kevinhectoring

Automatic promotion for us this Saturday.
Us getting a few goals against Cambridge. And I can see Vale getting a draw at Bolton.
COYR

2nd

Probably, given relative resources. But the opportunity to bloody a nose or two in the process is a delicious prospect. 

Cledara Abbey Stadium: KO- 15.00
We’re on a mini-run, aren’t we, but despite having our fate firmly back in our hands, the pressure to perform remains; two wins from our last two and we’re back in the sunlit uplands of the Championship; a loss, or even a draw and potentially the pendulum swings again.
It’ll be interesting to see whether we might see one or two back in full training this week, but it’s hard to view the win against Orient as anything other than one of our most complete performances this season and this despite being far from clinical in front of goal. Will the confidence garnered see us approach the game with the same positive approach? One hopes so! Another slip up when seemingly set to turn the screw and inevitably, PW’s management will be under fire. A win and we head back to Pride Park with only Carlisle standing between us and our first promotion since 2007.
Our Opponents:
The club was founded in 1912 as Abbey United, and took the name Cambridge United in 1951. They played in local amateur leagues before joining the Southern League after finishing as runners-up of the Eastern Counties League in 1957–58. Under Bill Leivers's stewardship they were crowned Southern League Premier Division champions in 1968–69 and 1969–70, which helped to secure their election into the Football League in 1970. 

Recent Form & Key Players:
Off the back off two absolute kickings from Reading, 4-0, then a 6-0 hammering from Lincoln, Cambridge were held 1-1 by Northampton before closing out March with a 2-0 loss away to Bolton. April has seen them draw at home to Charlton and lose by the odd goal to Blackpool, before showing better form in defeating Wigan 3-1 at home.
Top of the scoring charts sits Gassan Ahadme with 11, with Fejiri Okenabirhie next best with 9. Ellis Kachunga is next best having netted 6 times in 34 starts. Sully Kalkai tops the assists list with from Jack Lankester and George Thomas with 4 and 3 assists respectively.
Rams Match Squad:
Hard to get away from the 11 that started against Orient, given the resounding nature of the win and the style in which it was achieved. A buoyant Paul Warne confirmed in the post-match presser that everyone came through unscathed and it was interesting to hear him saying that we had more energy coming off a shorter break than was the case at Wycombe, where he felt we lacked energy, despite the 8 day break.
The injury picture remains murky and it’ll be interesting to see whether Gayle and Bird might be fit enough to make the matchday squad. I’ll not bother with my selected 11, as I always get it horribly wrong and the gaffer seems to be doing a decent job matching squads to opponents without our guidance. Instead, here’s the top of the table as it stands:

Don't forget to keep an eye on @Caerphilly Ram's injury updates thread across the week, for any snippets on player's likely return dates. I'll append anything I see to this htread as best I can in any case.
The Promotion Picture:
Some key fixtures tomorrow night, none more so than Bolton’s home game against Shrewsbury, whom we know to be a strong and obdurate side, though one lacking the Trotter’s class edge. I’d expect Bolton to take the points, but should Shrews grab an early lead, it could make for rather tougher game.
Oxford, fresh off the back of their 5 goal hammering of Posh play hosts to Lincoln City, whose charge towards the play-offs has faltered a little in most recently. It ought to be a tightly contested affair and to be honest, I’d not be surprised by any result.
The aforementioned Posh have what appears to be a routine task against lowly Fleetwood, but what will be the aftermath of their humbling at the hands of Oxford on Saturday. Might they have a hangover?
Perhaps the best tie of the round features champions-elect Portsmouth hosting Barnsley. A point will surely suffice for Pompey, but I expect them to win and win well en route to a thoroughly well-deserved title win. They’ve been excellent this season and this despite being one of the few clubs with comparable injury concerns to our beloved Rams. It'll be good to see them back where they belong after some very difficult years of their own.
Of the weekend ties, the most interesting involve Peterborough, who have a tricky away game at Bristol and Bolton host Port Vale. It seems odds on we will be going into the final week needing to beat Carlisle to be absolutely certain of promotion and I doubt too many Rams fans will be counting their chickens early! 
Final Thoughts:
A brief digression is in order to congratulate Eiran Cashin and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, both of whom made the EFL League 1 Team of the Year. Bit miffed that Curtis Nelson was overlooked to partner Cash at CB, as for me, he’s been top of the pops for us, but I doubt he’ll mind too much if we win come Saturday.
A last word as always to all Derby fans travelling to the game, safe journey to and fro, Rams and Ramettes and hopefully plenty of good stuff to chatter about on your way home. Honestly, I think our away support has been as good as any in the entire EFL this season and they’ll hopefully be rewarded with another complete and controlled performance as we ourselves edge closer to that vital 2nd place finish.
COYR
BE MORE B4
 

Impressed Warne went with 3 at the back and that he backed Bradley - that was brave. Delighted for Tommo. We’re going up 

Impressed Warne went with 3 at the back and that he backed Bradley - that was brave. Delighted for Tommo. We’re going up 

Impressed Warne went with 3 at the back and that he backed Bradley - that was brave. Delighted for Tommo. We’re going up 

… or the times the player throwing the ball in decides not to land it where it can be trapped but instead delivers a venomous long hop that is at chest height by the time it reaches the intended recipient 

Well Cashin is the only one who ventured forward a little but that was it. Fans are obsessed with the wingbacks Wilder used to play at Sheff Utd but there the centre backs on either side (Basham etc) regularly used to be making overlapping runs to the bye line.
Secondly - our three at the back often had two holding mids to go with it. Adams and Smith are holders, CH is more a holding player now, Fornah is more defensive than offensive. So together with the Wing backs often playing like full backs, we we just left with three offensive players to do anything and the lack of options for our defenders to pass to was alarming.
For me, we just don’t have options, attacking flair or ability by pass/move (as Warne can’t coach pass and move as a way to create space and opportunity). So our tactics are try and give it to the wingers and hope they create something or win a second ball that’s lumped into the channels. Therefore, as Nelson and Cashin are very good defenders in this league, I just want more forward players on the pitch.

What sort of 3 at the back? Fozzy, Cash, Nelson, with each of them making regular visits to the oppo’s box? Served us pretty well until Fozzy was crocked. And where are your midfielders sitting in this 3 at the back? The obsession on here with formation is bewildering, far more important is what field positions players take within the formation. And if those 3 are fit imo we want each of them at CB 

Surely him coming back to yours for the evening is dependent on Derby winning. Haven’t you made that clear?😀

The thing is, I don't think that our fullbacks are good enough defensively in a back four, when having to go forwards as well, the extra help from the 'spare' cb gives me a bit more confidence.

It is a very admirable quality. I would probably be very happy if Paul operated my Carehome, or the Day Nursery of my Grandchildren. I would probably be very happy too if he was manager of my small underfunded, lower tier football team. Time will tell if his qualities get us up a level, but I remain of the view that we are second in the league in spite of Paul’s tactics and team selection, not because of them.

Without a payoff? I don’t think so. 

Raheem Sterling and Mo Salah miss a handful of those every season.
 
Imagine what CBT is looking at. First he doesn’t know whether W will shoot or cross. (What he does know is, he should have crossed 2 seconds earlier. ) Then the ball is hit pretty hard, inside of the foot, so it has swing. It is aerial. ( This type of ball is now necessary because W is releasing the ball too late. ) Then, the ball is coming between the keeper - who almost reaches it with his right hand - and the defender. Distracting. And - critically -  it is hit so as not to be a volley but instead to be a half volley; except half volleys come in various sizes, ranging from yorkers to long half volleys, and more precision is needed than when hitting a volley. Oh and because of the angles CBT is having to travel more quickly then he was when he should have received the ball.
 
I expect xG had it at well above a 50% chance. I’d agree it’s above 50 but in this div not by much at all. 
 
Looking forward to your laughing emoji 

Raheem Sterling and Mo Salah miss a handful of those every season.
 
Imagine what CBT is looking at. First he doesn’t know whether W will shoot or cross. (What he does know is, he should have crossed 2 seconds earlier. ) Then the ball is hit pretty hard, inside of the foot, so it has swing. It is aerial. ( This type of ball is now necessary because W is releasing the ball too late. ) Then, the ball is coming between the keeper - who almost reaches it with his right hand - and the defender. Distracting. And - critically -  it is hit so as not to be a volley but instead to be a half volley; except half volleys come in various sizes, ranging from yorkers to long half volleys, and more precision is needed than when hitting a volley. Oh and because of the angles CBT is having to travel more quickly then he was when he should have received the ball.
 
I expect xG had it at well above a 50% chance. I’d agree it’s above 50 but in this div not by much at all. 
 
Looking forward to your laughing emoji 

Raheem Sterling and Mo Salah miss a handful of those every season.
 
Imagine what CBT is looking at. First he doesn’t know whether W will shoot or cross. (What he does know is, he should have crossed 2 seconds earlier. ) Then the ball is hit pretty hard, inside of the foot, so it has swing. It is aerial. ( This type of ball is now necessary because W is releasing the ball too late. ) Then, the ball is coming between the keeper - who almost reaches it with his right hand - and the defender. Distracting. And - critically -  it is hit so as not to be a volley but instead to be a half volley; except half volleys come in various sizes, ranging from yorkers to long half volleys, and more precision is needed than when hitting a volley. Oh and because of the angles CBT is having to travel more quickly then he was when he should have received the ball.
 
I expect xG had it at well above a 50% chance. I’d agree it’s above 50 but in this div not by much at all. 
 
Looking forward to your laughing emoji 

Cross should have come earlier and been played on the ground.
CBT should still do better.
Takes an extra touch here when the ball should be played.

I think NML can complete a full season - despite being 31, having a big frame and being a high intensity player. but not if he’s overplayed. It a question not of too many matches, but of too many minutes. 

CBT was angry the ball wasn’t released to him earlier. Meant that instead of getting a pass along the ground with the keeper stranded he gets a fizzy cross that misses the defender by a whisker and is not easily redirected

Joe Ward has added significantly to the fluidity we have had recently and he makes Wilson play better. We missed him 

I was one of many who advocated bringing Hourihane on if we were drawing after 70 mins. But a cursory glance at Wycombe’s chances late on shows that his head is now in the departure lounge: he was almost single-handedly responsible for a Wycombe goal on more than one occasion, dawdling around defensively like Tom Lawrence in one of his sulks.

Sorry to say the safest place for him now is Villa Park. Otherwise he might enter the annals of our club’s history of end-of-season near misses 

Spot on.
Wildsmith would have got down on the floor and headed it in.

Joe Ward has added significantly to the fluidity we have had recently and he makes Wilson play better. We missed him 

CBT was angry the ball wasn’t released to him earlier. Meant that instead of getting a pass along the ground with the keeper stranded he gets a fizzy cross that misses the defender by a whisker and is not easily redirected