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Annual Collapse


North East Ram

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Supporting England for the last 40 years meant a constant search for why we failed. Scapegoats, bad form, bad luck, bad penalties, too many foreigners etc. were blamed before I had an epiphany in 2007 and realised we were just not really very good. The easiest way to remind yourself of this is to remember that it is the good times and good form that are a blip. We are not in a blip at the minute, it is pretty much how we have played for the last 3 years.  

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1 hour ago, IlsonDerby said:

Sheffield United play some of the most scintillating stuff I've seen this season (with wing backs and wing centre backs) and they can't claim to have better players than us... 

They probably could claim to have some better players than us. Price tags and wages distort opinions of players. Bradley Johnson cost a lot of money but wouldn't get anywhere near their midfield.

I agree with the sentiment that Sheff Utd are over-achieving though. Derby in seventh is probably about right based on budget, with at least Middlesborough, Forest, Villa, West Brom and Stoke spending more money than us.

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Its probably a futile attempt but the annual collapse is a myth To be blunt, we've not been good enough to seriously challenge for the top 2 in any season since we got relegated in 2008, with the exception of 2014-15.

2013-14 - If anything our late season form was better than our earlier season form. We were the form team going into the playoffs

2014-15 - The one genuine collapse mainly because of a freakish set of injuries to all options for the defensive midfielder position. Uncertainty over McClaren's position possibly didn't help also

2015/16 - Ok, we were top 2 over Christmas but I don't think most folk regarded Clement's side as a promotion cert. Despite the upheaval caused by a surprise sacking, Derby finished strongly (including a 4 game winning streak in April) to comfortably make the playoffs i.e. better than the previous season. They were promptly schooled by a much more streetwise Hull in the playoffs.

2016/17 - Never in the running. Horrible start under Pearson, McClaren initially gets results than the limitations of a highly paid & disjointed squad mean a subsequent downturn & another sacking

2017/18 - Whilst Rowett had us as high as 2nd at one point, its total fabrication to suggest we were top 2 contenders & fell away. Performances were often scratchy & the last 2 months were all about scraping a playoff place, which we managed.

Its like a vicious circle, fed eagerly by the media - the more we go on about it, the more anxious we get as a fanbase come Feb/Mar/April which then transmits itself to the players. We can control this, its nothing to do with the players or the manager - a lot of whom weren't here previous years anyway

We lacked invention last night against a really well organised side. It's happened before, it'll happen again. Simple as that.

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There is no recent collapse....our luck has run out, cos we haven't played very  well for months. That result was coming. Millwall deserved  a point....the scrappy goal was just typical of how things are. 

Nothing in Lampard's past, demeanour, character suggest he will leave. He will learn and come back stronger. We have lost our way that's for sure....no pressing, no pace, no composure..  the Derby way seems to consist of the goalkeeper passing it to someone on the edge of the box.... that's it. 

We seem less settled on selections, systems, style. Frustrating as hell.

But we are still in with a shout of top 6... let's go again and if we don't make it, I trust Frank to sort over the summer.

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14 hours ago, Rampage said:

Dire performance. Too many players heading for no contract exit. Best players are loan players.  Clean start in summer with little momentum because no continuity of selection/playing together. commentary was even more dire. Commentators saying no risk taking and very predictable. Something of a mystery to me. Let us hope that Frank will stay next season. COYR

So next season is the transition season...or is it this one? I forget!

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1 minute ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

Mac1 injuries /Newcastle

Clement Jan signings/moral collapse

Mac 2 inexplicable.

Rowett collapse of moral upon realising nothing better could be hoped for ever.

Lampard...

Dare I say injuries have played a part? Marriott was woefully off the pace last night and had the look of a striker without that match sharpness. Mount is a big miss in terms of needing that bit of magic at times. Lawrence coming in and out of fitness hasn't allowed him to grow in confidence and has cause team selection headaches. I don't think Frank actually knows his best team

I'm certainly not counting this year as a collapse. Not in the same terms as the other years. Unless we lose the next couple of course. Has Frank lost two league games in a row yet? Can't think of them if he has

 

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Just now, StivePesley said:

Dare I say injuries have played a part? Marriott was woefully off the pace last night and had the look of a striker without that match sharpness. Mount is a big miss in terms of needing that bit of magic at times. Lawrence coming in and out of fitness hasn't allowed him to grow in confidence and has cause team selection headaches. I don't think Frank actually knows his best team

I'm certainly not counting this year as a collapse. Not in the same terms as the other years. Unless we lose the next couple of course. Has Frank lost two league games in a row yet? Can't think of them if he has

 

Think he did at the start of the season, but not been much of a bad run yet. As long as this doesn't develop into one.

I agree, it's hardly a collapse yet, but last night did seem lifeless. On the other hand, we didn't get ripped apart like the Sunderland cluster-rowett or Birmingham three nil under Clement, we were comfortable beating Hull.

could just do with a moral boosting performance and win. Three or four points from the next two and I think we can put the collapse talk to bed.

We do miss Mount and Marriott isn't sharp yet, as well Wilson going off the boil.

 

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27 minutes ago, The Key Club King said:

They probably could claim to have some better players than us. Price tags and wages distort opinions of players. Bradley Johnson cost a lot of money but wouldn't get anywhere near their midfield.

I agree with the sentiment that Sheff Utd are over-achieving though. Derby in seventh is probably about right based on budget, with at least Middlesborough, Forest, Villa, West Brom and Stoke spending more money than us.

You've undermined your own argument on one hand you've said that just because we've spend an extreme amount on a player it doesn't mean they're worth that but on the other you've said that we should probably be placed 7th on the amount of money we've spent on players. 

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Last night we had no midfield. The Midfield are vital for how Lampard wants to play and not one of them had the bottle to take the game by the scruff of the neck last night. SOOOO many safe sideways passes. The whole team we're happy to let the game go by them. You have to be brave, there will be mistakes, BUT to be effective you HAVE to take risks and not one player was willing to do that last night and that's why Lampard will be frustrated.

 

Now the whole team was poor and lethargic but we lacked a engine and a leader last night. I hope Lampard give them ALL a ear full after the game because they let us all down.

 

On a plus note, I'm going in to the Forest game with zero hope and that's when we usually do ok!

 

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It’s more a fan mentality than players. Every season we tell the team they are going to throw away all the hard work in jan/feb. The media then contribute by bringing it up in every press conference/article. 

Booing after losing 1-0 to millwall in February, despite being 1 point behind top 6 is pretty embarrassing if you ask me. How would we react if we were in Sunderland’s position last year? 

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22 minutes ago, Sowter said:

It’s more a fan mentality than players. Every season we tell the team they are going to throw away all the hard work in jan/feb. The media then contribute by bringing it up in every press conference/article. 

Booing after losing 1-0 to millwall in February, despite being 1 point behind top 6 is pretty embarrassing if you ask me. How would we react if we were in Sunderland’s position last year? 

Its not the losing fans are getting upset with its the way we are performing at present,lets be honest you could probably count on one hand were i have walked out of pride Park and thought we had played any were like we should be doing

The last 4 performances including the Brighton game have been absolutely woeful and if like me you work damm hard for your monthly pay packet fans have every right to there opinions dont you think

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4 hours ago, SillyBilly said:

So next season is the transition season...or is it this one? I forget!

The transition season is not a year but an epoch in geological time that can be short cut via a worm hole should we make the right signings and win the league by Xmas, SillyBilly. ?

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40 minutes ago, Inglorius said:

So we've collapsed a massive 2 places from when we were 5th in the middle of December to 7th where we are now.

Seismic stuff

No it's not seismic. But, we were I think, at one stage 7 pts clear of play off chasing pack which included Bristol. So that's more than a bit disappointing, if nothing else. 

 

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9 hours ago, IlsonDerby said:

Sheffield United play some of the most scintillating stuff I've seen this season (with wing backs and wing centre backs) and they can't claim to have better players than us... 

You just made that "position" up, didn't you?  There's no such thing, is there?  You can't be wing and centre, can you? 

You were relying on folk being too scared to flag it up, in case you then went on to prove them wrong, and make them look silly!  Well see... I ain't scared, so go ahead... make me look silly!

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