Leeds Ram

For those not clicking the link, the headline is about Morgan Whittaker receiving online racial abuse following the game on Saturday. What is wrong with people? In the unlikely event the lad reads this forum, I hope he knows there are thousands of Rams fans wishing him well having come through the ranks at Derby, and only a handful of morons who are sad keyboard warriors and think it's somehow OK to send racial hate off into the ether. 

Clement had held coaching positions at Real Madrid amongst others and was fully qualified so that's totally irrelevant- I believe frank was the exception to the rule but was further along with the badges than Rooney and had some under 23 experience to boot? But if you look at the spine of that frank lampard team the fact he secured fewer points than Rowett did kind of also makes my point for me. Personally, i'd have loved it if he walked away 5 games ago and gave someone else a chance. 

I'm not a manager and there is a reason why I'm not on the touchline. Personally, as I said in the sheffield wednesday thread, I'd be looking at something similar to what we did in the first half against Blackburn. I've said for the past 4 or 5 games that's the model I would be emulating and sticking too but we haven't. Have an interchanging 'front 3' that utilises the mobility, vision, ball control and movement of the attacking players we do have and I think we'd be seeing more goals, more chances and more points on the board. 

CKR hasn't offered that much in the past 10 games and hip injury or not that mirrors his career.. not much in the way of goal scoring. I think he's best on the bench and if I'd been charge he'd have been there for the past 6 games or so. Against Blackburn when he came on our attacking threat was blunted because he doesn't have the necessary mobility or fluidity to function as part of that style. I was worried the ball wouldn't stick up top without him but more often than not it did because of the way we delivered it to the front man. 

It's ridiculous is what it is 

I love that your definition of world beaters is not losing 6 in a row and picking up more than 6 points from the last 42 available... 

Already been pointed out, we dropped to midtable form. Hardly a collapse but we did well to even be in with a chance of top 6. And we did our best run without Bielik...

I don't disagree with this- the distinct problem we've got is that the manager hasn't given us a style and that's by his own admission. It's remarkable that after 31 games in charge he hasn't stamped an identity on this team and ultimately that's why we're losing and not playing to the potential that is in that squad. I think if Rooney had stuck to the shape and style of that first half against Blackburn we'd be out of trouble by now. He didn't and instead the 'mirroring' process has been repeated to absolutely dire results. 

You linked the wrong ones but ultimately it kind of proves my point- the essential parts of the squad are very similar- we have replaced bogle with byrne, hamer with marshall (deffo an upgrade), martin with ckr (the one area i do agree is a downgrade) the loans of edmunson and menghi are supposed to have beefed up the defence and are more than an adequate replacement for an injured davies and Roberts is just as good as jof who is now at rotherham. So where are the massive deficiencies that have led us to this position?

I love that your definition of world beaters is not losing 6 in a row and picking up more than 6 points from the last 42 available... 

The post I was referring to didn't even mention Cocu.... Some are defending the indefensible  which is precisely what roymac is doing quite honestly. Losing 6 in a row and gaining 6 points from 42 is not good enough and these last 15 games have been as bad as the start Cocu made.  He was rightfully shown the door and at the end of the season exactly the same thing needs to happen to Rooney. The tactical approach totally lacks identity as we end up 'matching' the opposition- in basic logic it's trying to beat them at their own game. It doesn't take a genius to work out 9 times out of 10 they'll be better at their approach than you and beat you which is precisely what is happening. 

Making exaggerated claims of what the fans are demanding is just an attempt to legitimise his argument that it's somehow an absolutely awful squad (pretty much the same squad finished 10th last season) and none of this can be put at Rooney's door. That's the ridiculous aspect to it. 

It's ridiculous is what it is 

I love that your definition of world beaters is not losing 6 in a row and picking up more than 6 points from the last 42 available... 

You linked the wrong ones but ultimately it kind of proves my point- the essential parts of the squad are very similar- we have replaced bogle with byrne, hamer with marshall (deffo an upgrade), martin with ckr (the one area i do agree is a downgrade) the loans of edmunson and menghi are supposed to have beefed up the defence and are more than an adequate replacement for an injured davies and Roberts is just as good as jof who is now at rotherham. So where are the massive deficiencies that have led us to this position?

I love that your definition of world beaters is not losing 6 in a row and picking up more than 6 points from the last 42 available... 

I love that your definition of world beaters is not losing 6 in a row and picking up more than 6 points from the last 42 available... 

no

kind of makes my point for me... 

I agree with you mate.  One omission I'd add though is we haven't replaced Huddlestone .  We have no midfielder with any craft. I assume the thinking was Rooney could do some of the job with Bird improving in this regard with Bielik to come back.  Neither has happened as Bird is Butterfield on a bad day and Rooney spent 4 weeks of eating dominos everyday, then Bielik bust his knee. We perhaps have 4 goals from midfield this season.
In January we should have used any available resources to sign a decent midfielder on loan who could score and create allowing Shinnie to do his actual job and a striker with pace.  We wasted the last toss of the coin on quantity over quality.  Mengi hadn't kicked a first team ball. one was coming back from a hernia op, we got a lesser spotted Beningame, Roberts has one goal in 70 games and Boro had seen nothing from him and Gregory couldn't get a kick at Stoke and was the same player we had in Richards.  Gregory has done better than I thought to be fair but has gone the way you'd expect from a striker in his 30's who hasn't played for a year.
 

Yeah, the first half against Blackburn was bang on. If he'd have stuck with that as opposed to the mirroring idea he's got going on in his head then I'm fairly confident we wouldn't be where we are now. 

I am very worried about this too, Curtains.
The financial blow of relegation, coupled with the impacts of COVID, might be one that is just too heavy for the club to take. We have been walking somewhat of a financial tightrope for quite a while now, apparently. 
I think this is why, on a Tuesday morning, I've found myself waking up just feeling so, so annoyed. Annoyed that the club have sleepwalked into this situation.
When we started this season so badly, and sacked our manager when we were two points from safety, it seemed so obvious to me that this was not the right season to roll the dice on a rookie manager. That too much would be a stake should it go wrong, and that an experienced head was needed, even if that was just until the end of the season.
But sadly, choices were made, and we are where we are.
Let's we can find a slice of luck from somewhere in time for this weekend. 

CKR half  fit is a liability and too slow IMO and smacks   of McClaren type system .
I do have issues with this system being played all the time .
Opposing teams find it easy to defend .
We need more mobility IMO
A fit CKR is a different story.
If he plays Saturday and does well who’s to argue .
Rather play a false 9 with Sibley on Saturday.
A manager has to call it and his head is on the line .
I just think Rooney has to look at this and the system against Wednesday 

You linked the wrong ones but ultimately it kind of proves my point- the essential parts of the squad are very similar- we have replaced bogle with byrne, hamer with marshall (deffo an upgrade), martin with ckr (the one area i do agree is a downgrade) the loans of edmunson and menghi are supposed to have beefed up the defence and are more than an adequate replacement for an injured davies and Roberts is just as good as jof who is now at rotherham. So where are the massive deficiencies that have led us to this position?

I don't disagree with this- the distinct problem we've got is that the manager hasn't given us a style and that's by his own admission. It's remarkable that after 31 games in charge he hasn't stamped an identity on this team and ultimately that's why we're losing and not playing to the potential that is in that squad. I think if Rooney had stuck to the shape and style of that first half against Blackburn we'd be out of trouble by now. He didn't and instead the 'mirroring' process has been repeated to absolutely dire results. 

You linked the wrong ones but ultimately it kind of proves my point- the essential parts of the squad are very similar- we have replaced bogle with byrne, hamer with marshall (deffo an upgrade), martin with ckr (the one area i do agree is a downgrade) the loans of edmunson and menghi are supposed to have beefed up the defence and are more than an adequate replacement for an injured davies and Roberts is just as good as jof who is now at rotherham. So where are the massive deficiencies that have led us to this position?

It's ridiculous is what it is