Derby County F.C. v Sunderland A.F.C

[RamLad1884]

The nucleus of the Clough/Mac hybrid team that got closer than any team since was a good amount of youth(and with that low expectation) and experience. 

Blend a few youngsters in this summer, potentially sign a few lower league prospects and support them with the experience we have. 

[Dordogne-Ram]

10 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

Well here comes a curved ball. from me:

 

Could it be that what we are seeing is of the player's own doing? On a couple of occasions, when questioning how the "spring fall-off" always happens, there has been the suggestion that the current squad don't actually want to get promoted because most of them would become redundant, and therefore organise the tail-off in performance. I am one of those who have made that suggestion. But if you remember back to the sacking of Nigel Clough. The next match was against Ipswich, with Stevie Mac sitting in the director's box, ready to take over for the following match. Our first half performance was absolutely woeful and we were either 2 or 3 goals down at half-time. Macca went into the dressing room at half-time, even though he wasn't officially the manager and the turn around in performance was dramatic. It may have been stage-managed by Derby to announce the arrival of our saviour but more than likely the dreadful first-half effort was a statement by the players about either the sacking of Nigel Clough, or the manner in which it was done. We had a similar "won't play for this bozo" sessions under Nigel Pearson, and maybe under Paul Clement as well, so could things have gone so wrong behind the scenes that they players are at it again?

Like you, I have thought this for some time.

And the situation has got worse as we garner more older players into the squad. I accept that some of them are still performing (particularly Baird) but the age / experience factor has become unbalanced, and with the deliberate sidelining of the skilful players we had, there are not enough left to drag us through when players have off days.

And IMHO, that has been apparent for much of the season.  Sorry GR, flexibility is the key to survival and success in most walks of life.

[S8TY]

2 hours ago, RamLad1884 said:

The nucleus of the Clough/Mac hybrid team that got closer than any team since was a good amount of youth(and with that low expectation) and experience. 

Blend a few youngsters in this summer, potentially sign a few lower league prospects and support them with the experience we have. 

This is what I would’ve liked to have seen....Clough and Mac together ....Mac is a very good coach and Clough lacked a proper number 2....I believe them 2 working together could’ve worked but know it would never had happened .... Mac took Cloughs team and added some good loans and we went very close ...I think if Mac could’ve gone back to being a coach and number 2 to Clough it might well have worked ....

 

[Pearl Ram]

Not knocking you Saity but there might be the question of Mac’s ego. Can’t see him being number two to Clough myself, wanted bigger things when he was Fergie’s number two after all.

[cannable]

5 minutes ago, Saity said:

This is what I would’ve liked to have seen....Clough and Mac together ....Mac is a very good coach and Clough lacked a proper number 2....I believe them 2 working together could’ve worked but know it would never had happened .... Mac took Cloughs team and added some good loans and we went very close ...I think if Mac could’ve gone back to being a coach and number 2 to Clough it might well have worked ....

 

Clough Director of Football, McClaren head coach 

[kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong]

6 minutes ago, Saity said:

This is what I would’ve liked to have seen....Clough and Mac together ....Mac is a very good coach and Clough lacked a proper number 2....I believe them 2 working together could’ve worked but know it would never had happened .... Mac took Cloughs team and added some good loans and we went very close ...I think if Mac could’ve gone back to being a coach and number 2 to Clough it might well have worked ....

 

I would have liked to see it too but the other way around....Mac coaching with cloughy doing all of the buying and financial stuff (director of football)

Could have been out clough/Taylor but reversed!

[ram1964]

On 31/03/2018 at 17:19, DavesaRam said:

He is right to shake his head at the ref, who was absolutely awful. There were two good penalty shouts, but he was giving us virtually  nothing all game, no advantage played when we were steaming forwards in their half, boolomg Vydra for his first foul, yet not even giving free-kicks when Vydra got "Cattermole'd" twice in the first 5 minutes, need I go on? Yet none of it mattered. If we had been given a penalty and scored, we would still have thrown the game away.

Wolves had a bad ref,down to 9 players against Middleborough' ,pulled up their sleeves and got on with the job and won.The difference between team spirit commitment and professional ism between the two clubs am afraid

[S8TY]

On 01/04/2018 at 22:03, Pearl Ram said:

Not knocking you Saity but there might be the question of Mac’s ego. Can’t see him being number two to Clough myself, wanted bigger things when he was Fergie’s number two after all.

Fair point Pearl Ram but maybe Clough and Mac together with maybe Clough looking at the personell and Mac doing the coaching but more of a 50/50 partnership....I know it’s pie in the sky stuff but I’ve always thought both lack something and Mac got Cloughs side playing well ...Clough is good at looking for the correct sort of personality’s and I’ve always thought Mac is a great coach ...anyway It’d never happen ...