Jram

I remember sitting in traffic on the A63 because a lorry had overturned despite the bridge being closed to high sided vehicles 

He was then in further trouble as it turned he had not paid to cross

Its these little stories that really make the Humber Bridge great 

24 minutes ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

But you have to admit the Humber Bridge is a very good bridge.

It’sa brilliant bridge. I think it deserves its own thread. Especially since they brought  in those automatic fee paying electronic things in your car so you can just drive straight through 

53 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

 

Allsop

Byrne Stearman Fozzy Williams

Hutchinson Shinnie

Sibley Morrison Joz

Stretton

Roos, Bird, CKR, Watson, Festy

Bit lightweight bar Hutch and Stearman and Foz.

Who've I missed off, I kept remembering youngsters!?

Are we saying Williams wouldn’t take a place in the squad even if he makes an appearance on account of being a scholar?

Hehe super excited for the start of season, guys 

8 minutes ago, NottsRam77 said:

Am I right in thinking that if we fail to sign anyone today and end up having to play the kids those kids no later what we argue will be established first team players and will mean we can sign the trialists unless we get all issues with the efl resolved 

I would imagine so. They’d become players of professional standing meaning, depending how many we play, we’d increase our squad, leaving less space for trialists

No doubt the club are “having discussions” about this issue with EFL but that phrase has lost all meaning as the club seem to trot it out for everything 

30 minutes ago, Anag Ram said:

Bird the destroyer?
 

hahahahahahaha - that’s really funny. He tackles so tentatively. 
 

His strength is distribution. Sometimes it’s a bit safe, but he can produce ambitious passes too. I just wish he wouldn’t try those so close to our goal.

In this squad he’s worth a starting berth.

I’d anchor with Shinnie and have Bird and perhaps Thompson over Watson just in front.

I’m assuming it will be Rooney’s favourites Joz, Tom and CKR up front.

Every game I’ve ever seen L Thompson play he has been holding midfielder so I’d be surprised to see him play ahead of a two. I’d much prefer to see Sibley in there 

I’d like to echo all the sentiments suggesting the academy could have been better used in the last decade. The likes of Vernam, Rawson and Elsnik would have been able deputies instead of binning money on, at its peak under Rowett, 25-30 first team players

Yeah we can’t sell Lawrence, he’s the only one who’s likely to hit double figures goals and assists 

Agreed that it’s gutting that he will probably leave for nothing next year when he could be a 5 plus million pound asset but, if we get relegated to League 1 because we sell him now, we will lose far more 

Festy is getting the Sibley Summer 2020 treatment on here

in fairness, I think he is only signed for one year so would be typical if he completely destroyed the championship this season and went to West Ham for free next summer 

How tall IS Cashin? Surely someone can answer this on here. 
I don’t think he’s anywhere near 6’1 

Where’s Buchanan???

Maybe he’s got a genetic weakness. Didn’t Thorne say he had something like that?

9 hours ago, Foreveram said:

Sir Robert Peel twice Prime Minister and father of the modern police force and also happens to share his surname with me

Was he not the MP for Tamworth? Born in Ramsbottom I thought. Sorry, Tamworth

Derby have an option to extend Buchanan contract next summer so effectively two years left (according to DET) so no rush to sell this summer

Byrne is such a hard one… our most creative player but also at peak age for value and leaving for nothing next summer… it’s a keep for me just because he is that good (relative to all our players in other positions)

I remember a lot of optimism 12 months ago, myself included.

a lot of that, admittedly, was hype around Sibley and Jozwiak (for myself) and some lesser hype around Bird.

This season, I must admit, my optimism is at an all time low going into a season. But it’s an extremely random game so I’m hoping we might surprise ourselves

Might as well hope

I’m not sure if anyone has said but Minkley and Bateman played a pre season game as trialists for Lincoln this week. Hope they can make a career of it 

Covid passports required for games is looking more and more likely.

I have had mine but not sure it’s fair to essentially manipulate people into getting one, it’s a free country 

1 hour ago, angieram said:

Where are Liam Thompson and Conor Dixon, GOC? Not seen either of them around first team squad and not there last night either (as far as I could see.)

Pretty certain I’ve seen Dixon in a lot of the first team training shots and videos 

I wonder if he’ll be one who quietly enters the first team picture. Like Knight when he quite suddenly was in the picture a couple of years back 

9 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

Bobby Duncan on Twitter: "Ready for what’s to come ! #offseason ?

 

 

Not sure about the music but why shouldn’t I hold out hope he’s gonna score 20 in the league next year? 
Thought Sibley would do it last year and now Bobby can take the mantle of unrealistic hope 

11 hours ago, TheAllestreeRam said:

We would be in a far worse position without the academy granted, but i ask the question whether leaning on the academy in this way was the plan all along and we are seeing the results of that? Asking too much too soon of many youngsters. 

I doubt it was planned this way.. I expect Mel expected us to be in the Prem by now and possibly expected the generation above Bird’s generation to be better than they were... when he made those infamous comments, I believe Guy, Rawson, Vernam etc were very highly thought of

In fairness to Guy, he’s going to be playing championship football next season 

8 minutes ago, MackworthRamIsGod said:

It's the future of the club because at present it isnt paying dividends.

As the point made, very well I may add, introducing so many young players in at the same time isnt working, or we wouldn't have been so bad last season.

The original poster wasnt calling into question the academy, he was questioning the model, the business plan of having 5 or 6 academy players in at the same time.

It is no coincidence that the 2 most valuable players we have produced, Will Hughes and Hendrick, were introduced in a competitive, quality football team, rather the one we have at the minute. 

One or 2 young players to complement a good team is the way forward, not 5 or 6 to plug the gaps made by injuries and lack of recruitment.

The thing is though, promoting the academy lads is the only option we’ve got and I think people are saying “imagine how horrific it would be if we didn’t even have the academy”... I completely agree it isnt ideal to promote 4 or 5 at the same time (although I do think they will become really good players soon) but we’d be completely done if we didn’t have that option (if we’re not already completely done)

I think the current generation have a very good chance of blooming into exceptional players given the success their counterparts at other clubs have had, who they regularly beat at youth level e.g saka, willock 

Bird, Sibley, Buchanan and Knight are still so young, so much time to vastly improve 

Even with these lads being integral first team players, the U23s still had an excellent season

I really think it is feasible that we will be quite good in a couple of years with these players improving... that or we sell them for money and save the club which would be just as satisfactory an outcome if it means we survive as a club

1 hour ago, roboto said:

I wouldn't mind Sturridge here if the terms were good for the club. He'd be a bit of a gamble, but he's the sort of player that Stretton could learn a lot from - positioning, finishing etc. If he is interested in coming in to be a squad player, help develop some of our younger players and not expect to be the main man then he could be a useful addition. We still got some good performances and goals from Darren Bent who was a similar player at a similar stage in his career when he joined.

I think Bent was a couple of years younger than Sturridge is now and had a better record with injuries. Interesting thought but I think it would be a negligent waste of wages 

Apparently Norwich are interested in Bogle (might be media nonsense but wouldn’t be surprised to see him sold)

Anyone know of any sell on fees?

10 minutes ago, Topram said:

West Brom have released players...

Charlie Austin
Kamil Grosicki
Hal Robson-Kanu
Lee Peltier

Grosicki and Austin were two of the best players in the championship 18 months ago... age bias perhaps