IslandExile

19 February 1971, Colin Todd signs for Derby.

That's a really interesting point Pes and a good question that I've not really thought about. It's difficult to know because of the lockdown and the fact none of us have been able to actually be physically there in a year, but I absolutely agree with that McDonalds analogy.
It's not to do with the football or the players or anything, it's just the almost constant lack of comfort around the club which, when I stitched it all together, was almost fictional over such a long period of time. It just doesn't seem real in an odd way at the moment I think. On the last page I make the point that we just need normality, and to be honest, I'd gladly take that over a promotion, turmoil, millions spent and relegation.
Hopefully it's not just the book which has made you feel that way! I am working on something at the minute which is going to be a lot more upbeat, which should hopefully help that void!
Might set up a hotline for the book in the same way they do after serious topics on TV. If you've been affected by Derby County...

As opposed to the experienced Waggy who has recently been sent off twice ?

Took him a bit longer on the pitch. ?
 

I think it is a combination of two things - physical strength and temperament. 
His upper body strength allows him to be pushed off the ball too easily. I think he's busy working on that from bits I have seen on his social media.
His temperament is different,  I think he's got to curb that if he wants to progress. Picked up another booking last night despite only being on the pitch a few minutes.
I think this aggression is partly a response to coming out on the wrong side of physical battles and then retaliating, so is actually linked to his physical strength. Let's hope as the first improves, the other does too.
Louie for me is the most exciting of our younger players in terms of what he could bring to the team creativity wise. Just needs to keep working at it and he will get there.
As others have mentioned, he'd get more game time if we weren't in such a precarious position in the table.

You can tell by the way I play the pork,
I'm a Rooney man, no time to walk,
it's alright, it's ok,
I saw Kaz run the other way,
pass it wide and make a run,
I trust young lee with crossing hon,
give it to me give it to me give it to me give it me
shooting wide shooting wide
 

It’s a bank holiday in Manchester.

We need to make signings who can help us carry on our recent form, good, solid Championship players or those we think are good enough and have the right attitude to to step into the team and fight for everything.
There's little point in us making 'exciting' signings for a 4-5 month spell when realistically the best finish we can hope for is around 10th. We can look at the sort of player you're talking about once we're safe & the future of the club is more certain - those signings will likely cost money, which is something we don't have a lot of at the minute.
Sit tight, Rooney is good enough to steer us out of trouble & we're making sensible signings to help with that.

Stretton is better than Cresswell in almost every way. Duncan needs a target man to play off. We won't see the best of his whilst he's leading the line

The oracle has spoken! ??

Gibson helping us out with a loan! Geroutofit.

Just finished it. Its not just a very good book about Derby County, its a bloody good football book full stop. If you haven't bought it, you're missing out.
@HuddersRam that is a seriously impressive writing debut. The 25 years absolutely come to life with the extensive cast of characters recalling the events at the time but that's really well interwoven with wider narrative of the circumstances of the club & footballing world at the time. A very well paced book too with lots of detail on the move to PP, a lot of focus on 2002-2006 and the outstanding job that George Burley did (something that I feel gets often overlooked compared to McClaren in 13/14) and not excessive space given to the last 2/3 seasons.
Extra kudos to Adam Pearson & Peter Gadsby for contributing to the book - Gadsby's recollections in particular really valuable in fleshing out the greed & subsequent removal of the Three Amigos & the madness of Billy Davies. 
Obviously we all think our club is special or unique but there is something peculiarly self-destructive about Derby that marks us out as a bit of a special case. The constant turmoil, lack of continuity & financial mismanagement is a recurring theme - its telling that the quietest period is also the biggest improvement as Nigel Clough rebuilt the squad to have a serious tilt at promotion. Entirely typical of us to squander it 2.5 years after he left. The closing part of the book touches on this recurring theme - does it make us the club we are or is it the millstone round our neck? Not sure.
Like Cameron Jerome rightly said....'Don't you think Derby's a weird club?'

I’m not Kaide’s mum.
Your local club is always the right move when you’re 7, that’s who you’re you’re going to get scouted for usually but that doesn’t mean that its the right choice 8 years down the line. Nobody knows which club he will develop better at. Derby have done what is right for them and will be making far more than he ‘owes them’ for the training that he’s had.
And i don’t think he’s got an agent!
You’re entitled to your opinion but to say that the decision is just based on money when you don’t know anything about it is wrong.

No I’m not his mum. I have know him  since he was about 8 and watched him play probably a 100 times, my own son has been in the academy system for the last 8 years so i think i am better qualified to comment than the majority on here. What i will say aswell is that the majority of lads at Derbys academy would be off if a serious offer came in for them. 

Kaide Gordon Guthrie Stand.
Two birds, one stone.

Why would we loan him back to develop him for Liverpool? Doesn't make sense. Our academy is there to develop our players.
The lad is only 16, and although he is a bright young star, he isn't ready for first team football yet. I wouldn't want us to rely on him to get us out of our current mess.
If/when he signs for someone else, he will be in with their youth system for another couple of seasons perhaps with some cup appearances in the first team. Don't expect him to be loaned out and star for any first team for a while yet.
This is like Delap, once he's gone he's gone. The best we can do is get a fee for his potential and have add-ons based on a percentage of his next transfer. If he does well and gets a high value transfer we will get a decent portion based on how his next team (Liverpool) will have helped his development and value increase. If he fades away then we've got a good fee now for someone that didn't quite live up to the hype.

I went to that game at Bury as well, there was more away fans than home fans and both sets of supporters changed ends at half time, we walked down one side of the pitch and they walked down the other side!

Remember it well. Happy days. ?

I was there for the Liverpool game. Was standing as a 9 year old at the Ossie end behind the goal but before kick off was being crushed so was moved to the Normanton end at 255pm however was made to stop walking around by a steward on the half way line as right in front of me Liverpool came out of the changing rooms....so exciting Keegan, Toshack, Clemence, Hughes etc.. to cap it all off was right behind the goal when Derby scored the winner. The noise when Derby scored was amazing.

Playing devil's advocate the guy could want to keep his options open for example - so is happy to stay (short term, again semantics I know) but guarded about committing his long term future by signing a contract and being tied into a long term deal. 
Just my opinion anyhows 

Remember it well. Happy days. ?

24 January 1976, Derby County 1 Liverpool 0, Davies, FAC.