State of play: various polls

[IslandExile]

How are you feeling about all things Derby County?

[Comrade 86]

1) Yes. We were poo without Bielik, winning all the time with him and now poo and losing all the time without him. The bounce was clearly brought about by Bielik's return to fitness and not Wazza and co. I've not completely lost faith but with Bielik we were in the top three in the form table, since his injury however...

2) Think we should have a preferred style of play, but not to the point we try to play it against every opponent. That said, there ought to be some fundamental constants. Rooney criticised Cocu for over-complicating things yet is now doing exactly the same himself by chopping and changing both the team and the tactics every game and the players seem to be hating it.

3) Yes and we should also play a higher line and get some runners around CKR. Having the poor lad taking on 3 defenders on his own every week is getting boring and will only work once every half dozen games and only when we score first. It's ducking dull to watch too.

4) No. BZI ae a busted flush and there's not enough time to push through an alternative prior to season-end.

5) No, but only because there are other teams who are marginally less poo than we are. That said, a loss to Brum and we're knee deep in the brown stuff. Wednesday, Wycombe and Rovrum still more likely to get relegated though.

 

[Jourdan]

1) I have never thought Rooney was the right choice or really truly had any confidence in him being successful here in the long term. Our initial run under him always felt like an extended honeymoon period rather than something that signposted greater days ahead.

2) I think we should have a style and a set up that is consistent and you could argue the 4-3-3 with Bielik was looking to be it. However even that seemed to have a short shelf life as it was completely dependent on us being defensively solid, something we haven’t excelled at in forever.

Truth is one player shouldn’t be make or break for your team. I think this is where Rooney has disappointed me. The January signings haven’t really resolved any issues but merely put more of an exclamation point on them.

3) Rooney’s aversion to creative players does worry me, but confidence, cohesion and rhythm are all in short supply, so I am not even sure a more attacking line up would find success at this stage. If Rooney wanted us to be creative, he should have prioritised this early on and put building blocks in place. He did not.

4) Maybe, but it appears Mel’s selection of potential owners is just as questionable as his selection of managers.

5) It’ll be a very close call, but no. However the way things are going, next season is going to be mightily tough too.

[RamNut]

I’m probably one of the first to break ranks and declare my colours. I want Rooney and Rosenior gone ASAP.

We need to stop all the constant chopping and changing of team line up and formation, and get some creative players into the team. 
Please Mel. It’s time to load the revolver with at least two bullets.

 

[Asanovic70]

1. Refuse to answer, this particular poll reminds me of posters on another site (bbc 606) losing faith with Clough barely after he arrived & we suffered a dip following a good run. The sort of young manager advocated for by others.

2. Surely, it's a mix of both? Maybe if you go to one of the top six, play 5-4-1 to frustrate them? I'd like to see us go back to 4-3-3, maybe.

3. More creative players, yes, pick a back 4 & stick with it, injury-permitting.

4. No. I think people were deluded. BZI is the Michael Knighton of our day.

5. Yes, if we win 3 games & get 2 draws/2W 3D  in the last 10, perhaps reaching between 48-50 pts, 49pts the same as '08-'09. Birmingham may implode unless they bring in another manager, but they aren't many decent ones about, Cook went to Ipswich

Birmingham face sides with something to play for, their next four games: Reading (h), Watford (a), Swansea (h) & Brentford (a). Win some of these & they deserve to stop up if we faff about. Some of their other games include us, Forest & Rotherham (away). We've got a couple of mid-table sides with little to play for like Preston & Stoke.

 

 

[Saul]

1. Wanted Paul Cook or Mick but I've backed Rooney since he was appointed. It's not at his door if we go down. He's given us a chance.

2. Folks are deluded if they think we're good enough to just play our own way. TBH we are proper poo. We have to look at stopping the opposition and hope to nick one.

3. Such as??? We are massively lacking in this area. (Proper poo) No one ( bar Watson, and very early days for him) plays with their head up. 

4. Highly doubtful. I'm pretty confident in Mels ability to damage us further.

5. If Karanka keeps his job we'll be ok. If they move him on then the little bounce they will get will see us relegated. 

[LeedsCityRam]

Cracking thread @IslandExile

1. No, keep the faith. I was in a hardcore of 5% that did not want Rooney appointing as permanent manager but I've been impressed overall with how he's set us up & his approach (even taking into account the recent slump). Ignoring all the noise & other context, he's taken us from rock bottom to 7 clear of the bottom 3 & hence deserves time to finish the job

2. Yes, decide on a set formation & stick to it unless we are clearly inferior & need to set up defensively to negate them. Elsewhere we should not be needing to adapt to the likes of Millwall, we should be looking to impose ourselves on them. The constant changes are making us look disjointed & preventing partnerships/cohesion from forming throughout the side

3. Yes, we need more creative players. I will caveat this by saying I totally agreed with Rooney's initial approach in making us hard to beat & it clearly has garnered us a lot of points. However there is too much reactivity to the likes of Millwall who we should be looking to dominate. Knight & Shinnie should not be picked as a midfield two again & dont want to see 3 at the back either. The stat of 9 goals from open play all season is absolutely appalling & needs addressing asap. I am very disappointed with Rooney's treatment of Sibley & Bird and think both (along with Watson & Roberts) could improve the attacking side significantly.

4. No takeover until the summer at the earliest. In hindsight it was extremely unlikely there was going to be a takeover of an already loss making Championship club whilst there was zero gate income, no fixed date on when fans would return & a significant threat of us dropping into League One. If we manage to stay up, I believe there will be a number of bids given our potential including BZI. I would still prefer Morris to stay.

5. No, I think we will stay up although margins may be tight. We have points on the board over Sheff Weds, Brum & Rotherham and opportunities to get to 50 asap whilst they play catch up. Next 3/4 games are crucial though.

[BramcoteRam84]

We are absolutely not in this position because of Rooney. How can anyone criticise or say he’s the wrong man based on the job he’s done so far. Worst start in championship history. Bottom of the league to 7 points clear through top half form when we are not a top half team. We need to stay in this league by hook or by crook, style of football etc needs to wait. Also playing 3 times a week he has no time to work on a defined style of play.
 

I don’t get this Rooney aversion to creative players as well - I like Sibley but he hasn’t been anywhere near it this season. Knight was outstanding until about 4 weeks ago and his performances have dropped right off. Whichever combination of wide players we’ve played hasn’t worked, to be selected every week players need to be trusted to do a job and there are too many in this team right now that you can’t.

It’s horses for courses to get us over the line then in the summer we can see the team and style he really wants. If we stay up (and I still think we will like a majority who have so far answered this poll) he’s done a very good job, his bigger challenge will be can he take us to the next level but he will have deserved the opportunity.

If we go down, both Rooney and the club have got a decision to make but I wouldn’t necessarily get rid of him.

[Anag Ram]

8 hours ago, IslandExile said:

How are you feeling about all things Derby County?

Good poll!

[strawhillram]

8 hours ago, 86 Hair Islands said:

1) Yes. We were poo without Bielik, winning all the time with him and now poo and losing all the time without him. The bounce was clearly brought about by Bielik's return to fitness and not Wazza and co. I've not completely lost faith but with Bielik we were in the top three in the form table, since his injury however...

2) Think we should have a preferred style of play, but not to the point we try to play it against every opponent. That said, there ought to be some fundamental constants. Rooney criticised Cocu for over-complicating things yet is now doing exactly the same himself by chopping and changing both the team and the tactics every game and the players seem to be hating it.

3) Yes and we should also play a higher line and get some runners around CKR. Having the poor lad taking on 3 defenders on his own every week is getting boring and will only work once every half dozen games and only when we score first. It's ducking dull to watch too.

4) No. BZI ae a busted flush and there's not enough time to push through an alternative prior to season-end.

5) No, but only because there are other teams who are marginally less poo than we are. That said, a loss to Brum and we're knee deep in the brown stuff. Wednesday, Wycombe and Rovrum still more likely to get relegated though.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth

[Van der MoodHoover]

1. Never had confidence once it became clear that the plethora of coaches were being retained under Rooney. 

2. I think we do need adaptability. That is a different thing to how we are executing it by taking the same players and shoving them in different positions. Knight for example could be at any of 4, 8, 10 or 11.

3. Setting up with 7 defensive outfield players against a poohousing Millwall is disgraceful. Setting up like that against a bang in form team like Barnsley understandable. 

4. I think Mel could find himself in a legal wrangle to get rid of the sheikh if he's worded the sale contract poorly with no end date for concluding. So no, can't see that being concluded and a new buyer negotiation this season. 

5. I think we will nick a result or two - unexpectedly like swansea- and just stay up.

 

[strawhillram]

7 hours ago, Asanovic70 said:

1. Refuse to answer, this particular poll reminds me of posters on another site (bbc 606) losing faith with Clough barely after he arrived & we suffered a dip following a good run. The sort of young manager advocated for by others.

2. Surely, it's a mix of both? Maybe if you go to one of the top six, play 5-4-1 to frustrate them? I'd like to see us go back to 4-3-3, maybe.

3. More creative players, yes, pick a back 4 & stick with it, injury-permitting.

4. No. I think people were deluded. BZI is the Michael Knighton of our day.

5. Yes, if we win 3 games & get 2 draws/2W 3D  in the last 10, perhaps reaching between 48-50 pts, 49pts the same as '08-'09. Birmingham may implode unless they bring in another manager, but they aren't many decent ones about, Cook went to Ipswich

Birmingham face sides with something to play for, their next four games: Reading (h), Watford (a), Swansea (h) & Brentford (a). Win some of these & they deserve to stop up if we faff about. Some of their other games include us, Forest & Rotherham (away). We've got a couple of mid-table sides with little to play for like Preston & Stoke.

 

 

Millwall are a mid table side with little to play for and we lost

[strawhillram]

7 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

1. Never had confidence once it became clear that the plethora of coaches were being retained under Rooney. 

2. I think we do need adaptability. That is a different thing to how we are executing it by taking the same players and shoving them in different positions. Knight for example could be at any of 4, 8, 10 or 11.

3. Setting up with 7 defensive outfield players against a poohousing Millwall is disgraceful. Setting up like that against a bang in form team like Barnsley understandable. 

4. I think Mel could find himself in a legal wrangle to get rid of the sheikh if he's worded the sale contract poorly with no end date for concluding. So no, can't see that being concluded and a new buyer negotiation this season. 

5. I think we will nick a result or two - unexpectedly like swansea- and just stay up.

 

Point 1 exactly

[Anag Ram]

10 minutes ago, StrawHillRam said:

Point 1 exactly

Yes. I’m not sure we need so many.

I’d like a few training sessions where all each player does is shoot and head for goal. 

Time and time again we are in shooting positions and don’t have the confidence to shoot or we head so tamely into the centre of the goal.

If you don’t score you don’t win. That seems to be an important starting point which doesn’t need a plethora of coaches.

[ziggyram59]

7 hours ago, RamNut said:

I’m probably one of the first to break ranks and declare my colours. I want Rooney and Rosenior gone ASAP.

We need to stop all the constant chopping and changing of team line up and formation, and get some creative players into the team. 
Please Mel. It’s time to load the revolver with at least two bullets.

 

I would agree with you 100% see if we could get Chris Wilder in ASAP. 

[FlyBritishMidland]

Good poll @IslandExile.  I think we stick with Rooney.  I’m not one for changing manages on a whim and I was a Cocu in man but change happens.
 

Question 2 is a great question.  One of the things Rooney and his coaching team said when they took over was they were giving the players simple messages and they felt that sometimes things had been over complicated.  Now we seem to change formation, style play, team selection every week based on the opposition.  Surely that’s over complicating things?  Decide on a style of play, formation, etc and then work on it.  Get they players used to it.  That’s how partnerships in key positions are formed and performances improve.  Tweak things for the opposition (e.g Player X instead of Player Y because......) but keep the basics the same.  And the moment it seems like it’s wholesale change every game.

[CBRammette]

I think Rooney will end up being a good manager for us still so responded fairly positively. Still not convinced re the coaching committee. This may explain the constant changing. More often than not managerial teams with a steady handpicked no 2 who complement each other are the best decision makers. I'm afraid my biggest concern re staying up is the EFL if Mel is still is still around. Its ominously quiet re that appeal and at this rate any points deduction would only need to be small. 

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

If we are sticking with Rooney I want him to be less sentimental about the coaching staff. 

If there are better coaches out there to helphim out we should go and get them, instead of sticking with the inexperienced lot we currently have. 

Rooney's handling of Sibley is the first red flag for me. He's got that wrong from what I can see. 

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

3 minutes ago, CBRammette said:

I think Rooney will end up being a good manager for us still so responded fairly positively. Still not convinced re the coaching committee. This may explain the constant changing. More often than not managerial teams with a steady handpicked no 2 who complement each other are the best decision makers. I'm afraid my biggest concern re staying up is the EFL if Mel is still is still around. Its ominously quiet re that appeal and at this rate any points deduction would only need to be small. 

We can't get a points deduction as part of the appeal process. We can get fined. But no points off as I understand it 

[24Charlie]

1 hour ago, BramcoteRam84 said:

We are absolutely not in this position because of Rooney. How can anyone criticise or say he’s the wrong man based on the job he’s done so far. Worst start in championship history. Bottom of the league to 7 points clear through top half form when we are not a top half team. We need to stay in this league by hook or by crook, style of football etc needs to wait. Also playing 3 times a week he has no time to work on a defined style of play.
 

I don’t get this Rooney aversion to creative players as well - I like Sibley but he hasn’t been anywhere near it this season. Knight was outstanding until about 4 weeks ago and his performances have dropped right off. Whichever combination of wide players we’ve played hasn’t worked, to be selected every week players need to be trusted to do a job and there are too many in this team right now that you can’t.

It’s horses for courses to get us over the line then in the summer we can see the team and style he really wants. If we stay up (and I still think we will like a majority who have so far answered this poll) he’s done a very good job, his bigger challenge will be can he take us to the next level but he will have deserved the opportunity.

If we go down, both Rooney and the club have got a decision to make but I wouldn’t necessarily get rid of him.

It’s become apparentthat our change in fortune was more down to Beilik than anything Rooney did.

Any manager would struggle in these circumstances so he’s trying to match up teams. The problem is they are better at playing the way they do than we are so we aren’t getting anywhere.

I’d like Rooney to get some flair into the team and play Sibley CKR and Lawrence v Brentford and even if we lose continue with it.

We haven’t been successful not going for it, so why not just go for it.