Foreveram

15 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

If Hourihane starts we riot 

8 minutes ago, Comrade 86 said:

It's pretty hard to keep up with the plethora of injuries and the estimates on how long said players will take to return. Suffice to say it's pretty grim reading in any case and I see some are saying Ebou is now out too. If that's the case, then we're bang in the doodoo I'm afraid, as opposed to our current status which I'd describe as mildly decimated. That said, there's a match to be played, so based on what has been confirmed to date, but is equally subject to daily change, I'd go with the following:

A hopefully more mobile and solid looking 4 at the back, let's start from a solid foundation, at least. I'd have Wilson and Elder either side of the two who pick themselves, Cash and Nelson.

Before the Sibley fan club get irate, he still in my starting 11, I'd just push him right up the field to play off / behind Waghorn and look to make hay with Wilson and Ward paired on the right flank.

CBT remains an unknown to me but he looks the only sensible option we have right now to provide some sort of threat on the left. Lord knows I'd love to see the lad step up, as if ever there was a time to make a name for himself, it's now. He does show promise, but we need something rather more tangible come Friday night.

Elsewhere, Smith comes in for Hourihane. We must front up early and I think we'll be more able to do so without sacrificing too much passing ability, with Korey in a 3 and Conor an option later in the game as legs tire.  Waggy completes the line up, but is only marginally favoured over Washington. I might even be tempted to start the latter as I believe he will stretch defences more than a strangely subdued looking Waghorn. Waggy gets the nod by a  cat's whisker.

 

The starters aside, I'll wait to see who we have available and remotely fit, but even just for the psychological lift, it'd be grand to see Collo tamping at the bit in the dugout. Likewise, could young Jake Rooney figure? Robinson and Weston, along with the skipper and Thommo, seem likely candidates for the bench too.

I do think it's all about this game now. Win and with players perhaps returning the following week (or with another week under their belts at least), we could be back on track. Conversely, slide to another defeat and all momentum will be lost. With Pompey sat in wait, that's a fairly grim prospect, least it is for yours truly.

Suffice to say it's a huge weekend for club and fans and on that note, the first time we've actually had something to play for in a few seasons now, something I've overlooked if truth be told, so that's some small silver lining, at least!

COYR

Huge weekend you say.

43 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

They can’t have done. I just checked on their site and you can still select tickets.

They could have sold the initial allocation and then requested more, but like I said I haven’t seen any evidence of this.

12 minutes ago, Pikeyram said:

Do we know if Blackpool have sold their allocation?

They had an initial allocation of 1,034, I haven’t seen anything to say that they have sold these.

29 minutes ago, LoadofCobblers said:

Hi Rams, I commented on the reverse fixture when you battered us earlier in the season so thought I would do the same just to give some context from the other side.

A very different game to the one at Pride Park earlier in the season. The San Sixfields pitch is much smaller which definitely helps us, particularly against the big boys in the division. We have taken a pasting of pretty much all of the teams at the top of the table away from home this season, whilst at home managed mostly narrow defeats instead.

No doubt that you should have scored at least one of the two chances in the first half, or at the very least worked the keeper, one of them goes in and you dont lose the game without a shadow of a doubt. The game earlier in the season you were picking holes in between our midfield and defense with ease, also NML pace was a constant threat. However in this game were clearly more compact and outside of those opportunities it didn't feel like you created a huge amount of clear cut chances. It was noticeable that you were much more direct this game for whatever reason, which I am far more confident of us deadling with. I know you have a number of bodies out, but we have 10 out (mostly in defence) so the injury list was similar on both sides.

I thought the goal was a really well taken finish, definite foul in the build up but the defending after that would be pretty poor. Your full back (Wilson I think) also definitely handled it in the second half with no one around him. 

I sit in the end where Bradley got his red, he definitely put his head in. Don't get me wrong i dont think Monthe is going to require a trip to the hospital but unfortunately you have to go down to almost bring it to attention. Thought it was poor from a guy who is that experienced and was seemingly always looking for physicality in the game. Yes we tried to slow down the game, no doubt about it. If i was an away fan I would be furious and hope the ref would stop it. But to add some context our season has been petering out to a degree with mid table safety and clearly our manager has given them a rocket pointing out there are still points to play for, there was not a lack of effort on our point despite little to play for seemingly. To be honest we are doing about as well as a club our size could be expected to do, as we were on of the favorites for the drop.

I hope you go up, clearly a huge club that should not be at this level (plus dont want Peterborough to go up). I am guessing there is a big split in the fanbase over the manager, that was evident by the booing of one of the substitutions which you don't expect from a team that are fighting for the title. As a completely neutral observer Warne to me sits in the Gareth Ainsworth esque category of managers. Likeable character and personable, but with limitations at a higher level and in developing a more free flowing style, it dosnt seem like the best fit. Playing Pompey and Peterborough recently (both away so different challenges I guess) but they seemed much more composed in their style of play and just seemed to have more ways to hurt us.

Hopefully your injury woes ease up a little and all the best for the rest of the season.

Hope your dragon gets a visit from St George😉

Tickets available for the last two home games.

Blackpool 640.

Leyton Orient 3,280.

Carlisle now officially sold out.

Carlisle now showing as sold out.

Tickets on sale for Cambridge tomorrow, total allocation 1,473.

10 minutes ago, DCFC Kicks said:

My original point was in response to someone who mentioned the foundations seeming to disappear at any given moment. I don't disagree with you that we've been very good in numerous games, but to me they just seem to be one-off games. Our good performance wasn't through a longstanding progression of play style being implemented throughout the season. Everything seems incredibly short term, which is why we lose games like yesterday - because there's no foundational play style to fall back on once the one-off game plan fails. Yes we were unlucky yesterday and could've drawn or won on another day, but the performance wasn't good either. 

 

What if in a sliding doors moment that shot from Waghorn had gone in, it could have been a completely different scenario and a 20 page shorter match day thread.

9 minutes ago, Foreveram said:

No, not biting.

13 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

He said that last summer before signing Sonny Bradley and Martyn Waghorn 

No, not biting.

22 minutes ago, enachops said:

Does anyone know when tickets become available for the East Stand blocks near the away fans? I’m holding fire for the Blackpool game but it’s a risky tactic. There down to below 850 now.

I don’t think anyone on here can answer that question, all you can do is keep checking the site.

 I don’t think it’s a risky tactic in that there will be more seats in all areas of the ground including the South stand added in the next few days.

4 minutes ago, Chris_Martin said:

so no plan to change tactics then

No idea, why don’t you ask him.

1 hour ago, DCFC Kicks said:

Its because there are no foundations. Warne just takes every game as it comes and tries to ground out a result by any means. It is working most of the time, but I'm never truly that shocked whenever we lose a game to anyone. It feels like Warne picks one-off tactics for each opponent and hopes they work, but occasionally they don't or the opponent works them out in-game and we lose. There's no longevity or continuity to anything he's implementing.

Apart from at the fans forum he said he wants to sign younger more athletic players in the summer.

33 minutes ago, LN747 said:

Positives? That if we go up that will be the best way to rub that cocky Northamptons mascots dragon face in the dirt - if we don’t go up then next season I’m taking a bag of mouldy fruit and sewage to throw at it…

That was a first, I don’t think I’ve ever swore at a dragon before ☺️

18 minutes ago, Oldben said:

Carries a great deal of risk given that we are unlikely to beat Portsmouth and we still don't know collins and Washingtons exact return date or how quickly they will be back to scoring.

Bolton has an opportunity to overhaul us.

Portsmouth is a game we could easily lose.

 

I’d put money on a return date for Washington being 23rd of March.

10 minutes ago, Crewton said:

The 17 transfers in this season that they could afford - not exactly "bottom-feeding"  :

Luke Hutchinson, so good you named him thrice 😂

7 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

Exactly. Which part of 'a tricky question for them to answer' didn't you get?! 😄 

It was a straightforward answer,THE MANAGER DIDN’T THINK THEY WERE GOOD ENOUGH.

Suppose you’ll be here all week now.🙄

2 minutes ago, angieram said:

DCCT 10k earlier today. There may be restrictions around Pride Park. It usually takes ages to clear everything up. 

I knew there was something I was meant to be doing this morning 😂

Tickets available for the last 3 home games.

Blackpool 894.

Leyton Orient 3,332.

Carlisle 0.

No official announcement of a sellout for Carlisle and the site is still showing buy tickets although there are none available to buy, I don’t know if it’s possible to take some of the away allocation.

19 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

It's a tricky question for them to answer that don't you think? Say well actually we expected some of them to get more minutes in the Cup games and then look over to where Warne is sat? 😄

So which part of “ they haven’t done enough to convince Warne” don’t you understand.

Warne was standing a few feet away.

20 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

I’m not sure you’ve got the definition of “supporters” quite right there.

It was my attempt at irony 😔

2 minutes ago, Ken Tram said:

Can anyone lea please recommend the best place to park if going to the club shop today (Sunday)?

Straight outside the door, but not in a disabled bay.

19 hours ago, Millenniumram said:

3 subs and Hourihane remains on the pitch.

Boos and “f*** off you Rotherham w*****” from the away end

This was from the guy just along from me, 4 rows from the front, shouting personal abuse at the Derby players from the kickoff and clearly within earshot of them.

At halftime he was asked by the elderly guy behind him why If he is going to stand up all of the time did he buy a ticket near the front, his reply was “ I’m just going to ignore you “.

Around the 85th minute I noticed that he had gone quiet, I looked across and he had gone. Supporters eh.