Caerphilly Ram

Another post season interview, the club clearly planned some content to keep us going until more news/the fallout from Vegas;

Beebooopbeeepboooooop….

Would some of these be good signings?

2 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

Why don't you read the thread and BACK OFF? I repeated what MadAmster said after I asked what style of football he was suggesting Warne played with Rovrum in the Championship third time.

Sorry Roy, it was genuinely meant light-heartedly, my mistake 

45 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

No I didn't read your posts.

So not just cross it and hope, okay.

Ah, and here we are a few days removed from securing our promotion through a 46 game season in which we achieved a record points total for the club, broke the record for away wins, had the best goal difference in the league, had 19 different goalscorers scoring a variety of goals to see us finish second in the league and for it all to be reduced to “cross it and hope”…. 🤣 never change Roy….

14 minutes ago, sage said:

Mathew Ryan ex Brighton keeper available on a free. Possibly the best in our price range. 

Is he? He’d be an interesting signing, not sure what his career has been like the last couple of years but he has prem and international pedigree right? 

1 minute ago, trappatoni said:

It'll be interesting to see what our strategy is.   Will we look longer term and spend money on young prospects who may then generate a profit or will we look to established players on frees again who are likely to command higher wages and have little sell on but will mean less initial outlay while we wait for our academy to start producing.  

I’ve been pondering the same and think we’ll see something in between. I think in general we’ll see more players in that 22-28 year old age bracket but will probably retain some of the older heads in the current squad with one or two new signings with experience. I think ultimately as we’ve seen this season it’s the blend in the squad and how they complement each other that’s key more so than just a focus on age.

13 minutes ago, Ramrob said:

Heard it becomes active on 25th December. 

24th surely? 

40 minutes ago, Carnero said:

Collo sounded like a man who already knows that he'll be on board again next season 👍

I thought the same, might be “misreading” him but he spoke like he’s still going to be a part of things and I’m keen for that to happen.

Sign him up for this alone….

🤣 🍻 

24th September 1997, Sheffield Wednesday 2 - 5 Derby County. A few days after my birthday, I finished school for the day and when my dad got home from work he asked out of the blue (and out of character to be so impulsive) if I wanted to go watch Derby that night, I of course said yes. So we picked up a mate of mine along the way and drove to Sheffield, watched some Italian magic from both sides with Di Canio and Carbone trying their hardest (and failing) to upstage Eranio and Baiano (scored 2). Wanchope (who I loved) and Burton combined for a goal a piece….can’t remember who got the other but it was a pretty special night under the Hillsborough lights wearing that sexy orange and blue Puma number 😮‍💨 

1 hour ago, Ambitious said:

 

I don't think anyone can dispute that we had the highest wage budget in the league. I know the club were coy in putting 'first-team wages' in the public domain but ultimately we spent more on wages last season (22/23) than Sunderland did in their promotion campaign (21/22) and they also had a category one academy. 

Sunderland spent £16.1m total across 572 employees - 252 full-time staff & 320 matchday staff during the 21/22 season. 

We spent £17.2m total across 177 employees - 59 playing staff & 118 non-playing. 

When the accounts are released for this season, considering promotion bonuses will be included & the increase in the first-team squad, I wouldn't be surprised to see it surpass £20m - which would be higher than probably roughly 10(?) Championship clubs. 

Just to be clear I wasn’t disputing our wage budget, the poster I replied to asked about evidence of our financial might so I shared a couple of bits of info to answer that query. 
I do dispute the use of that budget as a stick to beat Warne with, but I don’t wish to get into that. 

1 hour ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

7-8 million seems a little short with TV, Sponsorship, more money substantially just for being in the league and greatly increased away followings with additional on the day spending that goes with it.  I'll have a listen

I think the £7-8 million they mentioned on radio Derby and quoted by @maxjam was just the additional money from the tv deal, there was then further speculative points made about some of the points you listed above in helping increase revenue more.

It’s an interesting listen, if you can put up with Maguire. 

14 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

Reading in the recruitment team thread, about the young players that had been previously brought through into the first team. Got me wondering, which of the youngsters we were forced to sell during administration, could possibly now be pushing or actually be part of our first team squad if we had been able to keep them?

I’d probably say most of them if you look at what they’ve gone onto achieve;

Liam Delap currently on 30 apps with 8 goals and 2 assists in the championship for Hull.

Festy Ebosele played 17 times for Udinese last season and is on 28 apps and counting in Serie A this season.

Omari Kellyman has played in Europe, the EFL Cup and the PL for Villa.

Lee Buchanan ( 🤮 ) played 23 times for Werder Bremen last season and has 31 apps in the championship for Brum.

Malcolm Ebiowei hasn’t done loads since he left but had a spell on loan in the championship at Hull last year and didn’t look out of place there for us.

Kaide Gordon has had an injury hit few years at Liverpool it seems but has made some first team appearances and looks to be doing better in PL2 this season.

Not sure who else there was, the youngsters that went to Man United maybe?🤔 

1 minute ago, Wolfie said:

Did we have the biggest budget in the league this season?.

I keep seeing it said on here and used as a stick to beat Warne with but how does anyone know that?. I can't remember DC's exact words early on but recall he said something like it would be competitive with the other bigger clubs.

Maybe I've missed some official confirmation?

The financial figures released for 22/23 showed we had a high wage budget compared to the rest of the league, maybe not the highest but very much up there. £7.3m on first team wages according to this, not sure how that compares to other sides but it's probably pretty high for league one and we’ve recruited further for 23/24;

I’ve preached patience with Warne for 2 years, and yes the club has been working with restrictions for sure, but let’s not pretend we’ve not had some money to spend. How that money has been spent should be the focus of the debate for me, with consideration of those restrictions as part of the debate.
Our agents fees were the highest in the league as a result of both the restrictions we faced (big focus on free agents) and the resources available, we could afford to spend the most;

Just presenting the info I can find, I don’t see why people use it as a stick to beat Warne with as there are plenty of examples throughout football where having the biggest budget doesn’t always equal success (Chelsea lately anyone?), it still needs a capable manager to shape a squad and get it performing which Warne has done, perhaps more pragmatically than some would like. 

6 minutes ago, angieram said:

It could be. I'm a bit deaf! 

🤣 I only asked as a Google of Morgan Spencer brought up an American Football player, so I tried to find alternatives and Morten Spencer came up.
Asked a mate of mine who worked for Leeds about him and he spoke highly of his ability, said they signed him as an exciting prospect from Sunderland but it hasn’t quite worked out for him, reckons the talent is there but maybe the expectation affected him but with the right club and the right support could be a good player.

3 minutes ago, sage said:

Some people are more sensitive than others but despite not feeling bullied myself I have felt rounded upon and debate being shut down.

Again I would add that just because someone feels and reacts differently to you, it doesn't mean they are wrong or their is something wrong with them.

Let’s open up that conversation again, you and those others with valid concerns that you’re undoubtedly able to articulate should put them forward now (not saying you shouldn’t have before either by the way). The season is done, the radio Derby review and preview last night included some deserved praise for what has been delivered and some fair observations on what could be better, so let’s discuss it openly as adults as you say 🍻
 

Any inappropriate comments or behaviour can be reported should there be any. 

1 hour ago, therealhantsram said:

Highly recommend this review of the season, and more interestingly the 2nd half, a look at budgets, recruitment policies, who we should keep on, where we need to strengthen.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0hv0gmg?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

 

I second that. Listened to it this morning and thought there was some good, honest discussion on the season and also what we might need and face as challenges moving forward. Some balance in their chat about what went well and what could/will need to be better. 

12 hours ago, angieram said:

Morgan Spencer was one of the triallists. They announced his name when he was substituted. Looked impressive in the 10 role first half, dropped him deeper second, not so good.

Harry Evans was excellent in goal. Early second half Everton had a spell and he made some superb saves. Kept us in it and we went on to score two quick goals on the break. 

Well worth our win.

The Central League Cup final will be at Pride Park next Tuesday.

Match report up already - https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2024/04/u21-match-report-derby-county-vs-everton-april-2024-premier-league-2

Could it have been Morten Spencer? 20 year old Norwegian from Leeds academy?

7 minutes ago, Kernow said:

 

If Cardiff want £500k there’s maybe a deal to be done somewhere between the two figures, £350-400k would be a good bit of business, don’t even think paying the £500k would be terrible. 

2 hours ago, oodledoodle said:

Wasn't that thread from October, when things were looking absolutely dire on the pitch? I appreciate it's a results business, but at the time we were getting neither the results nor a performance. We'd barely troubled the top six the previous season, and looked set to repeat the same again.

The message was sent loud and clear that it wasn't good enough. Had things carried on in the same manner, he'd have been out of a job. Absolutely no doubt in my mind. It's also important that Warne at this point was freely admitting things were nowhere near good enough. It wasn't just us Warne outers that were critical. He was agreeing with us.

Credit given to all involved that following that "altercation" with Hourihane and the fans, results did improve. And that was despite key players being out injured. I absolutely think that the toxicity at the time knocked some reality into the players and staff. I think it was their make or break time. I also absolutely think we'd be nowhere near second had we all just clapped them off every game, and quietly accepted whatever garbage was being served up. I truly think it was the moment the penny dropped for the club. And it was needed.

I think that point in time, when the Warne doubt was at it's highest, that neither camp was wrong. One camp were fed up with things as they were in reality. One camp were optimistic things would improve. I'd also argue both camps were right because despite results improving, arguably the football didn't. So some very valid questions remained.

However it's results that get you up, so most sane doubters were placated. And we did go up. Because we're Derby and we're brilliant, regardless of who's in charge.

But I'm always wrong, so feel free to disagree.

You’re correct, with my patient optimism I have always been right! And some people have also always been correct in their concerns. But mainly I was right 😉 

I think the door has swung both ways with the more vocal minority on either side of the argument quick to goad, dismiss, mock, label all season long. Looking at it objectively the following concerns have been raised, some of them are valid and some were clearly short sighted and spiteful, the evidence is there if you go looking from all sides. These are summarised/paraphrased points to try and capture all sides ;

- “Warne doesn’t have any pull” (disagree here as we’ve signed some effective players this season… and gambled with some injury prone ones)

- which brings me to point two, “he’s been operating with restrictions so we should be patient.” I always felt there was some logic to this and also agree with the points made that we still could have recruited better when you look at some of the other free agents signed up by our rivals. Overall the group we had were effective and got the job done, hindsight being the wonderful thing that it is I can’t help but wonder if we’d have won the league with a couple of different options.

- “he only signs old players/cloggers/former Rotherham players” biggest short sighted load of nonsense out of all the criticism for me and one point I’ve been at pains to counter for the last 2 seasons. It’s a generalised and ill informed view that ignores the restrictions at play and also the likes of Nyambe, Adams, Nelson, Wilson, Elder, Ward, TJJ, none of whom are ancient or cloggers or former Warne players.

- “players don’t want to play for him/he’s a glorified PE teacher/fitness coach” always felt this was unfair and it’s clear by the end of the season that this squad did want to play for him and he’s got a little more about him than some would credit. His man management seems to be a big strength and one people have been quick to dismiss, surely he deserves credit for getting the team over the line even if they are “the best players in the league” and he’s “just done what’s expected of him” 😉 

- “he’s tactically limited” this is one of the big ones and hard to fully pick apart without a good dialogue from all sides. Part of me agrees and sees it from the football purists point of view that we don’t typically control the ball and control games so see why folks have issues there. But also he has adapted all season, used different shapes, different combinations and still got the job done. It seems to be a case of pragmatism over style which then comes down to preference as many have expressed, it’s not for them that’s fair enough, and others (like myself) are happy seeing us score goals and win regardless of style (which is also fair enough). Though my biggest and remaining complaint with him will seemingly always be his timing of subs, a couple of times this season he’s nailed it (can’t remember specific games) but there have been others when a change was desperately needed and he’s done nowt….come on Paul, save my blood pressure next season please. It’ll be interesting to see how he adapts in the championship with Derby, but I think he’s earned that right.

- “the football is dire”, another difficult one to reconcile personally for me as I’ve enjoyed it but I get that people want more control in midfield, more passing etc so again it’s a complicated point to discuss with more nuance. Personally I’ve enjoyed winning lots, scoring plenty, improving away and ultimately going up automatically but it could have been smoother sailing for sure.

- “he doesn’t trust young players”, another of the biggies that so far seems to be evident and is more a wait and see thing for me. He definitely could/should have used the pizza cup to blood a few more youngsters this season then perhaps they’d have been ready to plug gaps when injury struck. However I also see Warne’s point about not throwing them in and “ruining them”, he’s essentially done the job this season but given the investment in the academy and his key it in theory will be to the clubs future this is one he must do better on.

- “his interviews are *insert positive/derogatory comment*” this is all down to personal preference, some like his interview style and some don’t, if that’s how you feel it doesn’t make you factually wrong it’s just an opinion. 
 

- “give him time”, seems so far to have been the right shout, earlier in the season understandably more and more people had concerns, I even had my own mini wobble, but essentially the patience appears to have paid off (for this season at least….what happens next we have to wait and see).

There may be other points but I’ve got to do the school run so feel free to pile on and tell me what I missed and where I’m wrong. My point here is that there are valid concerns all round, and plenty to discuss respectfully, we all want what’s best for the club. 

If I were Clowes I’d be leaving Warne (and his staff’s) contract as is. Warne probably also content with that. There’s still 2 years to run, probably had some sort of bonus or % increase written in should he achieve promotion. Wait and see how we go and if there’s a need to discuss a new deal it can happen later in the next season. 

Here’s hoping those rumours saying talks have started over a permanent deal are true. 

This is great 🤣