Black ('n' White) Sheep

Nice! Good start... keep it up lads! ?

Seem to have gone to a back 4!

Looks like:

                        Wildsmith
       Smith  Cashin  Forsyth  Roberts
Mendez-Laing  Bird  Hourihane  Dobbin
                Collins  McGoldrick

1 hour ago, RoyMac5 said:

Who would you say is being consistent atm, NML and ... ?

Agree with @Carnero, Wildsmith and Cashin (along with NML) are by far the most consistent players at the minute. Collins was starting to show promise (then got banned for 3 games). Almost everyone needs to up their game across the board.

1 hour ago, Jimbo Ram said:

I quite like the look of that team but can’t see Conor being dropped and he will play again with Bird because that works. Shame Sibbo misses out. Maybe come on for McGoldrick when he tires ?

Was 50/50 whether I put DMcG or Conor behind the front 2 (Conor played there for Swansea with some success a couple of years ago).

Sibbo as an impact sub at the minute for me... needs to start being more consistent to start regularly... I follow the youth teams and know how good he can be (one of the most talented CAMs I've ever seen for us at that level); hopefully he starts to rediscover some more of that.

What I think we'll see:

                       Wildsmith
        Rooney  Stearman  Cashin
Mendez-Laing  Smith  Bird  Forsyth
                     McGoldrick
                   Osula  Collins

Whoever's up top needs support... start with 2 and see how it goes. COYR ?

I'm for continuous improvement (under a manager) myself... PW will take time to put his own style in to play here; it's completely different to what's been happening over the last 2-3 years and completely different to how most of our squad are used to playing. A bit more time playing this way (and a couple of transfer windows to get people in) and we'll know if it's working or not. I imagine if there's personalities in the changing room that PW doesn't like then said personalities won't be here long!

It is looking like we'd be better off at this stage if Rosie had have been made permanent... and yes, the last couple of games haven't been great to say the least, but the Chairman's made his decision. As long as we're in no danger of going down (I never thought I'd hear myself saying that about a Derby team in L1!) then I'd give PW at least another 12 months and see where we are. If we're higher up the league next season than we finish this season, I'd see that as an improvement.

Also, it's very early in the season still. Look at Oxford. They've stuck with Karl Robinson for nearly 5 years and in most of those seasons they've had a similar start to this one. More often than not he has them in or around the play-offs.

Having said all that, watch my emotions get the better of me in the next match thread! 

17 year old lad coming on in goal for them... shoot on sight lads!

Last game in L1 without a goal in it tonight...

Will it change sometime soon? Fingers crossed!

6 minutes ago, Alpha said:

Ipswich should be gutted with that. To only win 1-0 against a side so utterly useless at the most basic tasks playing with no particular style or direction with zero focal point is going to disappoint them. 

Imagine having that donkey sanctuary in front of you and struggling to finish them off. 

Don't Google "finishing off donkeys" whatever you do @Alpha

I hope Warne realises sooner rather than later that this squad can't play like Rotherham. Play to your team's strengths (wingers not wing-backs and a more measured build-up) until you're in a position to get the players in that can play like that.

Just now, LittleEatonRam said:

Wildsmith is really good.

Sibley and Bird? Sorry, but I just do not get the hype.

Bird's done okay... Sibbo has had a shocker and needs to start justifying a place in the squad.

Get Bielik back from Brum. This team is crying out for a midfield enforcer.

1 minute ago, StrawHillRam said:

Settling for a draw ?

Wishful thinking...

1 minute ago, Yani P said:

Hourihane coming on

Osula off

Weird change... interesting to see how we set up formation wise from now on.

2 minutes ago, kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong said:

I'd rather have fozzy in there

So would I. I'd be interested in how he'd deal with that position... not exactly quick but probably the best crosser of a ball we have!

We're really missing someone with a left foot on the left wing/wing-back areas. Barks is doing okay, but has to check back onto his right every time to do anything decent with it!

I know I'm in a minority, but I'd like to have a go at this competition... it's a chance to get to Wembley and actually win something!

                               Loach
             Rooney  Stearman  Forsyth
Oduroh  Knight  Smith  Thompson  Roberts
                    Collins  McGoldrick

Osula!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks to be a cracking loan signing. Pace to burn!

Another miss!

Blimey the officiating at this level really is awful

Cracking save by Wildsmith... justice done.

I like that team... Been wanting to see a Knight - Bird - Sibley midfield for a while; potentially a strong core to build a team around.

                     Wildsmith
          Chester  Davies  Cashin
                          Bird
Barkhuizen  Knight  Sibley  Forsyth
               Osula  McGoldrick

COYR ???

1 minute ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Unless other clubs are willing to accept magic beans and/or well wishes I'm not sure how exactly we go about getting any players in. Embargo, remember?

Loan signings...

2 minutes ago, Anag Ram said:

The balance of the team still isn’t quite right and that isn’t Warner’s fault.

The three at the back is risky with no defensive wide players and whilst we’re good on the break, our midfield is too easy to bypass.

We seem to keep Hourihane on purely in case he scores a worldy. I think Bird, Knight and Rooney might be a better balance. 
 

Without Collins, the good work from NML and Barks will go to waste because we don’t have anyone else who looks remotely interested in busting a gut to get on the end of a cross. 
 

But these are temporary problems. We just have to hang in there til Christmas and develop the squad a bit more for a late push. Less than three months ago everyone agreed we would have to be patient. That seems to have been forgotten.

It sounds like the ref had a ‘mare but also that Port Vale had quite a lot of possession.

Sometimes we will get beaten. Sometimes we won’t be good enough, regardless of the officials.

You've picked up on something I've picked up on there too @Anag Ram... One of the main properties of PW's Rotherham team was the wing-backs. He had quick full-backs, where we have wingers that we're playing at wing-back as we don't really have many other options. I imagine 2 quick full-backs will be pretty high on the January shopping list.

5 minutes ago, OohMartWright said:

What’s the verdict- incompetent, corrupt or under orders from the EFL? Easily the worst refereeing performance I’ve seen for decades.

Out of his depth... should get back to reffing under-12s on the local park.