How good has been our transfer activity since last season

[RamNut]

Don't agree that early exits from cup competitions are a bonus. A good cup run should keep a big squad fully occupied and provide a boost.

last season the rot set in with the half-hearted team selection and performance for the cup tie with Reading

[Thierry Ennui]

You man the game where we rested some players for our blossoming league campaign, then played ok despite Warnock getting sent off and we nearly still made it through?

[RamNut]

You man the game where we rested some players for our blossoming league campaign, then played ok despite Warnock getting sent off and we nearly still made it through?

blossoming league campaign?

we only won 4 matches after that.

pld 16 w 4 d 7 L 5 

 

[Day]

I would still take an early exit from both cups given half a chance, unnecessary distraction and game time for the players. Ok it went tits up last season, doesn't mean the same this season.

Play them like the big boys, put the U21's out all the way until we get knocked out regardless of the opposition.

[RamNut]

Its different for the big clubs - they also have european fixtures. 

We don't.

if you try to pick and chose the games were you are going to make an effort, it will bite you on the @rse.

[eddie]

I'm serious just because we've got a new coach doesn't mean to say he can turn around average performing players .

Tell me where the improvement in playing staff is from last season .

Ill give you maybe Wiemann on Ward and Pearce on Whitbread. 

You might well be serious, but your all-too-regular over-the-top reactions tend to lose their impact after the first couple of hundred or so.

[harbourram]

Bent and Ince are excellent signings. The rest seem average and don't look any better than our existing lot. So overall I'd say pretty good but not genius. If Shackell and a right back come in we'll be fine. 

[Thierry Ennui]

blossoming league campaign?

we only won 4 matches after that.

pld 16 w 4 d 7 L 5

 

Irrelevant. We were doing well at the time and resting players was logical. We should have won.

[RamNut]

Irrelevant. We were doing well at the time and resting players was logical. We should have won.

irrelevant?

i thought the idea was that by resting players we would ensure our continued league success?

instead the whole thing stalled.

[Kernow]

For some reason you have had the chip fitted and your over confident all of a sudden .

You shouldn't really take quotes out of context ,

you missed the bit about our slide from top  5 points clear to a dismal 8 th and missing the playoffs. 

PC is a good coach but he will need to work miracles. 

Over confident?

It was one friendly against a side penalties away from being a football league side? If we went out of the cup to Portsmouth it wouldn't be too far in the level of difference in quality. There wouldn't be a massive uproar, people would be annoyed yes and some (for example you) would be crying doomsday and putting your £2 pocket-money on us to go down.

Grow up a little bit and realise it was a friendly, losing to Grimsby does not mean the 2015/16 season is over for us. Yes the drop last season was alarming, but if we hadn't had to go long periods without a striker or defensive midfielder would we have dropped that far? I don't think so. To say PC will need to work miracles is absurd.

[Rampage]

Defensive frailties are no as yet addressed in my opinion. i think Baird is ahead of Thorne at CDM mainly because of fitness and vast experience so he would not be playing in defence right away.There is no obvious centre back pairing. Buxton is not fit but Keogh and Buxton were the most secure last year. DET says nine games was the longest run with any defensive partnership last year.Whichever pairing we start with has got it to prove and it will take time. The defence must be kept solid in the first eight games. and we will need to adapt our formation to do that.

[Lord_Ram]

i think if i hadn't played a football match for nearly 2 months i would be a little rusty

or is it different for derby because they are getting payed to play, because they are professionals are they expected to their mantain match fitness when not playing matches for an extended period of time?

doesnt matter who you are, messi or ronaldo, if you havnt appeared in a football match for a significant amount of time you arent going to be at your best, and if all 11 players on the pitch are rusty, then its not going to be free flowing football at your team's peak

grimsby had already played several friendly's, giving them a distinct advantage

[cloughandtaylor]

i think if i hadn't played a football match for nearly 2 months i would be a little rusty

or is it different for derby because they are getting payed to play, because they are professionals are they expected to their mantain match fitness when not playing matches for an extended period of time?

doesnt matter who you are, messi or ronaldo, if you havnt appeared in a football match for a significant amount of time you arent going to be at your best, and if all 11 players on the pitch are rusty, then its not going to be free flowing football at your team's peak

grimsby had already played several friendly's, giving them a distinct advantage

Not too sure lack of fitness had anything to do with the goals we conceded, more like defenders not defending and sloppy midfield.

If Shackell does come in it will be a massive bonus, simply because the bloke can read the game.....

[MuespachRam]

i think if i hadn't played a football match for nearly 2 months i would be a little rusty

or is it different for derby because they are getting payed to play, because they are professionals are they expected to their mantain match fitness when not playing matches for an extended period of time?

doesnt matter who you are, messi or ronaldo, if you havnt appeared in a football match for a significant amount of time you arent going to be at your best, and if all 11 players on the pitch are rusty, then its not going to be free flowing football at your team's peak

grimsby had already played several friendly's, giving them a distinct advantage

they have been in training long enough...and its only football....!!

When I used to work at Toyota and we had the shutdown, the very first day we all got back, 1000's of us, we were all expected to be working at exactly the same pace as we was before the holiday....and we did....why is footbal any different.?

by the way, i have just seen the two goals we conceeded....shocking defending, he who's wife said must not be named was at fault for both of them.

[cannable]

I can't help being negative and all teams have injuries .

Thats no excuse. 

If it all goes pear shaped with this new regime don't say I didn't tell you so. 

I'll leave it at that .

Up the Rams. 

Of course injuries are an excuse! Bournemouth, Brentford, Boro had 9 players who made 40+ league starts last season, three of them played all 46 games. Do you think any of those would have still have been up there had they had the same injury problems as us? 

 

[cloughandtaylor]

Of course injuries are an excuse! Bournemouth, Brentford, Boro had 9 players who made 40+ league starts last season, three of them played all 46 games. Do you think any of those would have still have been up there had they had the same injury problems as us? 

 

It did prove that as a squad we were simply not good enough for promotion. 

I am hoping that PC can address the weaknesses within the team /squad, with the signing already made  - Bent and Ince  they were scoring for fun here on loan - so he's done the business, with the defence issues, were got Pearce, Baird possbly Shaks, so hey PC is i think is going in the right direction.......

[MuespachRam]

Of course injuries are an excuse! Bournemouth, Brentford, Boro had 9 players who made 40+ league starts last season, three of them played all 46 games. Do you think any of those would have still have been up there had they had the same injury problems as us? 

 

Well, according to my extencsive research.....wikipedia....thats not true at all..

Bournemouth 7 players to make 40+ starts and only 1 who played all 46

Brentford        6 players to make 40+ starts and only 1 who played all 46

Boro               3  players to make 40+ starts and 0 who played all 46 (the same as Derby by the way)

and Watford had 1 player to play 40+ games and 0 wh oplayed all 46, which incidently is the same as Blackpool and Wigan who went down.......

so that says to me, it doesnt matter so mcuh about injuries, or course they are important, but everyone has them, what matter is how you deal with the injuries.

It is a squad game now, and last season ours was the 8th worst squad in the league.

[Mafiabob]

they have been in training long enough...and its only football....!!

When I used to work at Toyota and we had the shutdown, the very first day we all got back, 1000's of us, we were all expected to be working at exactly the same pace as we was before the holiday....and we did....why is footbal any different.?

by the way, i have just seen the two goals we conceeded....shocking defending, he who's wife said must not be named was at fault for both of them.

agree with the Toyota bit.... Probably get a brief for back to back Saturday's and two hours OT on top

[bcnram]

Well, according to my extencsive research.....wikipedia....thats not true at all..

Bournemouth 7 players to make 40+ starts and only 1 who played all 46

Brentford        6 players to make 40+ starts and only 1 who played all 46

Boro               3  players to make 40+ starts and 0 who played all 46 (the same as Derby by the way)

and Watford had 1 player to play 40+ games and 0 wh oplayed all 46, which incidently is the same as Blackpool and Wigan who went down.......

so that says to me, it doesnt matter so mcuh about injuries, or course they are important, but everyone has them, what matter is how you deal with the injuries.

It is a squad game now, and last season ours was the 8th worst squad in the league.

8th worst?? Wouldn't we have finished 16th as 8th worst?

[Curtains]

Chris Baird has hardly played in the last 2 years has he. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Baird