On the Ram Page

29 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

Evidently not!! I hadn't looked into his history, just liked the look of what I saw, and thought he might become available if Burnley are relegated. Ho Hum. Maybe the season after? !!!

He is really, really weak in the air. Reminds me of De Gea when he first went to Man U. I think he spent months in the gym bulking up and became very good a couple of years later

8 hours ago, Srg said:

Sell who? The only player we have with value is Cashin!

But no, other than us being competitive and not there to make up the numbers, we don’t know. And those statements don’t really tell you much either as that’s different to different people. 

It’s a fair ask though, do we think we will spend more than £1m on anyone? I’m dubious. 

Why would the club announce their transfer budget and force the price up by the selling clubs knowing what we have available?

7 hours ago, DavesaRam said:

I notice towards this end of this thread that there is still disagreement, some of it quite entrenched, but there is now a degree of civility about the discussions, which is good!

On his arrival, I had concerns but was quite willing to give the guy a chance. After all, he had been somewhat restricted at Rotherham. I was also looking forwards to good times at the start of this season, but was somewhat concerned by our lack of control of matches, and the commensurate lack of actual football. His stubborn insistence on his "one way  to play" approach quite rightly earned him criticism, which peaked at the time of the great rebellion. The football wasn't just dire, it was mostly appalling. And much as many were prepared to put up with it in order to get out of this hell-hole, it was a really tough watch. I was by this time shifting quickly to "Warne Out", simply because it was clear we were capable of a much better level and style of football,  and when we saw glimpses of it, the good results followed. However, although criticism was, I believe, well justified, there was no need for the personal insults which were being thrown around. I may have lobbed a couple in hinting at his apparent lack of coaching and tactical prowess, but that is where it stopped. Form me it didn't reach the level of personal attack, and if I posted anything which could be perceived as such, then I apologise.

But then there seemed a watershed, a turning point. Whether or not the ferocity of the protests triggered or not most of us will never know, but all of a sudden we found Collins in the area when  crosses were being sent in, and the crosses themselves were no longer stratospheric. We also seemed to explore the use of midfield, which for months had been treated by the club as a barren wilderness. And the results started to come. The mood changed, and only changed after matches like Northampton and Wycombe, where we reverted to Warne's original MO. But having seen changes to how we approached games I was critical of going back to what had demonstrably failed several times, but hoped that it was a temporary blip. 

What I have observed, and this is just my opinion, is a maturing and growing by Paul and his team, so given the restrictions which the club still faced right to the end of the season, think he has done a good job. It was good to go into the closing matches expecting a result each time. I still believe that we could have achieved a lot more with a more expansive approach to tactics, but Paul Wane had his view of how to get the job done. He certainly helped his cause with the signings of Nyambe and Adams.

I am confident that in the same way that Paul knew how to get us out of League One, he also knows what will be needed to make us an established top-half Championship club, and am looking forward to seeing how he goes about it.

I am also looking forward to going into the new season on this forum with the new level of civility that we seem to have generated. WE should have a great future together.

COME ON YOU RAMS!

A good and more positive post than some you have made. I think some fans over-credit themselves with the view that they changed the way the team played following the defeat at Stevenage. Paul Warne and his players would have known that their performances weren’t good enough to achieve their pre-season goal of automatic promotion. The team weren’t helped by the number of injuries they had, forcing some players to play out of position etc. Warne was also not able to get some of the new players he wanted e.g. an “Adams” type player and he first spoke to Nyambe at the start of the season, but he didn’t want to sign at that stage as he thought someone higher in the pyramid would come in for him.

The team and manager fixed their form, not the irate supporters. 
 

I sincerely hope he is able to sign the players he wants this summer, as I am keen to see how Warne plays next year. We do still need more aggression, athleticism and pace in the team. Make no mistake their will still be plenty of “roll your sleeves up” encounters next season but hopefully some very good football to go with it.

55 minutes ago, Crewton said:

Arthur Cox is undoubtedly one of the greatest managers in our history. He too got us out of the third tier in his second season, but Arthur started with twice as many players as Rosenior inherited and was able to strengthen the team part-way through the first season using money raised from the sale of Kevin Wilson and subsequently using investment from Maxwell. Rosenior (building on Rooney's undoubted influence) put together a functional team, but Warne's ability to trade-up was far more restricted than Cox's. I think for that reason it's fair to see this promotion as a greater achievement than Cox's first promotion, and a fair contender to be considered alongside Cox's 2nd promotion and Clough and Taylor's in 1969, purely because of the obstacles that had to be overcome.

Warne may never achieve another promotion or honour with Derby, but this is an achievement worthy of the prefix "great".

Agree with much you say. My dim distant memory of the Cox years was that Division 3, as it was in those days, was not as competitive as it is today. May be wrong! The other point I would make is once Cox’s teams got promoted e splashed the cash and it was obvious certain players disliked each other e.g. Gabiadini / Kitson. You do not find that in Warner’s team. Never seen a team spirit like it.

32 minutes ago, Crewton said:

I remember someone starting a chant of "Paul Warne, your football is sh*t" at Blackpool at 0-0, which got some purchase, before we took the lead.

The most ridiculous criticism of Warne I heard was from a youth sat a couple of rows behind me when we were losing at home to Charlton telling anyone within earshot that Warne "is obnoxious". I wouldn't mind betting he was on the pitch on Saturday proclaiming his love for Warne 😂 

You only had to listen to the moan-in after a defeat, draw or scrappy win to realise that the critics were persistent and numerous. I've little doubt that they'll be back the minute we sign an ex-Rotherham player.

I’ve no problem with critics provided they have some evidence/justification to back up their arguments. It the speculative ones who say things like “Warne won’t be able to manage in the Championship” I cannot really tolerate. 

6 hours ago, DB83 said:

A majority?? You are delusional. A small number of individuals on Twitter or on here perhaps?? Sure. But not a majority of all fans. You should learn to stop spouting such deranged nonsense.

You “couldn’t honestly see us where we are now”?? Why?? It just shows how clueless you are. You were utterly wrong. You were blind to reality. Loads of us kept the faith. Why couldn’t you?? You were just desperate to be negative. You are not an asset as a Derby County “fan”.

We were “holding back”?? Wtf?? Best defence in the EFL. No goals conceded in the last 4 games, only 4 conceded in the last 11 games. If “holding back” means the best defence in the country then yeah, bring it on.

Sacking Warne in early November would have cost us promotion. Anyone who advocated this should hang their heads in shame. This has been one of our most  successful seasons ever. The anti-Warne crowd should f*** of back to Forest. The pro-Warne crowd have been utterly vindicated. He is our most successful manager in a quarter of a Century, on the list of all time DCFC legends that includes Clough, Mackay, Cox and Smith.

I’m sure you’ll be calling for Warne to be sacked if we lose our first two games of next season though, right?? Heaven forbid you’d actually be supportive. This has been one of the greatest Derby County seasons ever. I pity you if you haven’t enjoyed it.

This is a bit Over the Top. I have always been pro Warne but people are entitled to an opinion and people are entitled to get things wrong. That how lessons are learnt and knowledge gathered. Be a bit more tolerant.

5 hours ago, Oldben said:

Here are the key reasons why relying heavily on free agents and loans poses risks for a League One club aspiring to play in the Championship:

1. Lack of stability and continuity: Loan players are only temporary additions and may not develop the same commitment and understanding with teammates as permanent signings. 

2. Unsustainable finances: The Championship has nearly £1.4bn worth of debt falling due within 12 months, with debt levels that are unsustainable. Relying on loans and free agents is a short-term solution that can lead to financial troubles.

3. Weaker squad quality: Loan players are often young prospects or fringe players from bigger clubs, while free agents may be available for a reason. Assembling a competitive Championship squad this way is challenging. Free agents are often released by their previous clubs due to injury concerns, disciplinary issues, or a lack of quality. Loan players may not have the experience or ability to make an immediate impact in the Championship.

4. Injury and suspension risk: With a smaller squad, any injuries or suspensions can leave the team short-handed, especially if loan players are recalled early.

5. Difficulty complying with EFL regulations: The EFL has rules around squad sizes and composition that may be difficult to meet with a loan and free agent heavy approach.

6. Relegation risk: Without a strong core of permanent signings, the promoted club is more likely to struggle and get relegated back to League One.

7. Compliance issues: EFL rules around squad composition and size may be harder to meet for a promoted club using many loans and free agents. Penalties could follow.

8. Difficulty integrating new players: With many temporary signings, the team will have less time to develop chemistry and understanding on the pitch. Continuity is key for a newly promoted side.

In summary, while loans and free agents can supplement a squad, a newly promoted Championship club needs a solid foundation of permanent signings to have the best chance of survival and establishing itself in the division. Relying too heavily on temporary solutions is a high-risk strategy.

Some interesting points but Paul Warne will only recruit “good” people who will fit in the squad. Admittedly we have had a few problems with injuries (Embleton & JJ) but Adams is the supreme loan who more tha counterbalances the negatives.

50 minutes ago, BWFCNick said:

Hi all,

I just wanted to pop on and say congrats on a successful season and well deserved promotion. I know there's been some ill feeling between fans, mostly on the toxic social media platforms (not helped by a large number of idiots of which we at Bolton have f****** loads). I've scanned through your forum and a few others to regularly to check in on the thoughts of some of our promotion rivals over the season and as forums go, this one is generally positive and full of good and honest opinions. We have another fan called Wanderlust who often peruses the various forums and I feel he is a good fan for honest opinions too. I hope we can join you, I'm sure there's plenty of you hoping we stumble and end up stuck in L1 for at least another year, mainly for the fans who've been making stupid excuses for us not winning points this season. Reality is, you and Pompey were the most consistent teams over the season and thoroughly deserve your promotion, so well done and good luck in the championship next year. With your stadium and fanbase and what your fans have been through (trust me, I know what it feels like too), you deserve some good times now!

 

All the best gents (and ladies)

Thank you . I have not been able to find any congratulations from your manager, nor Ferguson. May be wrong but a little disappointing. I sure out manager would have congratulated a rival if we hadn’t made it.

I renewed my ticket which I think is Car Park B behind the Velodrome. I had a ticket for the other Car Park 2/3 years ago but once the away fans go to their coaches they didn't allow anyone to exit the car park until the coaches had gone and the road was clear of people leaving the ground/ Whether that is still the case , I don't know.

In my current car park their are no restrictions on leaving.

1 hour ago, Archied said:

Does anybody use car park a and b , thinking of season tickets for parking

 

1 hour ago, Archied said:

Does anybody use car park a and b , thinking of season tickets for parking

 

Already paid for mine

Just watched the game on Rams Tv and the celebrations afterwards which were very emotional. Need to say a huge thank you to Owen Bradley who I think has worked tirelessly this season to bring us superb coverage of matches, interviews etc. He gets better and better. Shaun Barker has also made a great contribution to the season. Please say thank you to the entire team that you front. Hope you are back next year(

5 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

Sorry to jinx this exciting day, but I am going to watch this live with Andy Hinchcliffe. My record this season is something like seeing us win once, draw three or four times, and lose about five or six. And we were rubbish when we won that one 😂.

Fortunately, we are at home to bottom of the table Carlisle, who have nothing to play for, and even if they did they are s****. Surely this is a stonewall certainty of a win!!

Come on Warney! Please entertain this half-fan.

Up the Rams!!

You are about as positive as Andy Hinchcliffe!

As Warne has been preaching all week - stay CALM. We don’t want anyone sent off with an adrenaline fuelled stupid tackle, or taking on stupid shots when someone is better placed.

Let our skill do the talking so we can celebrate afterwards with the players/staff and above all owner. No stupid pitch invasions to spoil the day for most.

Lets get behind the team for the full 90+ minutes

2 hours ago, BathRam72 said:

Here's a random suggestion. Just don't invade the pitch!!!! Should everything go our way on Saturday,  just enjoy it from the stands. 

Invading the pitch would spoil the celebrations of many fans sat above ground level access to the pitch. Why can’t people wait and let the players /staff do their lap of honour so everyone can see, join in and applaud the efforts made during the season. 
 

to my mind it is a selfish act to invade the pitch.

21 minutes ago, CapeTownRams said:

I was expecting ‘we will fight them on the beaches…’

Crikes .😳😎

No, that was for the Baseball Ground!

35 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

At the time he was part of a 2 man midfield that was either bring completely ignored, or asked either to pass it out to the full back or winger, or boot it has hard  and high is you can. Very little of his prowess was being used. At the time he was being asked, no told to play in a completely alien way that was a waste of his ability. Why not go to a club that was known for playing people to their strengths?

Where is your evidence for the statements you have made? Give me one shread of evidence that he has been told to do the things you mention. I would suggest this is just another of your imaginative thoughts!

Bird himself praised Warne for the amount of time he has spent with him to improve his goal scoring and output. Just ridiculous comments.

1 hour ago, Anag Ram said:

I’m also worried about Sunday.

No more anxiety. No more obsessing over line ups, tactics, homoerotic song lyrics and flags. 

I might have to face real life 😊
 

No, you’ll have plenty of arguing on here to keep you occupied during the summer

11 hours ago, DavesaRam said:

Think back to last season when Paul insisted on 3/5 at the back which didn't work, and we limped from one poor result to another for a while. But then injuries meant that we had to go to 4 at the back, and then went on the good run for several matches. But as soon he could, we reverted to 3 at the back, and the run ended. 

We have had similar this season, and as you intimate a certain group of matches acted as a watershed, with some sections, especially at away matches, turning against the manager. But this was  followed a change in style, with crosses into the box being lower down, even at foot or knee level at times, and a degree of playing though the midfield, and yet again we went on a run of good results. This was aided by the arrival of Ebou Adams, which enabled us to go to Warne's preferred wing-back system. But once again we started reverting back to by-passing the midfield, noticeably against Northampton and Wycombe, and once again our results faltered. Especially when it became clear that teams had sussed that if they double up on our wide men, we have no answer, because to us midfield didn't exist. These were points thrown away. We could argue that maybe even if we did play through the middle we may have had the same results, because football is full of imponderables and opinions, but after finding that 3 in midfield benefits the team, I am baffled why we moved away from it again. 

I understand the concept of adapting to counter or exploit the opposition's strengths and weaknesses, the Leyton Orient game being a good example, but several times the "adapting" has been inexplicable. Cheltenham away, where they had been outplayed in midfield all season, let goals in for fun and were metaphorically stood in front of a barn door with a banjo in their hand, and no idea what it was for, but we decided to vacate midfield. They were there for the taking, but instead of imposing ourselves on them we retreated into our shell. There are a number of matches like this one which were crying out for us to impose ourselves, but which we let slip through our fingers, and represent points which would have made a huge difference. We really could have been secure in second place, and we really could have had an eye on top place. 

But in these last few matches I have been happy for us to grab points however we can to make sure - I am not confident of us surviving the play-offs successfully - and am also happy for Paul to do his stuff next season, although I hope he doesn't pull another "Cambridge second half" on Saturday. Although the defence was outstanding at the weekend, it was an  awful demonstration of non-football. We are better than that. However, we have got the results we needed, for which Warne should be congratulated, but we have been helped to a degree by there being a load of worse teams, but again, we are better than that.

We are blessed as a club because of the phenomenal commitment and loyalty of the fans, because the numbers are there despite what keeps getting served up year on year, because it clearly goes beyond entertainment. And indeed if all I wanted was entertainment, if all I wanted was free-flowing football, I would have given up my season ticket ages ago. But apart from a short period post-Newman, I have been around "since I was a lad", and have renewed for next season.

So here's to next season, the great unknown because we have no idea who will be playing for us, or how they will be playing. And here's to Paul Warne for actually doing what David Clowes employed him to do.

I understand your frustration at wanting to see exciting, flowing football through all areas of the team with midfield dominating and passing through the lines. But I would argue we just haven’t had the players to do this the way you want.

The first point I would make is that you are assuming that at every stage of every game, the players are doing exactly what is asked of them by the management team. I don’t believe this. They don’t encourage players not to pass to each other - they don’t encourage them not to attack the opposition. I have lost count of the number of times in his interviews after the game where he has “criticised” his players for not being braver on the ball and in games. The matches at the end of the season are slightly different as all that matters is gaining 3 points (e.g. Cambridge).

the fact is that our midfield (until Adams arrived) was weak - physically, aggressively and pace wise too. We were bullied off the ball too much, waltzed around by younger, quicker players (Peterborough). We just did not have the right players in there to compete. Before Adams arrival we didn’t have anyone in there who could be aggressive, have any pace or could tackle. Fornah was tried for a while but ran out of steam and made mistakes. At least playing 3 at the back, gives you more potential bodies in midfield with the wingbacks available to help out, but even them, unless it was Forsyth or Nayambe, they we’re not tacklers. Added to this was poor movement off the ball and poor passing. Unfortunately, Hourihane is no longer mobile enough to dominate midfield and we have looked better since he has not been in the side.

Our midfield needs a complete overhaul in the summer. Hopefully we can get Adams in permanently but we need others of similar ilk and also a good playmaker. I think Warne was trying very hard to get the right midfielders in, but it just didn’t happen until Adams arrived.

Finally, I would add that with all the injuries we have had this season (Ward, Elder, Forsyth, Rooney, Bird, Waghorn, Washington, Nyambe, JJ,Embleton,Thompson,Gayle,Barkhuizen), Warne has done a remarkable job in patching us up but still managing to pick up points. Admittedly, not in the exiting way we would all want to see, but there have been some good footballing performances too. Plenty of goals have been scored too (9 more than last year despite losing our talisman McGoldrick). 
All in all, I think we have done pretty well, but I think you are wrong to lay all the Blame on Paul Warne for our less exciting displays - much is down to the players too. I am sure we will recruit well during the summer.

35 minutes ago, kevinhectoring said:

Bizarre that so many fans lurch from Warne out to Warne in depending on which way the wind is blowing. He’s a div 1 manager, almost everyone would agree.   You might say we got what we deserve, but we’re not a div 1 club so we deserve more. 

(Despite that, hats off to the approach in the LO game:  he went with Bradley in 3 at the back because of LO’s defensive frailties at set pieces and our problems with injuries up front. Nice one. It was an inspired move (but sadly, those are rare birds ) )
 

The interesting thing : the problem with having a div 1 manager and winning promotion from div 1 is you’re stuck with them. Or that’s the conventional wisdom.   BUT there are rumours DC is partnering with investors who will fund our step up to the championship.  If he does, those investors may not view Warne as a suitable custodian of their investment meaning we might see - unusually -  a change of manager despite promotion. 

Couldn’t disagree more. You cannot (although you will) compare Rotherham in the Championship (with all due respect to them) to a Derby side. No doubt your evidence that Warne cannot manage in the Championship is that he has had relegations with Rotherham? you are basically saying that individuals cannot learn and improve - which is crazy. Hopefully you will prove to yourself that people can learn over the next year, and that in a year’s time you will come back on here and say you were wrong.

14 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

Sorry to keep repeating myself - I am on board with what Warne has achieved, but there really wasn't any need for us to be having to hang on to second place. It should have been secured weeks ago, and we should also have had a real good chance of top spot, which would have been much better for all concerned. Let's hope that the way we have played to get us this far was simply a means to an end. I'm fine with that, but really hope that we tackle the challenge of championship football with a bit more than the percentages. What we will be capable of depends entirely on the rebuild, so I wait in hope. Note the last two words.

Yes you do tediously keep saying the same thing. But I for one totally disagree with you. I am happy with the way the team has  (nearly) achieved promotion, the way the whole club has developed. We have done this season, what we needed to do to get out of this league, despite lots of injuries and having to play people out of position.

I am confident we will recruit what we need to be competitive.

I hope just to keep you happy over the summer that our 3(?) midfielders pass the ball to each other on Saturday and your boy Sibley gets a goal.

Two of David Clowes’ aims when he took over the Club were to bring integrity and also establish ourselves in the Championship within 5 years. We didn’t get promotion last year, much to many fans angst. On reflection, it was probably a good job we didn’t. We would still have been working to a strict business plan which would have tied our hands in the transfer market to some degree and made the season very difficult.

We have recruited quite a few players this year who will be able to play in the Championship next year. Some recruits haven’t been quite so successful. We will have a reasonable pot for transfers this year we have been told. Probably, Wildsmith, Nyambe, Cashin,Nelson,Elder,Ward,Wilson,Mendis-Laing,Blackett-Taylor,Sibley,Forsyth,Rooney should be ok in the Championship - I personally have more concerns about Smith, Collins, Barkhaizen, Thompson, Fornah, Gayle, Washington, Vickers.  We will lose Bird and Adams (for now?)

I think, with some shrewd business, we should be able to put together a competitive squad.

in terms of integrity, I think our progression has been amazing. There has been hardly any, if at all, negative news regarding our club in the media. The Management team all absolutely appear to be working together to a common goal. We have recruited (not to everyone’s like) good people, who want to play for the shirt, not just here for the money, as in the past. The Academy has made good progress in its rebuild and the are a few players who look to have good futures, hopefully as Derby players.

At our best and most confident, we do play some exciting football, score goals and don’t concede many. Yes, we would like to see more of the exciting times but our main aim has been to get out of this difficult league this year. Too often in the past we have had a soft underbelly and have struggled against strong, aggressive teams. We currently have a side, which mainly, doesn’t buckle against this type of side.

So I am happy with the progress of Derby County this last two years and look forward to what will happen next. David Clowes is a quietly shrewd business man and I think Paul Warne is an intelligent manager, who is a lot shrewder and football wise than many give him credit for. Not only this but he is a fantastic man-manager and team spirit builder.

Can’t wait to see what happens next.

19 minutes ago, Archied said:

Clough

If we put 7/8 passes together, the crowd moan we are not getting the ball forward quickly enough!

31 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

Such as using the midfield?

Typical comment from you. Thought you might be a bit quieter after the response you got to your post earlier.

1 hour ago, nick_d said:

With Warne's managerial background being at Rotherham (no disrespect to Rotherham intended) his managerial tactics evolved based upon managing a smaller club, less resources, less player-pulling power and often being the underdog  in any football match. As such his tactics were based not on how can I get my team to out-pass / outplay the opposition, but more on how to counter them. I suspect that he didn't have that much experience of matches where teams would try to counter his tactics.

I think this year we have seen Warne growing as a manager, we still see that he sets up his team to counter the strengths (real or supposed) of opposing teams, and also he has struggled where teams are countering our play of getting the ball wide by doubling up on our wingers.

However, he is becoming more rounded in his tactical approach, with a lot of the play being along the floor or attempted pin-point long balls down or across to the wing.
Yes, we still hoof it, but only when a side effectively closes us down. 

I was sceptical of Warne when he first came, in fact I started the first thread questioning his tactics after his debut home game and whether our possession-based team could deliver them, but this season (more so than his first) he has learnt and developed how to progress from managing a smaller football club with limited expectation to a bigger club with a high expectation level.

I am hoping for the same development next season if we get promoted, especially starting to mix it up in the midfield area which we will definitely need in the Championship. 
 

Excellent post. I think he is an intelligent guy and has gradually worked things out. Expect it to continue into next season.

1 hour ago, ramit said:

It's good to see us getting strong at set pieces, now we just need to work on player movement at throw-ins

We still need to work on a lot of things but 100% agree on throw ins - we are rubbish. Other teams don’t seem to have a problem but invariably we lose the ball, either through a bad throw which the recipient can’t control easily, a poor return to the thrower or lack of options to throw the ball to. Don’t see it should be too difficult and Warne has mentioned it several times.

prefer to score from a set piece than get a throw in right. Can’t e have both?

Also I can’t remember too many goals scored from a direct free kick. Bird springs to mind but can’t recall any others. You would think with Hourihane and Ward we would get a few more.