Ramrob

You got me worried for a moment – though someone was resigning! 

You got me worried for a moment – though someone was resigning! 

You got me worried for a moment – though someone was resigning! 

That’s a really important hyphen, can it be added to the thread title so I don’t have a heart attack thinking Wayne’s thrown the towel in. 

Not overly scientific. Based on the highest number of league starts made in Goal, Defence, Midfield, Attack in a 442 formation.
Three ‘subs’ are those with the next most starts. 
 

48 hours I heard. Don't hold your breath though - unless you're not wearing a face mask. ?

New stock due in imminently.

Bit late to the party…
Suffolk
Ipswich Town
Born in Burton (Winshill). Dad a Rams fan and my grandad lived next door to Jackie Stamps! Moved this side of the country over 20 years ago for university but once a Ram…

Mine is even worse as:
A) It was before there was any such thing as replica shirts so my Mum attached a Rams badge on a plain white shirt with poppers
B) My hair clashed with the Trophy football and the curtains
C) It was my 10th birthday and my cake only had a measly three candles.

Okay then, we're just past the halfway point of the season and with a Cup weekend in store now seems like an opportune time to update you all with how we are seeing things as a collective.
 
Man of the Match Awards
Jagielka             4
Bird                   3.5
Knight                3
Forsyth              2
Shinnie              2
Lawrence           2
Thompson         2
Davies               1.5
Sibley                 1
Roos                   1
Allsop                 1
Byrne                 1
Stearman           1
 
Man of the Match Podium Finishes
Davies              12
Jagileka             9
Bird                    9
Knight                8
Shinnie              6
Forsyth              4
Ebosele             4
Allsop                4
Thompson         4
Roos                  3
Lawrence           3
Kazim                 2
Byrne                 2
Sibley                 1
Morrison             1
Buchanan           1
Plange                1
Stearman            1
 
Top 10 Individual Match Performances
 1.   Roos            9.07   (a) West Brom
 2.  Davies          8.78   (h) Stoke
 =.  Bird              8.78   (h) Stoke
 4.  Thompson   8.69   (a) Stoke
 5.  Lawrence     8.63   (h) Bournemouth
 =.  Davies          8.63   (a) Reading
 7.  Knight           8.46   (h) Bournemouth
 8.  Jagielka        8.45   (a) Fulham
 9.  Roos             8.42   (h) Stoke
10. Shinnie          8.39   (a) Sheff Utd
 =. Davies           8.39   (a) Fulham
 
Average Performance Rating for the Season
There has been a total of 6608 ratings provided awarding a total of 43292 points. The average rating thus far is therefore 6.55. The top ten performers have an average rating above that with the remaining 14 being below that average score. The list below shows the players in order of average rating with the number of ratings provided in brackets. As those with fewer ratings provided get more game time it will be interesting to see if it impacts on their current position.
 
 1.  Thompson              7.45   (149)
 2.  Davies                    7.19   (533)
 3.  Knight                    7.14   (322)
 4.  Jagielka                 7.12   (399)
 5.  Allsop                    7.02   (180)
 6.  Bird                       6.96   (507)
 =.  Williams                6.96   (56)
 8.  Stearman              6.82   (164)
 9.  Shinnie                  6.68   (445)
10.  Buchanan             6.67   (243)
11.  Ebosele                 6.49   (266)
12.  Lawrence             6.42   (425)
13.  Roos                     6.38   (353)
14.  Plange                  6.35   (89)
15.  Byrne                    6.29   (480)
16.  Forsyth                 6.20   (372)
17.  Stretton                 6.14   (175)
18.  Jozwiak                6.11   (266)
19.  Cashin                  6.08   (6)
20.  Morrison              6.07   (398)
21.  Sibley                   6.03   (252)
22.  Kazim                   5.82   (222)
23.  Baldock               5.77   (266)
24.  Watson                5.50   (40)
 

I never understood the insistence that we had to play that game. Pure vindictive spite - no doubt in my mind that it was pushed through by voices that had agendas with a conflict of interest.  It went beyond sport and should never have been allowed. I have yet to hear any reasoned explanation or justification as to why, from anyone. 

Any excuse to post it again! ? ?

I almost changed it to that when I posted ? ?? … isn’t that just a brilliant, inspiring photo ?

Shouldn't that be – DCFC with wings…
 

Shouldn't that be – DCFC with wings…
 

I think Curtis club captain rather than team captain. It’s a bit like prime minister versus head of state. If we were a country Curtis would  (using his full title ) be : Curtis Eugene Davies - Field Marshall President for life  VC GC KG DFC with wings. 

Guardian.  Angel.

Great photo.  Every Derby fan felt same wether at reading or in they living room watching... my neighbours wondered wtf was going on when second goal went in

Thanks to all for the birthday wishes, especially the never-say-die Rams! I had a great day, and would have been back home to report in if it wasn't for a guy totalling his TVR Tuscan right in front of us on our way home!
My bestest, Veronica, had suggested we go somewhere for my birthday rather than just fritter it away at home doing not very much, but I suspected nothing because she doesn't do football. Besides, she is awaiting knee replacement surgery so no way could she climb up the terraces and then stand amongst a load of away fans for 90 odd minutes! But she did, and really got into the game! She even observed that we kept using the same tactics every time we attacked - spot on of course. Our preference for playing through the middle was being stifled, so we focussed on the wings and on crosses, so there seems to be a knowledgeable footy gal in there somewhere! Bless her!
With the early flurry, and that save!, I thought that Reading would maybe give us quite a challenge, but like many teams this season, they moved it around well in their own half and approaching our area, but there wasn't a lot of threat to show for it. The stats say that we outperformed them in all areas except for fouls committed. As an aside, despite beating us on fouls, yet again it is Derby who end up with the most yellow cards!
We too moved the ball around, but it was around the majority of the pitch. Sadly, for most of the match we were a bit too reticent when it came to taking a shot. Reading did defend well, and were prepared to throw bodies in the way, and many of our final decisions were not the best choices. And Max Bird, who excelled all over the pitch, let us and himself down two thirds of the way through the second half when he had a golden opportunity to let fly right in front of goal, but passed the ball sideways at the crucial moment and the chance was gone. I suppose he has got to make one or two mistakes, saving the perfect performance for the final, safety-ensuring match of the season where he earns himself his England call up!!!!
Our midfield was very "together" and ran the show, so all Reading had to offer was (a) lump it up to Carroll, (b) lump it up to Carroll and (c) every one play like Carroll. Veronica was concerned at 0 - 1 and then at 0 - 2 that my day out was going to be ruined, but I had already determined that it was going to be a great day out regardless of the score. The Rams don't need to win for us to support them, do they? DTID!!!
I have to admit that I was resigned to defeat after about 70 odd minutes when it seemed that absolutely nothing was working out for us, not matter what we did, and no matter how hard we worked. Yet all the time the pressure was building, especially after Reading had foolishly decided to park the bus and let us come onto them. My daughter looked at me and said "All I want is just 1 goal because we deserve that". Their keeper flapping at the ball gave CKR all he needed to bundle the ball over the line, at which point Naomi said "I meant 2 goals". OK said Curtis, and that was it, the day was done! With hindsight, perhaps she should have asked for the hat-trick!
I had been warned about the ref by a friend who is a fully qualified referee himself, in light of his performance when we played them earlier in the year, and I quote: "Just a heads up...... the ref today is John Busby. His previous Rams game was the 1-0 home win (Fozzy header) against Reading earlier this season. He was roundly criticised for being vastly pro Reading in his decision making. I hope he favours the away side again this time."
Well this time he gave us loads of free kicks, so was obviously aware of Reading's use of the dark arts to stop us building up any momentum. But he failed to throw a few yellows to nip it in the bud. Similarly when their keeper was blatantly wasting time, there were enough offences to warrant two yellow cards (not as if that would happen in any match, with any ref, of course), and his 3 or 4 "strong talkings to" were probably along the lines of "If you don't stop it, I shall be upset, and may even pout a bit". And although Sky reckon that Carroll's elbow to Jags head was unintentional, I must wonder If the 1st half leniency gave him the impression that he could use his elbows if he wanted to?
Apparently after the match the Sky pundits reckoned that Reading were in total control, and that Derby were never really in the match. That is despite their own stats saying the total opposite. We know different, and apart form getting the number of goals our play deserved, we absolutely ran the show.
Veronica pointed out the young guy with the straw coloured hair played really well, and changed where he played on the pitch after the substitutions" - I married well, didn't I? - she was speaking of young Tommo, who would have been my man of the match if it wasn't for Curtis Davis doing what he does best! And Tommo increasingly started trying defence-splitting through balls as the second half wore on, so maybe he has even more in his locker than we thought!
What a team! What a season! What a time to be a Ram!" COME ON YOU RAMS!

I was the opposite - went to see my poorly dad and hubby rang me on way home to kindly inform me of their goals. Walked in lounge and we scored the first within 30 seconds! Great 10 mins! Was great end to difficult afternoon

Just got home from another great awayday.
Best bit of the day, that header.
Second best bit of the day, the post-match Radio Berks phone in. 
Apparently, they were struggling for match fitness after three weeks rest, whereas we are all up to speed after our three easy wins;
Apparently, they have been badly affected by covid, whereas our club has not;
Apparently, they have been decimated by injuries to the extent that they are having to put academy players on the bench - aah! (Whereas we are having to rely on them in the first team, which they forgot to mention!) 
Apparently their players aren't championship standard and are all freebies that no-one else would want.
The radio presenters tended not to agree with the above comments and the programme finished with a rerun of their commentary of the game's goals - over a soundtrack of Britney Spears' "Oops, I did it again". Comedy gold!

It gets better every time I watch it. Phenomenal header! Won’t see many better than that. 

Saying that, Lawrence scored another special last minute header at the same ground in Lampard’s first game.

It gets better every time I watch it. Phenomenal header! Won’t see many better than that. 

Saying that, Lawrence scored another special last minute header at the same ground in Lampard’s first game.

Let’s not forget that cross from Byrne either?
Bend it like Byrne.