Oldben

I'd even take an upgrade on our goalkeeper 

I'd even take an upgrade on our goalkeeper 

I'd even take an upgrade on our goalkeeper 

He makes Collins look lively and skilful.

I'd even take an upgrade on our goalkeeper 

I enjoy watching McGoldrick play. And while his numbers are impressive, they’re actually a bit flawed.
He has 21 league goals, but nine of those came with 3 hattricks in games we would have won regardless - FGR, Bristol Rovers and Morecombe.
Take those out and he has 12 goals in 40 league games. Still decent, but not that consistent.
He also netted in comfortable wins over Charlton, Accrington, Cheltenham, FGR plus the one in our thrashing at Barnsley. 
I’d say his most important goals this season was the winner vs Posh early season, the equalizer at Port Vale and his double last night.
But there have also been many games this season where he hasn’t had an impact. In fact, only 4 of his 21 goals this season have come against top half sides.
 
 

It's a very interesting point. I think it's more important to have a striker that suits your style of play and generally helps create lots of goals, rather than be the one to necessarily score them all.
I feel like McGoldrick has carried the team in recent months, both in his goals and technical ability. He's pretty much the only one that can make the ball stick in the final third- see the 2nd goal yesterday: clearance header, impeccable touch by Didzy, turn, and then start the pattern of play that leads to the goal.. I'd say that's more important than whoever it was that blasts the ball in from 8 yards to finish the move?
It's worrying to think where we'd be this season without him. I do think it was needed this season with how disjointed the squad is, though- someone that can produce moments of quality is vital in these sort of teams. Next season with a more cohesive squad it'll be interesting to see if we need the same talismanic figurehead, as our overall play should be stronger and we should be less reliant on individuals. 

Well he still lives in Nottingham and he will be 36 next season, so who is going to give him a game every week apart from us?

Every single summer, we need a 20 goal a season striker…..well we actually have one, and we’re still outside the top 6, bloody typical. 4 of the clubs up there don’t even have one including the league leaders!
Plymouth - Hardie, 13
Sheff Wed - Smith, 13
Barnsley - Cole, 15
Bolton - Charles, 16
Currently League 1 has only 3 20 goal a season scorers.
Peterborough - Clarke-Harris, 25
Ipswich - Chaplin, 22
Derby - McGoldrick, 21
So in a few weeks if McGoldrick leaves and you’re about to post that we need to sign a 20 goal a season striker, stop, it’s no guarantee to success, be far better having goals spread out across the team.
Also helps massively if you concede fewer goals than you score. 
Anyway, carry on with what you were doing, I’ve taken up far too much of your time reading this already.
 

The majority of our squad was brought in by LR to play a possession game, The owner turned to PW who has a different ethic or appears to have than LRs.
PW is on record as saying the players have bought into his method...well...they're not going to say anything else really are they 🤷‍♀️
We've been told it's a family thing with the players, They all get on, I would imagine Sibley has fallen out with the head of the family since his 2 goals against Oxford, Hourihane not happy being subbed on HT against Fleetwood, Barkhuizen not sure whether he's going to start, Forsyth lost his place to young Rooney...I don't think it's all sweetness and candy at Moor Farm and it won't be until PW gets his men in and moves others out.
The PR we're being fed has worked to a degree as PW comes across as honest as can be, His halo slipped a little after the BR game and "feel cheated" comment, The pressure if there's any is starting to surface, And when that happens mistakes will be made.
It's about time others started to be on the score sheet other than McGoldrick  

That's a fair question, Roy - and one I can't provide statistical evidence to address.  And you may be right about the right manager will succeed but the keywords in your comment are "with the right squad".  Have we got the right squad?  I don't claim to know the answer, but my gut-feel is no.  Not just in terms of the "it's not his squad" argument, but more in terms of their attributes for this league.  There are plenty on here who can provide chapter and verse on age range, depth, etc. but the bottom line is we seem to be flagging and I question whether anyone could get this group of old and young heads to get out of this league any quicker.  A rhetorical question,  as we'll never know.  Our track record - at least in my lifetime of 63 years - of hiring and firing is, imho, not good.   Don't get me wrong, I get seriously frustrated with our apparent capitulations in second halves, but that doesn't mean I believe we have the wrong guy in the hot-seat - at least not yet. 

If you are after reasoned and erudite could you provide me with the stats that show long-staying managers do better than short-term managers? It's a difficult argument to follow because I'd think that most clubs don't do very well in terms of winning things?
My opinion is that the right manager will succeed when working with the right squad. Nothing to do with longevity.

If that’s how you feel that’s how you feel and I’m sorry to hear that. 
My own view is on a forum in which we’re all voluntary contributors, all of whom have similar or opposing views and opinions, it’s not comparable to the abusive personal/familial/domestic/workplace situations in which gaslighting typically takes place. It’s also not as though we’re being dictated to by a single media narrative. 
Everyone posting on here is entitled to their opinion, and they may differ from our own; 

Some say we’re lucky to have a club, I think we are, given where we were last season. As such my expectations are perhaps different to others. That doesn’t make me or them right of wrong, we just think differently on the matter.
Some say Warne could/should be doing better according to their personal expectations, he could or should be, and some people are able to accept that and give it more time, others seem less inclined to do so. That’s an individual’s choice.
Some say they’d prefer a 4 at the back formation, others don’t mind 3 at the back. We have had wins, draws and losses with both systems, there’s an argument for both, one stronger than the other given the options in the squad.
Some people think Knight/Bird/Sibley are all capable of playing at the highest level, some don’t.
Some people believe one of our wingers is blessed with a large….personality, others don't.
We all believe if you don’t effin bounce you’re a red.
And on and on it goes. If you feel strongly that your opinion is more valid than others fair enough, if you feel people sharing opposing views is psychological manipulation then take a step back for the benefit of your well-being as nothing is worth losing your mental health over, not even Derby County Football Club.

There's nothing wrong with the 3-5-2 system, as long as you have the players to suit the system!
I agree that we should have played this season out with 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 as it best suits our current squad strengths, but people writing off 3-5-2 in general are pretty short sighted and seem unaware that Sheff Weds, Ipswich & Barnsley have played 3-5-2 for much of this season & Plymouth also play with 3 at the back (3-4-2-1).
3-5-2 works with the right players, the league table proves it.

See I do believe there’s psychological manipulation going on when people are constantly playing the ‘we almost didn’t have a club’ card. This has nothing to do with the argument over whether Warne should be doing better with the group of players at his disposal. It’s purely a guilt trip for daring to question which is manipulative. 

You said people are being gaslit, I don’t think they are. The dictionary definition of that terms is “To manipulate (a person) by psychological means into questioning his or her own sanity.”
People stating opinions that oppose your own doesn’t meet that definition as I see it. Would you feel gaslighting an appropriate term to use for your own anti-Warne stance? You feel he’s the wrong manager and express it as you are entitled to, it doesn’t match the views of others, that doesn’t mean you are gaslighting them. It’s the use of that term I felt was inappropriate. Some people genuinely feel the situation the club found itself in last year and the make up of the squad means Warne is doing an ok job, it’s evidenced by the poll thread about Warne.
Others feel he isn’t doing an ok job and have concerns. That’s evidenced by the poll also.
It doesn’t have to be such a divisive conversation that terms like gaslighting/happy clapper/wrist slasher etc get thrown around. 

Mark Thomas was the director of football at Oxford United from 2011 to 2018. During his time at the club, he made a number of successful signings, including:
Kemar Roofe (£300,000 from Leeds United): Roofe scored 65 goals in 129 appearances for Oxford United, helping them to promotion to League One in 2016. He was sold to Leeds United for £6.5 million in 2018.
Alex Gilbey (£100,000 from Stevenage): Gilbey made 103 appearances for Oxford United, scoring 14 goals. He was sold to Charlton Athletic for £1.5 million in 2018.
James Henry (free transfer from Coventry City): Henry made 128 appearances for Oxford United, scoring 28 goals. He was sold to Bristol City for £1 million in 2018. Ryan Ledson (free transfer from Everton): Ledson made 103 appearances for Oxford United, scoring 10 goals. He was sold to Preston North End for £1.5 million in 2018.
John Mousinho (free transfer from Nottingham Forest): Mousinho made 125 appearances for Oxford United, scoring 10 goals. He was sold to Burton Albion for £1 million in 2018.
These are just a few of the many successful signings that Mark Thomas made during his time at Oxford United.
He was a key figure in the club's rise to League One and their subsequent success in the division.
Mark Thomas was the director of football at Lincoln City from 2018 to 2022. During his time at the club, he made a number of successful signings, including:
Brennan Johnson (free transfer from Nottingham Forest): Johnson scored 41 goals in 136 appearances for Lincoln City, helping them to promotion to League One in 2020. He was sold to Nottingham Forest for £17 million in 2022.
Jorge Grant (£100,000 from Charlton Athletic): Grant scored 21 goals in 101 appearances for Lincoln City, helping them to promotion to League One in 2020. He was sold to Nottingham Forest for £10 million in 2022.
Liam Cullen (free transfer from Southampton): Cullen made 62 appearances for Lincoln City, scoring 10 goals. He was sold to Bristol City for £1.5 million in 2022.
Tayo Edun (free transfer from Fulham): Edun made 84 appearances for Lincoln City, scoring 3 goals. He was sold to Millwall for £1 million in 2022.
Alex Woolfenden (free transfer from Ipswich Town): Woolfenden made 82 appearances for Lincoln City, scoring 2 goals. He was sold to Ipswich Town for £1 million in 2022.
These are just a few of the many successful signings that Mark Thomas made during his time at Lincoln City. He was a key figure in the club's rise to League One and their subsequent success in the division.
These players were all signed for relatively low fees and went on to have a significant impact on their respective clubs. They were all key players in their teams' promotion to League One, and they all went on to be sold for significant profits.
Mark Thomas has a proven track record of identifying and signing talented players.
I'm glad that he's working on our plan for our summer recruitment.

Really not sure about Bielik being sold, considering his wages and how much we still owe Arsenal.
The loan to Birmingham hasn’t really gone to plan: he went to the World Cup to essentially be called one of the worst performers at the tournament and then joined a side in another championship relegation battle. Take into account his injury history too. I feel his agent is going to have to pull a blinder to get him a move without a massive paycut, which makes me think we may have to pay him out to move.

Haydon Roberts is a free agent in the summer

Haydon Roberts is a free agent in the summer

Does make a valid point though... While these examples provide some insight into the players who came through Rotherham's youth system and played for the first team under Paul Warne's management, it's important to remember that not all youth players will become regular first-team members. Developing and integrating young talents into the first team can be a slow and challenging process, and not every youth prospect will have a significant impact on the first team.

Difficult to find a gem to sell on upwards when you're a Championship club.
Rotherham were looking to get players into their squad at mostly league 1 / lower Championship level, so despite what seems a reasonable churn quantity very few added value to Rotherham FC, is that correct?

ChatGBT needs to do better than that
5 players, 2 who didn't come through the academy, 1 who retired at 23, and 1 who scored 2 league goals in 39 apps before being sent out on a series of loans and eventually sold.
My version gave me slightly different answers, with marginally better choices of player:

During Paul Warne's time as Rotherham United manager, several players were developed through the academy and went on to become regular players in the first team. Some of the notable academy graduates during his time in charge include:
Ben Wiles: Wiles is a central midfielder who has been with Rotherham United since the age of eight. He made his first-team debut in August 2017 and has since become a regular in the side.
Jerry Yates: Yates is a striker who came through the ranks at Rotherham United and made his first-team debut in August 2015. He spent time out on loan before returning to the Millers and becoming a regular in the side under Warne.
Laurence Bilboe: Bilboe is a goalkeeper who was with Rotherham United from the age of 12. He made his first-team debut in August 2017 and has since gone on to make several appearances for the club.
Richard Wood: Wood is a centre-back who initially joined Rotherham United on loan from Charlton Athletic in 2014. He signed permanently in January 2015 and went on to become a key player under Warne.
Semi Ajayi: Ajayi is a centre-back who came through the youth system at Charlton Athletic before joining Rotherham United in 2017. He quickly established himself as a regular in the side and was eventually sold to West Bromwich Albion in 2019.
These are just a few examples of the players who were developed through the academy and became regulars in the Rotherham United first team during Paul Warne's tenure as manager.

Here are more examples of situations where the EFL has been criticized for its approach to punishments and perceived inconsistencies:
Bolton Wanderers: Bolton faced a winding-up order in 2019 due to unpaid debts, which led to a 12-point deduction and a transfer embargo. However, critics argue that the EFL should have intervened earlier and provided more support to the club, which was in a dire financial situation.
Bury FC: Bury was expelled from the EFL in 2019 after failing to provide financial guarantees, leaving many fans angry and disappointed. Critics argue that the EFL's handling of the situation was too harsh and that more could have been done to help the club avoid expulsion.
Wigan Athletic: Wigan entered administration in 2020 and faced a 12-point deduction. Some critics believe that the EFL should have shown more leniency given the exceptional circumstances surrounding the club's ownership change and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on football finances.
Sheffield Wednesday: Sheffield Wednesday received a 12-point deduction (later reduced to 6 points on appeal) in the 2020-21 season for breaching financial rules, specifically for the sale of their stadium to their owner. Critics argue that other clubs have engaged in similar practices without facing the same level of punishment.
Charlton Athletic: Charlton faced a transfer embargo and points deduction in 2020 for failing to provide the EFL with sufficient evidence of their financial stability. However, some critics argue that this punishment was harsher than those imposed on other clubs for similar breaches.
Blackpool FC: Blackpool faced financial and ownership issues under the Oyston family, leading to fan protests and legal battles. Critics argue that the EFL failed to properly monitor the situation and impose appropriate sanctions to prevent the decline of the club.
Leeds United: In the 2018-19 season, Leeds United faced criticism for the "Spygate" incident, in which they were caught spying on Derby County's training session ahead of a match. The EFL imposed a £200,000 fine on the club, but some argued that the punishment was too lenient and did not serve as a deterrent against similar behavior in the future.
Coventry City: In 2019, Coventry City faced a potential expulsion from the EFL due to an ongoing dispute regarding their stadium, the Ricoh Arena. Critics argued that the EFL did not do enough to mediate the situation or find a solution that would allow the club to remain in the league. Ultimately, Coventry reached a temporary ground-sharing agreement with Birmingham City, which prevented expulsion.
Luton Town: In 2008, Luton Town was deducted 30 points for financial irregularities, which ultimately led to their relegation from the Football League. Some critics argued that the punishment was overly harsh and that the EFL did not take into account the club's efforts to address the issues and cooperate with the authorities.
Portsmouth FC: Portsmouth faced financial difficulties and multiple ownership changes in the early 2010s, which led to points deductions and relegations. Critics argued that the EFL could have done more to monitor the club's financial situation and ensure proper governance, which might have prevented the club's decline.
QPR: Queens Park Rangers faced a fine of £41.965 million in 2018 for breaching Financial Fair Play rules during the 2013-14 season. Some argued that the EFL's decision was delayed, causing uncertainty for the club and its supporters. Others felt that the punishment was too severe compared to similar breaches by other clubs.
Birmingham City received a nine-point deduction in 2019 for breaching financial fair play rules, while Derby County faced a smaller points deduction for similar breaches. This inconsistency can create confusion and frustration among clubs and fans.
Some believe that the EFL has treated certain clubs more favorably than others, particularly those with connections to the league. Middlesbrough's owner, Steve Gibson, has reportedly had close links with the EFL. While there is no concrete evidence of favoritism, critics argue that Middlesbrough's punishments for financial breaches have been relatively lenient compared to clubs like Derby County, which has faced more severe penalties.
The EFL has been criticized for its inability to effectively enforce regulations and impose meaningful sanctions. In some cases, clubs have been found guilty of breaching rules, yet the penalties imposed seem insufficient, such as a transfer embargo or a minimal points deduction. Critics argue that these lenient punishments do little to deter clubs from violating the rules.
The EFL has faced criticism for not being transparent in its decision-making processes, which can lead to confusion and speculation about the fairness of penalties. This lack of transparency can fuel the belief that the league is not fit for purpose and that it favors certain clubs over others.
These examples highlight the perceived inconsistencies and failings of the EFL in applying punishments and managing club issues. Critics argue that these cases demonstrate the need for reform and improvement in the EFL's governance and decision-making processes.