Archied

But you give the impression that you are a football fan , a certain type of football too at that rather than a derby fan , you make clear your support ( going games and getting behind the team )can only be relied upon if the football is entertaining 🤷‍♂️

But you give the impression that you are a football fan , a certain type of football too at that rather than a derby fan , you make clear your support ( going games and getting behind the team )can only be relied upon if the football is entertaining 🤷‍♂️

Doesn't sound like you'll be supporting Derby next season either 😉

If you've only been entertained by 2 out of 22 home games, I think your expectations might have been a little too high, and if you're only attending Derby games in order to be entertained, then I can understand why you're not renewing. But for many fans, the entertainment factor is only one of many aspects that draw them to Pride Park. For a payment of what is effectively only £8/week, I get an awful lot more than entertainment out of it.

This. We had the best players?.our midfield for half the season, and our strike force in general has been lacking in quality. How we could get over the line with these deficiencies.. outstanding achievement.

I am not sure I agree with this angle. We certainly have better players than many; but the best ? I think that is debatable. Look at the midfield. The arrival of Adams has made a huge difference but prior to that I reckon or midfield was average. Bird is wonderfully talented but in this league often got out muscled and his skill wasn’t always enough for him to win those battles … so better or just good  ? Hourihan 6 years ago, yes a better player, but our Hourihan ? The one who gets caught napping against athletic sides ? A good player but “better” than the rest ?
The only areas where I think we had demonstrably better players was defence and out wide. We Haven’t got the better strikers and we hadn’t (until Adams) got the best midfield. 
 
Warne had “better” wide players and made best use of them to support our  lack, for much of the season, of a dynamic striker. This leads to a form of football that by necessity involves getting the ball in to danger areas via the wings and making good use of set pieces. All to create the greater number of chances to address those areas where we didn’t have “the best” players.
 
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see one touch midfield interchanges crafting chances with slick passing ; but too many of our players didn’t demonstrate enough of those skills either due to ability, age, or the type of opponent / type of football played in this league. 

Enjoy it my friend and for those who try to spoil it for you with the , it’s league 1 , it’s a worse league one than last year , our football is poo , our manager is poo , we will get battered next season ect ect ect ,,, tell them to do one ,,,,,,,
I’ve seen us be champions of England twice and every ap and down since ,,, this season is right up there for success and enjoyment , barring a crazy scenario we should be up automatically, two seasons from our darkest moments , that’s quality and to be savoured and remembered , a certain friend of ours couldn’t be with us in person for the end to this season and it’s worth those who can’t enjoy and praise what’s happening at derby taking stock of that ,
football is all about stories and mixed in with real life , these last few years are turning into a great story with everything in it ,
enjoy , but you don’t need me to tell you that , you were outside the ground without a ticket , been there , done that , respect 🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏

Take no notice Bob , anybody our age will surely understand that though you might not get to games regularly at any stage of life for various or any reasons , when big games / days like this or Wembley come along there’s a real urge to want to be there , it’s not like your screaming you deserve a ticket but you are simply saying you would absolutely love to be there and would do what it takes to get a chance of a ticket 🤷🏻‍♂️,
im lucky enough to have season tickets at the moment but it doesn’t make me anymore of a fan than you ,,, I hope you get a ticket mate👍

Cheers @Kernow 
It was @Rampant who rekindled our appetites though. I've just copied him! 😋

Pride Park Stadium
KO - 12.30
Ticket Update: Forgeddaboutit
Match is  also live on Sky Sports
What it is to be a Derby fan. After Northampton, even yours truly was feeling a tad deflated. With Blackpool, Pompey and Wycombe next up, my mood was more pensive and hopeful, than upbeat, as many others seemed to feel that we'd blown another golden opportunity. In fairness, that was understandable, if only to a point. Happily though, it appears that Warne and the chaps did not get the memo informing them of their impending capitulation and decided to go on an 5 game unbeaten run instead. That effort not only cemented us in the top 2, as others buckled under pressure, but now sees us teetering right on the edge of promotion glory; agonisingly poised, we have one foot in the sunlit uplands of the Championship (*shudder), the other remaining firmly planted in the nightmarish possibility of yet more play-off induced football terrors. But need we really be worried? 
After recent history and the near demise of our great club, I think it's understandable that some Derby fans might adopt a mildly cautious outlook and demeanour. In recent years, whatever may go wrong, typically has done and in so much, it's fair to say that a robust constitution is a mandatory requirement for a group of fans who've had more than their fair share share of emotional kickings over the last decade. Most Rams will confess that in some ways, it's hard not to expect the worst, based on recent history, but then isn't the dream what it's all about? After all, if you strip away the hopes and dreams, what do you really have left? It's been a season to test our nerves, that much is clear, but despite a lot of infighting, we've hung it all together in the end and here we are, fate firmly in our own hands. Remember too, that for some of our young 'uns, Saturday is a potentially momentous day. Automatic promotions don't come around every year and many won't have experienced one in their lives to date and for our elder statesmen and women, this could be an emotional roller coaster too. 
Outside the club itself, expectations are sky high. The bookmakers have all but closed the book on our promotion chances and after all, a single point is all we require against a Carlisle side who remain 10 points adrift at the very foot of the table and with seemingly nothing other than professional pride at stake. The oddsmakers are undoubtedly right from a statistical standpoint, but playing devil's advocate for a moment, Carlisle will view this as a free hit and will play without pressure (think Wycombe) and for some, the game provides an ideal opportunity to showcase their talents in a high-profile game with the Sky cameras watching on. Summer moves may beckon, for any player who shines.
Worthy favourites then, IMHO, but doubtless a good few will still be anxiously awaiting Saturday's outcome.
Not me mind. I’ll be drunk from @noon on Wednesday.
The Permutations:
Quite simple now, on paper at least; a win or a draw and we say, 'hasta la visa, baby' and kiss this league goodbye, hopefully forever. A loss, by a single goal would leave Bolton needing to beat Posh 3-0 in order to break the hearts of the Rams faithful, snatching 2nd place by virtue of having scored more goals. Not quite the proverbial slam-dunk then, but we're strong favourites, all the same and rightly so IMO.
Elsewhere, we, along with Bolton, will be hoping Posh slip up midweek; Posh will be hoping they don't and Barnsley and Lincoln will be nervously looking over their shoulders with both Oxford and Blackpool snapping at their heels. I'd dearly love to see Blackpool snatch the last playoff slot! 
 


The key fixtures for the final rounds, with promotion hopefuls underlined, are as below:
Tuesday 23/04-2024
Cheltenham vs Peterborough - 19.45
Saturday 27/04/2024
Barnsley vs Northampton - 12.30
Exeter vs Oxford - 12.30
Lincoln Vs Portsmouth - 12.30
Peterborough vs Bolton - 12.30
Reading Vs Blackpool - 12.30
My guesses are Posh to beat Cheltenham and draw with Bolton. Barnsley to beat Northampton, Oxford to turn over Exeter, Lincoln and Pompey to draw and Blackpool to beat Reading. Make of that what you will! 
Our Opponents – A Brief History:
Founded in 1896 as Shaddongate United, Carlisle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cumbria, who have played their home games at Brunton Park since 1909. The club's traditional kit is blue with white and red detail, whilst the badge takes elements from the city's coat of arms by including two Wyverns. They are nicknamed the "Blues", due to their kit, as well as the "Cumbrians". The club is the northernmost English professional football club seated close to the Anglo-Scottish border. Crowned Lancashire Combination, Division Two champions in 1906–07, they entered the North Eastern League in 1910 and went on to win the league title in 1921–22, before being elected into the Football League in 1928. 
Head to Head:
Sadly, Carlisle have a pretty decent record against our beloved Rams. Twenty-three competitive fixtures have seen Derby win 9, draw 6 and lose 8. Our first fixture, in the old Division 3 North back in 1955, saw Derby win 3-0. More recently, the two teams have met three time in the last decade with Derby bookending the decade with 2-0 wins, with a 1-1 between them.
Games Played: 23
Games Won:9
Games Drawn:6
Games Lost:8
Our last Meeting:
The corresponding fixture at Brunton Park was way back in September with a James Collins brace giving the game a rather more comforting veneer than was perhaps warranted. Carlisle looked tidy and Gibson and Moxon in particular, gave Derby plenty to think about. On that performance, you might have been forgiven for thinking Carlisle would do ok this season, but it’s fair to say that things have not gone well for the Cumbrian outfit and their relegation was a formality from some way out.
Carlisle United - Recent Form:
Carlisle's recent form has been distinctly patchy, with their last 5 games comprising a 3-1 home loss to that awful club near Henley, another home loss by the odd goal to Blackpool, a hard-earned away win at Cheltenham, before consecutive losses to Northampton and Lincoln. 
Saturday 20th April
Carlisle United 1 Wycombe Wanderers 3
Saturday 13th April
Carlisle United 0 Blackpool 1
Tuesday 9th April
Cheltenham Town 0 Carlisle United 1
Saturday 6th April
Northampton Town 2 Carlisle United 0
Monday 1st April
Carlisle United 1 Lincoln City 3
Carlisle United - Key Players:
Quite a relief that we won’t be facing Owen Moxon, snapped up by Pompey in the January window. Most of what was good about Carlisle seemed to start with him, but in Jordan Gibson, they still retain some meaningful threat. He's tricky with ball at feet, looks to attack and has a shot on him. He tops the scorer’s chart with 7 goals and 3 assists whilst Sam Lavelle with 4 assists is a goal provider to note. Mellish with 5 goals and Butterworth and Garner with 4 a piece, round out the principal Carlisle goal threats. it would be remiss not to mention also that their current manager, is none other than the much respected, Paul Simpson. Nudge, nudge, wink wink, Paul! The other ex-Rams fun fact would be that Luke Plange had a brief and unremarkable spell with the Cumbrians this season, before seeking warmer weather with HJK Helsinki.
Rams Team News:
Some will be itching for change after a stuttering performance at Cambridge. My own thoughts on that game are that Cambridge fought ridiculously hard and we had to try and match that extreme intensity before we could even think about playing our game. The pitch looked both short and narrow to me had clearly been subject to a hosepipe ban and I think all of these factors led to a feisty and extremely combative game, from which we did well to emerge with maximum points. Back on home soil, a larger pitch and a (marginally) better surface, I’d expect us to look rather more fluid.
Sadly, this will be the last time we get to watch young Max Bird play for the club. There’s been some really silly stuff written about our most technically gifted footballer and I have to confess that seeing him leave for Brizzle will be like a kick to the gut. That said, the fee garnered enabled some key signings and it could be argued that in hindsight, this was smart business. Nah, I'm not convinced either, but needs must? Quite possibly. Irrespective, I’d love to see him among the starting 11 for his swansong. I’m sure the Derby faithful will give him the send-off he deserves, in what may be a somewhat bittersweet celebration, for both us as fans and Max himself, lest we forget.
With that in mind, here’s my team selection, which will of course in no way resemble the gaffer’s:
 

 

The defence really needs to remain unchanged. A more determined and obdurate back 3 you’d struggle to find. Wildsmith retains the #1 jersey, despite some idiosyncratic ball distribution. To my way of thinking, he makes saves that matter and that outweighs his wayward passing.
I’ve drafted in Bird to replace Korey Smith, who would perhaps be hard done by should Warne follow suit. Max would partner the irrepressible Ebou Adams, a pairing that ought to give us a solid foundation in midfield. Working hard on the flanks, I’d have Wilson and Sibley, two players I absolutely love. The latter especially, has really matured over the course of the season, proving yours truly and others wrong in the process and he has oodles of ability if this progress and work ethic can be maintained.
Thommo is also retained and will hopefully sit a little higher and rat like his life depends on it. He and Collo put in Herculean shifts against Cambridge, doing the work that seldom attracts the plaudits, but is often key to our success. He can also interchange with a front two of Collo and Nate, who should give Carlisle plenty to think about. Barks, Gayle and Smith appear the obvious change-ups, with Hourihane, Vickers and Elder in reserve, but much will depend on who is truly healthy on the day.
And that, ladies and gentlemen is me done for the season. I’m fancying us for a decent performance, with a little style on show after an early goal to settle the nerves. 3-0 is the call with Collo, Nate and Sibs my fancies as the scorers. After some 55 games across the season, this one has definitely felt like something of a marathon, but in spite of the divided fan base, I’ve enjoyed seeing us tough it out. The football has been mildly bipolar, great one week, not so much the next, but I think all sides at this lowly level are inconsistent, only us and Pompey slightly less so than the others. Should we progress, of course we will face different challenges, but we will also have a very different playing roster. Doubts about the style of football will persist, but personally, I don't think Clowes will even contemplate letting Warne go and as such, Warne will retain my support until such time as he doesn't! 
Here’s hoping then,  for a resounding win, a respectful but joyous celebration of an important and healing day for all connected with the club and one that the majority can safely enjoy. Also, calm and stress-free journeys for any fans travelling significant distances and a bright and shiny, new future for Derby County Football club.
COYR
BE MORE B4
 

Mods , we really need a plain simple old smile imogi added that we can respond with ,,, many posts just need a pure makes me smile response 

Was still Nigel Clough at the time I think 

They are chanting warnes name AFTER games now , that’s not in game chants to raise the team , it’s praise for the job he is doing and well deserved it is too , he’s also not jumping in on the bounce to steal the players / fans joy , he is maintaining that line as the boss with a job to do , some on here may not like it but the majority of fans at games are giving Warne the respect and praise he deserves for what he is creating at derby ,
there’s an honesty and culture at the club now that’s been missing for a long time and I for one want to see where he can take it given time and a bit more to spend 

Spot on angie , im getting to that age too ,where if you peg it people say a bit young but no massive surprise, live it and enjoy the good stuff ,,,, 90 mins every week where I feel alive ,excited, euphoric, gutted and happy to be sat next to my lovely wife having a lovely day away from work and stress

Spot on angie , im getting to that age too ,where if you peg it people say a bit young but no massive surprise, live it and enjoy the good stuff ,,,, 90 mins every week where I feel alive ,excited, euphoric, gutted and happy to be sat next to my lovely wife having a lovely day away from work and stress

Mods , we really need a plain simple old smile imogi added that we can respond with ,,, many posts just need a pure makes me smile response 

Clough

They are chanting warnes name AFTER games now , that’s not in game chants to raise the team , it’s praise for the job he is doing and well deserved it is too , he’s also not jumping in on the bounce to steal the players / fans joy , he is maintaining that line as the boss with a job to do , some on here may not like it but the majority of fans at games are giving Warne the respect and praise he deserves for what he is creating at derby ,
there’s an honesty and culture at the club now that’s been missing for a long time and I for one want to see where he can take it given time and a bit more to spend 

@Archied Forum regulars will know that for some of us there is more riding on Saturday than securing the points for promotion. It feels very much a tribute to those who aren’t here who have stuck with DCFC through thick and thin. 

I’m really excited as I haven’t seen a DCFC promotion. When I last held a season ticket Derby were in the Premier League. I can’t imagine just how excited Daniel would be right now, but I bet he would be saying “I told you they would do it”
I’ll be thinking of you and your dad on Saturday ❤️🐏

Fantastic posts. @Archied really got me thinking. Football fandom is a very social thing. I try not to miss a single game, but celebrating goals and victories or suffering losses on my own just isn't the same. Fortunately a couple of friends texted me last week to say that they were coming to my home next  Saturday to watch the game with me and help me celebrate. At first I thought "well, ok", but now I'm really excited about it. Having friends with me (I'll also be thinking about my dad who left us two years ago) will make it so much sweeter. @B4’s Sister, I'm sure you and your family will shed a few tears at the final whistle knowing how your brother would be feeling. Let it all out, he deserves it.
And please, please, please Derby, don't 🦆 it up.

Mods , we really need a plain simple old smile imogi added that we can respond with ,,, many posts just need a pure makes me smile response 

Spot on angie , im getting to that age too ,where if you peg it people say a bit young but no massive surprise, live it and enjoy the good stuff ,,,, 90 mins every week where I feel alive ,excited, euphoric, gutted and happy to be sat next to my lovely wife having a lovely day away from work and stress

Enjoy it my friend and for those who try to spoil it for you with the , it’s league 1 , it’s a worse league one than last year , our football is poo , our manager is poo , we will get battered next season ect ect ect ,,, tell them to do one ,,,,,,,
I’ve seen us be champions of England twice and every ap and down since ,,, this season is right up there for success and enjoyment , barring a crazy scenario we should be up automatically, two seasons from our darkest moments , that’s quality and to be savoured and remembered , a certain friend of ours couldn’t be with us in person for the end to this season and it’s worth those who can’t enjoy and praise what’s happening at derby taking stock of that ,
football is all about stories and mixed in with real life , these last few years are turning into a great story with everything in it ,
enjoy , but you don’t need me to tell you that , you were outside the ground without a ticket , been there , done that , respect 🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏🐏

Mods , we really need a plain simple old smile imogi added that we can respond with ,,, many posts just need a pure makes me smile response 

It was half jokey comment but with a little truth in there 😀 ,, we are derby county in a very different football landscape from the glory days I watched when young , for me warne is a breath of fresh air and been really good for our club , if some like his football and stop going it’s sad but hey ho , rather 22 thousand in pp right behind the club , manager and team , we pee all over some prem clubs in terms of money through the turnstiles, it’s all about big investment and tv money now🤷‍♂️