Oldben

I think I might consider Jonson Clarke-Harris, who's 29 years old and a free agent this summer.

I think I might consider Jonson Clarke-Harris, who's 29 years old and a free agent this summer.

Point I was attempting to make was that our summer transfer targets need to be a step up from the last two summers.
We will need players either used to playing at a level akin to the championship on a regular basis or capable of playing at that level.
I also intended to look at what it takes to be successful at this level.
In any case the quality and type of player we sign in the summer needs to be of a higher calibre than players aged 30+ and young loan players who take time to adapt to the championship level of play.

How many of those signings were 30+ and injury prone, were on the subs bench in the teams they came from.
How many did we throw money at to get them to come to us because the players who might have been a better fit would not have come from the championship to league one.

We can continue the thread next year after we are promoted as we might be in in relegation fight with them.
Even if we are not, we will need to out perform them and bottom half of the table teams next season in the Championship.
 

Just assuming we will not have a decent budget in the Championship compared to many other teams.
The best available players there might look at us and say they've only just been promoted and they might be relegated, there are better championship teams we could play for.
Money counts, will we have that.
Will our budget be significantly more than warne had at Rotherham.
A number of the players we've signed barely got a place on the substitutes bench at the championship teams they came from.
 

It's fair to say Warne was never given the budget to compete in the Champ but it is concerning how poorly his style faired in previous attempts. Will we really back him much more outside of potentially wages due to revenue? One big signing so far keeps getting berated by the other players for not tracking backing and losing his head after missing a chance.  Tempting fate here though making assumptions we'll get there.

I think it’s largely the thought of seeing Sheff Wed and Plymouth, two sides who looked better than the current Derby side, struggle to hit 50 points in the Championship.
I see us currently weaker than teams like QPR, Huddersfield and Wednesday so we will need to have a decent summer (or a manager who can excel on a budget) to give us a chance next season. 

https://skylab.com/bouncebackability-what-are-the-chances/
https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/how-difficult-is-it-to-climb-through-the-english-football-league-system

"We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire... Give us the tools, and we will finish the job. Let history bear witness - it was on this day we fought for our destiny, and showed that we are derby county fc." (Modified from Winston Churchill)
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Today, we carve a future they will never forget. For we are derby county fc" (Modified from George Santayana)

Not really bothered about their position or how they have 'languished' (bless them .....)
We will only go up if we get 2nd auto place. The side we have now won't be able to buy a goal in the play-offs.

What I find extraordinary is you can’t see that the pass was one you’d expect on a parks pitch on a Sunday morning. 
I’m no Einstein but I’m going to take a wild guess and say a ball to feet is easier to score from than one sent in knee height. 
I didn’t realise being a pro footballer also entitles you to score every chance you get. 
Did some forget to tell Derby this ?

Might have done better playing a 433

Hourihane started the season well, but had a dramatic drop-off - probably inline with when he decided this was going to be his last season. He's still an influential, well-liked figure and he's been a good player for us but perhaps not the dynamic, all-action midfielder that we anticipated when he signed. 
The best replacement for him is the guy who just picked out our top corner from 30 yards on Tuesday night and someone who I really wanted us to go for in the summer and then again in January. 
We will need a complete revamp of our central midfield options ahead of next season anyway. It's been our biggest disappointment this season, apart from Ebou Adams, who will be back to Cardiff. Bird has been ok, had a purple patch around Jan/Feb, but the whole lot need improving upon. 

If we win our remaining games, and bolton lose or draw their games at Portsmouth and Peterborough, we are promoted.
 

I got side-tracked by the ads... cost me a bloody fortune!  🤣

I've guess everyone has their own reading speed.

I know this was I while back but we were linked with this lad. Seems to have all of those attributes mentioned and is only 22 years of age

I loved (don't tell @Archied 😉) the BBG, but if I'm honest I think that those that are too young to have savoured it would find it rather disappointing. Having 20000 (ok, slight exaggeration) crammed onto the Popside, everyone moving in unison (because if one person moved the whole bloody lot of us had to move), and I won't even mention the bogs (definitely the right name because they resembled a bog much more than a toilet). I think that as a one off experience they would love it, but having to go through that whole cow herd experience every week I don't think would appeal. God I miss the old place 😔. I miss the smell of the place, especially at night. Football for me has that smell, but of the few memories that I seem to have retained at my age I can still smell and taste the BBG. Football for me now is too sterile, especially with the "big" clubs demanding everything for themselves leaving not even scraps for the rest. Brian Clough would hate today's football, and nobody would have to shop him to the police because he'd be on the TV every day screaming it at the top of his voice.

This will be a relegation six-pointer next season in the Championship.

You little ray of sunshine you!
🤣

Seems like our formations wrong, Pompey, are having more shots and controlling possession

https://the72.co.uk/2024/04/02/portsmouth-vs-derby-county-5-players-who-could-dictate-the-game-tonight/

As promised, an update on the team prior to tonight's match; as has been reported already, Callum Elder is out for another two weeks with a groin strain. I'd imagine that almost certainly means that Sibbo will play LB in a 4 with Wilson, Nelson and Cash. It's a solid enough foundation IMO, as whilst I do think Elder is far better than we've seen, Sibbo is playing well and one silly card aside, has been a proper team player. Perhaps he can pop up with one of his wonder-strikes tonight, assuming we're not under the cosh that is!
Also absent are both barks and Fozzy, both suffering from calf strains and it'll be a week or two before either is ready for a return to 1st team action. Bradley is again absent suspended for his moment of idiocy against Northampton. All season, I've backed the lad to come good at some point, but I have to say this still really feckin grates. It was petulant, selfish and utterly pointless and my patience with him is now hanging by a thread. Brought it to set the tone and lead by example, he'd just found some form after a difficult start to his time at the club and he's repaid Warne by acting like a t*** and merely adding to his selection issues. Sonny, there are no excuses pal, so stop trying to make them and assume some feckin responsibility.
Both Max and Dwight are on the mend; I think Max is expected to be back in a game or two, while Dwight's prognosis is not so clear, with PW saying he hopes to have him back before the season ends. Gutted really, as the lad was flying and we look a different side with him stretching defences and bringing others into play with back to goal. Likewise, his goal threat is a huge loss. Thankfully, Collo looked sharp on his comeback. We desperately need a strong performance from him tonight.
We already know that Nyambe is out for the season, likewise TJJ, though Vickers is back in training though still a week or two off a return. I'd thought they'd said young Jake Rooney was back in full training, but sadly this seems to be incorrect. We are told, however, that he is making an excellent recovery from what was a horrid ACL injury, but it'll be pre-season before we see him again. He's one to look forward to all the same.
That's it from me. Hopefully we secure at least a point tonight, but mostly I hope we are brave and try and play our football. The away tickets are sold out, so there will be a really good following at Fratton Park to cheer the lads on and all that's left is to wish those making the long trek down to Portsmouth a safe journey and s***-eating grins all the way home! A win tonight and we're pretty much guaranteed promotion, though a point would be a great result too. I think we can do it.
COYR
BE MORE B4

My concern is if we set up with a midfield two ….. again, because we will be over-run …. again. Especially if Hourihane starts, because then we will only have a midfield one and a half. It will also mean we have gone for “whack it wide and lob it into the box” …. again, so all Portsmouth will have to do is what Northampton did - put an extra man on each wing back.
We need to go 3 in midfield, and we need to play our game and make Portsmouth worry about us, not the other way round.
We can get at least a point from this match if we want to, and if we are allowed to.