Waghorny

Half-marks allowed; please rate all subs. Closes Thursday @ 18:00. Results by Thursday 22:00. Average is 6.00. Therefore, when a sub steps on the pitch he is on 6 -that's the baseline. Also indicate ATG (at the game) Or Tv.
1Wildsmith - 5.5 - shaky, not himself? - could he have done better, maybe, but conditions certainly didnt help, perhaps below average is a tad harsh, but didnt fill me with confidence 
2Wilson - 6.5 - solid but stopped from getting forward
35Nelson - 6 - thought this was one of his harder games in a rams shirt, didnt look as calm as he normally does, drawn in for their first goal (which was superb by the way), conditions obviously didnt help
6Cashin - 7.5 - relished the conditions and more than made up for Nelson, breaking up play and playing with a sense of calmness
17Sibley -  7.5 - seen he's getting a lot of stick on Twitter/X from the usual suspects, but he is doing his job at LB, keeping their winger quiet, just a shame their first came from his side
23Ward - 8 - doing a fantastic job as somewhat of an inverted wide midfielder, 2 great goals (perhaps lucky with the 2nd), but work rate is fantastic
16Thompson - 7.5 - ratty, exactly what we needed for the final 20 of the game, doing a job as a second striker with collins and then dropping back into midfield, engine
12Smith - 7 - steady and solid
4Hourihane - 6 - not much to say
32Adams - 7.5 - him and Smith work great together, hope we can keep him, too good for League One
27Blackett-Taylor - 8 - superb, showing us what he can do just as NML is hitting a tough patch of form
14Washington - 6 - not much to say
11Méndez-Laing - 6.5 - finding it hard playing through the middle almost in a free role, dip in form but plugging away
9Collins - 8 - we have missed him, hold up play and playing in isolation fantastic, work rate for someone coming off the back of an injury like that is commendable
10Waghorn - 6 - not much to say

Wildsmith
Wilson - Nelson - Cashin - Sibley
Smith - Adams - Thompson
NML - Collins - CBT

Subs: Loach, K. Robinson, Ward, Hourihane, Fornah, Waghorn, Washington

Traditional 4-3-3 with a flat midfield, Thommo as a 10 doesn't (or hasn't) worked so far,
NML + CBT to start as traditional wingers rather than the free roam that was deployed at home v Blackpool (CBT was almost a central midfielders)
The three of Smith, Adams and Thommo should give enough stability defensively
Harsh on Ward, but i'd bring in the extra central midfielders over him - can come on with 60/70 mins left for CBT
Hoping this can be the game CBT shows us what he's all about, looked very lively in the first half v Blackpool

Safe travels to all making the trip! 

Wildsmith
Wilson - Nelson - Cashin - Sibley
Smith - Adams - Thompson
NML - Collins - CBT

Subs: Loach, K. Robinson, Ward, Hourihane, Fornah, Waghorn, Washington

Traditional 4-3-3 with a flat midfield, Thommo as a 10 doesn't (or hasn't) worked so far,
NML + CBT to start as traditional wingers rather than the free roam that was deployed at home v Blackpool (CBT was almost a central midfielders)
The three of Smith, Adams and Thommo should give enough stability defensively
Harsh on Ward, but i'd bring in the extra central midfielders over him - can come on with 60/70 mins left for CBT
Hoping this can be the game CBT shows us what he's all about, looked very lively in the first half v Blackpool

Safe travels to all making the trip! 

I don't think NML and Collins being back (involved as Warne put it) will mean changes to this XI, think they'll be getting a 30 minute run out from the bench, can't risk bringing them back too early,

To replace Radcliffe and Fornah (who i didn't realise was injured) off the bench. 

Really struggling to see where the goals in this team are coming from but....

Wildsmith
Smith - Nelson - Cashin - Elder
Adams - Hourihane
Wilson - Thompson - Sibley
Waghorn

Subs: Vickers, Ward, Radcliffe, Robinson, Fornah, Washington, CBT.

Smith to start at RB in a back 4 (more solid than Wilson/Ward)
CBT benched again as Warne doesnt seem to trust him to start yet
Waghorn over Washington as the latter returns to fitness
Sibley pushed back out to the wing (sorry) as we have no-one else to cover
Thommo playing the furthest forward of the 3 midfielders

ATG

1Wildsmith - 7.5; comfortable today with Hourihane picking up all short balls, 
35Nelson - 7.5; solid, never a worry
5Bradley - 7.5; rock
23Ward - 7.5; nuisance comes to mind, great on the ball and fine defensivley
6Cashin - 8; up and down the pitch and some great vision, MOTM for me
4Hourihane - 7; steady game
32Adams - 7; solid sweeping up
27Blacket-Taylor - 6
12Smith - 7.5; come back a different player
17Sibley - 7; LWB is his position
11Méndez-Laing - 7.5; getting back to form, could have had a handful of assists
10Waghorn - 7; would be a 7.5 bar missing the open goal, great when he came on
16Thompson - 6
25Gayle - 7.5; hard worker, with the stamina and vision
2Wilson - 6.5; dummy for Waghorns goal, did he mean it?
7Barkhuizen - 7.5; heavily involved throughout

Would agree with this sentiment if we weren't pushing for promotion, but we are - should be playing our best players regardless of their futures

Would agree with this sentiment if we weren't pushing for promotion, but we are - should be playing our best players regardless of their futures

Would agree with this sentiment if we weren't pushing for promotion, but we are - should be playing our best players regardless of their futures

Would agree with this sentiment if we weren't pushing for promotion, but we are - should be playing our best players regardless of their futures

Would agree with this sentiment if we weren't pushing for promotion, but we are - should be playing our best players regardless of their futures

This is assuming Nyambe is injured...

Wildsmith
Smith - Nelson - Cashin - Sibley
Bird - Adams - Hourihane
NML - Gayle - CBT

Subs: Vickers, Wilson, Bradley, Thompson, Fornah, Barks, Waghorn

CBT has looked like he hasnt seen a football in his life, hope it's just a blip,

Smith filling in at RB to get some much needed solidity,

Nelson and Cashin (who I think are statistically the best partnership in the league) back together, no idea why Warne played him as a LB, almost as if he pulled his name out of a hat,

Hourihane has to start if fit, regardless of him becoming somewhat of a scapegoat - the long ball to Gayle will not work, he's not that kind of player. Hourihane there to come and collect each and every short pass from Wildsmith, something which was almost non-existant on Tuesday,

Very strong bench.

 

Would agree with this sentiment if we weren't pushing for promotion, but we are - should be playing our best players regardless of their futures

Would agree with this sentiment if we weren't pushing for promotion, but we are - should be playing our best players regardless of their futures

This is assuming Nyambe is injured...

Wildsmith
Smith - Nelson - Cashin - Sibley
Bird - Adams - Hourihane
NML - Gayle - CBT

Subs: Vickers, Wilson, Bradley, Thompson, Fornah, Barks, Waghorn

CBT has looked like he hasnt seen a football in his life, hope it's just a blip,

Smith filling in at RB to get some much needed solidity,

Nelson and Cashin (who I think are statistically the best partnership in the league) back together, no idea why Warne played him as a LB, almost as if he pulled his name out of a hat,

Hourihane has to start if fit, regardless of him becoming somewhat of a scapegoat - the long ball to Gayle will not work, he's not that kind of player. Hourihane there to come and collect each and every short pass from Wildsmith, something which was almost non-existant on Tuesday,

Very strong bench.

 

This is assuming Nyambe is injured...

Wildsmith
Smith - Nelson - Cashin - Sibley
Bird - Adams - Hourihane
NML - Gayle - CBT

Subs: Vickers, Wilson, Bradley, Thompson, Fornah, Barks, Waghorn

CBT has looked like he hasnt seen a football in his life, hope it's just a blip,

Smith filling in at RB to get some much needed solidity,

Nelson and Cashin (who I think are statistically the best partnership in the league) back together, no idea why Warne played him as a LB, almost as if he pulled his name out of a hat,

Hourihane has to start if fit, regardless of him becoming somewhat of a scapegoat - the long ball to Gayle will not work, he's not that kind of player. Hourihane there to come and collect each and every short pass from Wildsmith, something which was almost non-existant on Tuesday,

Very strong bench.

 

This is assuming Nyambe is injured...

Wildsmith
Smith - Nelson - Cashin - Sibley
Bird - Adams - Hourihane
NML - Gayle - CBT

Subs: Vickers, Wilson, Bradley, Thompson, Fornah, Barks, Waghorn

CBT has looked like he hasnt seen a football in his life, hope it's just a blip,

Smith filling in at RB to get some much needed solidity,

Nelson and Cashin (who I think are statistically the best partnership in the league) back together, no idea why Warne played him as a LB, almost as if he pulled his name out of a hat,

Hourihane has to start if fit, regardless of him becoming somewhat of a scapegoat - the long ball to Gayle will not work, he's not that kind of player. Hourihane there to come and collect each and every short pass from Wildsmith, something which was almost non-existant on Tuesday,

Very strong bench.

 

Wildsmith
                         Ward   Nelson   Cashin   Sibley 
                                             Adams.  
                                  Bird                 Hourihane 
             Mendez-Laing            Gayle             Blackett-Taylor

                                             

Bradley, plus some others.

ATG

 
1Wildsmith - 3 - poor distribution without Hourihane there to pick up the short ball, questionable long balls, and outright stupidity for the penalty
24Nyambe - 6.5 - could be a big injury, will be missed if so
7Barkhuizen - 5.5 - didn't notice him off the bench
35Nelson - 6.5 - solid as always
5Bradley - 5 - would have been a 6 bar the fault for their open play goal, stepped up almost as if marking Nelson to allow an easy pass past him, confusing positioning
6Cashin - 6.5 - solid in an unfamiliar position, why Warne is breaking up the Nelson-Cashin partnership god only knows
2Wilson - 5.5 - poor today, hardly beat his man
12Smith - 6.5 - much needed legs
17Sibley - 6 - not sure what position Warne was telling him to play, LB / LWB / LM / LW / CM ?? Can only be confusing being asked to switched positions every few minutes, what's the game plan?
32Adams - 6.5 - destroyer of worlds, noticeably involved, would have been a 7 (and MoM) bar his mistake for their goal, lots of passion however, can we sign him on a perm?
27Blackett-Taylor - 5.5 - didn't notice him off the bench
11Méndez-Laing - 5 - worst game in a Derby shirt, needs a rest
8Bird 🐦 - 5 - shirked out of every 50/50 that came his way, gone back to his old pre signing for Bristol self
25Gayle - 6 - not sure what he's meant to do in this team in the way Warne has us set up. Collins was there to win headers from the long balls and fouls in dangerous areas, not sure Gayle is the man for that (not a criticism of Gayle, but rather the failure of recruitment in Jan). But we looked more of a 'footballing' side with him in with some nice link up play through the middle.
10Waghorn - 5.5 - first game back post an injury with some very poor touches

I've found plenty of things to criticise over Warne's tenure. Collins has never been one of them. He's put the graft in and scores goals. I've no idea why a section of our fanbases doesn't get behind him.

Worse than Caskey or Sammon ? 

Might not be everyone's favourite but Collins puts 100% every match runs his socks off. 

TV

 
1Wildsmith - 6 - average
24Nyambe - 7 - missed him, strong defensively - would we have conceded with him on the pitch?
2Wilson - 5 - poor defending for their goal
5Bradley - 6.5 - solid
35Nelson - 7 - consistent, just pips it
23Ward - 7 - great energy, looking like he's found his feet
7Barkhuizen - 6 - average
32Adams - 7.5 - MOM again, breaking up the play to allow Bird and Hourihane to kick on, seemed to be everywhere
16Thompson - 5.5 - schoolboy dive in for their goal
4Hourihane - 6 - average
8Bird - 6.5 - average for the game up until his goal, then kicked on
17Sibley - 6.5 - doing enough defensively
20Elder - 6 - average
11Méndez-Laing - 6.5 - lively second half
9Collins - 6.5 as usual, didnt stop running, but again (broken record) no service...

Sorry, I know I’ve brought this up before but I have a real issue here. Half way through this season they moved them onto the inside of the advertising boards - great - a sensible move employed by a number of clubs in the country.
Today all of a sudden they’re back on the wrong side. Most of them are scared petrified just to climb over to get a ball. How many times today was Wildsmith wasting time fetching a ball or a ball just gets knocked out of play and just keeps trundling down the side of the pitch.
Sorry but we, like any football club should be employment every tactic to get a 1% improvement. We want to win our home games - get the ball back into play as soon as possible, so get the ball to our players when it’s a Derby ball immediately!

Every now and then I am bewildered by decisions made by the club.