the current top 6

From the U21 squad, we already have Evans (3rd matchday GK), Radcliffe, DRobinson and DBrown who I would consider to be on the fringes of the first team squad. Weston a little bit behind them.
We then have several players who could still play U18 football but stepped up early - 2nd year scholars Cox, KRobinson and Hawkins, and 1st year scholars JThompson, Gill and Allen.
Davidson has had a lot of trouble with injuries but has always looked promising when in the side. He missed the first half of last season and most of this one (last played in October), but would have been a regualr in the U21 squad (still a 2nd year scholar) if he stayed fit.
McAndrew is on the cusp of stepping up and is still only 16! 
 
I think all of these youngsters have a very good chance of being Championship footballers (or higher), with some doing it with us in a couple of years.

Think Portsmouth and Derby going up is the best result judging the season as a whole. Both too big for this league anymore. Hopefully the draw we gave Bolton today (tbh they could be right to feel bad not to take all three points) will be enough to get you guys over the line. 
 
Good result for you guys. Hopefully see you in the championship next season. 

Not sure the addition of Bradley and Hourihane will 'freshen it up', or much else to be honest. Dropping Smith for the latter in particular, seems akin to an act of self-harm. We've looked ok defensively, having reverted to a back 4 and I'd fear a complete meltdown amongst the fans if we bring in the two slowest players on the roster for a game we absolutely need to be winning.

Pride Park Stadium – KO: 15.00
After a chastening visit to Wycombe Wanderers, next up, the Rams play host to Leyton Orient. I know the whole, ‘must win game’ is horribly overused cliche in sport, but sadly, it actually applies on this occasion, as it will do for all of our remaining games. On the basis of ability and potential, you’d fancy our chances strongly, but as has been the case through a good deal of the season, the team remains somewhat Jekyll and Hyde and it’s anyone’s guess which Derby will turn up on Saturday. Having been concerned about the Wycombe game being a potential banana skin, I’m less so for this match, but it’d taker a braver man than I to be dogmatic about the outcome.
Leyton Orient:
Founded in 1881 as the Glyn Cricket Club, they began playing football as Orient in 1888 and joined the London League in 1896 after success in the Clapton & District League. The club adopted the name Clapton Orient two years later and were elected into the Football League in 1905. Most recently and under current manager Richie Wellens, the club was crowned champions of League Two in the 2022–23 campaign and sit mid-table in this current season.
Form Guide:
In the corresponding away fixture, we rode our luck a little early on, but having scored 1st, the game turned on a somewhat controversial sending off, with Brandon Cooper dismissed for a foul on Max Bird. Derby ultimately ran out comfortable 3-0 winners and this with Collo spurning a brace of golden opportunities, but even then, I felt the scoreline flattered us a little - Please see the match highlights link below. FWIW, my view is that Orient are a tidy enough side for the grade and should not be taken lightly. Much like Wycombe, they will be able to relax a little more than our lads and we need to be controlled and alert throughout the 90 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zPSKzMlFGE&ab_channel=DerbyCountyFootballClub
 
Most recently, Orient’s form has been decent enough, with a 1-0 victory away to Stevenage followed by two losses by the odd goal only to Lincoln and Peterborough. Their last two matches, both at home, yielded a 3-1 victory against Cheltenham, followed by a 2-2 draw against Exeter.
The most obvious dangerman would seem to be the ever-present Ruel Sotiriou with 11 goals and 5 assists across 42 games played. Shaquai Forde is next best with 9 goals and 5 assists, with Oliver O'Neil chipping in with 5 goals and 4 assists. Their preferred formation is seemingly a 4-2-3-1, but perhaps someone who has actually watched them regularly can confirm, as my research yielded conflicting data.
Head 2 Head:
Historically, Derby have the edge and perhaps more significantly, we have not lost at home to Leyton since 1981, with 5 home losses in total since the clubs first met way back in 1907 in what was then the 2nd division.
Games won: 23
Games drawn: 8
Games lost: 18
Team News:
Warne again has some worries to address. Our own @Caerphilly Ram has battled manfully to keep us all informed against an ever-changing background and his latest summary suggests the something akin to the following scenario for Saturday:
Joe Ward – was said to be out for 2 weeks at time of injury – 50:50 for this match is perhaps mildly optimistic
Max Bird – was mooted as a possible for the Wycombe game – may well figure from the bench
Dwight Gayle – not expected to play this weekend, but may be available for the last 2 games
Craig Forsyth - not expected to play this weekend, but may be available before season end
Callum Elder – groin injury, status unknown
Ryan Nyambe – out for the season
Tyreece John-Jules – most likely out for the season
Jake Rooney -  most likely out for the season, but has been ‘back on the grass’ we’re told. No jokes please!
I do have some sympathy for Warne as it seems every time he has the lads playing well, injuries to key players undermine any momentum, but that said, we’re not alone in that regard and we’ll need to make do as best we can.
Line-Up:
I think PW will start with a very similar line up to the last game. I’m going to suggest a slightly controversial tweak (assuming Ward is s recovered) and a change from the MF 2 we seem to favour, to variant of an undeniably old fashioned 4-4-2 – yeah, I know, straws...clutching...much… If Ward is indeed fit, he comes in for Nate, who looks like a man in need of freshening up – perhaps he and Max might be best deployed as ‘finishers’ off the bench when legs tire and the game is more stretched, assuming we’re not winning comfortably. Likewise Barks, who could also play on the right if Ward remains out. That said, if Max is healthy enough to start, I'd be sorely tempted to switch to a 4-3-3 with he and Corey either side of Ebou and Washington dropping to the bench. Irrespective, we must control the game better than we did in the 2nd half at Wycombe, where we repeatedly left a yawning chasm in front of our back 4, for their midfielders to play into.
The front two and CM remain unchanged for me; despite both Wash and Collo looking understandably short of match sharpness, IMO, they remain our best current options. Once again, the back 4 pick themselves, as do Corey and Ebou in at CM. Joe keeps his slot, having done well enough since his return to the fold.


The Match:
Honestly, I’ve no idea which Derby will turn up. After Wycombe, some will want wholesale changes, but my take on what was an admittedly hugely disappointing result, is that Wycombe should have been dead and buried inside 40 minutes. I’m not sure that the subsequent slaughtering of Warne for what was to my eye, the profligacy of his forward line, is entirely fair, but each to their own. He remains the incumbent, for better or worse and whatever might happen next year, it seems a long way off right now. As such, the focus for yours truly remains the next 3 games and nothing else.
A last word, as I’ve avoided reading all bar the last couple of pages of the last thread, would be that despite the stuttering effort against Wycombe, the travelling Rams faithful were magnificent in their support for the team. It’d be grand if we could mirror that at home and all try to channel our inner B4 and help carry the lads over the line. At least remember that Warne and his players are trying their best and are just people, like all of us and hurtful appraisals will only serve to undermine their confidence further.
Enjoy the game one and all.
COYR
BE MORE B4
  

I have never understood how football has allowed this bizarre situation to be accepted where the Clubs pay the fees for the player’s agents. These players employ their agents- they work for them and benefit from their efforts. Yet the Clubs pay the fees ! It’s nonsense. The players themselves should be paying for THEIR agent’s fees.
Madness.

This is not a step forward at all, it stifles competition and turns it into a closed shop for the benefit of Sky. Shame on the EFL for signing such a deal. and shame on the clubs for agreeing to it also.
I will continue to subscribe to Rams TV, my overseas trips currently cost me £5 per month 🙂 Will sky be showing all matches live like Rams TV does? I doubt it! I won't give my money to Sky TV on principle.
All fans should boycott Sky TV, they are destroying football in my opinion.

B kind
B positive 
B loud and proud 
B4 you’ve given us so much to think about 
Happy B Day

Happy Birthday Daniel. Will be having a drink for you tonight. Fingers crossed for a birthday win tomorrow 🎉🐏💖🎂

Happy to chuck a small donation in for a great cause - and to remember your brother/mate/fellow Ram b4. Take care of yourselves and each other.

Whatever Clowes has done, and we're eternally grateful for what that, the appointment of Warne felt strange but it's looking to be awful. While tonight was grim, it wasn't particularly out of character or surprising, it was utterly predictable. Promotion or not, he's not the future 

1.26 am just got home after numerous road closures and diversions.
It's hard work sometimes. 

Since Sibley has been helping the team when at LB or LWB we haven’t really been losing games or letting many goals in - well that’s what it feels like to me.
we just signed loads of players with a hefty list of injuries 

You keep going on about our two makeshift fullbacks like it's all their fault. 😄 
Sibley had a decent game in defence and set up one of our early chances but don't count cos you don't rate him. 😄
It's Warne's fault, he picks the team and sets them up. Who tells them to take half a minute for every throw-in? Didn't see any tv shots of Warne shouting at them to get on with it. We had plenty of subs but when they were bought on didn't give them time to settle. Waggy should have been on sooner, etc etc...

Warne isn't interested in good football. Or it's probably more accurate to say that Warne's idea of good football is very different to your average Derby fans idea of good football.

Yes Hunter was the manager. And for some reason can remember ,in a interview after the match  Colin Gibson saying to Trevor Christie "Norman Hunter said it was never a penalty ". Trevor replied "I don`t give a monkeys what Norman Hunter says "

There’s only one man for me ….
 with fans desperately looking at there watches and the pressure mounting and we are camped in Carlisles half at 1-1 w have finally got level after a shock lead for Simmo’s lads …the board has gone up for 7 mins of additional time and with that …PP roars its approval in a desperate hope to galvanise the team ….but we are resorting to crossing the ball into the box and to some it seems aimless and hopeful then with 2 mins left to play another hopeful cross is headed weakly out of there penalty box into the crowded melee of players who are camped in Carlisle’s half and Hourihane on as a sub collects it and everyone thinks he’s going to shoot from distance …we need a goal afterall …time is running out …instead he shapes to shoot but slides it sideways to Fozzy who’s first touch is a tad heavy but with his momentum he cuts inside a Carlisle player and he’s now just inside the box…………………………………………….
whoosh!! Fozzy unleashes a left foot low pile driver …and the net bulges with the Carlisle keeper just watching …there is a slight second of delay before the PP faithful realise it’s the goal that will take us back to the championship….ans the stadium erupts from every corner of the ground it feels like an earthquake ….Fozzy runs off being chased by the entire team including Wildsmith and Fozzy un ashamedly takes off his shirt and wheels it above his head before being finally caught and mobbed by the whole team ……it hasn’t been pretty football but we’ve done it and Fozzy,s final moment in a rams shirt is set in history …….like the legend he is to us ….oh yes!!!!!! let them beers flow!!!!!! COYR 

He doesn’t get many goals but the player I would like to see, in similar circumstances is Cashin.
I think he deserves it and would enjoy it.