VulcanRam

Been supporting since 1968. Seen the lot from ecstasy to despair. This could be my last season ticket. Not because of Warne or Clowes or our current style of play but because of our toxic and frankly moronic minority of supporters who try to hound managers and players out of the club. ( I mean constantly hiring and firing managers has worked so well for us over the last 10 years)..if social media existed in 1995 Jim Smith would have been getting crucified. We were about 6 from bottom at this stage of his promotion season. 

1 Wildsmith 8
24.Nyambe 6
35.Nelson 6
6.Cashin 6
3.Forsyth 6
5. Bradley 5.5
12.Smith 5
14.Washington 5
22.Fornah 5
4.1Hourihane 6
17.Sibley 5
8.Bird 7
7.Barkhuizen 6
11.Méndez-Laing 6
9.Collins 6
10. Waghorn 5

Well, like many I haven't been happy for months, but have kept on turning up to matches because supporting the lads is what we do. But despite the ever falling performance standards I have always looked for the long term, in the hope of better times. This afternoon was the first time for year that I ended up with a really heavy heart.
Actually, once we had contained Shrewsbury's early bluster, we got a grip on the game, and played some good football for about 20 minutes or so. Bird in particular was outstanding, playing like he belonged higher up the League hierarchy. Incidentally someone criticised him for being gassed out at around the 60 minute mark, but I wonder if his influence tailing off had something to do with him being shifted further back so that Warne could bring his love-child (allegedly) Hourihane on. Conor did make a couple of tackles/interceptions which kept us in the game, but he is supposed to be a gifted playmaker, but today you'd never know. But our grip on the game came from us playing football, on the deck, and involving the midfield players.
Anyhow the Shrewsbury manager worked out how we had got a grip on the game and made changes which brought them back into it. Our approach seemed to be "more of the same, please". It doesn't work. Because our gameplan of slinging balls in for Collins to get on the end of would might work if he got on the end of them, but more often than not he is out on the wing, deep in midfield or just arriving in the box as the ball gets headed clear. But because that's all we have to offer, or more likely all we are allowed to offer, we end up with the potency of a eunuch's orgasm.
And yes, here goes DavesaRam again - the ref was absolutely crap, in fact so bad that he was nearly as bad as the Rams. Turning down a blazingly obvious penalty when Forsyth was tripped in the area was just an early warning sign. Somebody observed that because we didn't do much more than sling crosses in to nobody in particular, we didn't give him the chance to make amends. Apart from the question "Since when has a ref evened things up for Derby County?", he did the exact opposite with the award of a penalty to the Shrews for absolutely no reason at all. Rams TV thought the player had tripped on his laces - he didn't, he blatantly dived. and was 3 or 4 yards away from any Derby player. The Rams website said that it was for a pull by Nelson, but watch the video - the directions and trajectories of Nelson and the actor means that a pull was absolutely impossible. At least the ref was quick with his decision, ie he couldn't wait to pull the trigger. Why didn't the players all get round the ref and have a right good go at him? Like all other teams do? There were plenty of other incidents to lay at the refs door, but in the end, it wasn't his fault that we lost, despite us going ahead from the penalty we should have had would have helped us.
I am struggling big time over all this, as many, many more are doing, because most of us know that we are capable of much more than this. There is a well know saying, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Even if Warne has inherited an absolute bunch of wasters, in an impossible situation, he could still look at what he has got and play to their strengths. Or he could use a great big sledgehammer and force all those lovely round pins into the square holes he imagines exist all over the pitch .......... no wait, that exist down the wings and somewhere near the middle of the opposition penalty area. I know that Paul Clement and Nigel Pearson threw away loads of our talent by trying to impose their system onto players who couldn't play it. Maybe some of the poor performance by some of the players comes from them being uncomfortable with how they are being told to play - I suspect Hourihane is in that category, and tried to face the fans to try and make some peace with them. I know what it is like working in an environment like that, especially when I knew how I should have been working. It is soul destroying, and saps away motivation. 
What a mess. And we thought we were done with messes. Apparently not.

But not as big as Cray Valley, who get the prime BBC slot!

But not as big as Cray Valley, who get the prime BBC slot!

A lot on here are talking expectation and not ambition.
Our ambition has to be playing in the top division of English football. Being sustainable and competitive in that division, with a sprinkling of academy players in the team.
Anyone who wants less than that, then frankly I don't know why you bother.
 

That’s the second time today I’ve seen that phrase misquoted on this forum to sound more painful. 😀
It’s “bat an eyelid” not “batter an eyelid” unless you live in Glasgow and have run out of mars bars.

I agree. I'm not even sure we can call ourselves a sleeping giant anymore. Just probably a team that should be decent in the Championship with a shout (along with plenty of others) of promotion to the PL.
Nobody (outside Derby) thinks Derby should be a premier league team and neither should they as we have demonstrated in the last 15 years we don't deserve to be. We're getting around 24,000/25,000 home fans at the moment, and most of them committed before the season so they're counted whether they go or not. It's hardly extraordinary.    
In terms of TV FA Cup first round we're big enough to be considered, but not nailed on like we probably were last year coming off the back of relegation/administration/Rooney etc. 
I agree that for smaller teams, a visit to Pride Park is decent as its a big stadium, lots of people, and a great chance of getting a point or three. 

Another Ram from my youth. So young, too.
 

I do.
 
 
 
 
 
(not really)

Still having a club considering how worried we all were 18 months ago.
For some people that's the most important thing, I started going with my dad and grandad, when my grandad died it was just me and my dad, before I was born my dad used to go with my grandad, now my dad is no longer with us and my daughter comes sometimes, when you're board at half time waiting for the second half and you think about the good times your family have had at the club, it kind of puts it into perspective.
For me still having a club to support, carrying on the family tradition of supporting Derby, hoping my grand-kids will also continue it - is more important than winning promotion. (don't get me wrong I would love to get promoted)

Properly get pelters for this as 80% seem to have made their mind up over Warne, but anyone else just had enough with the constant negativity towards the players and staff? It’s relentless.
Even after last nights win I’m seeing people try and twist it negatively, overall last night we played faster tempo had chances and won end off, so why the negativity?
Warnes come out and said last night about blocking outside noise out, really think knocking them will help? It’ll only make it worse, 5 in 11 for Collins decent return, what’s booing him and giving him stick going to do? Why can’t we get behind them? We’re in league 1 we won’t have world beaters that will do everything so perfectly. 
 
1 defeat in 10 due to some terrible refereeing it’s not anywhere near as bad as people are making out, it’s as if we’ve won 1 in 10.
I can be as negative as anyone and as annoyed as anyone when we drop points etc but it’s the bigger picture move on we go again, It’s not an easy league like people expect, Sunderland sheff united Ipswich Bolton etc all got stuck for time, and probably only Bolton started in a worse rebuild situation as us… 
it’s absolutely draining all the constant ‘get him gone’ ‘whose next’ ‘he’s just a P.E teacher’ I’ve missed 1 away game and 1 home and it’s honestly making me not want to go, Blackpool people singing ‘warne your football is sh*t’ then 5 minutes later singing his name, honestly think if people stop over reacting and seemingly wanting Warne to fail we could get out of this league this year. Rant over roll on the draining stick that’ll come…

I do.
 
 
 
 
 
(not really)

The point I'm making, is that you're just quoting raw numbers without any context.  I'm not denying that your numbers are correct in terms of the maths being done right, but the meaning you're trying to extract from those numbers is somewhere between nonsense and irrelevant.  My statistic about Henry is absolutely correct numerically, because in the majority of games he played he failed to score a single goal.  But it's also complete nonsense semantically, because he was a massively prolific goal-scorer.
If a player has played 300 games at Championship level, he is clearly a player capable of playing at Championship level.  The fact he might also have played 400 games at League One level doesn't diminish that fact.  Your error is compounded because the majority of players you are talking about have shown a clear career progression - i.e. going up the leagues as they get older, continue to improve and demonstrate their ability, then maybe drop back down as they go past their peak.  That is exactly the pattern we'd expect to see with many players.  If we were talking about players who had spent the majority of their career alternating between e.g. League One and Championship, then maybe you'd have a case that they were struggling to make the step up to the higher level, but that isn't really the case with any of our players (AFAIK).

Maybe it's just me, but if a player plays a bunch of games at League One level, then steps up and plays a bunch of games at Championship level, then steps up and plays a bunch at Prem level, that makes the player a Prem player.  Not a player who's spent most of his career in the lower leagues 🤷‍♂️.

You're definitely missing something.

Firstly, you need to compare our squad with the rest of the division. You continuously state our players are "average", yet in a different thread you also admit that the lack of quality in this league means we could still finish top 2.
Secondly, are you suggesting current ability of the players puts them at L1 ability or their historic ability? What relevance is 6 years ago to judging if a player is good enough now? Would a player who spent 4 seasons in the L1 top 6, 2 in the Championship followed by 1 in the PL a L1 journey man? He is based on the definition you've been using.
Thirdly, you've put a negative slant on most players, even those who are being targeted by PL clubs. A lack of pace doesn't mean a player isn't of quality above L1 level, and I'm struggling to think of many times when Cashin has actually been beaten for pace
Let's look at the squad in a more positive light...
Joe Wildsmith: 4th most clean sheets last season
Josh Vickers: Signed from a Championship club
Scott Loach: Effectively part of the coaching staff, providing emergency cover
Sonny Bradley: Just captained his last club to promotion to the PL
Eiran Cashin: Wanted by PL club(s), and wanted on loan by top end Championship clubs
Curtin Nelson: Spent 4 seasons playing regularly in the Championship before we signed him and was matchday captain for both of those clubs at various points.
Jake Rooney: An emerging talent and been steady in a L1 side battling for top 6.
Joe Ward: His last 3 seasons consist of: promotion to the Championship, a season in the Championship, and a top 6 finish
Kane Wilson: No player in L2 has more assists in 21/22, then excluded from Bristol's Championship squad because he didn't suit Pearson's defensive back 4
Nyambe: Conveniently missed off your list. Spent his entire career above L1 prior to joining us and has been a very solid defensive option since joining us.
Criag Forsyth: Spent 11 seasons in the Championship before following us down to L1 and has been a reliable player every game at this level.
Callum Elder: Played below Championship for only 1 seasons since 19/20, and he was a key part of that Hull side who won promotion.
Conor Hourihane: Hadn't played below Championship level since 15/16, including a full season in the PL, prior to joining us
Max Bird: Wanted by Championship clubs fighting for promotion.
Korey Smith: Hadn't played below Championship level since 14/15 prior to joining us
Liam Thompson: The majority of his games have been at Championship level.
Louie Sibley: The majority of his games have been at Championship level.
Tyrese Fornah: Was a regular in a Championship side prior to joining us.
Tom Barkhuizen: Hadn't played below Championship level since 16/17. Left Preston as they changed to a formation which doesn't use wingers
Mendez-Liang: One of the highest goal contribution records in the league last season
James Collins: 3 seasons in the Championship before joining us, recording 37 goal contributions. Currently averaging a goal every 138 minutes for us this season.
Martyn Waghorn: 1 goal contribution every 215 minutes during the 3 seasons in the Championship before rejoining us. Currently averaging a goal every 93 minutes.
Conor Washington: Signed from a Championship club where he was a regular
Tyreece John Jules: A goal or assist every 200 minutes at this level.

In the last league game, 8 of the starters had played 100+ times at Championship level or higher (I.e. the league above where we are now), many of them significantly more times than that. The others being Wildsmith (who’s been excellent since he’s been here) and Cashin and Fornah (2 very good young players).  What “things of significance” do you expect them to have done? We have players who’ve got promoted out of this league. Players who’ve been promoted to the prem. Players who’ve been in the League One team of the year.  We are still a league one club, we aren’t going to be fielding a team full of current prem players.

Hey everyone

We've recently released two sets of unique Derby County beer mats - and they're now available to buy on the SBW Etsy store.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SteveBloomersWashing





Hope you like them - let me know if you have any questions about them.

They're priced as:
£9.95 for one set
£14.95 for both sets.

Both prices include first class UK delivery.

Cheers!
Chris
 

Make your mind up! Are you amazed that we're in as good a place as we are or fed up of the whole thing and want the manager sacked?

Her words, or yours?

We played better tonight than we did at Carlisle.
Bird for Smith when he is fit will help at home.
We just needed one of the CM to take a chance stepping up to the edge of the box when we are pitting crosses in for a weak header or pull back. Also one of the CMs has to be available for a winger or full back when they cut inside.
Take the 2 sitters of headers and its a different day 
 

He might not be good for Derby, he might not play the football we all crave, he may not lead us to promotion but to describe him as “a disgrace to this football club” is frankly, a disgraceful thing to say IMO.

Have you ever thought that might be because Waghorn and Sibley never get to take set pieces in a match situation? They are long out of practice.
Sibley has reliably taken excellent set pieces for Derby since junior level.
But his touch is sadly absent with no pre-season and very few match minutes so far this season. He'll be discarded again well before he gets time to build up match fitness. Get yourself a Club who loves you, Louie, look what it's done for Morgan Whittaker! 
Waghorn is better with central set pieces but I remember him taking them all for Ipswich back in the day and looking lethal. Is it age or lack of practice that has caught up with him?

I really hate to point this out, but I just can't let it go, I'm sorry. But the irony here is too much for me.