Jayram

Can only see a 0-0 or scrappy 1-0 but looking forward to going - fed up of football free Saturdays!

3 hours ago, Wolfie20 said:

"Our owner will need to understand..........".

Really?

Yes really, for the reasons stated. 

Pompey and Bolton for the top 2. Oxford, Charlton, Peterborough and possibly Barnsley giving them a good chasing all season. Pompey’s coach is highly regarded in football circles and Evatts record with Bolton speaks for itself. Liam Manning at Oxford has recruited well (they beat QPR 5-0 in their last pre-season friendly), Charlton are getting some decent players in and obviously Peterborough have retained the majority of their squad. Barnsley might fall away now their manager has moved on but all of the above are a good shout for promotion. 

1 hour ago, Tyler Durden said:

There's yourself and a handful of other forum members whom are regular malcontents with their posts that our recruitment is garbage as so far we haven't been able to get in this mythical pacey, proven goalscorer whom is available on a free, whose wages matches our budget and that no other scout in the entire football league has heard about. 

Have you ever considered that there's a valid reason for this?

You and your cohorts just don't seem to want to move away from your stance. 

Hang on fella, not once have I come close to saying our recruitment is ‘garbage’ or anything of the sort. I’m that much of a ‘malcontent’ that I’ve renewed my season ticket even though I live around 120 miles away from PP as well as my away membership, but I’m entitled to an opinion on our failure to recruitment an adequate replacement for McGoldrick. And it is a failure, whatever the reasons might be. 

Just now, Caerphilly Ram said:

Who do you think would fit that role? Are there any examples you can add into the conversation as suggestions?

I am not employed by a football club as a scout or recruitment professional so I'll leave that to the people at DCFC who are. A fairly big deal was made of the chap we got from Oxford Utd who was supposed to be very good at this sort of thing, so maybe you should ask him.

8 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Washington and Mendez-Laing are both pacey forwards, so are you sure it's a "pacey forward" which we need?

I mean a younger nippy striker who can make things happen out of nothing and knows where the net is. I don't think NML or Washington are that kind of player. 

Irrespective of the arguments around budgets it is patently obvious that we need a younger quicker forward who can slot in and make things happen on the occasions when Warneball fails, as it will from time to time. If we do not find that type of player either via a transfer fee or loan then we are going to struggle to make a dent in the top six this coming season. None of us know what is happening on the recruitment front but it is concerning that we are 6 days away the start of the season without such an option in the squad. This should have been sorted much sooner than it has and that in my view reflects poorly on the club recruitment/coaching staff.

5 hours ago, angieram said:

I'm prepared to spend £13.40 a game to watch a strong, competitive team that contains a mix of talented young players who have come through our academy and good pros who have been brought in for their ability to get us out of this division and at least give them a chance to do so  before I throw my toys out of the pram.

I saw no chunk of the fanbase missing last season and the attendances at this season's friendlies and early demand for tickets suggests there won't be much change this season.

If some of the occasional big game only fans stay away because we haven'tgot a star striker in yet, then I think we'll barely notice  tbh.

If and when Clowes and Warne's approach doesn't work, I will say so, but can we give the season a chance first? 

 

Of course we’ll give the season a chance first, that’s why people like me and my mate have renewed our ST’s again and are preparing for a 230 mile round trips every couple of weeks for the next 9 months!
However I think that the failure (so far) to bring in a decent young forward in the age range we were told we’d be looking for is a worry, so it’s fair to question why that is the case.

20 hours ago, MadAmster said:

... and why DC won't do it. Self sufficiency and sustainability are the key words going forward. We were on the brink a year ago. More recently Southend United and Scunny are in the mire. Bury went tits up. Brum were in the deep and sticky. Unless clubs realise they can't keep throwing money they don't have at the hope of getting promoted, more will either escape by the skin of their teeth as we did or go under a la Bury and others. The game cannot be run along those lines. 

I understand that principle but if we extrapolate that over the next few years are you prepared to pay £28-£33 for a match ticket to watch us spend season after season in this division, selling our best youngsters, paying nominal fees  and hoping for the best? If you are then that’s fine but I imagine a large chunk of the fan base are not and interest will fade rapidly. There has to be a balance between sustainability and ambition; no one is wanting a return to MM days but equally if we want to get out of this league anytime soon we will need to be competitive in the transfer market and that means occasionally having to pay the going rate. 

3 hours ago, Sparkle said:

Our owner sets the budget for all aspects of the club and hopefully we are determined to be self sufficient and not a debt ridden football club which means lower wages and hardly any transfer fees and selling when decent offers come in. 

Well our owner will need to understand that if that is his philosophy going forward, however laudable, it will probably lead to a certain level of pitch mediocrity, fans becoming disillusioned and a subsequent fall in attendances, revenue and interest. Sadly there doesn't appear to be such a thing in modern football (especially at this level) as a self sufficient club or at least a successful one. We will need occasionally to push the boat out to sign the kind of players that will get us out of the division otherwise we will end up being stuck here for years. 

7 hours ago, uttoxram75 said:

Thanks, even though you know its coming its still bloody awful when it happens.

My sympathies mate; my dad was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer recently and is about to start his treatment so I can understand how hard it must have been/is at the moment for you all.
Let’s hope the Rams can bring some cheer for us with a promotion winning season (though it won’t for my dad, he’s a Millwall supporter!).

31 minutes ago, richinspain said:

Sorry, but I have to disagree. We've sold Bielik after making zero appearances last season, so although he is a quality player the squad hasn't gone backwards from last season.

We've sold Knight, who is obviously a very good player played all of the minutes he could have done. However he played those minutes either at right back where we have brought in two specialised wing backs, or at centre mid where Smith is now available in his preferred position.

I don't think that the squad has gone backwards for those two sales.

We released several aging centre backs, and replaced them with younger better suited players for the preferred style of play.

McGoldrick decided to move on. He will obviously be difficult to replace, however he limited a little our style of play due to us being forced to play to his. We have signed an experienced forward who plays to Warne's preferred style.

Last season we finished 7th on goal difference. We were hardly treading water. It is to be seen if we have recruited as well as it would appear, but I don't think for one second that we have gone backwards.

I wasn’t really thinking about Bielik, more the loss of Knight and McGoldrick. Neither in my view have been replaced by better quality players in Smith or Washington. The problem we have is that Warnes preferred style is easily countered if you press/nullify the wing backs. Once you’ve done that and stopped the crosses coming in our current strikers are dead in the water, so we desperately need another more mobile/quick forward who can makes things happen in other ways. I appreciate we are restricted financially but without this option I think we are going to be lame ducks next season. 

28 minutes ago, Srg said:

 

That is so disappointing to hear. Two of our best players have gone from a squad that wasn’t that strong to begin with and now we learn that there’s next to nothing to spend to replace them. Well that to me says we’ll be treading water next season. 

1 hour ago, RoyMac5 said:

Not gonna happen this season is it? 😞

It’s simple really. Without decent investment up front we will struggle for goals and it will be a hard slog next season. I honestly think we’ll be on the outside looking in as the likes of Pompey, Peterborough, Bolton, Charlton, Oxford and Barnsley bypass us. I’m clinging to the hope that we will get a striker in who is under the age of 30 and is a decent prospect before the opening game but the vibe from the club doesn’t really fill me with confidence. 

1 hour ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

We're in League One with next to to money whatsoever.

There's absolutely nothing out there in the free agent market.

This bloke has scored just over 200 goals in just over 400 games and some of us are saying no.

I'm intrigued as to realistically you'd want us to sign? Or would fit in a wage budget? 

I'm not saying he's a world beater or I'd be excited. But it's league one. We are where we are. Personally think he could comfortably score between 10-15 goals at this level.

Also Knight hasn't even been gone a week yet and some people are panicking that we've not replaced him. 

I think people are entitled to feel a bit underwhelmed at us being linked to yet another 30 something journeyman forward. We are pouring money into the club via season ticket sales etc, we are apparently no longer under embargo and we’ve just sold Knight so surely there is enough finance to make it viable to sign someone relatively young and with a decent scoring record. Without investment up front of this kind I honestly don't think we’ll trouble the top six next season; we simply don’t have enough quality goal scorers. 

We have better balance in the squad now but not enough quality. Can’t see us troubling the automatic places without at least one proven goal scorer, and I don’t mean another one over the age of thirty. I just don’t see where the goals are coming from and I think we should show a little more respect to some of the other clubs in this league; the likes of Oxford, Bolton, Charlton and Portsmouth are all building decent squads and both Barnsley and Posh are still here. I’m quietly confident that we will be around the top six but really we need to be aiming for autos and that means spending a few quid on quality up front. 

No thanks, bang average and no better than what we’ve got already.

Warne has now got a transfer budget and therefore the ability to bring in his own players. He is supposed to be a League One promotion specialist so I expect promotion; there is no reason now we are competing on a level playing field that we shouldn’t achieve it. For me anything else in such a weak league would be failure.

We wore blue and white during one of the most dismal periods of our history in the late 70’s/early 80’s so I have no affinity for it. White shirts, black shorts, white socks, red numbers on the back. Simple. 

All members of the Oxford Rams (two of us) have renewed this morning - very happy to do so and excited for the new season. COYR.

100% renewing.

9 hours ago, Ramslad1992 said:

Reasons to be positive… we all have each other, we’re a special group but I wouldn’t be anywhere else…  next years our year 🐏❤️

Love this. I’ve been through thick & thin with this club for the last 42 years and was gutted at the final whistle yesterday. Then 5 minutes later me and my mate were discussing our away trip schedule for next season! COYR.

1 hour ago, Malty said:

I’m not a fan so far. Too much territory based football, too defensive at home. Players out of position (not all forced). Form players being left on the bench.

 

I am hoping next year with his own squad we will be more of a team that suits Warnes style of play. But I fear it will be a variant of hoof ball. 🙁

Think you’re right. I don’t rate Warne’s football philosophy; he strikes me as a pound shop Rowett and I’m concerned about the kind of players he’s going to sign, but as he’s here for the duration it’s a case of having to suck it and see and get behind the team as always. 

5 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Sheffield were there to be had today.

We can only blame ourselves. We are one of the best teams at creating chances in the league and one of the worst at converting them. 

Blame refs and the EFL if you want. Come up with an imaginary conspiracy theory if it helps.

This was our own fault. Nobody elses.

I would normally agree with you but today we were very definitely cheated by that p**** of a ref. Never a pen and therefore never a red. 

After the torture of last season I felt an enormous connection to the club and when DC bought us I knew right away he was going to be the right owner for us. I therefore bought my first season ticket in 28 years, renewed my away membership and even bought a subscription to the programme. 

I’ve been to away matches in places I’d never heard of, sang my heart out with people half my age and had an absolute blast. I’ve felt emotional looking across the stands at the numbers of Rams fans who have packed in home and away to watch the likes of Morecambe or Forest Green, and I’ve gone back to talking about teams selection or the form of certain players rather than worrying about whether we would still have a club.

Despite my personal reservations about PW I think we’ve had an amazing season considering where we were last summer and can’t wait for next season, regardless of what division we’re in. Whatever happens I’ll be renewing my ST and away membership and doing it all over again in 23/24. 
 

COYR!!