FlyBritishMidland

2 hours ago, 24Charlie said:

We have Beilik Knight CKR and Baldock to come back. 
 

Not fussed if we don’t sign anyone. The goal is survival and we have enough for that

 

The problem we have is that we were only allowed to sign Jagielka and Baldock due to the long term injuries to Bielik and CKR.  And we were only allowed to give them contracts to the end of the year.  Once those 2 are back, they take up the space in the 23 in January.

That’s one of reasons we need all this done and dusted.  Even if it’s after the window shuts at least we can give Jagielka and Baldock contracts to the end of the season, have flexibility to look at bring some of our younger players in and pick up free agents.  We could also look at renewing players contracts that expire at the end of the season.  And off the pitch a takeover may start to happen as any potential new owner has certainty.

1 hour ago, EraniosSocks said:

Probably a load of tosh but.. 

 

 

Nah, this is a load of tosh…..

On 12/08/2021 at 10:17, Srg said:

Danny Dyer is good for this... same bloke in everything from Eastenders (minus the swearing) to Football Factory.

Even that gameshow The Wall. Which he manages to pronounce The Waw.

10 minutes ago, Rammy03 said:

The problem at this football club is not the manager.

That being said, I do not like this tactic we attempt to execute while in possession.

The full backs go right up the pitch as wingers, the holding midfielders go to full back, the attacking midfielders drop in and try and dictate things from deep.

It just leaves us so open and disjointed. When it breaks down, we're at sixes and sevens.

We want to see more from our captain Tom Lawrence this season, but we won't if he's playing as a defensive midfielder. 

It just doesn't work. Stop doing it. 

Spot on.  And I really don’t get Davies taking goal kicks to pass it 3 yards to Roos.  What’s all that about?  I do like how we’re now having players on or around the halfway line when we’re defending a corner.  Makes it much easier to defend and gives you an outlet instead of the ball coming straight back.

5 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

Even if we could bring one more in it would be jagelka for me unless of course the EFL are actually picking our team ?

I guess it’s akin to when a keeper gets injured outside the transfer window.  The club gets special dispensation to sign a keeper.  Anyway, what’s Jagielka like as a striker?  Maybe Mel can find another loophole that it takes the EFL 3 years to work out……

3 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

Shitty, but interesting. Why can't we get cover in for Beilik?

I think that’s due to the number of players in those positions.  We have quite a few central midfielders (OK none exactly like Beilik) so there’s plenty of cover.  We don’t have many strikers, only Stretton.

12 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

 

If you follow the science you put your best penalty takers last

Not sure about that.  I can’t remember if it was a Euros or World Cup but Portugal had Ronaldo as last penalty taker in the final.  He never got to take one.  You get one chance.

On 29/07/2021 at 07:53, Anag Ram said:

Has the science taken into consideration the new lightweight footballs?

I can understand how footballers from the sixties and seventies may well have been adversely affected by heading the old heavy balls but today’s ball is like a beach ball.

And could it be clashes of heads which contributes greatly to the damage?

Once again, the rules from our past allowed much more physical contact and aggressive intent. 

Interesting point.  I’m sure Alan Shearer did a documentary about this a couple of years ago.  They weighed a modern football and one from the 60’s.  The modern one actually weighed more dry but the old one was significantly heavier when wet.

4 hours ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

Good question.

I've had a season ticket for 27 years.

Bar the Lampard season. The last couple under Cocu I lost the buzz massively.

I wasn't enjoying the match itself. The matchday experience I love. The pub before etc.

Same with away days. Looked forward to the day but invariably the football would ruin it.

I found myself leaving games early which I never did before. 

The football was awful, I don't like what we've become under Mel Morris.

After the season finished I was always like this isn't for me anymore. I think I'm gonna just go to odd games here and there now. I'll still support Derby. I love Derby. 

I think being in the same league for so long has removed some excitement, midweek games on the red button too. Made it easy not to go to games on a Tuesday night. Playing teams at home like Reading, Preston etc on a Tuesday night isn't exactly lighting the fire in my belly.

But I always renewed. Always had that fear of missing out. What if I don't go next season and that's the season we finally do it.

Last season taught me that my fear of missing out was unfounded.

So for the first time in 27 years, next season I won't be renewing. 

I'll get tickets for odd games here and there. 

But I've come to a point where the club isn't what I recognise anymore. I hate everything that comes with this club at the moment. 

I'll go back at some point. But for now. I don't want to go.

That’s pretty much how I feel.  I just don’t have that buzz any more, or at the moment at least.  We might be in a poor way squad wise and financially.  Mel chased the dream in 15/16 and splashed the cash, it didn’t come off and we’ve paid the price ever since.

I’m really disappointed with the circus we’ve become, including Rooney as manager.  His performance hasn’t been great by anyone’s standards and managers have gone for less.  How on earth we’re paying a rookie a reported £90k a week is staggering.  I think since he’s come here he’s had very little respect for the club or fans in my view.  As a player he did Soccer Aid - imagine Fergies view if he’d told him he was off for a couple of weeks to do that - buying a watch and isolating, coming back clearly unfit, lack of leadership as captain yet somehow gets the managers job.  As a manager a woeful run and bad tactics, he’s continually talking about his bosses in public  and says he wants to restore “pride & dignity” to be plastered all over the internet the next day.  How are the players supposed to respect him.

Like you, I’ve often thought about not renewing but I have.  Now, more than ever, I feel really disillusioned.  I don’t want a millionaire takeover throwing loads of money at the club.  I’m not even that bothered about the PL.  I want a well run club.  I want stability.  I want a manager who I feel has loyalty and respect for the club and us, the fans.  I want to enjoy my football again.

7 minutes ago, TigerTedd said:

That does go for management as well as players. Mancini had that bit more boys than Southgate. 

it’s okay to say Southgate did a great job, getting us to the finals, got almost all the decisions right and was just the width of the post away from bringing home the trophy. 

it’s also okay to say that he ducked up the timing of the substitutions and got played by Mancini. 

both things can be true at the same time. 

he’d be an absolute idiot to not learn some lessons from the few decisions he got wrong. Snd I don’t believe he’s an idiot. 

Any talk of replacing him 18 months before a World Cup we could win is ridiculous. What’s more likely, we get a new manager that manages to get up to speed, change our tactics, maybe introduce new players and wins a World Cup just 18 months from taking over (when has that ever happened?), or the manager that has gradually taken us from 4th to 3rd to 2nd in consecutive tournaments continues to work with his team, learn his lessons and continues to progress and go one better in the next tournament?

Totally agree.  I think he’s self-aware enough to know he could have done some things better.  And, importantly, not too arrogant to think he didn’t.  And a good point about progress - small steps is far more sustainable than a giant leap.

5 minutes ago, Duracell said:

It's not an argument worth your time. Semi-final and a final in the last two tournaments, and some fans will do anything to move the goalposts to make the achievement seem lesser somehow.

We played the best team in the tournament yesterday and we didn't lose. The team played for each other and defended resolutely. We also bombarded Italy early on, but inevitably, they grew into the occasion.

People bang on about Southgate having this incredible bench, which he does, but how useful is it having loads of wingers? You can't play them all at once. I totally get the argument that bringing them on earlier might have asked more questions of Italy, but that's still up for debate. Our defending kept us in a game against a much better side.

And Italy are better than us. While Chiesa has been outstanding, he is not significantly better than our attacking players, so that is not why they are better. Bonucci and Chiellini are fantastic defenders, but they conceded more goals than Stones and Maguire, who were imperious throughout the tournament. So that is not why they are better.

Italy are better because they can control the ball. We can't. In 2018 Modric was the difference, and last night it was Jorginho. These are the players we just can't seem to produce in this country, for whatever reason.

Qatar will play out much the same. But that doesn't mean we can't win it.

Good post.  I think he’s done a cracking job.  The main reason Italy won in my view is match know how and a bit of nous.  That all comes with experience.  They knew how to take the sting how the game, make little fouls when needed or win a few free-kicks to take the sting out the game and disrupt the flow.

This will come for our boys with experience of these scenarios.  If anything, we were too nice and need a bit of nastiness in there.

8 minutes ago, Duracell said:

It's not an argument worth your time. Semi-final and a final in the last two tournaments, and some fans will do anything to move the goalposts to make the achievement seem lesser somehow.

We played the best team in the tournament yesterday and we didn't lose. The team played for each other and defended resolutely. We also bombarded Italy early on, but inevitably, they grew into the occasion.

People bang on about Southgate having this incredible bench, which he does, but how useful is it having loads of wingers? You can't play them all at once. I totally get the argument that bringing them on earlier might have asked more questions of Italy, but that's still up for debate. Our defending kept us in a game against a much better side.

And Italy are better than us. While Chiesa has been outstanding, he is not significantly better than our attacking players, so that is not why they are better. Bonucci and Chiellini are fantastic defenders, but they conceded more goals than Stones and Maguire, who were imperious throughout the tournament. So that is not why they are better.

Italy are better because they can control the ball. We can't. In 2018 Modric was the difference, and last night it was Jorginho. These are the players we just can't seem to produce in this country, for whatever reason.

Qatar will play out much the same. But that doesn't mean we can't win it.

5 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

Piers Morgan posted this on Twitter and of course the debate got vicious as all his threads do because he has a doctorate in assclownery and winding people up.

For some reason nobody pointed out to Piers that he was 1 when the game played but the attacks came thick and fast because he included Saku over the likes of Hunt and Greaves.

It wasn't clear whether you could use squad players or just the starting 11, but presuming it's the former and ignoring stuff like 'well they're just too fit and strong now, it would be all 21' or 'they headed real pigs bladders filled with cement back then and were proper 'ard' and just looking at ability, who would be in your team?

BTW, I didn't realise until yesterday that Jimmy Greaves, along with Ron Flowers (who I'm not sure if I'd even heard of tbh), was the last player to be honoured from that entire squad by the Queen. And that was in 2020 with a mere MBE!

I find it appalling that other players have even been knighted and honoured decades before him because if not for an earlier injury letting Hurst in he'd have played. Plus he just happened to be the greatest striker in England for years and one of the greatest of all time. Way ahead of Sir Geoff.

 

44 goals for England and not a single penalty.  The best striker this country has ever produced.  Cracking documentary about him on BT Sport.

5 hours ago, Alpha said:

Even if we lose, which we won't, people should have some pride and confidence in supporting England again.

They're not Sven's superstars or guys who pick up conveniently timed injuries. God, how often did we hear we have the best LB  CB CM,RM,ST in the world over recent years?

These are wonderful misfits and failure stories. Even the two main stars are Harry Kane who's path to the top wasn't straight forward and even now remains trophyless. And Raheem Sterling... the guy that has to apologise for spending his money, having a tattoo and not being the English answer to Messi, Ronaldo etc. How can Raheem Sterling ever be allowed to relax.

It's now actually possible to be a top 4 English player and not be picked. You can lose your place to players who were Championship when England lost in the World Cup.

If we lose Sunday then we've still had success. Well, unless you really trying to punish yourself. 

Spot on @Alpha.  Southgate has a squad where everyone knows they have a chance of playing.  He picks the best team for each match.  Sven picked the best players regardless and that doesn’t always make the best team.  Forgetting the Nations League, we’ve been to the Semi-Final or Final six times in our history - Sir Alf had two and so does Southgate.  That’s no mean feat.

For the first time in many years we have a team we can be proud of.

An interesting debate.  There are times in the past when I’ve thought about not renewing but I have, not necessarily because of the football but, as others have said, the day itself.  Meeting your mates, few beers and a bit of a laugh.  I’ve renewed for this year and will get excited once August comes round.

That said, the last year has made me take stock a bit.  I guess I’m becoming a bit disillusioned with professional football at the top levels - champ and prem.  It can be difficult to get to some games, particularly midweek and Sky mess about with so many moving games to Friday night and Saturday lunchtime, which is also a bit tricky.  And when you see the money in the Premier League and the struggles lower down it a bit disheartening.  We all know the situation we’re in and chasing the dream and spending big back in 2015/16 hasn’t helped that.  And situations like Macclesfield, Wigan, Bury and there are probably many more too show that it’s quickly becoming unsustainable, if it isn’t already.  And the gap is widening.  There’s been lots of debate about the relegated clubs and the level of parachute payments making it easy for them to go straight back up and it’s a valid point.  Before too long it’ll be a virtual closed shop - the three coming down will keep going back up.

I am seriously thinking I might enjoy watching my local non-league team instead.  The quality and atmosphere won’t be as good but it won’t be about the money, it’ll be closer to a level playing field, 3:00 kick off on a Saturday afternoon and I might feel like I’m helping out where it counts. Will that mean I’ll care any less about The Rams? Absolutely not!!  Will it mean I won’t go to some games I want to and know I’ll be able to attend?  Of course it won’t.  It’ll just be a personal choice based on my frustrations with how the game is run.  Sorry for the long post!!

2 hours ago, Indy said:

Exactly. Article in the Sheffield Star, and first quote is one of their fans saying Derby did ‘the same as them’ (ie some shenanigans around stadium sale) and should therefore get a points deduction. Total ignorance fuelling outrage. Should be ignored. 

The decision notice spells this out.  I can’t remember the years in question but they accounted for the sale in one year to comply with P&S.  It actually took place the following year which meant they breached for the previous 3 years.  It also states that the principal is fine and, in our case, it was the valuation questioned not that it or was done or when.

15 minutes ago, Oldben said:

 

In Sheffield wednesdays case it was decided to not add a points deduction retrospectively but to add it to next season and then at appeal to further reduce that total to six points.

Case law points to efl needing to follow by example what they did for Sheffield wednesday.

Exactly these points.  If the EFL appeal the decision and the final - I assume appeals can’t go on forever - the surely it will apply next season.  The text below is from the original Sheff Wed so anyone with  common sense and a half decent lawyer would refer to this precedent…

4 hours ago, BucksRam said:

OK, I may be biased as someone with a vulnerable wife, but I'm OK with deferring the wholescale reopening as it's likely doing so will create a huge rise in cases.  We're all supposedly following restrictions now, and most still are (rule of 6 / 2 families etc) but I've seen loads of people mingling as if life is normal.  Cases in my area (Aylesbury Vale) continue to rise, and currently stand at around 330 live cases, up by over a 100 on last week.....and obviously that's only those tested or reported.  Cases have been rising consistently since the May lift of restrictions.  If delaying it provides opportunity for x million more to get vaccinated then this makes perfect sense. 

There's still a scary amount of ignorance out there too; only this morning I saw a post from one of my Facebook "friends" arguing that the lockdown should be lifted as most people have had 2 jabs and are therefore immune and so it's OK for them to go about their business, indeed it's their right to do so, as they won't a) catch it and b) pass it on.  No, no, no.  It's thinking like this that backs up any decision to defer lifting all restrictions IMO. 

At some point we're absolutely going to have to just accept and live with this virus, as we do with the flu, but we're no-where near that point yet due to the current lack of understanding and experience around all the variants and mutations.  Flu still mutates but we've had decades to understand it and tailor vaccines accordingly.  Much as we've done an amazing job developing and rolling out vaccines for COVID it is still early days.  

Using a Health Foundation report as a source, in a bad flu year the UK sees between 25000 - 30000 deaths (flu and pneumonia combined) - that equates to some 250,000 life years lost (i.e. how much longer those people would have lived had they not died). 

With COVID, since March 2020, in the UK alone, COVID related deaths have resulted in the loss of around 1,500,000 life years - 6 times the amount.  

Only one report, I agree but it's quite a powerful message. So if BJ decides to defer for 4 weeks, I for one will comply even if, like most, I too want to get back to complete normality.

Excellent post @BucksRam.  Particularly the point about ignorance.  We’re seeing cases growing with some restrictions in place, if they were lifted completely then they would grow even more.  Also, the more it spreads, the greater the risk of another variant coming into circulation.  Personally, whilst nothing can be guaranteed, it’s better to wait a month rather have a lockdown in a couple of months time.

7 hours ago, Anon said:

This great sitcom line always runs through my mind whenever I see James Corden. I just don't understand the appeal. Also, Gavin and Stacey is crap. One of the most overrated, unfunny, mawkish pieces of trash to ever sully the screen.

Stewart Lee probably summed it up best when Corden got his US talk show, "Britain's loss is now America's loss."

With you there.  And he seems that desperate for publicity he’d turn up to the opening of an envelope for the right fee.

3 hours ago, loweman2 said:

Excellent ball !

Top left was always my favourite.

Although you’ve never played though unless it’s with one of these.  Proper stung your legs!!

4 hours ago, JoetheRam said:

FA Cup final day being interrupted by; first the News at 1, secondly Bargain Hunt. Also it not kicking off at 3pm.

Bring back Gerald Sinstadt onboard the team coach from hotel to Wembley, as a helicopter tracks it from above.

Agree. And it not being the season finale.  We need Cup Final It’s a Knockout, Question of Sport, etc.  Marvellous!!

Not sure if it’s relevant but I found this from the Sheffield Wednesday case. This states that it’s unfair on the club to apply a deduction in the current season when it is late or has just finished.  Surely the same logic applies in our case IF the decision is a points deduction.

Earlier in the decision it also states that any points deduction would be applied to the season following the breach.  In Wednesdays case that was 18/19 and they wouldn’t have gone down.  In our case as the last season in the case of a breach of P&S was 18/19 then a points deduction would have applied last season.  We were 16 points clear of the bottom 3 so it’s extremely unlikely the penalty would have relegated us.

1 hour ago, BramcoteRam84 said:

No one is saying that. But they ran the club within our means which meant mediocrity until we could build a team. But that led to a few dire seasons. Expectation resets are needed because it’s becoming more difficult to compete every year. 

Totally agree.  I’d settle for a few mediocre seasons if you can see there’s a plan.  We were ran properly, spent wisely on players, sold wisely and developed players.  By the time they left we’d had a Wembley season, come close again and had a team on the pitch worth far more than we paid.  They definitely left us in far better shape than they found us an not many owners of any club can say that.

I still think there’s we just let this carry on and see how it plays out.  Interesting that in both the mail and telegraph articles there’s no comment from the club.  I think phrases like “possible insolvency” are quite inflammatory.  It’s possible we could be in PL champions in 3 seasons, it’s not very probable though.

The only people who really know are Mel, Erik and those at the EFL assessing the bid.  The fact that they’re taking their time is a good thing - it’s being thought through to get the right answer.

I hope Rooney uses all this negativity of the last day or two to create a siege mentality.  But whatever happens tomorrow, whatever division we’re in, we’re still a big club at either level.  We’ll still be an attractive proposition for any future buyer and manager!!

I’m trying to keep an open mind.  The article is a bit rubbish to be fair.  “We are told”, “understands”, “it’s suspected”.  So much conjecture and no idea if it’s truth or fact.  No quotes.  The article doesn’t even use the old line “sources close to the club”.  No one commented is probably because both parties agreed not to comment on the details of the deal.

The facts that we do know are that the paperwork is done, as per the original press release, and that it’s with the EFL to ratify the deal.  If it fails or goes ahead it’s because all parties, including the EFL, think it’s the right thing.  Either way, we’ll move on.

Let’s wait and see.