Slaapwekkend P

I’ve already gone ??

So all those who said we need to make allowances for all the crazy stuff that happened last season, then that we need to make allowances for all the injuries at the start of this season, then who stood by and applauded the incoming signings and then got hope from the first quarter of a hour of today's game - ah that's how Cocu wants to play - then BANG!!!
Individual errors, at least two from Rooney, and all those "allowances", signings and signs of positive play are forgotten.
Let's get Cocu out and bring back someone who had a team made for him and still failed to get us promoted. Or someone who spent loads at Bristol and didn't get them promoted. Or negative Hughton or Howe.?‍♂️
For heaven's sake, patience means patience... Giving time means more than "twenty minutes".
Cocu in. Think long term. COYR ?

Steve McClaren is a beautiful dream that we don't deserve anymore 

Mac 3... clearly some of our fans know nothing. I guarantee if he came in now we would not just click like last time because the foundations are not there. Clough  took years to build that that team and it irritates me that Mac gets so much credit for it. Yes he did a great job tinkering with tactics, spotting what Clough perhaps didn’t, but the bottom line is that it was not his team. 

IIRC it was meant to be a golfing day, but I think it got cancelled to inclement weather. Moreover, it wasn't planned to be 'a boozy night out'. Cabs were booked for 8 so a civilised bite, a bit of squad bonding then home at a reasonable hour.
Also, you can't try and blame other folk for the stupidity of this group of players. They're adults not ducking toddlers. If they want to get pished up and drive around like dheads that's their call and it's grossly unfair to blame anyone but the individuals involved. 

I have felt too emotional about the whole situation to offer my view up to now.
My heart is broken for a good captain and warrior for DCFC. To be sacked from the club you have given 100% to on the pitch over seven gruelling seasons must be humiliating and make you feel dreadful.
However, my head now questions how much of Keogh's passion for Derby is real. The least favourable offer he turned down from the club, if accurate, of £3,000 per week, is more than the prime minister's salary and only slightly less than the chief police constable of Derbyshire who has responsibility for a huge budget and staff team  who do a tremendously difficult job every day at work.
He was also being offered free state of the art rehabilitation facilities, could start to work on his coaching badges if he wished and presumably would also be free to supplement his income with appearances on Sky ("like you say") or other options if that is his choice. Most importantly in all this he was being offered an opportunity to retain his status as a good servant of the club and the adoration and support of the fans.
He has chosen to reject all this for what? More money. Not much of a swap in my opinion.
His action will now by actively costing the club too as they will have been taking expensive legal advice and will have to continue to do so over the appeal and possible tribunal.
People are wondering why no official statement from Derby. I wonder whether the 'statement' we are reading is actually the dismissal letter to Keogh as the wording in it, including the 14 days' appeal time, reads like a letter from HR. 
I don't know if I am being overly supportive of my club, but the whole way this story has broken makes me think it has come from Keogh's side. He clearly feels very aggrieved about the way he is being treated.
I also think this will have been going back and forward for some time, that this is just the latest play from the club and that they might have been hoping for a response from Keogh that would have allowed him a successful appeal, rather than a messy, public and prolonged visit to an industrial tribunal.
All this is huge speculation on my part, for which I hold my hands up. It is coloured by my huge love for our club, rather than for any individual player, no matter how good a servant he has been to DCFC.
What I do know is that while Keogh still has my sympathy, he's lost my respect. 
 
 

Someone must be holding a magnet near my moral compass because I have no idea what to make of this.

The problem is, none of us know how the evening panned out.
We're all assuming everyone got in the car(s) voluntarily.  We're all assuming everyone made "their own decisions".
If Lawrence "encouraged" Keogh to accept a lift home, then yes, maybe he is feeling even lower this evening.
If Keogh "encouraged" Lawrence to grab his keys, jump in the car, and give his captain (Think supervisor in a factory... the first in a line of superiors!) a lift home, despite Lawrence's (weak?) protestations, then maybe Lawrence is now thinking "Good riddance/Serves you right"!  Maybe it's Lawrence that feels badly let down by his immediate superior?
Pure speculation(s) on my part of course, but that's all we have. 
I suspect the club (now) have the facts.  I suspect they would have taken legal advise before threatening/carrying out a sacking.
 
I hasten to add, none of the above has any basis of fact, but I thought seeing as the whole thread is based on "What if's", I'd risk adding another possibility!

Perhaps more happened than we know but from what we do know, I think this is pretty shameful treatment of Keogh

Is it only me who feels really sad about this? I know he shouldn’t have got drunk, got in the car etc, but what an awful way for his time at Derby to end ?

I have nothing to add. Just wanted to be here.

Jim Walker the forgotten man
As many of you know I have been for the last 18 months meeting up with the old brigade, the proper DCFC legends, the ones that put us on the map in footballing terms, the ones that made us the best team in England and got us to the European Cup semi finals, the teams of 71/72 and 74/75.
It started off as way to spend time with my Dad who was a bit lost after the loss of my mum, he is a season ticket holder now and was back in the day so I started off out on a journey that has lead us to meet most of them, one of them remains elusive and one didn’t wish to participate.
All of them have been fantastic, eager to tell stories of the great Brian Clough and the amazing fortunes of Derby County who in those bleak years of three day weeks, power blackouts, strikes and Rolls Royce nearly going under taking thousands of local jobs with it gave the people of Derby something to be proud of.
Upon meeting one of those legends, Jim Walker I was particularly struck by how at peace he was with the world, very relaxed, very friendly and by far the best story teller of them all.
Jim had not long ago lost his wife to illness so immediately him and my dad had something in common other than the love of football, he made us very welcome and gave us an open invite to go round when ever to continue with the tales.
Now most people may remember Jim as the guy who was signed by Clough & Taylor from non league football to play for Derby County and was a major part of the team that won promotion from division two in 1968/69.
He lost his place in the team to John Mcgovern but captained the reserves and stepped in when required to cover injuries of suspensions, this meant that he played only a few games in the 1971/72 season but it was his goal in a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace in late march that gave Derby both points and if you remember we won the league and finished first above dirty Leeds who were just one point behind and had a greater goal difference, so in effect Jim scored the goal that won us the First Division Championship.
Aswell as a footballer Jim is probably better known as the Aston Villa physio, he was there for around twenty years and served under many managers including Graham Taylor, Ron Atkinson, Brian Little and John Gregory, he was also the man charged with looking after Paul McGrath for many years both on and off the pitch and is spoken of in very high regard in Pauls autobiography.
He had a private practice at the Belfry for the golfers and was also the go to man at the NEC when any pop stars suffered an injury or needed attention from a physio, he worked with George Michael, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Michael Hutchence and Kylie to name a few hence him having so many fantastic stories.
Jim has also had illnesses this however does not dampen his spirit or take a smile from his face.
One thing that I was amazed to hear that Jim did not receive a medal for winning the league title despite being only one of sixteen players in that 71/72 season to have donned the shirt and scoring such a valuable goal.
When ever you see the pictures of the team celebrating and holding up their medals jim does not have one.
I approached Andy Ellis the club historian and the writer of many Derby County books and the fount of all knowledge and he confirmed it.
So we the approached the club and asked if they would support an application to Gordon Taylor of the PFA to ask if he would inturn support an application to the football league to present Jim with the medal that he should have received 46 years ago.
The club agreed and they sent the letter to Gordon Taylor who gave it his blessing and the approach was then made to the football league, this was back in February this year after the ball was started rolling in June of 2017 so it took a while.
I am delighted to say that the agreement was given and Derby County approached the very same jewellers who had made the original ones to make one for Jim, to the exact specifications of the original medals and in the same box and made from 9ct gold with all of the hall marks.
For some reason the club at this time can not be seen to publicly present Jim with the medal which is a great sadness as I thought that he was going to be able to step out on the pitch at Pride Park on the opening home game against Leeds (quite fitting as he stopped them winning the league with his goal), it is a litigious matter so I will comment no further other than to say that they did everything that they could.
So to wrap up the story I had the great honour of going to Jims house today with my dad and my son and presenting him with his long overdue medal, he had no idea that it was coming and to say that he was over whelmed is an understatement.
It was great to see his face and to have the privilege to do something like that, I had the medal at my house for a while but obviously didn’t want to post any pictures until now as it was a secret.
Not very often that you get to present a league championship winning medal on behalf of Derby County and to one of the few from those great days and can be called the legends.
We are hoping that Jim will still be able to have amore public presentation at sometime in the season at Pride Park when what ever issues are resolved.
Up the Rams !!