Alty_Ram

8 minutes ago, B4ev6is said:

I see enough programs some called rib of briitant  but also show were some people paid money but did not get what they paid for. Or holiday in the sun.

Happens in every country mate, but none of that has anything to do with whether footballers should go on holidays to where they want to go not where you prefer to go yourself.

I think that's why he said 'some' UK holidays B4.

I think folk are just not really understanding why you'd want to prevent players seeing another country just because you yourself prefer to holiday in the UK. As I said above, I really like UK holidays too and I'm staying in the UK this year as it happens, but there are loads of other countries that I'd like to visit too. It would be a very strange thing for any employer to tell you where to take your holidays.

He'd probably haggling over whether Jersey counts as 'Abroad' or not for the purposes of acceptable holiday destinations.

It's a bit of a strange stance to not want them to go abroad. Why ever not ? The players need a re-charge of batteries like all of us but I don't understand why they'd need to do that in Torquay instead of Tenerife.

Personally I love a UK holiday. We love to see the Atlantic breakers in North Cornwall but I love to visit Greece too. It'd be weird if my boss said that I can have a summer holiday but only if I stay in the UK. I think I might be looking for another job quite quickly !

"He's entitled to go down there..."

Big moment this weekend RD. Tough games for the others and Chelsea in chaos despite 1 win. Southampton are gone and the other two bottom sides are in 'shocking' and 'poor' form respectively. Sadly, even a point might be enough for you lot as I don't see the bottom 3 getting much from the remaining games. That goal difference might yet be a factor though.

24 minutes ago, Tyler Durden said:

Does this now mean that the posts about the EFL being totally biased against us will now stop?

Nah, stupid question.

Nah, it's a trap mate. They're just trying to get us to overspend 😉

1 hour ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

“I believe we have made massive strides in EVERY element of the Club. Shortly after we bought the club, I identified the three pillars by which we had to be judged in everything we do. Stability. Integrity. Progress.”

I think I've got something in my eye.. 

Yeah, what else you going to do right ? 

It's character building... or something.😃

Well Everton are currently giving it a right go but Forest really couldn't ask for better fixture tonight than at home to the bottom team where they're form is quite respectable. If they did somehow lose this then they'd be in in big big trouble. Southampton are surely screwed if they do anything other than win this though, particularly with Everton suddenly remembering how to play football. Can't see a Saints win unfortunately. I think they're gone and they know it.

Everton's relegation rivals must be really pissed off at Brighton's effort in that first 45 though. After being excellent all season they suddenly lose to Forest and now getting battered 3-0 at home at half time against a bottom 3 side, and yet they can get themselves up for a game against United. It smacks of going through the motions and thinking about getting a towel down on a sun lounger. It's a bit unprofessional. Brighton seem to have woken up a bit since half time.

Obviously yesterday was hugely disappointing, not least because of the way it happened with the 'penalty' and red card but we really should have got over the line long before yesterday but we didn't and Peterborough took their chance. Needing something at Wednesday was always going to have a significant risk element.

Having said all that, before the season started I just wanted to watch us be competitive on the pitch and win some games and not be completely hamstrung by deductions and a fiasco off the field. We've had that and we acquitted ourselves well but just came up short. It obviously stings a bit right now but we perhaps had our expectation raised by that mid-season run and we started to believe.

Sure, we've got restrictions on what we can do as regards transfers but the manager now has the chance to build his own team with players who can do what he is needing them to do rather than inherit someone else's team and just try to mould them into what he wants. We know that we can't go mad, but I'm genuinely excited to see what sort of players we bring in and discussing those transfers on here. It won't be long before we're eagerly awaiting pre-season training and the players reporting back, along with some new faces. We missed out but we go again next year and we look forward to having another pop at it. Twas ever thus ! 😊

Massive moment for their season coming up. Home to Southampton (surely 3 points is a must) then away at Chelsea who are an absolute  shambles at the moment and might not get another point this season. It's there for the taking. Southampton look to be toast and neither Leeds or Everton have any wins in the last 5.

4 minutes ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Seems some aren't to happy on the comments

Well, you're never going to keep everyone happy but it is the pragmatic and sensible thing to do. Hopefully they can get over any niggles and unite as a fan base and move on from this awful period for the town and club. Really glad to see this and would love an opportunity to show some support and solidarity at a friendly. Just down the road for me.

11 hours ago, rojo said:

Well we've done our bit we've survived.

I've followed you all season and sincerely hope you join us, especially if you knock the Owls out.

Best wishes 

Yeah, it was obviously important to get that particular monkey off your backs. It's got to be tricky to recruit the quality you need if you're getting a bit of a reputation for slipping straight back after a promotion. Doesn't matter how you do it, just stay up and let next season worry about itself.

I'll be honest, I was fearing for you a bit when you had that massive kick in the nuts from the late Cardiff winner. I watched it and its the sort of result at the sharp end of the season that can make you think that it really isn't going to go your way but fair play, you dusted yourselves down and got over the line against Boro.

Big challenge for us still just to secure a playoff place and needing something Wednesday away on the last day is far from ideal. Don't know whether we've got enough left in the tank to win playoffs because we've stuttered a lot in the last 3rd of the season with a paper thin squad. After all the financial carnage of the last couple of years we were left with just 5 senior players last summer and a transfer fee embargo from the EFL so in fairness it was a cracking effort to assemble a competitive team in such a short space of time. I'd read that we'd actually used fewer players than any one else in the division, by necessity.

Anyway, fingers crossed. Who knows... ? Football eh ?

Barnsley are weirdly hit and miss at the moment though. They've conceded 7 in the last 2 games, including 4 against MKD. I really don't want to be relying on them because surely they'll rest a few too. Need to get our own business done.

Said a couple of weeks back there there's more twists and turns to come. Home games were always going to be vital to give them a chance and fair play they've secured a win but the situation is still on a knife edge. They have Brentford away then two huge season defining games. Home to Southampton (surely an absolute must-win) and then away at the completely hapless Chelsea. After that it's home to Arsenal. A few weeks back that would be an opportunity for a battering but now who knows, they've no win in 4.

From a Forest perspective this is definitely very do-able. 2 wins from last 5 and I reckon that might be enough. Southampton and Everton look to be in big trouble and are in no kind of form. Leicester got a win last time out but otherwise looking shaky. Leicester home to Everton next and Leeds away at Bournemouth. Surely two massive games.

Things look like they are probably  done and dusted at the top as Arsenal seem to have imploded, so its all about European places and the battle to avoid the drop. It's actually pretty entertaining.

Perhaps we are spending far more time defending against better sides, have less of the ball, are pressed more effectively, get fewer crosses in etc. Perhaps he is simply not getting much service from midfield and wide men against the top teams as the limitations of our team are exposed ? The lack of goals from pretty much anyone else against all opposition, good and bad is surely the bigger issue here. Mendez-Laing, Collins, Hourihan and Barkhuizen have all pretty much dried up .

Bird gets between him and the ball and the guy needlessly dives in and lunges at a ball that he isn't going to reach except by contacting Bird's legs and all that while Bird is heading away from goal. It was a stupid high risk challenge and if one of ours does that then you are annoyed because it doesn't need to happen.

The key thing for me also is the lack on any kind of protest by the Burton players beyond vaguely lifting their arms and otherwise just trudging off without contesting. One of his team mates also goes across to the defender and gives him a 'Chip up, never mind buddy' sort of gesture. Bar a half arsed effort just for show, they basically just accept the decision.

For me, that's a penalty all day long and if one of ours had done it I'd be frustrated by the unnecessary nature of it but I'd certainly 100% expect the worst.

Play to the levels that we know that we can play and we have every reason to be confident. A lacklustre performance (of which we have seen too many recently) and a failure to take our chances and Burton will not need a second invitation. They've had some excellent results recently and pulled themselves to safety in quite impressive style so fair play to them.

They'll be up for this though and based on previous meetings there's no doubt that they will fancy their chances of getting something here. We've generally failed to turn up for this one and it's about time we did, with main motivation of keeping ourselves in the playoff mix as long as possible, not because the opposition play their football are just down the road. Let them focus on that aspect.

As a visitor to rather than resident of Derby these day, I'd agree that the City Centre is looking a bit shabby and run down these days (in places at least) but I live in the North West and it's just much like many other towns and cities up here really and no doubt across large parts of the country. For a variety of reasons town and city centres and 'The High Street' are facing a huge challenges and are definitely showing the strain. It's certainly not a uniquely Derby thing by any means though.

As for DCFC, Well our stadium is older than some nice new stadiums and not quite as shiny these days. No great surprise really. It's still a great facility though by the standards of the vast majority of the football Leagues and something that we can still be proud of. Sure, it could do with a bit of TLC and maybe it'll get it at some stage now we are no longer firefighting seemingly endless financial calamities.

On 20/04/2023 at 07:33, CBRammette said:

Why does the modern game obsess with stats and hence we always have to pull people's stats apart to suit an argument? He's been truly marvellous and a joy to watch is actually all I care about. He also noticeably looks after the youngsters.  

Who does he think he is with his selfish and wasteful spree scoring and his 'professionalism' and 'empathy with the younger lads' nonsense ?! Bloody liability he is.. we should get rid in the summer and find a proper forward on a free who can conjure a goal at will at any moment of any game against any opposition in order to yield the maximum possible points per goal over the season. He's stealing a living is this fella ! Our failure to secure a playoff place so far is entirely down to this clown 😉 

16 hours ago, AndyB said:

The play offs is well and truly back on (if it was ever off) but Burton at home is a must win game.

Have we won a single game this season where someone has described it as a 'must win' ? 😧

Obviously like many Derby fans I have a lingering slight annoyance at how him stringing us along helped to undermine our summer and the following season but I don't really wish the guy any ill. I do think though that once again we are seeing that one of the outstanding players of his generation does not a great manager make. The likes of Frank seem to get far more slack than less illustrious names though and what has he actually achieved in management ? Precious little really. Frank Smith the competent (and invented) ex Doncaster midfielder would be nowhere near these jobs. These celebrity appointments might get some initial slack from players based on their achievements as players but kicking a ball into a net a lot doesn't make you a great motivator or tactician.

Exeter 2 Rams 0 No RFGS

22 minutes ago, estinnes said:

Are season ticket renewals now open?

When I login, I can see "Season Season Ticket 2023/2024 is open! Renew your subscription now!" alongside the "Start Renewal" button.

I can't see any announcement?

I think the logic was that they are waiting until our fate is decided in terms of which division so wouldn't have thought that renewals would possible yet.