When did we accept mediocrity.

[Ambitious]

Something does have to give. I would not say people would be deluded to think a new manager would change things. You simply do not know that. Should attendances fall much further then the board will have to take action, current home results really do not help. Are you suggesting that there isn't a manager (who would come to Derby) who could get us promoted on our midtable budget? (then again this debate has been done loads)

I have no desire to go to PP. Nothing to do with the football played but I was sick of the attitude of some fans. It may have been a few years back, but to hear our own players being booed before the match even started was a joke. As long as I have been a Derby fan, most seasons have seen a relegation battle, or those early excellent prem seasons under the Bald Eagle. This is the longest sustained period without any real excitement. It really is tough to get hopes up when we are so inconsistent, it is tougher to accept that we are a midtable championship side and if this goes on our attendances will reflect that.

I think in truth, it is my love for football as a whole that is stagnating, I feel the game has lost it's character.

 

Yes, but there is also managers that would easily relegate ourside on such a budget.

 

let's just have a quick gander..

 

teams that have been promoted on a similar budget (or less) to us, let's say in the past 5 seasons.

Crystal Palace

Reading

Swansea

Norwich

Blackpool

Burnley

 

and teams that have been relegated on a similar budget (or more) to us in the past 5 seasons.

Bristol City

Wolves

Portsmouth

Preston

Sheffield United

Sheffield Wednesday

Southampton

Norwich

Charlton

 

so, for me there is enough evidence to throw caution to the wind especially when changing manager. 

 

And as for the game losing character, I couldn't agree more - that is why I support Nigel Clough more than I would any other manager given the same circumstances. It gives a sense of nostalgia to the football club, and is far from a mercenary that you expect to have in this game! 

 

[Spanish]

I just don't get the lack of ambition. Whether it is the board, clough or metgod. What do they want? I can't imagine the board investing in any aspiration to create a better team. I can't imagine that the management will 1 get poached by a better outfit 2 get sacked or 3 resign in frustration over a lack of investment. Currently they all seem content to bumble along and whilst this continues mediocrity is all we can expect

[PrivateDerby]

We are who we are, you win some you lose some, can't win 'em all... etc. etc.

I accepted it ages ago, that's why I laugh when they score. Derby fans need to realise where our level is, the reasons we're at this level and adjust their expectations accordingly.

I know that Cloughie can get us there so lets not make it harder for him than it already is eh?!

Don't get me wrong, sometimes I look at my ram tatt on my arm and think - "thanks a f*cking lot Granddad"

Then I look at a few of my mates that have much better time than me following Alsager (yeah, whooooo?) and it turns me green, honestly, they have waaaay more fun than us....

So I say, like I've said before.... accept who we are and where we're at, look forward to the ups and downs, have a pint, get some chips and sing come on Derby.

How hard can it be?!

[PrivateDerby]

Unless Alan's book sells well of course, then we can really start to dream again.

[smiffy]

We are who we are, you win some you lose some, can't win 'em all... etc. etc.

I accepted it ages ago, that's why I laugh when they score. Derby fans need to realise where our level is, the reasons we're at this level and adjust their expectations accordingly.

I know that Cloughie can get us there so lets not make it harder for him than it already is eh?!

Don't get me wrong, sometimes I look at my ram tatt on my arm and think - "thanks a f*cking lot Granddad"

Then I look at a few of my mates that have much better time than me following Alsager (yeah, whooooo?) and it turns me green, honestly, they have waaaay more fun than us....

So I say, like I've said before.... accept who we are and where we're at, look forward to the ups and downs, have a pint, get some chips and sing come on Derby.

How hard can it be?!

 

We are who we are, you win some you lose some, can't win 'em all... etc. etc.

I accepted it ages ago, that's why I laugh when they score. Derby fans need to realise where our level is, the reasons we're at this level and adjust their expectations accordingly.

I know that Cloughie can get us there so lets not make it harder for him than it already is eh?!

Don't get me wrong, sometimes I look at my ram tatt on my arm and think - "thanks a f*cking lot Granddad"

Then I look at a few of my mates that have much better time than me following Alsager (yeah, whooooo?) and it turns me green, honestly, they have waaaay more fun than us....

So I say, like I've said before.... accept who we are and where we're at, look forward to the ups and downs, have a pint, get some chips and sing come on Derby.

How hard can it be?!

If you have never known any better I would say not hard at all, but the older you are the more despair you feel.

 

Been a Ram a long time now (1952), and we have NOT played much decent stuff, consistently since Burley IMHO.

 

It is time for a change

[PrivateDerby]

If you have never known any better I would say not hard at all, but the older you are the more despair you feel.

Been a Ram a long time now (1952), and we have NOT played much decent stuff, consistently since Burley IMHO.

It is time for a change

Definitely, I feel for you and others who enjoyed Derby County at the highest points. I had the bald eagle which was fantastic but accept how things have changed since then and the states that we have found ourselves in since.

If the club said "Look, Nigel's got us on the straight and narrow but somebody else can do a better job and that somebody is...."

Then fair enough, yeah I'd be upset that we've lost one of our own and the only manager that will EVER be completely besotted with Derby County but if it's truly in the best interest of the club then...

But I just can't see anyone better than Cloughie wanting to take Derby on? I mean would he have bought the players he has with a slightly higher budget? So would like him to see the season out, see where we're up to and go from there.

But that's just me mate and I know what you mean because most of my lot say the same.

[BondJovi]

And as for the game losing character, I couldn't agree more - that is why I support Nigel Clough more than I would any other manager given the same circumstances. It gives a sense of nostalgia to the football club, and is far from a mercenary that you expect to have in this game! 

 

 

I think this is why Clough frustrates me. It is almost like I need to him to do well, I need him to get Derby places, be a surprise package. I need it to reignite my football love. Sadly my head tells me he just isn't quite up to my expectations. It sounds overly dramatic but it just deflates you. Start of the season many of us were saying this season has to be a real go at top 6, shortly into the season we have been beaten at home by sides you would consider our rivals for the top six places. That should be a moment of realisation for many. But the season is long and things can change.

 

[Ambitious]

I think this is why Clough frustrates me. It is almost like I need to him to do well, I need him to get Derby places, be a surprise package. I need it to reignite my football love. Sadly my head tells me he just isn't quite up to my expectations. It sounds overly dramatic but it just deflates you. Start of the season many of us were saying this season has to be a real go at top 6, shortly into the season we have been beaten at home by sides you would consider our rivals for the top six places. That should be a moment of realisation for many. But the season is long and things can change.

 

 

Absolutely - will be a very sad day when/if Derby fans hound Clough out the club for me.

 

I will not ask for his resignation, if we're going to stagnate in this division, I'm glad it's with him. I am quite cautious about the current set up as it is, for me we're above ourselves and where we can expect to be in terms of playing quality...etc if we do sack Clough, and we bring in a new manager who gets us promotion (unlikely for me) then what? I don't think this board has it in them to fund a real premier league season, we would be whipping boys mark II - not to the level we was because the standard has dropped a little since then, but enough to make sure we finish in the bottom 3 without being very competitive. Unless the board put their hands in their pockets, which at that level is huge - and it takes a bold move to do it, and at the minute well ever since they have been here, they haven't been 'bold move' types of owners.

 

It would literally need a couple 10million+ signings, and some very, very shrewd buys to even get into a position of competitiveness (like your sunderlands, fulhams, west hams...etc) 

 

Also, as much as I hate to admit it Clough DEFINITELY doesn't have the scouting network in place to pull that off at all - and, this is one of my biggest annoyances with Clough. If we was to get promoted, we would be signing the wrong types of players for me - it's a huge, huge difference

[Mostyn6]

why on earth are you worrying about the premier league, we're light years away at the moment. I think the intent shown after relegation would show that perhaps our owners would invest at that level, it's a cash cow.

 

At what point would you want Clough out? Bottom three? Relegation? two relegations?

[Leicester Ram]

I'm still positive about this season.

 

Yes, we've had some **** results but I do genuinely think we're 2 loan signings away from really pushing on. We'll be up there come the end of the season IMO, we play good football and have a lot more reason to go to matches than some teams in this division. Can you imagine what life's like as a Bristol City/Huddersfield fan? So many teams have done well from worse positions than ourselves.

 

Clough knows how to win at home, it's just a matter of time.

 

Keep the faith.

[ramblur]

If you have never known any better I would say not hard at all, but the older you are the more despair you feel.

 

Been a Ram a long time now (1952), and we have NOT played much decent stuff, consistently since Burley IMHO.

 

It is time for a change

You go back a bit further than me smiffy.Off thread,but did Harry Storer give Webster and Bowers their first taste of senior football? (and what year/s?)

[Mafiabob]

I empathise with a lot of comments on here, I'm actually at the stage where I couldn't care less about Forest on Saturday if we win lose or draw, horrible I know and sad I feel that way. Feel like I'm divorced totally from professional football at the minute.

The clubs, FA, Sky, written press are so far detached from reality I don't know where to look anymore. Like I said on a earlier thread back in the day when you supportered your team you felt involved and loved by the team you support, nowadays feel like a cash cow and a commodity. It just feels like ruthless business and we come on the side of this business, pains me to sy it but I've been falling out if love with football last few seasons. I just want to LOVE it again and have the passion which I know is still there somewhere in my heart for this game. Apologies to be on a downer.

[smiffy]

You go back a bit further than me smiffy.Off thread,but did Harry Storer give Webster and Bowers their first taste of senior football? (and what year/s?)

If I remember correctly Ron played in Harrys last season, and Bowers jnr was much earlier say around 57/8, google /em.

[Gary Teale]

This is what upsets me, as Clough loves Derby some of the fans will accept with him in charge not going anywhere. Dont we at least want to be getting into the play offs. Its sad we now have seem happy to be mid table every year. That to me just makes me think peoples passion has gone.

[Dimmu]

Some fans may have accepted mediocrity, but I'm quietly confident that Sam Rush hasn't.

 

(Not sure is it just hope, thought...)

[smiffy]

Say we keep our excellent away form and poor home form, and retain our mid table position, would that still be acceptable to you Cloughites

[BondJovi]

Say we keep our excellent away form and poor home form, and retain our mid table position, would that still be acceptable to you Cloughites

 

Not a Cloughite. I think if we finish midtable again, he should do the honourable thing and resign. Say he has taken the club as far as he can and has left us with a solid platform to progress from. If attendances keep falling, I don't think the board could keep him on.

[Ambitious]

why on earth are you worrying about the premier league, we're light years away at the moment. I think the intent shown after relegation would show that perhaps our owners would invest at that level, it's a cash cow.

 

At what point would you want Clough out? Bottom three? Relegation? two relegations?

 

We'd have to be relegated for me, but would understand if he got the boot if we were deep in the bottom 3 come the back end of the season.

[ramblur]

If I remember correctly Ron played in Harrys last season, and Bowers jnr was much earlier say around 57/8, google /em.

Thanks smiffy.You're right about jnr,but can't find anything on Ron's debut.

[smiffy]

Thanks smiffy.You're right about jnr,but can't find anything on Ron's debut.

http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/derby-county-fc/ron-webster-10100/biography-of-his-football-career-with-the-rams_a12424/

Take a look at this, I was right( that don`t happen very often according to some on here)