Your thoughts on the upcoming season

[cheron85]

4 minutes ago, Ninos said:

our most interesting and lethal prospect, Zanzala, blocked out of preseason probably because of excessive squad numbers

[Curtains]

5 minutes ago, Ninos said:

I'm always overly positive and excited right before the new season. Not this time, I'm worried, very very worried.  Why?

- well, we sold our 3 most exciting players who got me off my seat last season and before

- our best remaining player, George Thorne, is back on the treatment table unlikely to start game 1 (and having the flashy balsa wood Lowe living on it dont help either)

- improved slightly a defence that was already very good anyway and tbf didn't need improving but didn't improve (but rather handicapped because of the outgoings) the one area we failed last season : midfield/width /creating goals 

- failed completely to cut the ridiculously bloated squad which was promised. This for me is the biggest failure of the pre season. 

- our most interesting and lethal prospect, Zanzala, blocked out of preseason probably because of excessive squad numbers, and Elsnik our most creative youth midfielder who's done nothings ing but impress, off the radar

- an apparent huge amount of faith placed in our dullest, least impact players, Butterfield Weimann especially 

- failure to secure a single attacking player on the market after over promising it. Not saying he isn't trying to but proof is in the pudding. One week away and zero changes. 

- most disturbingly the loss of Hughes and the disturbing lack of interest in him by GR or recognition of how brilliant he was is very worrying. I know it was his time to shine at a higher level but it seemed to me he was deemed surplus by the ease of his departure 

So it's the most depressed that I've felt pre season about everything in recent memory. I support Rowett and I pray he gets some magic into the lineup and that he can turn a bunch of average players and oversized squad of underachievers into a formidable force. But I'm worried that if he starts as bad as Pearson, the fans will turn more rapidly than ever before. And if hughes and/or Ince star for their teams in the PL and we struggle it will really stir the fires at home.

Little chance of promotion unless big change comes soon, but maybe a respectable 9th or 10th? Fulham Leeds Boro Brentford Sunderland Wolves Villa Norwich sheff w are all extremely formidable opposition.  I pray I'm wrong or he's got some amazing plan for a very watchable engaging style of play - a gegenpress all figured out and ready to implement perhaps - that will blow the mind. Looks more like a wall of China approach though is how he wants to get us up. We will see soon.

 

Agree with this and I'm Rowetts biggest fan 

[jagerbob]

If Martin and Huddlestone stay fit and Brad Johnson, Butterfield, Vydra Bryson chip in with a few from central midfield areas, then I think we are on a winning formula. The spine has improved no end.
There the poster above is being very pesimistic in my view.
I only see fit for us to sign one more quality wide player which i think we will do before the end of August.

[ramsbottom]

6 minutes ago, Ninos said:

I'm always overly positive and excited right before the new season. Not this time, I'm worried, very very worried.  Why?

 1 well, we sold our 3 most exciting players who got me off my seat last season and before

- our best remaining player, George Thorne, is back on the treatment table unlikely to start game 1 (and having the flashy balsa wood Lowe living on it dont help either)

 2  improved slightly a defence that was already very good anyway and tbf didn't need improving but didn't improve (but rather handicapped because of the outgoings) the one area we failed last season : midfield/width /creating goals 

 3 - failed completely to cut the ridiculously bloated squad which was promised. This for me is the biggest failure of the pre season. 

- our most interesting and lethal prospect, Zanzala, blocked out of preseason probably because of excessive squad numbers, and Elsnik our most creative youth midfielder who's done nothings ing but impress, off the radar

- an apparent huge amount of faith placed in our dullest, least impact players, Butterfield Weimann especially 

 4 - failure to secure a single attacking player on the market after over promising it. Not saying he isn't trying to but proof is in the pudding. One week away and zero changes. 

- most disturbingly the loss of Hughes and the disturbing lack of interest in him by GR or recognition of how brilliant he was is very worrying. I know it was his time to shine at a higher level but it seemed to me he was deemed surplus by the ease of his departure 

So it's the most depressed that I've felt pre season about everything in recent memory. I support Rowett and I pray he gets some magic into the lineup and that he can turn a bunch of average players and oversized squad of underachievers into a formidable force. But I'm worried that if he starts as bad as Pearson, the fans will turn more rapidly than ever before. And if hughes and/or Ince star for their teams in the PL and we struggle it will really stir the fires at home.

Little chance of promotion unless big change comes soon, but maybe a respectable 9th or 10th? 5 - Fulham Leeds Boro Brentford Sunderland Wolves Villa Norwich sheff w are all extremely formidable opposition.  I pray I'm wrong or he's got some amazing plan for a very watchable engaging style of play - a gegenpress all figured out and ready to implement perhaps - that will blow the mind. Looks more like a wall of China approach though is how he wants to get us up. We will see soon.

 

1 - Christie got you out of your seat???  You're easily excited.

2- What does that even mean???  Forget it, never mind.  Anybody with a modicum of footballing sense knows that Davis for Shackell/Pearce & Widsom for Christie is a big upgrade.  Especially the latter...Chuck in Forsyth fit and raring to go again, and that defense should be rock solid if it stays together for the majority of the season.

3 & 4 - There's still over a month of the transfer window still to go.  Besides, I'd rather we take our time instead of spunking away any transfer kitty we have on the likes of Vydra/Anya

5 - Sunderland, Wolves, Weds formidable???  I'll have a pint of what you're drinking please.  Sunderland are a mess, and will perform like Villa did last season, perhaps even worse.  They're signing the likes of James Vaughan FFS!!!  Wolves are trying what we did 2 seasons ago and just throwing money at it, which'll probably result in the same outcome.  Besides, any team who's lynch pin is Danny Batth isn't a very good one.  Wednesday are beatable and are bottle jobs, the same as us.  As for the rest, I can only see Boro & Fulham, and perhaps Villa as strong candidates for the top 2.

I'm disappointed that we haven't signed the new Ince, or an unknown winger from Croatia that bagged 30 goals last term, but that's no reason for such a downer.  

[superzak]

I think a top 10 finish will be hard to achieve with the current squad, the only improvements really has been to the defence which was already one of the best defences in the league last season. Further up the field we are definitely weaker than last season and that squad found it difficult to stay in the top 10 towards the end. So I cant see a higher finish than 10th.

[Old Spalding Ram]

1 hour ago, Angry Ram said:

Still meh at the moment. Losing Hughes and Ince is a big blow and we are nowhere near replacing them at the moment. I am not convinced with the midfield and wide we are weak. Rowett still has a lot to do, be prepared for a slog this year, I doubt we will be battering teams with fast flowing Mac1 football.

As has been covered before the league is wide open to anyone.. IF we start well, playoffs should be okay. Start rocky and this will fall apart big time.. 

Cant say I am a Rowett fan, he showed little at the end of the season but he is who we have and we can't keep changing. Morris are you reading this?? 

First 4 games are massive and will default be us. 

Post of the day Mr Angry................have a like! 

[RadioactiveWaste]

I'm excited to see it all start and how it pans out.

I think we'll do alright. Perhaps be a bit boring but consistent. I think in Rowett we've got "Nigel Clough +" - likes a hard worker and wants only players of the right mettle in his team, pragmatic but with more ambition, tactical nous and a better starting position.

I think a harder working team being slightly more than sum of its slightly lesser parts will see us challenge top 6, and maybe get there. If we add a dazzling attacker I'll upgrade that to confident we'll get top 6.

We're not lacking a squad of good enough players, but the team, especially last season, wasn't enough overall.

 

[Highgate]

The current squad would, I'm guessing, be top half...but miss out on the play-offs.  New quality signings could make us a decent top 6 prospect.

Hopeful, but not optimistic with the squad as it stands, still looking forward to seeing football again on a regular basis.

[horizon]

We are the Invincibles until proven otherwise and I will adjust my expectations as the season progresses

[PretentiousRam]

2 hours ago, David said:

Wish I read on now! Did we not win 2-0? But lose 3-0 in the first leg, heard it mentioned in a pub quiz one time

As I said, didn't mean to offend, I rarely try to discuss potential, new signings, other teams etc as I don't profess to have the football knowledge to give an opinion on something I haven't seen, its like these posters telling us we need Lawrence etc....without seeing them play.  

I did originally think based upon your posts in this thread, you were a relative of a player, worked for the club or even an ambassador at first, however I guessed based on your profile picture and optimism you were someone who hadn't seen the team that much, it was in no means trying to stereo type you or indeed any fan who bases their opinion on what they here or see at home as not having a valid opinion.  

However now looking at some of your other posts, and along with that B4 poster I can see you are both are probably the most optimistic posters I have come across, so I therefore apologies for my original misconception that you based your judgement just on hope.

        

 

 

    

[Sparkle]

2 hours ago, Ninos said:

I'm always overly positive and excited right before the new season. Not this time, I'm worried, very very worried.  Why?

- well, we sold our 3 most exciting players who got me off my seat last season and before

- our best remaining player, George Thorne, is back on the treatment table unlikely to start game 1 (and having the flashy balsa wood Lowe living on it dont help either)

- improved slightly a defence that was already very good anyway and tbf didn't need improving but didn't improve (but rather handicapped because of the outgoings) the one area we failed last season : midfield/width /creating goals 

- failed completely to cut the ridiculously bloated squad which was promised. This for me is the biggest failure of the pre season. 

- our most interesting and lethal prospect, Zanzala, blocked out of preseason probably because of excessive squad numbers, and Elsnik our most creative youth midfielder who's done nothings ing but impress, off the radar

- an apparent huge amount of faith placed in our dullest, least impact players, Butterfield Weimann especially 

- failure to secure a single attacking player on the market after over promising it. Not saying he isn't trying to but proof is in the pudding. One week away and zero changes. 

- most disturbingly the loss of Hughes and the disturbing lack of interest in him by GR or recognition of how brilliant he was is very worrying. I know it was his time to shine at a higher level but it seemed to me he was deemed surplus by the ease of his departure 

So it's the most depressed that I've felt pre season about everything in recent memory. I support Rowett and I pray he gets some magic into the lineup and that he can turn a bunch of average players and oversized squad of underachievers into a formidable force. But I'm worried that if he starts as bad as Pearson, the fans will turn more rapidly than ever before. And if hughes and/or Ince star for their teams in the PL and we struggle it will really stir the fires at home.

Little chance of promotion unless big change comes soon, but maybe a respectable 9th or 10th? Fulham Leeds Boro Brentford Sunderland Wolves Villa Norwich sheff w are all extremely formidable opposition.  I pray I'm wrong or he's got some amazing plan for a very watchable engaging style of play - a gegenpress all figured out and ready to implement perhaps - that will blow the mind. Looks more like a wall of China approach though is how he wants to get us up. We will see soon.

 

I suspect you worry when it rains and when it's sunny

we are a top four squad as it stands in my honest opinion

[Ninos]

2 hours ago, jagerbob said:

If Martin and Huddlestone stay fit and Brad Johnson, Butterfield, Vydra Bryson chip in with a few from central midfield areas, then I think we are on a winning formula. The spine has improved no end.
There the poster above is being very pesimistic in my view.
I only see fit for us to sign one more quality wide player which i think we will do before the end of August.

You don't think that Vydra is completely out of favour? He was unceremoniously dropped after a good performance and hasn't started a match since that i can recall anyway. Appears like in Rowett land, Martin and Nugent are ahead of him so where does he fit in exactly? 

And surely there will only be space on the field for one from Johnson Butterfield or Bryson ... unless one is pushed to the wing. 

[Day]

1 minute ago, PretentiousRam said:

As I said, didn't mean to offend, I rarely try to discuss potential, new signings, other teams etc as I don't profess to have the football knowledge to give an opinion on something I haven't seen, its like these posters telling us we need Lawrence etc....without seeing them play.  

I did originally think based upon your posts in this thread, you were a relative of a player, worked for the club or even an ambassador at first, however I guessed based on your profile picture and optimism you were someone who hadn't seen the team that much, it was in no means trying to stereo type you or indeed any fan who bases their opinion on what they here or see at home as not having a valid opinion.  

However now looking at some of your other posts, and along with that B4 poster I can see you are both are probably the most optimistic posters I have come across, so I therefore apologies for my original misconception that you based your judgement just on hope.    

Please enlighten me with the bold bit as you're coming across as a bit of a troll now, happy to discuss my views or we can just take swipes at each other for no apparent reason and say I don't wish to offend. For example I could say I feel like you're one of these Radio Derby callers that is about to tell me they have been a season ticket holder since 1884 which makes their opinions more valid than another.

There you have my bite which you wanted. 

Not sure you have actually read through this thread because there is other members that are far more optimistic than myself, in fact several are suggesting we can compete for a top 6 finish, others top 2.

I have said we should expect to compete for top 6 but not expect to finish there, if that's being overly optimistic then so be it, I'm not going to sit here and say mid table at best because I don't see it that way. Feel free to disagree.

[Ninos]

2 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

I suspect you worry when it rains and when it's sunny

we are a top four squad as it stands in my honest opinion

So we are stronger than in the previous seasons is what you are actually saying ? With no existing player being chased by any club ... so You truly believe that? 

[Rab a dab doo]

Do what most Derby fans do stay positive until we find something negative to be about.

[Sparkle]

1 minute ago, Ninos said:

So we are stronger than in the previous seasons is what you are actually saying ? With no existing player being chased by any club ... so You truly believe that? 

 Yes I truly believe that about being stronger than last season - but I respect others may have a different opinion 

[Warren Hobhead]

Not read the thread yet, thought I'd give my opinion first so as to not to be influenced. So apologies if I'm repeating things. 

I see this as a transitional season. I do not expect nor demand promotion. The ideal for me this year is to be at the games and thinking 'this is good, this works, I can see what we are trying to do here'. Too often the last few years I've struggled to get the point of us. We've signed players noted for what they do at other clubs but tried to force them into this mythical Derby Way b*******. Then Mel gets antsy and about turns with an appointment. The style changes too. Then when that doesn't work impeccably either, he about turns again and so on. It's got to stop for me. We need stability. 

I get the feeling GR is the one he will give the necessary time to. He will be patient at last and less gun toting when we don't win for a while. I hope so anyway. He wasn't my choice when appointed and I still have reservations about GR but he's winning me over with the transfer activity so far. Get some width and replace Ince's magic and we still might find ourselves up in the top six. But like I say, I just want to feel like I'm watching a team again. A group of players who are on the same page, with desire and application, striving for the best for the TEAM, for Derby. As much as I rated those who've been sold, Ince in particular, I felt they were individuals rather than team players. 

Season ticket was renewed the first day I could. Even bought the laddo a new home  and away top. I'm taking him to Sunderland this time next week. Bring it on. 

 

*please sign a winger

[angieram]

28 minutes ago, Warren Hobhead said:

Not read the thread yet, thought I'd give my opinion first so as to not to be influenced. So apologies if I'm repeating things. 

I see this as a transitional season. I do not expect nor demand promotion. The ideal for me this year is to be at the games and thinking 'this is good, this works, I can see what we are trying to do here'. Too often the last few years I've struggled to get the point of us. We've signed players noted for what they do at other clubs but tried to force them into this mythical Derby Way b*******. Then Mel gets antsy and about turns with an appointment. The style changes too. Then when that doesn't work impeccably either, he about turns again and so on. It's got to stop for me. We need stability. 

I get the feeling GR is the one he will give the necessary time to. He will be patient at last and less gun toting when we don't win for a while. I hope so anyway. He wasn't my choice when appointed and I still have reservations about GR but he's winning me over with the transfer activity so far. Get some width and replace Ince's magic and we still might find ourselves up in the top six. But like I say, I just want to feel like I'm watching a team again. A group of players who are on the same page, with desire and application, striving for the best for the TEAM, for Derby. As much as I rated those who've been sold, Ince in particular, I felt they were individuals rather than team players. 

Season ticket was renewed the first day I could. Even bought the laddo a new home  and away top. I'm taking him to Sunderland this time next week. Bring it on. 

 

*please sign a winger

I like this post because it reiterates the factor that I think will be key to this season - and that is whether or not Rowett can improve the teamwork. If he can, then I'm optimistic in us challenging top six, even without any further acquisitions. On the evidence of pre-season so far, I think he will achieve this.

If we do get that quality winger in then I will be looking for a top two challenge.

But I also agree with you Warren that if it doesn't quite work out this season, then I will be patient and give Rowett time to get it right. I hope others will too but given some of the moans and groans I've heard at the matches I've attended so far, I doubt it! 

[kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong]

6 hours ago, curtains said:

Very true but Vydra ain't that bad is he but they weren't like for like. 

 

Just going out out now mate have a nice rest of the day. 

Got to get my tickets for the game tomorrow from Pride Park for me and the wife.

He pretty much is.....(So far)

[Warren Hobhead]

34 minutes ago, angieram said:

I like this post because it reiterates the factor that I think will be key to this season - and that is whether or not Rowett can improve the teamwork. If he can, then I'm optimistic in us challenging top six, even without any further acquisitions. On the evidence of pre-season so far, I think he will achieve this.

If we do get that quality winger in then I will be looking for a top two challenge.

But I also agree with you Warren that if it doesn't quite work out this season, then I will be patient and give Rowett time to get it right. I hope others will too but given some of the moans and groans I've heard at the matches I've attended so far, I doubt it! 

We will get a quality winger, I'm sure of it. I think we are being clever. There's enough in this squad to get us through August. The dominos are soon to fall. 

We are Derby. Never forget that. We can attract the cream. GR will deliver something delicious. 

But I repeat, I do not 'expect' promotion. I hope for it. I will back GR and his squad and see where it takes us. Never had much of a cross word for the club or its staff and players in all my time on here. Being a Ram is in-built. It's a passion. I love it. I don't understand those who seem to live in distress supporting a football club. I'd call it a day if it caused me to post the nonsense I read on here from quite a few. 

Each to their own, though. Such is life.