Honestly...

[Yani P]

I was expecting a challenge for top 2 top 6 as a bare minimum - we are set up to be a Premier League team so anything less as an aspiration would be worrying.

Rowett has been a disaster since things started to turn sour, the worst meltdown we have seen in 5 seasons. But he shows no signs of changing so cant see how we can magically suddenly improve.

When we were 2nd it looked virtually impossible for us to miss the top 6 - yet at the moment Rowett is making that look easy. And still making pitiful excuses for abject performances.

If we make the play-offs great, over 3 games anything can happen - and if we get promoted it will be the most ridiculous turn around that I will have witnessed. 

Anything can happen - its football - but the reality is we are playing like a bottom 3 team not a top 6 team. We have seen some spectacular meltdowns in the last 5 seasons but this already easily the worst and yet Morris is sticking with his man. No idea why as he has shown us nothing.

Imagine this football for the entire 18-19 season - imagine 2 transfer windows with Rowett making decisions like bringing in Jerome..thats what we have in store - I can think of no reason to keep him but then he should have gone last week or the week before.

[1967Ram]

2 hours ago, GadFly said:

Who'd have been happy with a 6th/7th place finish before a ball was kicked this season? 

I wouldn't. With the squad available to GR we should be at least Play-Offs IMO - which TBF we may still, by some miraculous turn of events still manage.

[GrimsbyRam]

33 minutes ago, BobbyD said:

Can you translate this please 

IT was like a Rowett post match interview - no sense of reality

[europia]

4 hours ago, kingsy1884 said:

It was going to be a transition season but missing out on play offs will be a disappointment. Considering where we were as well.

Wouldn't mind finishing outside the play offs if the team showed some promise. Next season not looking good with our bloated squad made up of; Very shaky defence with no decent full backs at the club; Striking options of Nugent or Jerome, both past it; A very pedestrian midfield with little creativity; Overall a team collectively just not up for any type of sustained challenge.  

[kingsy1884]

15 minutes ago, europia said:

Wouldn't mind finishing outside the play offs if the team showed some promise. Next season not looking good with our bloated squad made up of; Very shaky defence with no decent full backs at the club; Striking options of Nugent or Jerome, both past it; A very pedestrian midfield with little creativity; Overall a team collectively just not up for any type of sustained challenge.  

To be honest a fair few players are going up be moving on in the Sumner which will give more flexibility to GR if he is still here. 

I dont envisage Nuge or Jerome to be our main strikers next season and especially as both of them are out of contract next season.  Maybe Winnall will join on permanent a deal i would welcome.

We will need a new full back for sure but Wisdom is good enough. LB is more of a problem Lowe looks like a great candidate there.

Midfield is another problem area but Huddlestone will stay combined with a new addition and maybe Bryson if he will have us back.

There is so much potential to improve in the summer. Some of the parts are there just going to be shrewd about moulding youth and experience i think. 

[derbydaz22]

4 hours ago, GadFly said:

Who'd have been happy with a 6th/7th place finish before a ball was kicked this season? 

What a ridiculous comment playing crap football and finishing 8th or 9th no. Now playing good football with a young team finishing 12th yes

[loweman2]

What is wrong with our barstard of a team ?

 

[Ramsam]

No I wouldn’t have been happy. I expect Derby to be in the Prem. I am reasonably close to the club and know that there was an expectation in December that they were going to get there but the January transfer window was a complete disaster. I have no idea why but in my opinion the club made a statement of non intent. The squad got weaker and that seems to have knocked the stuffing out of the players. 

Lots of questions about Rowett in this and other threads but I actually think GR is a very good manager and a true student of the game. He is an asset to the club but there are no two ways about it. This has happened on his watch. 

[DRBee]

5 hours ago, GadFly said:

Who'd have been happy with a 6th/7th place finish before a ball was kicked this season? 

7th place is fine, but that is not the point.  But the quality of our football is garbage and that is the point.

[MrsRam]

5 minutes ago, DRBee said:

7th place is fine, but that is not the point.  But the quality of our football is garbage and that is the point.

tru dat 

[Loftyhites]

I remember in 1983, the worst season ever in my dad’s eyes. He’d seen his beloved Clough/Taylor champions relegated to Division 3 and on a night of losing to Plymouth in the FA Cup, almost going out of business.  For me, it was my first season of watching Derby. Bobby Davison was my hero. I thought it was amazing.

Then came Hindmarch, Maclaren, McLaren, George Williams, Gregory, Callaghan and Micklewhite (my forever heroes). Eventually, relegation  and more disappointment - then Stimach, Van Der Laan, Bianno, Eranio, Asanovich and so on. Point is - we are Derby fans and we are the best at dealing with huge highs and really low, lows.

I feel that next season, which ever way this season ends, may be the most challenging year for a while and whatever division we’re in - we will be nowhere near the top dogs. However, I know that wherever we are, we will still be cheering and moaning the team on the way. I love being a Derby supporter and 47 yrs in, still get the buzz of it all. At the moment, it’s just pants. 

[irobinson]

8 hours ago, Carnero said:

Fantastic post. Nice one ?

Yes Good post

 

most important thing I take from it - was strategy and sticking to it. people on here have asked what does a board do and what are the managers reseponsibilities

In my view MM and the board set a strategy - the manager is their to execute it. So if the goals of the  strategy is do a rebuild (after selling best players) good brand of football and exciting up and coming players - why

1. Did Gary Rowett not listen and go in an entirely different direction towards new players 

2 why didn’t the board reject - some  of his signings - like Jerome - when he knocked on the door - and say sorry mate - not in the strategy we want you to look at league 1 for Mr Hungry who scores every week or develop X from our 23s

In my view both the board and the leader are to blame for this season 

Only if we had signed two hungry young players with legs ! when we were second - things could have been different 

the underlying thing is - the board monitor the strategy and keep it on its tracks - if you don’t do this - then you might be a Sunderland (and ps they caned us at home the other week)

 

[BramcoteRam84]

5 hours ago, irobinson said:

Yes Good post

 

most important thing I take from it - was strategy and sticking to it. people on here have asked what does a board do and what are the managers reseponsibilities

In my view MM and the board set a strategy - the manager is their to execute it. So if the goals of the  strategy is do a rebuild (after selling best players) good brand of football and exciting up and coming players - why

1. Did Gary Rowett not listen and go in an entirely different direction towards new players 

2 why didn’t the board reject - some  of his signings - like Jerome - when he knocked on the door - and say sorry mate - not in the strategy we want you to look at league 1 for Mr Hungry who scores every week or develop X from our 23s

In my view both the board and the leader are to blame for this season 

Only if we had signed two hungry young players with legs ! when we were second - things could have been different 

the underlying thing is - the board monitor the strategy and keep it on its tracks - if you don’t do this - then you might be a Sunderland (and ps they caned us at home the other week)

 

Yes I think both chairman and manager will have questions to answer. You would hope both are clear on the vision and strategy given they seem to have a good open and transparent working relationship. However I think Mel has been confused on his strategy since he arrived. His managerial appointments and player signings he’s sanctioned would seem to indicate this. The strategy starts with the top man, if he’s confused his managers don’t have a hope.

 

[BramcoteRam84]

6 hours ago, Loftyhites said:

I remember in 1983, the worst season ever in my dad’s eyes. He’d seen his beloved Clough/Taylor champions relegated to Division 3 and on a night of losing to Plymouth in the FA Cup, almost going out of business.  For me, it was my first season of watching Derby. Bobby Davison was my hero. I thought it was amazing.

Then came Hindmarch, Maclaren, McLaren, George Williams, Gregory, Callaghan and Micklewhite (my forever heroes). Eventually, relegation  and more disappointment - then Stimach, Van Der Laan, Bianno, Eranio, Asanovich and so on. Point is - we are Derby fans and we are the best at dealing with huge highs and really low, lows.

I feel that next season, which ever way this season ends, may be the most challenging year for a while and whatever division we’re in - we will be nowhere near the top dogs. However, I know that wherever we are, we will still be cheering and moaning the team on the way. I love being a Derby supporter and 47 yrs in, still get the buzz of it all. At the moment, it’s just pants. 

I don’t think most fans are like this now. Maybe it’s the cost of football, combined with rise of social media. That said I thought the fans yesterday were awesome, best they’ve been for a while.

As for us being nowhere near top dogs next season I agree. I think we’re ina similar position to where Forest were in 13/14. They still haven’t recovered and ironically it might well be next year when they do recover which will make it even harder.

[irobinson]

9 hours ago, Loftyhites said:

I remember in 1983, the worst season ever in my dad’s eyes. He’d seen his beloved Clough/Taylor champions relegated to Division 3 and on a night of losing to Plymouth in the FA Cup, almost going out of business.  For me, it was my first season of watching Derby. Bobby Davison was my hero. I thought it was amazing.

Then came Hindmarch, Maclaren, McLaren, George Williams, Gregory, Callaghan and Micklewhite (my forever heroes). Eventually, relegation  and more disappointment - then Stimach, Van Der Laan, Bianno, Eranio, Asanovich and so on. Point is - we are Derby fans and we are the best at dealing with huge highs and really low, lows.

I feel that next season, which ever way this season ends, may be the most challenging year for a while and whatever division we’re in - we will be nowhere near the top dogs. However, I know that wherever we are, we will still be cheering and moaning the team on the way. I love being a Derby supporter and 47 yrs in, still get the buzz of it all. At the moment, it’s just pants. 

I’m an old Ram - I got a kick out of going away in the 3rd division - we flooded the little grounds - Ram till I die

Loved it - always my team 

 

[GenBr]

5 hours ago, irobinson said:

Yes Good post

 

most important thing I take from it - was strategy and sticking to it. people on here have asked what does a board do and what are the managers reseponsibilities

In my view MM and the board set a strategy - the manager is their to execute it. So if the goals of the  strategy is do a rebuild (after selling best players) good brand of football and exciting up and coming players - why

1. Did Gary Rowett not listen and go in an entirely different direction towards new players 

2 why didn’t the board reject - some  of his signings - like Jerome - when he knocked on the door - and say sorry mate - not in the strategy we want you to look at league 1 for Mr Hungry who scores every week or develop X from our 23s

In my view both the board and the leader are to blame for this season 

Only if we had signed two hungry young players with legs ! when we were second - things could have been different 

the underlying thing is - the board monitor the strategy and keep it on its tracks - if you don’t do this - then you might be a Sunderland (and ps they caned us at home the other week)

 

I don't think Rowett has been left with a lot of room transfer wise even with selling our two best players thanks to the mismanagement of Rush and the rest of the board. Bent - probably one of our highest paid players getting another season probably didn't help - we also couldn't shift most of the rest - Martin, Bryson, etc (not saying I want to get rid of them  - just that they would free up more transfer funds if they left). It seems we were too close for comfort to FFP limits and had to sell to reduce the risk - with little money then released to bring players in.

In regards to Jerome it was more a case of several options for that position being presented to Gary by our god awful scouting/transfer team and Gary picking from that list. For all we know, as terrifying as that is, Jerome was the best option on that list. Our scouting/transfer department has been awful for a long time and don't seem to know that football is played at a lower level than Championship or in other countries. If we are going to operate with a smaller budget we need to be setting our sights lower.

Personally I see problems at all levels of the club rather than just the board and manager - scout network non existent, transfer department phenomenally poor, board agreeing ludicrous contracts and player wages (or not even knowing the details of said contracts according to recent reports), academy seemingly struggling to develop players to first team level, fitness coaches (do we even employ any?), coaches in general (how often can we say a player has improved with us), and a lot of the playing staff are not up to Championship standard anymore. I don't think the problems are insurmountable, but it is going to take some major re-organisation in the club to fix the issues.

[Comrade 86]

13 hours ago, Finch said:

The club is meandering with an abject set-up. The best coach in recent times was Mac who also coached MU to the triple.BRING HIM BACK !!

Much as I loved the way we played under Mac, this ain't gonna happen. Time to move on.

[derbydaz22]

43 minutes ago, BramcoteRam84 said:

Yes I think both chairman and manager will have questions to answer. You would hope both are clear on the vision and strategy given they seem to have a good open and transparent working relationship. However I think Mel has been confused on his strategy since he arrived. His managerial appointments and player signings he’s sanctioned would seem to indicate this. The strategy starts with the top man, if he’s confused his managers don’t have a hope.

 

But in a way Mel can’t win,if Gary goes to him and says I want to sign Jerome and Mel says no he’s to old would we all be saying he’s not backing the manager and meddling to much?

[StaffsRam]

Bottom line, we are no better now than we were when Rowett took over. In fact, the collapse has been even more spectacular than usual, and Rowett looks even less able to do anything about it than previous managers have been.

I have no confidence in giving Rowett more time. This is another Jewell situation. The more time we give him, the more damage that's going to need to be undone.

The football is woeful, our prospects lacking. Our better players are gone. We're now home to countless journeymen. Our average age has gone through the roof. Our wage bill is huge. We are going backwards.

I'm sorry to say this, but Mel has to shoulder a fair amount of the blame. He has a singular talent for picking the wrong man for our top job. 

If Rowett is still here come the summer then we are in serious trouble. 

[StaffsRam]

1 minute ago, derbydaz22 said:

But in a way Mel can’t win,if Gary goes to him and says I want to sign Jerome and Mel says no he’s to old would we all be saying he’s not backing the manager and meddling to much?

If I were Mel and Rowett came to me saying that he wanted Jerome then I'd be seriously questioning Gary's sanity.