kevinhectoring

Good half - plenty of fluency. Had some good chances not least Gayle in the second minute. Shame we’ve not found a goal -  Reading will be pleased with this score line and have had the odd decent spell   

Such an intelligent footballer, Barks 

Such an intelligent footballer, Barks 

Good half - plenty of fluency. Had some good chances not least Gayle in the second minute. Shame we’ve not found a goal -  Reading will be pleased with this score line and have had the odd decent spell   

What’s stranger is for you to pick up on Warne’s asking the fans to back the team and enjoy the ride of the next 9 games as a pre-cursor to failure.
We’re second (outright now without the caveat of games in hand others were keen to point out before), have as many wins as Pompey, have the best goal difference in the league on account of having the joint second best goals conceded and fourth best goals for, have players seemingly in form, have players coming back from injury to strengthen the squad for the run in, have just won two games on the bounce 3-0 following a mini slump, and you’re picking on how things are worded in press conferences?! 
 

Don’t think he usually gets enough out of this squad. It’s a poor division 
as for owner timescales, I don’t see any  reason for not wanting promotion asap. DC’s vague 4 year plan was imo intended to manage fans’ expectations. The Derby brand loses lustre each year we languish in this lamentable league 

Don’t think he usually gets enough out of this squad. It’s a poor division 
as for owner timescales, I don’t see any  reason for not wanting promotion asap. DC’s vague 4 year plan was imo intended to manage fans’ expectations. The Derby brand loses lustre each year we languish in this lamentable league 

That's just your interpretation of what he said. To me, he was merely stating some "home" truths : at this stage of the season, the fans can help to lift the team when they're struggling (as they have done at times recently) by vocal encouragement; understand that the players are doing everything they can to win promotion and get behind them; we're in a great position now so let's all push together. I heard nothing that suggested he was trying to deflect blame in the event we failed.
I think some of our fans are just looking for excuses to feel offended now.
 

Give the team the best support we can - however they play -  and enjoy it whilst the team selection and football is good 
 
But not be persuaded that staying down is anything less than failure. 

I am confident (but not sure. How can you possibly be sure?) hence why I said “unless it’s mathematically certain” but, there are various scenarios whereby we could be going into the last two games with it all still to play for even if we won our next seven. Imagine if Barnsley and Peterborough both won all of their games prior to the last two. They’d only be 2 and 1 points behind. They may be unlikely scenarios but are they any less likely than Derby winning every game? Even if Portsmouth lost against us, Peterborough and Barnsley but won all their others they’d only be 3 points behind. 
 
Essentially, don’t celebrate too soon. 

Clever stuff from warne : Anything can happen in div 1 and our wonderful fans should just have fun, enjoy the ride etc …
No, No, no
it’s too far a cry from what he said beginning of the season: failure to achieve promotion in this div this season with this squad is … failure. 

Clever stuff from warne : Anything can happen in div 1 and our wonderful fans should just have fun, enjoy the ride etc …
No, No, no
it’s too far a cry from what he said beginning of the season: failure to achieve promotion in this div this season with this squad is … failure. 

Clever stuff from warne : Anything can happen in div 1 and our wonderful fans should just have fun, enjoy the ride etc …
No, No, no
it’s too far a cry from what he said beginning of the season: failure to achieve promotion in this div this season with this squad is … failure. 

Most of our midfielders do as required by the manager - ie Hourihane made that quite clear. Sibley plays as required by the manager, he's never had a long (ie more than 3!) games in a midfield role, how on earth can he learn the position at this level. He adjusted to being fullback well enough, perhaps he could be allowed to adjust to being a goal-scoring midfielder? He's younger than Wilson btw, where will he end up under Warne?

He put over some delicious crosses in that first half. Curled just behind the defence, just waiting to be headed in. Gayle isn’t quite up to speed yet but once he gets used to Ward’s delivery he should get hatfuls. 

Thought ward was excellent today, especially first half. 

As for stronger sides, this lot had won 3 out of their previous 4 games before yesterday, and we dismantled them on their own patch, when our rivals were dropping points against equivalent or worse sides. Of the remaining fixtures, only Bolton, Blackpool (both at home) and Pompey A are arguably tougher than yesterdays fixture. If we reproduce this performance consistently regardless of who we’re playing we have a great chance. 
Yesterday we were very good. Its grossly unfair to place some of it down to poor opposition when they weren’t poor. Vale I agree wasn’t the barometer as they were really bad but not the case yesterday. They had their moments and we stood firm.
 

We’re good at wining 

Don’t blame you for not reading my posts ( I should thank you for not having me on ignore.) But if you’d seen my posts you’d see I’ve been saying for ages Ward should be used more (including after the two dropped bollicks). Most recent was a recent reply to ghostofclough who was saying the same thing in the Charlton match day thread.  
 
I like Nyambe and yes team selection is difficult because we’ve got a good squad now.  But that’s exacerbated by the flip flop approach to formation which imo is difficult for the players.
 
The price we’ve paid is that we’re not going into the last stretch with an established set up and the ability to play consistently good football. And possibly we’ve paid in points as well but who knows. 
 
I fear team selection rests too much on issues of personality and not enough on good analysis of football- based criteria. Indeed Warne has in the past boasted that his recruitment follows the same approach 
 
 

there was nothing veiled about my criticism of Warne. IMO, if we want to watch decent effective football, Ward should be in or close to the starting XI.  And his defensive frailties need not be exposed if he is given the right role, especially now we have Adams. Been saying it for many weeks. 

In front of goal he’s got poise and killer instinct   

Fair enough mate, though we're miles apart on the last two paragraphs. I remain hopeful irrespective and ultimately Warne will be judged on what he achieves, or fails to, nothing else. Ii seems to me that opinions at either extreme are fairly entrenched now and whatever happens, I think it's clear that rightly or wrongly, Warne will always polarise opinion.

Don’t blame you for not reading my posts ( I should thank you for not having me on ignore.) But if you’d seen my posts you’d see I’ve been saying for ages Ward should be used more (including after the two dropped bollicks). Most recent was a recent reply to ghostofclough who was saying the same thing in the Charlton match day thread.  
 
I like Nyambe and yes team selection is difficult because we’ve got a good squad now.  But that’s exacerbated by the flip flop approach to formation which imo is difficult for the players.
 
The price we’ve paid is that we’re not going into the last stretch with an established set up and the ability to play consistently good football. And possibly we’ve paid in points as well but who knows. 
 
I fear team selection rests too much on issues of personality and not enough on good analysis of football- based criteria. Indeed Warne has in the past boasted that his recruitment follows the same approach 
 
 

Like I said, he's only been missing from 3 of our matchday squads since returning from his heel injury, and two of those were because he had a groin strain. So he's been either in the team or in the squad every time he's not been injured.

In front of goal he’s got poise and killer instinct   

In front of goal he’s got poise and killer instinct