v Port Vale & Doncaster Match Thread

[Ellafella]

1 hour ago, Kernow said:

I missed the games tonight as I was working, but it's good to see that we have more match action under our belts with no injuries picked up in game. I think it was a great idea to play two games on the same night. Maximises the match fitness of the majority of our squad as well as giving younger players a possible chance of playing with first team players.

The result is the least important thing in these matches, they mean absolutely nothing to how the season will go. It doesn't matter if we lose to a League Two side or beat a PL side, both mean absolutely nothing. We were minutes away from beating two Premier League sides last season and we finished ninth, and we beat them in competitive matches with a lot on the line. Drawing at Doncaster does not mean we will have an unsuccessful season, nor does it mean that Doncaster will go up because they managed to draw against a top-half Championship side.

...aside from Bent's hamstring which is now shredded wheat. 

[Coneheadjohn]

6 hours ago, BurtonRam7 said:

This sounds strange I know, but are you a big bald bloke? Think I was a couple of rows behind you and your lads (I recognised Joel).

I look a bit like a more muscular,taller version of Gerard Butler...

 

 

 

Not really...I'm a big bald bloke.We were sat pretty much in the middle .

Me Joel and Josh(15 year old.

 

[Ashz09]

Tuned in Second half. PV impressed me well more then we did. Martin's Penalty made me giggle.

Only brightside was Weimann and that's it.

[Derby blood]

3 minutes ago, Ashz09 said:

Tuned in Second half. PV impressed me well more then we did. Martin's Penalty made me giggle.

Only brightside was Weimann and that's it.

I think you mean Doncaster impressed you, as that was the game being shown on Rams tv, and yes Weimann did have a good game against Doncaster.

[Ashz09]

1 minute ago, Derby blood said:

I think you mean Doncaster impressed you, as that was the game being shown on Rams tv, and yes Weimann did have a good game against Doncaster.

Wooops yes too early!

[DRBee]

7 hours ago, Ninos said:

What you're saying is so obvious TSP that it's really not worth you defending yourself here. The performance and yes the "talent" we put on display was extremely discouraging, and troubling. As to fitness, regardless, this wasn't a track meet it was a football match. When we play the Germans we will prob see what we've really got 

Bottom line and Rowett knows it: we have a LOT of bad/mediocre players to move out as quickly as possible so we can gel a team here. 

This ignores the fact that preseason matches are never a good guide.

What is not in doubt is that we still need a flair player who can unlock stubborn defences and also deliver a good free kick. something we have lacked for a couple of seasons. Ince's free kicks were always variable in quality.

[Coneheadjohn]

To be fair we bossed the first half and were tidy,solid and moved the ball well without looking fantastic.

Second half they made loads of subs and we were knackered.

They could have brought on Abdul Camara and he would have ripped us a new one.

Positives,some of Wardrobes flicks and backheels?.

Fozzy tearing past their last man into the area ?

And Keogh of course,imagine if we had sold him.Looked very very good.

 

[Hucknall Ram]

My opinion from last night. Mitchell had a good game, one little flap at a cross but as a whole good. The back four did well considering that was let down by Butterfield and Johnson lack of desire to defend. Look at their goal and watch Butters and Johnson, also a few min after when the same again.

Johnson and Butter looked better going forward, Butterfield putting good crosses in from set-pieces. Wismann had a decent game, just would of liked us use the right a bit more, from the like bits I saw from Bennett and Hanson they looked good, Hanson delivered a class ball and I would of liked to of seen him try it a few more times. 

Martin did ok, unlucky not to score but the penalty was a awful effort. Nugent didn't have the best game for me.  

[Rample]

All rather dour really,  but I'm assuming it has boosted players fitness.

I can understand the point of splitting the teams to a similar standard, and still giving everyone a fair chance to be involved as a first team group but I do think that with a couple of weeks to go we should have considered players getting used to each other as well. Hard to believe Keogh and Davies haven't been in the same pitch yet, and Hudd is obviously going to be first choice so should be integrated accordingly.

Look forward to the next game when I expect we will move up a level and start focussing more on the season rather than primarily on fitness etc. but not expecting things to come together that quickly, which is why I thought we'd look at partnerships sooner.

[ramsbottom]

Only managed to catch the second half.  Thoughts - 

It's really great to see Fozzy back, even if he looked a little rusty.  Still likes to bomb though.

Not 100% convinced with The Nuge behind Martin, think it would be worth trying it the other way round.

Was nice to see us getting the ball into the channels behind full backs quickly, in order to stretch them.  Pacy balls, along the deck from the midfielders, not aimless hoofs from the centre backs.

There were a few too many diagonal balls from Hanson to Weimann's head for my liking.

Bar getting caught a couple of times, deep in our half, I thought Butterfield did pretty well.

Martin should be nowhere near penalties this season, he's missed enough.

 

From the highlights of the Vale game

Warmed the cockles to see Huddlestone pinging pinpoint balls around the park, with Thorne out for so long we've really missed that.

Russell's chip was crap.

[Animal is a Ram]

Quote

 

The priority was to get the lads to play 90 minutes across the two games.

“The result doesn’t matter in the long term because from this we know they have the minutes under their belts; they are fit enough and their muscles can handle it.

“We kept everyone on, a few of them could have come off, but we kept them on and we know that they can handle it.

“It’s been tough for the players and they’ve worked really, really hard. We’ve been delighted with them so far; they’ve run and worked and also done all we’ve asked of them.

“Hopefully, come Saturday, we’ll be closer to doing 90 minutes at a better pace. We can’t fault the players though and now we will sit down and start preparing for Saturday.” 

Reviewing Derby’s performance against Doncaster, Summerfield felt there was room for improvement.

The Rams had chances to come away with another victory under their belts with Chris Martin hitting the post and missing a penalty, while Andreas Weimann hit the crossbar late on.

Rowett’s right-hand man felt that Derby could have done more when in possession, but accepts pre-season is about working on areas where the side can do better.

He said: “We hit the bar, hit the post and missed a penalty and – on top of scoring – there wasn’t a lot else other than that.

“That was disappointing but there was a lot of things that we’ve been working on in terms of keeping our shape and getting back behind the ball a bit quicker that we did very well.

“On the ball, we were a little short today. Maybe that was to be expected because everyone was playing 90 minutes.

“You always think you can do certain things that little bit better. We wanted to achieve certain things tonight and we’ve done that.”

 

Just about sums it up. Nothing else needed

[Srg]

I don't claim to be ITK too often, however...

Lad at work has just got back from hospital where he was having an MRI on his knee, and Darren Bent was waiting as next in the queue. Little bit more than a muscle injury me thinks.

[EnigmaRam]

57 minutes ago, Srg said:

I don't claim to be ITK too often, however...

Lad at work has just got back from hospital where he was having an MRI on his knee, and Darren Bent was waiting as next in the queue. Little bit more than a muscle injury me thinks.

Was he sure it wasn't lacazette? ?

[Van der MoodHoover]

2 hours ago, Srg said:

I don't claim to be ITK too often, however...

Lad at work has just got back from hospital where he was having an MRI on his knee, and Darren Bent was waiting as next in the queue. Little bit more than a muscle injury me thinks.

Could be a chronic injury that needs a couple of months out followed by rehabilitation and strengthening. Chuck in a setback or 2 and it'll be April before he's able to be considered (and to draw his last paycheck).....

[therealhantsram]

Just watched the highlights.  Port Vale game much more coherant play from the Rams. Russell and Anya currently ahead of Weiman and Bennett for winger slots on that performance. 

Butterfield and Johnson doing themselves no favours.

[Curtains]

21 minutes ago, therealhantsram said:

Just watched the highlights.  Port Vale game much more coherant play from the Rams. Russell and Anya currently ahead of Weiman and Bennett for winger slots on that performance. 

Butterfield and Johnson doing themselves no favours.

How can you say that as one team was playing a Div 1 team and the other a Div 2 

[kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong]

9 hours ago, Srg said:

I don't claim to be ITK too often, however...

Lad at work has just got back from hospital where he was having an MRI on his knee, and Darren Bent was waiting as next in the queue. Little bit more than a muscle injury me thinks.

You are in the bloody know you are

[angieram]

28 minutes ago, therealhantsram said:

Just watched the highlights.  Port Vale game much more coherant play from the Rams. Russell and Anya currently ahead of Weiman and Bennett for winger slots on that performance. 

Butterfield and Johnson doing themselves no favours.

Russell and Anya played better last night, but Bennett played far better than either on Saturday. However, that was only for half a game. What was good to see last night was Russell, Anya and Bryson still running strong after 90 minutes. 

[Curtains]

4 minutes ago, angieram said:

Russell and Anya played better last night, but Bennett played far better than either on Saturday. However, that was only for half a game. What was good to see last night was Russell, Anya and Bryson still running strong after 90 minutes. 

Wiemann played really well for 90 Minutes last night against Div 1 Doncaster. 

[Pearl Ram]

All this wailing and gnashing of teeth...can I just remind some, we hit the woodwork twice and missed a penalty, it could and should have been a 4-1 win but I don't suppose that would have been enough.

I'll be amazed if Mel sanctions the same coverage for the next pre season, his gesture seems to have brought about the negativity earlier than usual.