Would the real Derby County please stand up

[G STAR RAM]

Before I start, just want to make clear this is not a critical thread, or a knee jerk reaction to last night  (think a draw was a reasonable result) just looking for people's views!

Just wondered what sort of team people think we are and what sort of team we want to be?

Do we have a true identity yet?

I've seen a few posts from red dogs saying they expected more from us and am wondering where that expectation came from. Have 3 or 4 good televised matches made us look much better than we are to outsiders?

Halfway through the season and I'd say we have had 5 or 6 very good performances, and probably about the same number of average and poor performances.

Our performances haven't been consistent, neither have the tactics nor personnel. 

Players can go from starting one week to not being in the squad the next. Does Lampard not know his best team or are we a 'horses for courses' team?

 

 

[King Kevin]

I am happy with the regime and the team, for saying it's only had one window and we had to sell to buy .Having got that out of the way I went to Wigan and quite frankly we played them with a few going AWOL from the Derby team .

The balance isn't right in midfield, I personally think Wilson is better in there with TL, JM and MW up front having and  a good CM would be very welcome . I think FL rotates a bit much also.

Up front Jack is a star but is sometimes lacking support and is left getting battered by two centre backs as against Stoke and Wigan with the wrong balls played up to him .

Having said all that we are work in progress and if we have a good Jan window it's all to play for.

[Spanish]

23 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

Before I start, just want to make clear this is not a critical thread, or a knee jerk reaction to last night  (think a draw was a reasonable result) just looking for people's views!

Just wondered what sort of team people think we are and what sort of team we want to be?

Do we have a true identity yet?

I've seen a few posts from red dogs saying they expected more from us and am wondering where that expectation came from. Have 3 or 4 good televised matches made us look much better than we are to outsiders?

Halfway through the season and I'd say we have had 5 or 6 very good performances, and probably about the same number of average and poor performances.

Our performances haven't been consistent, neither have the tactics nor personnel. 

Players can go from starting one week to not being in the squad the next. Does Lampard not know his best team or are we a 'horses for courses' team?

 

 

I am a bit confused.  I didn’t expect the team to gel until the florist game and was pleasantly surprised at the early form.  Now we seem to be slightly falling away and I am concerned that top 6 might be too much of an ask.  If we’d started slower I probably wouldn’t be as bothered.  We are used to failure and falling short maybe by persevering with too many players based on what they did in the past rather than what they are currently capable of.  I have a sense that we can score stylish goals but are susceptible to conceding easy goals.  Big challenge for FL now and he now has to find another gear, lets see if he has it

[RoyMac5]

24 minutes ago, King Kevin said:

Having said all that we are work in progress and if we have a good Jan window it's all to play for.

Thing is it's pointless being a work in progress when the 'big' players aren't ours. We have to do it this season or it's starting from the beginning next season...

[Mafiabob]

Think we are naive more than anything, going on from last nights game, Forest managed the game they wanted to play so well, we didn’t manage it at all how he wanted to play.

The amount of free kicks we give away is criminal, especially from 40 yards in..... counted about 10 last night where Forest could launch it in box.

[BramcoteRam84]

Rookie manager, budget constraints, taking over an aging, slow side with players on big contracts past their best, a side that played dull pragmatic attritional football.

6 months in, we’re a young vibrant side who plays attractive football and for the most part has been entertaining to watch even when not at our best. We have only have 3 Loan players and signings like Holmes have been bought with an eye on next season if we don’t go up when loanees go. 

And we’re 4th in the league.

cant grumble with that 

[Sparkle]

We have been missing key players - Forsyth- 4 assists this season Bennett 3-4 assists and 1 goal and we only have one goalscorer in Marriott who has missed about 10 games this season - I would like another goal scorer option and waghorn isn’t it, a decent option out wide but that’s it 

[Mr Tibbs]

3 minutes ago, BramcoteRam84 said:

Rookie manager, budget constraints, taking over an aging, slow side with players on big contracts past their best, a side that played dull pragmatic attritional football.

6 months in, we’re a young vibrant side who plays attractive football and for the most part has been entertaining to watch even when not at our best. We have only have 3 Loan players and signings like Holmes have been bought with an eye on next season if we don’t go up when loanees go. 

And we’re 4th in the league.

cant grumble with that 

Agree with the rest but don't you think that's a bit of a myth Bramcote? What kind of constraint is spending 10+ million at this level?!  Half the league would love to have that kind of constraint.

If we'd have stopped at Zoon, Marriott and the Wilson/Mount loans I wouldn't be far off agreeing. The fact we then splashed another 8 mill on two players we didn't really need negates that shout for me. Throw in Evans, Tomori and Holmes... I don't think Lampard's landed a bad first gig in all honesty. 

[RamNut]

it doesn't yet look like a well oiled reliable machine.

We need a lift. hopefully we have scouted one or two bargains. If not then we will probably miss out,  but i'm just interested to see what FL does next.  

 

[RiddingsRam]

Controversial but I don't feel as though I'm excited about this team yet! Also feel as though I've not bonded with this team yet.  

You can vaguely see an identity devolving in the playing style but with us heavily relying on loan players for that blueprint to be the key is that identity sustainable long term ? 

What we have learned about this regime though is that Frank and the team prefer 4-3-3 as a shape with the wide forward players playing narrow and the centre forward being a hard worker who presses the back four something rotten . We like to get our width from our full backs . Seem ti be struggling to find the perfect blend for the middle 3 though . 

All in all its a project and we will see further additions in January that will add to the identity.

 

[uttoxram75]

16 minutes ago, Mr Tibbs said:

Agree with the rest but don't you think that's a bit of a myth Bramcote? What kind of constraint is spending 10+ million at this level?!  Half the league would love to have that kind of constraint.

If we'd have stopped at Zoon, Marriott and the Wilson/Mount loans I wouldn't be far off agreeing. The fact we then splashed another 8 mill on two players we didn't really need negates that shout for me. Throw in Evans, Tomori and Holmes... I don't think Lampard's landed a bad first gig in all honesty. 

Lampard has not spent a penny, incomings were covered by Vydra, Weimann and the £2m compensation for Rowett. There was no money to spend due to FFP.

The loans are an unknown cost, Wilson and Mount were no where near the first teams at their clubs so unlikely to be on silly money yet.

[Mr Tibbs]

28 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

Lampard has not spent a penny, incomings were covered by Vydra, Weimann and the £2m compensation for Rowett. There was no money to spend due to FFP.

The loans are an unknown cost, Wilson and Mount were no where near the first teams at their clubs so unlikely to be on silly money yet.

It doesn't really matter where the money is coming from though does it, that's not the issue. He came into the job knowing the two players mentioned there would probably be on the way out and there would be funds available (eventually). If we'd have sold them and spent nowt then I'd see where you're coming from. I just don't see how that could be used to defend Lamps. If he'd gone to Millwall or Hull City and done a job where they're penny pinching fair enough. 

To me Cloughy was under constraints here. Lamps spending 15 mill with one of the biggest wage bills in the division? Not for me. 

[uttoxram75]

7 minutes ago, Mr Tibbs said:

It doesn't really matter where the money is coming from though does it, that's not the issue. He came into the job knowing the two players mentioned there would probably be on the way out and there would be funds available (eventually). If we'd have sold them and spent nowt then I'd see where you're coming from. I just don't see how that could be used to defend Lamps. If he'd gone to Millwall or Hull City and done a job where they're penny pinching fair enough. 

To me Cloughy was under constraints here. Lamps spending 15 mill with one of the biggest wage bills in the division? Not for me. 

Lamps has not spent any money that was not provided by sales so not sure what your point is, I believe Nigel did a fantastic job here btw and will always defend his record at Derby.

[The Key Club King]

Well I for one am concerned. Not for the quality of football, which has been pretty good, but that someone in this thread is going to use the words philosophy or ethos soon. 

[toddy]

The football is so much better this season than last season.

Overall performances are probably slightly better, [WBA was fantastic] some have been shocking [Leeds, Villa] and we still give away silly goals, when will we ever learn.

The best player is not ours and have a feeling that he will be back at Liverpool next season, so that is a huge gap to fill, without his passing, his goals [his own personal goals of the season competition] - where would we really be?

Again we are fighting above our weight in this division, we are a million miles from being ready for  promotion.

We are still work in progress.

[G STAR RAM]

7 hours ago, uttoxram75 said:

Lamps has not spent any money that was not provided by sales so not sure what your point is, I believe Nigel did a fantastic job here btw and will always defend his record at Derby.

You can't really give FL credit for funds raised by the sale of players from previous regimes.

Ok if Vydra had been an integral part of his plans then it would be different, but pretty sure he would have known Vydra was leaving and the funds from this sale would be his for rebuilding the squad.

Agree with @Mr Tibbs that FL has had funds that 50% of the teams in out division could only dream of.

 

[Premier ram]

11 hours ago, Spanish said:

I am a bit confused.  I didn’t expect the team to gel until the florist game and was pleasantly surprised at the early form.  Now we seem to be slightly falling away and I am concerned that top 6 might be too much of an ask.  If we’d started slower I probably wouldn’t be as bothered.  We are used to failure and falling short maybe by persevering with too many players based on what they did in the past rather than what they are currently capable of.  I have a sense that we can score stylish goals but are susceptible to conceding easy goals.  Big challenge for FL now and he now has to find another gear, lets see if he has it

yes , 7pts out of the last 9 certainly smacks of falling away doesnt it , we are a young team , learning every game , once Frank gets the right balance in midfield watch this team go , in Frank we trust

[Mr Tibbs]

7 hours ago, uttoxram75 said:

Lamps has not spent any money that was not provided by sales so not sure what your point is, I believe Nigel did a fantastic job here btw and will always defend his record at Derby.

I think the point is he's had 15 mill to play with and a endless wage bill, whether it's been generated by sales or not doesn't matter - it's a luxury not a constraint which goes back to the original post I quoted.

[G STAR RAM]

3 minutes ago, Premier ram said:

yes , 7pts out of the last 9 certainly smacks of falling away doesnt it , we are a young team , learning every game , once Frank gets the right balance in midfield watch this team go , in Frank we trust

I keep seeing posts about 'the right balance' in midfield and not sure where it is coming from.

What are we missing?

Our best performances have been with Mount/Wilson/Huddlestone in the middle, how does this fit in with people's perception of 'the right balance'?

[Spanish]

6 minutes ago, Premier ram said:

yes , 7pts out of the last 9 certainly smacks of falling away doesnt it , we are a young team , learning every game , once Frank gets the right balance in midfield watch this team go , in Frank we trust

I thought @G STAR RAM was trying to establish a dialogue based on a sense of how we thought we were playing and where we were going.  Your response smacks of points over performances and back to the Rowett days.  Do you think our performances are dropping off?