Alty_Ram

46 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

Apart from for the bean counters managing (or not in previous years) the finances, is there any point at all in announcing the attendance at all?

I understand your point but people are interested in how many actually attend the game. I’m sure, on several occasions during the Rush  years, the attendance has been announced and we’ve looked around and thought “no way are there that many here”.

So, I think announcing the physical attendance IS important simply because people are interested in knowing. 

Well I guess there may well be 2 counts going. If people have paid for a ticket but don't use it for whatever reason (holiday, illness etc )then I can understand why that might be added into the figures as that is a realistic assessment of the money made but there is also the issue of a club presumably needing to know how many people actually turned up in case of something catastrophic like a fire or terrorist activity.

I think the problem may be in the phrasing. Arguably we will all be sort of 'disappointed' if we finish outside a certain fairly lofty position because that's football fans for you (we live in hope) but the question is, which type are you? Are you disappointed in the same way that when we don't beat Liverpool in a Cup tie (i.e. not really surprised, just disappointed that the cup journey is over) or would you consider finishing outside the top 2 as an abject failure ? A playoff season would be a cracking season IMHO and spirited top half with momentum going into next year would be fine by me. The trouble with saying that you would be disappointed with 3rd makes it sound like you are expecting to blow the division away and anything less than top 2 will see you sat there with arms folded and a sour face.

I think there is a natural momentum to these things. This team is largely new and many did not experience the 'all-for-one' spirit of last year so it is far from certain how this will pan out. The manager is also new (albeit familiar) but if we start positively then a season can take on a life of its own and winning becomes a habit. The real challenge (as others have mentioned) will be if we have a sticky start. Can Rosenior in his first senior appointment keep the players on board with the plan.

There have been so many changes from last year that we are in unknown territory but all we can do as fans is to try and offer the same unflinching support but in so doing still let them know that we expect to see the recent 'fight to the end' spirit. Togetherness is going to be vital because we are highly unlikely to blow this league away whatever some wild optimists feel and that collective spirit between players and fans can be worth a hell of a lot of points. I have watched a lot of Derby sides down the years but rarely have I seen the sheer bloody-mindedness of that late rally against Birmingham last season. It would have been so easy for that to peter out to 0-2 defeat but everyone kept going right 'til the end. As much as any incoming player, a decent slice of that attitude again will be as important as anything else.

Nope, not even remotely disappointed. We have had a rush of players coming in but they are largely just replacing losses from a threadbare squad. I'm just looking to see a competitive side operating on a level playing field with no effing points deductions. Would be nice to be in the mix at the end but I'll view that as bonus territory.

19 minutes ago, ilkleyram said:

I agree. But. The two main problems with that policy is that the price of UK players is ramped up because the competition for their signature is greater and the clubs with money (in the PL and the parachutists elsewhere) can pick off the best UK players more easily, thereby making it harder for middle ranking clubs to get promotion and stay promoted, never mind winning anything.

Like so much else around football the system effectively continues to place purchasing power and success in the hands of a few, and God forbid anyone comes along to disturb that 

I agree. The long term health of the National Team is fine as an aspiration but I don't see why we at DCFC should have to look beyond our own interests when we are in a League with such paltry incomes. Every penny counts and if a player from abroad will sign for and play for less then we would obviously want to look at that but we are largely prevented from doing so by the rules intended to benefit PL teams. They can seek better value abroad but the EFL teams find that a hell of a lot harder because of rules set down to favour PL teams.

Add to that the laughable protection that the academy seems to have and its frankly not much of an incentive to develop young British players. Don't get me wrong, personally I really want us to be developing young players through the academy and not just being foreign mercenaries and it has been brilliant watching the young lads break into the first team and get games but at the same time I do understand the Brentford approach. Our money is limited and will need applying where there is best value and I don't see why everyone in the lower leagues should be disadvantaged by these rules on top of all the other disadvantages of being down the tiers.

Excellent for us last year and we'll miss his quality (assuming that he goes) but he was always likely to be able to attract offers that were well beyond what we can realistically afford. Any chance of him still being here this season was always the longest of long shots. If he goes then I wish him well.

32 minutes ago, alram said:

the reality is there won’t be many takers, a quality player but has ongoing injury concerns and won’t be on peanuts. 

On the face of it he has a hell of a lot to offer but his agent will presumably be pitching his demands as a player of the perfect age with International experience etc and we know he's an excellent player but the injury susceptibility is a huge question mark.  Those who can afford him will probably wonder if there is better value elsewhere with players that are less likely to break down. If he's at the top of your budget then can you really afford all the eggs in that particular basket and if money is not really an issue then perhaps you can pick up someone likely to miss less games.

23 minutes ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Saddo of Bristol is back over chatting with them this afternoon as well. 

It's great to see how irrelevant we are to the fanbases of these teams ?

3 minutes ago, Premier ram said:

Give Curtis the contract he wants , give him the captaincy, give him a coaching role , give him media work , ffs give him the keys to the city , just get him signed up , the guys a legend

I'm a massive fan of Davies as a player and a pro but there has to be limits and heavily over-committing to a contract for one player leaves us short elsewhere and we simply don't have enough players as it stands so we need to bring people in. Flexibility on media work and coaching is less of a problem but if his demands are structure-breaking then I don't see that we'd have much choice but to move on. Hopefully DCFC and Davies are talking similar numbers and its just some fine detail over non-money issues.

I desperately want him to stay but the reality is that there is a budget and we must stick to it so I hope he hasn't priced himself out. Hope we can sort something but even if it does get sorted it doesn't sound like he's expecting it to happen that quickly and we need to just get on with pre-season and rebuilding the depleted squad. If he wanders off to a random Championship club to be a bit part player then it will be a bit of a downer and a sad way to end things.

3 hours ago, Seaside Ram said:

Looks like we can add Ipswich fans to the list of rattled clubs . 

I'm no good at links etc but look on a thing called TWTD forum,, they can't believe we aren't still being punished/weren't wound up ! ?

I'd always found Ipswich fans to be a fairly well-adjusted rational bunch and have sat and talked with their fans before games so it's a shame if even that lot have lost their s*** over us 'getting off lightly' and illustrates what a great misinformation job has been done on us by some parties. It's just bizarre how transfer embargo for almost 2 years, relegation-ensuring points deductions and absolute plundering of the academy to the tune of tens of millions of pounds of talent and denial of the opportunity to preserve the value of any of our playing assets by renewing contracts so we can at least get some money for the steady stream of players leaving when they were inevitably got looted. But no, none of that seems to count. I though the mostly blank squad list posted by someone the other day illustrated the scale of things perfectly! (Before the small burst of incomings...). Oh, and almost ceasing to exist as a club... but no, you're right, its been a breeze.

These deluded fans of other teams are welcome to go through what we've been through if they think it was anything less than utterly traumatic. It's been death by a thousand cuts with likely years of damage and setbacks inflicted.

We really can't afford this to stop things - there is a season to prepare for and we need a team. Can a deal be struck to train somewhere else and park this for now just to allow us to get on with contracts for players ? This could be a hugely damaging delay.

Disaster strikes on Friday morning after Quantuma leave the last few bits of paperwork on the boardroom table overnight

Manager turnover is probably as high as it has been since I've been watching football. We are sadly in no-mans land and have slid into the League 1. If a manager cannot get us moving forward again at some stage within 2 to 3 years absolute maximum then you probably get sacked. If you do get us moving in the right direction then someone higher in the pyramid just taps up your manager and pays you enough to replace a couple of rows of seats. It's not just us, it's a phenomenon across the divisions. Very few managers stay with a team more than say 5 years.

Just taking the current PL. Other than Klopp and Guardiola there is only one other PL manager that has made it to 4 years yet and a shocking 50% have been in charge less than a year. Conclusion. Be top of the tree and win loads of stuff and you might make it past 5 years... possibly. Madness ?

2 hours ago, angieram said:

I don't blame him and all this talk of Dyche and tried and trusted League One managers is all just the same. Who is going to come here under the circumstances? 

Some of you need a reality check. 

Anyone thinking that we should 'Go and get Dyche' really hasn't grasped the reality of our situation ! He is so hilariously out of our wage and aspiration league currently that its painful. He might struggle a bit for a PL job due to a perception of his football style but there will be a queue round the corner of Championship sides wanting a little extra something to get them over the line. After several years in the PL his wages would surely be a factor of several times what we can afford.

Rosenior is the continuity candidate but who else is even available ? Are we really going to want to pay compensation ? As for Rosenior. Does he have it ? I'm not so sure. His knowledge is good and he speaks very well and seems to be a good coach but I just wonder if he is authoritative enough to chew the players up a bit if they are not doing what is required. WR tapping into the siege mentality last year was probably not actually that difficult, but this year is a very different challenge.. not the levels of burning resentment amongst players and fans.

I wonder if this decision was made a while ago and Rosenior knew it hence hanging around. Perhaps Rooney has been waiting until now as the club seems to be passing into safe hands and not relying on his celebrity to a hard-nosed bidder.

Just trying to find some positives.. ?

41 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

Mostyn, you’ve inspired me to quote Shakespeare’s Henry V
??❤️

We few, we happy few,

we happy band of brothers

for he today that shares his Bass with me

shall be my brother. 

Perhaps they should quote this bit to the would-be contract dodgers.. ?

That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.

19 minutes ago, CaptainOx said:

So sorry to hear about your loss. 

This post doesn't half sum up how important football clubs are to the cities and towns of this country, the local and regional communities that invest their hard earned cash for what in the main is the very odd moment of celebration.

People who don't like football will never be able to understand the emotion that is wrapped up within the love of a football club and it is so much more than a game. It is a way of life, a chance to move focus from the grinds of daily life, a chance to spend time with family and friends cheering on your team. To have that close to being taken away is really tough, and I've experienced that a couple of times with OUFC.

And yes, football will kick you in the b@lls more often than not, but it is all so worth it for those stoppage time winners, those local derby 3 points and the moments you can share with 1000s of your fellow supporters.

 

This 100%, a great summary. Apart from the privileged few at the top table, football for most of us is not about glory seeking, it's about a connection with your team and community (the huge march showed us that) and as you say, a distraction from the daily grind, a chance to lose yourself in a game for a bit. It's fickle, it will let you down (god knows we've had some sickening moments in playoff finals!) but it'll have you in tears of joy, whether that's actually achieving/winning something or just bouncing around after a scratch team of kids and what looks like their dads grabs a 93rd minute equaliser at Accrington that flies in off someone's arse.

After the last couple of years lets hope that we can all keep the current levels of perspective. League 1 can be a 'mare to get out of and there is are so many teams that get becalmed down here whose fans were no doubt all sure that they'd bounce straight back. We need a team before we can worry about how they will fare. We're still under restrictions so although there may be a few signings I reckon that initially we'll see a bunch of loans to try to tide us over and fill in the obvious gaping holes in the squad and maybe a few tweaks in the January but the team is going to be what it is and much more to do next summer. Even if we get a decent number of players in it will be a largely new team, much of which has not played together competitively. Patience and unswerving support is what's required. It was a genuine privilege to see our fans siege mentality last year after all the deduction but this year will need a different sort of vibe.

5 minutes ago, PistoldPete said:

Well we already have an agreement for a rams fan to buy PPS. Either as a rams fan or as a landlord he wouldn’t want the rams to go pop. You could the same about Morris but let’s not stir that hornets nest. 
 

the cost of such a guarantee could turn out to be nothing really because with a lot of players leaving the wage bill should be very manageable and we could even make a profit for the year. 

But having a football club that cannot field a viable side is surely just a money sink ? I agree that we will likely lose players and therefore have a lower bill but at what cost in terms of people's willingness to pay good money to see it ? We are struggling at all levels for viability. Our U23s got relegated because the have been heavily plundered to patch up the first team and have been just to give us a bench. As far as I can see our value continues to nosedive the longer this goes on because it is becoming a bigger and bigger task to rebuild with less and less playing asset.

3 minutes ago, PistoldPete said:

But you are assuming that we have to do a deal before the start of the season. We don’t. We , or rather some very wealthy rams fans , May have to provide guarantees that the club can keep trading until  a buyer is found. 

Sure, as a technicality, but who is going to agree to bankroll a whole season (with player numbers and wages as yet undecided) without them being the owner ? All that has happened so far is that we seem to keep taking more MSD loans which keeps DCFC alive but without an owner there is no way of paying that back and in any case the package becomes less attractive by the day as more players leave and the debt piles even higher. This has to be resolved surely ?

I just can't see how the mythical failed CK offer can be matched or bettered unless someone wants to write off a lot of money on their newly acquired club. As a business acquisition it really doesn't seem to make a lot of sense unless you were some benevolent benefactor and there seem to be precious few of those around. As a pure business venture this just looks worse and worse as time goes on. It needs bringing to a close as fast as they possibly can, not just for everyone's sanity but for business reasons, otherwise it is going to be a case of picking the bits out of the smoking rubble of DCFC and starting again in whatever division is deemed suitable.

4 minutes ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Could anybody suggest a way in which this could be a bigger fiasco?

Wait.. what so someone has offered just slightly short of the amount required to avoid a -15 points ?... but not enough to avoid it..

Oh and Ashley is suing the Administrator...

2 minutes ago, Curtains said:

Fixture release day - Thursday 23 June
 

We are not going to be taken over before that are we 

If it isn't an identikit deal to CK's then I don't see how we can possibly tie up all the loose ends by then. Even after proof of funds and fit and proper person nonsense, if any of the debt repayment amounts change then surely that will need negotiating with all the different parties and even then EFL signoff required followed by actually getting the money across. I just can't see how this can be done if the rate of progress of previous deals was even remotely realistic.

On 14/06/2022 at 00:14, Crewton said:

I'm pretty sure Curtis is under contract until the end of June, so he's still a Derby player. And our "retained list" must be the biggest open secret in football history. 

..on the smallest piece of paper in football history ☹️

18 minutes ago, Foreveram said:

Just needs to upgrade it to incredible and we’re good to go 

Right, how can this one fall apart ? Morgan is just about to buy us but then has a complete breakdown and burns all his wealth on a massive herd of Alpaca, throws his phone and laptop in the sea and retires to a remote Scottish island to live in a hut with nothing but a million new woolly friends for company.