dcfc4ever

Max Bird is the thinking mans midfielder, rate him more and more every time I see him. 
the best off the “production line” since the greatest ever William….
oh William I still miss you…
 

I think even the biggest Lawrence detractor accepts he has undoubted ability. We all know Tom's past and without condoning his actions there were many circumstances that made it understandable. Wayne Rooney is now our manager and love him or hate him is probably in the best situation to say the lad (and the team) will benefit from this decision. Only time will tell if he is right or wrong but let's at least back the lad and give him a chance.

Curtis Davies (if we re-sign him) always strikes me as the perfect captain. But Curtis will always be a leader whether or not he wears the armband. If making Tom captain helps him to reach his undoubted potential on a more consistent basis I'm all for giving it a go.

I think the arguments relative to the positions of Keogh and the others have been discussed at length some time ago.
Tom, before the incident, was considered a top player / potential talisman .. but he blotted his copy book. He was punished. He got his head down and sought to redeemed himself. I think he succeeded in that. This in itself puts him as a candidate for whatever the club decides. Personally I would always want a Curtis type of man, as a team captain but the decision isn’t mine and Tom, having redeemed himself has a earned the chance to be considered for the role. 

How is being elevated to a position he didn't previously hold a form of redemption? Personally I don't think it's that important who the captain is, but given that our club obviously puts enough weight on the position to justify sacking someone for gross misconduct if they don't behave properly when given the armband, you have to wonder what kind of example this sets. Break the law, bring the club into disrepute, and as long as you can go 9 months without committing another crime you'll be rewarded. Brilliant.

So, a young guy who made a mistake, had lost a parent and was out with the team captain has no chance of redemption.? 
he was fit to play, fit to fulfill his contract, got his head down, was contrite, scored a few goals and got on with it. 
 
OK, for me Curtis has Captain written in his DNA but just maybe this is what it takes to lift Tom to another level ? 
I’m all for giving him a chance. 
 

Can't disagree. Rooney seemingly keen to prove that those who deem him to be totally clueless are spot on. 

I spend a lot of time reading these pages but don't often contribute much so bear with me!
One thing I think we would all agree on is that the club is in a mess and we were very lucky to survive last season. I don't think there's anyone that thinks this season will be any easier. 
The EFL in my opinion clearly have an agenda to make this season as difficult as possible for Derby. We are certainly not shopping in the same stores that we used to, in terms of player recruitment and this can be seen by the out of contract players currently training with us.
Now this is where I think we as fans can make a difference. I am becoming more and more frustrated when I read negative comments, especially about players who haven't even kicked a ball yet. For example....
Jagielka was an established premier League defender and with some younger legs around him, COULD become a quality signing.
Ravel Morrison has bags of ability and MAY have matured. The highlight reels certainly show there is a player that has an awful lot to offer if his head's in the right place.
Tom Lawrence has definitely been inconsistent. He has also had a drink problem, lost his mum and suffered personal issues not to mention Joiner Gate! BUT....he has bags of ability and giving him the captaincy could just be the kick up the bum he needs. 
These examples could easily be turned from possible positives to negatives.
However I can tell you one thing that is absolutely guaranteed .....and that is that we have the best possible chance of success If we get fully behind the team, remain positive and come together against those trying to knock us down such as the EFL, some other clubs, managers and chairmen.
I'm sick to death of reading negative comments from some who seem to think that we're entitled to success or think it's fine to boo etc as they've 'paid their money '. 
We've been in the second flight for a long time now and in my opinion never closer to dropping down another level.
So would you rather be positive and effectively become the 12th Man or be negative and add to the problem? ...and by the way I don't mean moaning that we've not played well. That's part of football and being a supporter. I mean almost personal attacks on players, management and chairman.
Be interested to hear people's views but really feel that if we can create some positivity we may just scrape by this season and give us a chance to move on again in a year's time. ...waffle over!

 
 
 

"I think for Tom it is a big season for him, he has to step up, he knows that." Rooney told DerbyshireLive.
"When he was injured last season I put a lot of demand on him to get back fit. What people didn't see and don't see is how he was and is in the dressing room. He was leading the players even when he was injured. He came back with high demands of himself and his team mates, and giving him that added responsibility is a challenge for him, and he has to take up that challenge..."

Just yesterday I read something I really liked, but I can't remember where but it's pertinent to this thread...
'Every saint has a past and every sinner a future.'  I'm not calling Captain Tom a sinner, but we've all done stupid things that come back to haunt us at about 3am. We can't change what we did in the past but we can make up for it in the future. Good luck, Tom! I'm so happy that so many on this thread are behind you.

Does the absence of strikers and the armband given to Tom suggest he will be playing more centrally this season? Presumably in the 10?
Good luck to him. I've lots of mates who have made daft mistakes in their early 20s and matured in their later 20s and with a bit of focus, are now doing well for themselves. Sometimes a baby, a missus or a new job can be that spark needed. Fingers crossed.

Just this tbh. I haven't seen Lawrence do much on the pitch in terms of leadership but what he has done is get himself stupidly sent off, losing his head in vital moments and played a big hand in derailing a season because of drink driving and injuring his teammates. It wasn't so long ago many were calling for him to be sacked just like Keogh was but now we're all onboard making him captain?  It seems as fans that many are increasingly taking this approach of defending illogical things (such as wasting our time with Ravel Morrison) because they might somehow set off a spark and produce a genie out of the bottle but when looked at in the cold light of day don't make much sense. 

This could be the making of Tom , congratulations mate , your mum would be proud of you

Congratulations Tom… great to see the support you’ve got from this forum.Been a tough few seasons for you personally and Derby County let’s all get behind our new team and bring on some good football for us to enjoy and get behind 

Congratulations Tom… great to see the support you’ve got from this forum.Been a tough few seasons for you personally and Derby County let’s all get behind our new team and bring on some good football for us to enjoy and get behind 

Congratulations to Tom, hope this is the inspiration he needs to bring out the very best in him.
It's your time to shine, young man.

good move for me. now lets gets this embargo lifted and extend his contract 

Reckon Rooney will be a better judge of Lawrence's credentials to be team captain than any fan on a football forum.
For pity's sake give the guy a chance.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that people do love a Captain Tom

Its an interesting one but I do think players like Davies, Shinnie & CKR dont need an armband to be leaders.
This could be a really good thing for Lawrence. I felt when he returned from injury he looked to take on the responsibility of being our main attacking threat & stepped up to the plate at a crucial time of the season. Maybe he is a players who thrives off responsibility. He doesnt need to be someone who screams & shouts but he can lead by example on the pitch & he certainly has the quality to do it. 
People say alot about his attitude on the pitch but I think thats just how he comes across, he doesnt get enough credit for his workrate and the defensive side to his game. He also clearly has the respect of the other lads.

I see the rationale behind it, makes sense. I think it'll give Tom some more drive and maturity.
https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2021/07/lawrence-confirmed-as-derbys-captain-for-202122-season

All the best Tom ?

Made some stupid decisions in the past but genuinely think this could make him. Giving him that responsibility shows a lot of faith. I'm here for it! 

I actually think this could be a good idea. I'm convinced he's matured, we saw that at the back end of last season. Whether you like it or not, he's one of the top players at the club now and very experienced. He'll thrive with the responsibility.