MaltRam

It's gross to think these are classed as retro now 🥺

We got ahead of ourselves (well, I did) ahead of Northampton and again against Wycombe.
I'm going to focus wholly on Cambridge all week. If we f*** that up, little hope of coming back again, IMO.
It's well within our capability to stick a rank performance in and come out without the win.

No, we're not Fulham.

We got ahead of ourselves (well, I did) ahead of Northampton and again against Wycombe.
I'm going to focus wholly on Cambridge all week. If we f*** that up, little hope of coming back again, IMO.
It's well within our capability to stick a rank performance in and come out without the win.

If we get promoted on the last day v Carlisle we wont need an open top bus. The celebration will be all afternoon and evening in the pubs and streets of Derby. 
We're going to do it and its going to be a massive party.
The Rams are going up. 
I'm looking forward to the hangover!
 

It won't happen, at least not for Will's next contract, but he remains my favourite player this century.

We got ahead of ourselves (well, I did) ahead of Northampton and again against Wycombe.
I'm going to focus wholly on Cambridge all week. If we f*** that up, little hope of coming back again, IMO.
It's well within our capability to stick a rank performance in and come out without the win.

Meanwhile, the EFL tried to impose a Premier-league-mandated points deduction on Leicester. Leicester said, hold on, there's nothing in your rules that allows you to do this, and took out an injunction to stop it. The EFL said, "oh yes of course you're right" and withdrew the deduction.
My conclusion is that the EFL doesn't know its own rules and if we'd had the wherewithal to be able to contest their outrageous behaviour against us, we'd have won as well.
EFL statement:
Leicester Statement: 
 

We got ahead of ourselves (well, I did) ahead of Northampton and again against Wycombe.
I'm going to focus wholly on Cambridge all week. If we f*** that up, little hope of coming back again, IMO.
It's well within our capability to stick a rank performance in and come out without the win.

Hello again,
I had a great afternoon yesterday at Pride Park, obviously helped by the outcome. Absolutely brilliant support, underlined by the fact that a Premier League fixture down the road had a lower attendance, even with the decent following that the West Midlands sent over. Decent noise throughout the game too, Pride Park seems to work well with the crowd sound and atmosphere - some of the new stadiums get this wrong. I don't think anybody has managed to emulate atmosphere from the old stadiums that were touched by the hand of Archibald Leitch but Pride Park certainly has most of it and, of course, the people component. 
As for the game, it seemed to me that there looked to be a division between the two sides. I felt that the club, city and fan base seemed to be out of place at L1 level. 
Back soon.

It won't happen, at least not for Will's next contract, but he remains my favourite player this century.

If they shunted the away fans further into the East Stand, they wouldn't be able to see me giving it large from my safely distanced seat in the NE Corner, and those around me wouldn't realise just how tough and intimidating I am.
It's a no from me, and if anyone's got anything to say about that, come outside, and say it to my face.  Capeesh? 

I am happy to report that the Sister-in-law’s boyfriend was allowed in the house and a very agreeable post-match curry was enjoyed by all! COYR!

Think Portsmouth and Derby going up is the best result judging the season as a whole. Both too big for this league anymore. Hopefully the draw we gave Bolton today (tbh they could be right to feel bad not to take all three points) will be enough to get you guys over the line. 
 
Good result for you guys. Hopefully see you in the championship next season. 

They're missing half a team, apparently. We need aggression, pace and positivity. No half measures, go and smash them.

They're missing half a team, apparently. We need aggression, pace and positivity. No half measures, go and smash them.

I hope you made it home first.

Pride Park Stadium – KO: 15.00
After a chastening visit to Wycombe Wanderers, next up, the Rams play host to Leyton Orient. I know the whole, ‘must win game’ is horribly overused cliche in sport, but sadly, it actually applies on this occasion, as it will do for all of our remaining games. On the basis of ability and potential, you’d fancy our chances strongly, but as has been the case through a good deal of the season, the team remains somewhat Jekyll and Hyde and it’s anyone’s guess which Derby will turn up on Saturday. Having been concerned about the Wycombe game being a potential banana skin, I’m less so for this match, but it’d taker a braver man than I to be dogmatic about the outcome.
Leyton Orient:
Founded in 1881 as the Glyn Cricket Club, they began playing football as Orient in 1888 and joined the London League in 1896 after success in the Clapton & District League. The club adopted the name Clapton Orient two years later and were elected into the Football League in 1905. Most recently and under current manager Richie Wellens, the club was crowned champions of League Two in the 2022–23 campaign and sit mid-table in this current season.
Form Guide:
In the corresponding away fixture, we rode our luck a little early on, but having scored 1st, the game turned on a somewhat controversial sending off, with Brandon Cooper dismissed for a foul on Max Bird. Derby ultimately ran out comfortable 3-0 winners and this with Collo spurning a brace of golden opportunities, but even then, I felt the scoreline flattered us a little - Please see the match highlights link below. FWIW, my view is that Orient are a tidy enough side for the grade and should not be taken lightly. Much like Wycombe, they will be able to relax a little more than our lads and we need to be controlled and alert throughout the 90 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zPSKzMlFGE&ab_channel=DerbyCountyFootballClub
 
Most recently, Orient’s form has been decent enough, with a 1-0 victory away to Stevenage followed by two losses by the odd goal only to Lincoln and Peterborough. Their last two matches, both at home, yielded a 3-1 victory against Cheltenham, followed by a 2-2 draw against Exeter.
The most obvious dangerman would seem to be the ever-present Ruel Sotiriou with 11 goals and 5 assists across 42 games played. Shaquai Forde is next best with 9 goals and 5 assists, with Oliver O'Neil chipping in with 5 goals and 4 assists. Their preferred formation is seemingly a 4-2-3-1, but perhaps someone who has actually watched them regularly can confirm, as my research yielded conflicting data.
Head 2 Head:
Historically, Derby have the edge and perhaps more significantly, we have not lost at home to Leyton since 1981, with 5 home losses in total since the clubs first met way back in 1907 in what was then the 2nd division.
Games won: 23
Games drawn: 8
Games lost: 18
Team News:
Warne again has some worries to address. Our own @Caerphilly Ram has battled manfully to keep us all informed against an ever-changing background and his latest summary suggests the something akin to the following scenario for Saturday:
Joe Ward – was said to be out for 2 weeks at time of injury – 50:50 for this match is perhaps mildly optimistic
Max Bird – was mooted as a possible for the Wycombe game – may well figure from the bench
Dwight Gayle – not expected to play this weekend, but may be available for the last 2 games
Craig Forsyth - not expected to play this weekend, but may be available before season end
Callum Elder – groin injury, status unknown
Ryan Nyambe – out for the season
Tyreece John-Jules – most likely out for the season
Jake Rooney -  most likely out for the season, but has been ‘back on the grass’ we’re told. No jokes please!
I do have some sympathy for Warne as it seems every time he has the lads playing well, injuries to key players undermine any momentum, but that said, we’re not alone in that regard and we’ll need to make do as best we can.
Line-Up:
I think PW will start with a very similar line up to the last game. I’m going to suggest a slightly controversial tweak (assuming Ward is s recovered) and a change from the MF 2 we seem to favour, to variant of an undeniably old fashioned 4-4-2 – yeah, I know, straws...clutching...much… If Ward is indeed fit, he comes in for Nate, who looks like a man in need of freshening up – perhaps he and Max might be best deployed as ‘finishers’ off the bench when legs tire and the game is more stretched, assuming we’re not winning comfortably. Likewise Barks, who could also play on the right if Ward remains out. That said, if Max is healthy enough to start, I'd be sorely tempted to switch to a 4-3-3 with he and Corey either side of Ebou and Washington dropping to the bench. Irrespective, we must control the game better than we did in the 2nd half at Wycombe, where we repeatedly left a yawning chasm in front of our back 4, for their midfielders to play into.
The front two and CM remain unchanged for me; despite both Wash and Collo looking understandably short of match sharpness, IMO, they remain our best current options. Once again, the back 4 pick themselves, as do Corey and Ebou in at CM. Joe keeps his slot, having done well enough since his return to the fold.


The Match:
Honestly, I’ve no idea which Derby will turn up. After Wycombe, some will want wholesale changes, but my take on what was an admittedly hugely disappointing result, is that Wycombe should have been dead and buried inside 40 minutes. I’m not sure that the subsequent slaughtering of Warne for what was to my eye, the profligacy of his forward line, is entirely fair, but each to their own. He remains the incumbent, for better or worse and whatever might happen next year, it seems a long way off right now. As such, the focus for yours truly remains the next 3 games and nothing else.
A last word, as I’ve avoided reading all bar the last couple of pages of the last thread, would be that despite the stuttering effort against Wycombe, the travelling Rams faithful were magnificent in their support for the team. It’d be grand if we could mirror that at home and all try to channel our inner B4 and help carry the lads over the line. At least remember that Warne and his players are trying their best and are just people, like all of us and hurtful appraisals will only serve to undermine their confidence further.
Enjoy the game one and all.
COYR
BE MORE B4
  

Sky TV is f****** s***.
It’s ruined the game as we know it. The benefit goes to parasitic agents, for reasons I have never understood (why don’t the players pay them - why the clubs?) and players exorbitant wages whilst those of us who actually go to the matches are merely ignored and inconvenienced at the whim of a TV schedule. 
Football is nothing without the fans they all said during Covid. What a load of s*** that was. Sky TV can f*** right off as far as I am concerned. 

This is not a step forward at all, it stifles competition and turns it into a closed shop for the benefit of Sky. Shame on the EFL for signing such a deal. and shame on the clubs for agreeing to it also.
I will continue to subscribe to Rams TV, my overseas trips currently cost me £5 per month 🙂 Will sky be showing all matches live like Rams TV does? I doubt it! I won't give my money to Sky TV on principle.
All fans should boycott Sky TV, they are destroying football in my opinion.

FFS
I hate Sky.

How the hell has this been normalised?

Not read through, don't have the strength. 
That was f****** appalling.
Collo might as well have taken my dog for a walk, and taken CBT with him.
I'm not going to go off on one...it's not changing anything...but that was reeeeally f****** appalling.

Not read through, don't have the strength. 
That was f****** appalling.
Collo might as well have taken my dog for a walk, and taken CBT with him.
I'm not going to go off on one...it's not changing anything...but that was reeeeally f****** appalling.

Not read through, don't have the strength. 
That was f****** appalling.
Collo might as well have taken my dog for a walk, and taken CBT with him.
I'm not going to go off on one...it's not changing anything...but that was reeeeally f****** appalling.