Is this the most depressing period you’ve experienced as a Derby fan?

[uttoxram75]

13 hours ago, Reggie Greenwood said:

The late 70’s until the arrival of King Arthur 

Horrible times because our downfall coincided with the gumps being on the up, but there were some away days that made that period one of the best despite our poo performances on the pitch.

[Derby blood]

1 hour ago, David said:

You really think had McClaren not come in we would have made the play offs still?

Sorry but I can’t wrap my head around that theory at all.

Yes i do mate, i do think we would have got in the play offs under Mr Clough and there is players in that squad who played for Mr Clough and Mr Mac, and they also think the same, Nigel had alot of respect in that squad mate, believe me. 

[uttoxram75]

1 hour ago, David said:

You really think had McClaren not come in we would have made the play offs still?

Sorry but I can’t wrap my head around that theory at all.

No, we probably wouldn't have made the play offs that season.

However we would have smashed automatic promotion the year after.

[Day]

11 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

No issue with believing he couldnt take them any further...I personally disagree but its not unreasonable to suggest otherwise. It was also a hard slog at times under him, I would accept that 

Was more directed at the remark about being glad he got sacked & 40 years to get a playoff spot. I've certainly got more respect for Clough than the likes of Lampard & Rowett who got us into the playoffs but at a massive financial cost & with a much better base to start from.

I was glad he got sacked, not going to sit here and rewrite history and how I felt. 

Pretty sure we disagree on a lot of things, I don’t automatically jump to you’re being disrespectful though, you’re entitled to your opinions as am I.

The best thing this club did was sack Clough.

[Day]

7 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

No, we probably wouldn't have made the play offs that season.

However we would have smashed automatic promotion the year after.

Lay off the biscuits!

[Derby blood]

2 minutes ago, David said:

I was glad he got sacked, not going to sit here and rewrite history and how I felt. 

Pretty sure we disagree on a lot of things, I don’t automatically jump to you’re being disrespectful though, you’re entitled to your opinions as am I.

The best thing this club did was sack Clough.

The best thing we did, come on Nigel did loads of good things for this club, can not believe u did not see how he developed the squad, i bet Mel wish he had him instead of 90 percent of the managers he got in. In fact the best thing the club could do right now is get in the new owners as ASAP and get us out the poo that Mel has left us in. 

[Day]

26 minutes ago, Derby blood said:

The best thing we did, come on Nigel did loads of good things for this club, can not believe u did not see how he developed the squad, i bet Mel wish he had him instead of 90 percent of the managers he got in. In fact the best thing the club could do right now is get in the new owners as ASAP and get us out the poo that Mel has left us in. 

Removing Clough was the start of the most entertaining period I can remember being a Derby fan since Jim Smith, and if I also remember correctly up until the last year you would not hear a bad word said about the club and would routinely attack other members who dared (not a pop at you at all, agreed a lot with what you said and you’re fully entitled to change your opinion).

Despite the current situation, I’m not as I say going to rewrite history in how I felt. Under Clough it felt like Groundhog Day, nobody will ever convince me we was going anywhere under him, I mean how has his career gone since leaving us? Not exactly making us look foolish for getting rid.

McClaren was the start of some great times, memories that will last a lifetime, I have no special memories under Clough, I won’t sit here and fake any either.

 

[Old Sawley Popside]

Nope, there are, for me, three even worse occasions. Norwich City away (May 1980); Cambridge United away (August 1980) & Shrewsbury Town away (May 1984)…although the latter was a good day out bar the game. Oddly enough, last Sunday's friendly match v. Manchester United left me with a slight feeling of optimism for the forthcoming season.

Edited July 21, 2021 by Old Sawley Popside
Got my day wrong for last Sunday's game!

[Shipley Ram]

5 minutes ago, David said:

The best thing this club did was sack Clough.

You are so wrong, but Clough needed a better coaching set up. Keeping Clough whilst getting Mac as assistant or chief coach(I don't think Mac would have gone for that) would have been ideal.  Mac got a season of great performance out of the team Clough created before his crap managment skills put us on a downhill slope. Sadly Mac doesn't have the ability to create a good team, and Clough doen't have the ability to get the best out of his good team.

Clough was sacked as there is no way he would have let Sam Rush play transfers with his team, Rush was intent if getting rid of Clough ASAP.  I would have trusted Clough with the transfer kitty over Rush or Mac anyday, despite Connor Sammon.

[Shipley Ram]

If I was to pick one moment it was 27th August 1983. I was on a beach in Cornwall, we had just done the great escape, pre season looked good and I was optimistic. At just gone 5 I spied a fat bloke in a Scotland shirt with a radio, I went over and asked if he knew the Derby Score. He laughed and said we had lost 5-0 to Chelsea, and I deflated.

[Day]

2 minutes ago, Shipley Ram said:

You are so wrong, but Clough needed a better coaching set up. Keeping Clough whilst getting Mac as assistant or chief coach(I don't think Mac would have gone for that) would have been ideal.  Mac got a season of great performance out of the team Clough created before his crap managment skills put us on a downhill slope. Sadly Mac doesn't have the ability to create a good team, and Clough doen't have the ability to get the best out of his good team.

Clough was sacked as there is no way he would have let Sam Rush play transfers with his team, Rush was intent if getting rid of Clough ASAP.  I would have trusted Clough with the transfer kitty over Rush or Mac anyday, despite Connor Sammon.

I don’t know how Clough and Mac would have worked, or even if it would have happened.

McClaren himself credited Paul Simpson for being the one that got him to release the shackles when we would go 4-2-4 all out attack, the football that had us all off our seats.

Would McClaren have loosen Clough up? Who knows. Clough is far too loyal to his setup, which has taken his career where exactly?

Back when Clough was sacked it was 50/50, as it was most of his tenure on here so I’m not surprised I’ve come in for some flack, but I’m on the 50 that was glad to see the back of him and we’ll never ever know if he would have took us to the play offs, we can only guess and my guess is no.

[Derby_Dave]

7 hours ago, Mostyn6 said:

I can remember a spell under John Gregory that I found Derby severely depressing. Tommy Mooney and Nick Chadwick up front! 

Thanks for that reminder!!

[S8TY]

I have to say when I wake up I’m ok until I think of the mess we’re in and it makes me sad because it was avoidable 

I’ve been home and away when we got relegated to division3 and that felt low but that was mainly football related this is mainly off the pitch stuff not helped by the guardians who were supposed to be looking after the club!!

what really annoys me though is the years when Nigel was here and we were frugal we brought in players like Martin,Brayford ,Bucko,Ward,Russell,Bryson , Shackell,Keogh without seemingly putting the club in any jeopardy then we spend big money on time wasters like Anya Blackman and co for much more money and much less actual input on the pitch and it really makes me wonder just how macs lad is still in work at our great club when it was necessary to continue finding gems for not big money 

I’ll always follow but to me we’ve caused this ourselves from the top … sad days indeed 

[S8TY]

6 hours ago, Jimbo Ram said:

Just watched the MOTD highlights of the 0-0 in the cup at the Green Army in 84. Me and dad behind the goal. Surprisingly can remember very little about the game other than their shot hitting both posts. That period has to be even worse than this. Going so close to going bust, other than Bobby a team of ageing players on one last pay day and not an awful lot of hope that things would change. Then came Arthur and the rest is history….

I was there away at Plymouth packed in like sardines on the terracing and we were woeful that day …it was so dull someone started singing “ you only sing when you’re fishing “ and it was the highlight of the day was a proper poo performance … 

[S8TY]

6 hours ago, Eaststander7 said:

The clough years…..rebuild job,great signings, the last period of really shrewd recruitment at DCFC, great team spirit…. Completely undervalued in terms of the job he did….

interesting that the players from that era agree about this too….ward, Bryson, bucko, Russell etc 

 

Brilliant post this ….let’s show these names to Macs lad and our supposed scouting team  …how is he still here is beyond me …jobs for the boys ….part of the reason we’re in this mess 

[S8TY]

2 hours ago, LeedsCityRam said:

No issue with believing he couldnt take them any further...I personally disagree but its not unreasonable to suggest otherwise. It was also a hard slog at times under him, I would accept that 

Was more directed at the remark about being glad he got sacked & 40 years to get a playoff spot. I've certainly got more respect for Clough than the likes of Lampard & Rowett who got us into the playoffs but at a massive financial cost & with a much better base to start from.

I’d have Clough back in a heartbeat he would never have spent 4.5m on a time waster like Anya and although not all of his signings worked I think he looked at a players character as well as there ability Barker Shackell Keogh Ward Russell Bryson Brayford Buxton Martin …great signings and I think only 1 over a million quid 

[sunnyhill60]

3 hours ago, Derby blood said:

Yes i do mate, i do think we would have got in the play offs under Mr Clough and there is players in that squad who played for Mr Clough and Mr Mac, and they also think the same, Nigel had alot of respect in that squad mate, believe me. 

Never in a million years! He was always too cautious and his win % as a manager anywhere reflects that. He bored us shtless and had an aversion to flair. Of course a few players dumped by Mac will big up Clough. Non-league Nigel is an epithet that is well-deserved.

[sunnyhill60]

1 hour ago, S8TY said:

Brilliant post this ….let’s show these names to Macs lad and our supposed scouting team  …how is he still here is beyond me …jobs for the boys ….part of the reason we’re in this mess 

It ain't far to Mansfield! If you did not notice the difference when Mac took over then there is really no discussion to be had. 

[sunnyhill60]

2 hours ago, S8TY said:

I have to say when I wake up I’m ok until I think of the mess we’re in and it makes me sad because it was avoidable 

I’ve been home and away when we got relegated to division3 and that felt low but that was mainly football related this is mainly off the pitch stuff not helped by the guardians who were supposed to be looking after the club!!

what really annoys me though is the years when Nigel was here and we were frugal we brought in players like Martin,Brayford ,Bucko,Ward,Russell,Bryson , Shackell,Keogh without seemingly putting the club in any jeopardy then we spend big money on time wasters like Anya Blackman and co for much more money and much less actual input on the pitch and it really makes me wonder just how macs lad is still in work at our great club when it was necessary to continue finding gems for not big money 

I’ll always follow but to me we’ve caused this ourselves from the top … sad days indeed 

What part did Mac have in the signing of Anya, Blackman, Butterfield and Johnson etc? Morris is the person to blame and his first decision was to sack Mac

[LeedsCityRam]

7 hours ago, David said:

I was glad he got sacked, not going to sit here and rewrite history and how I felt. 

Pretty sure we disagree on a lot of things, I don’t automatically jump to you’re being disrespectful though, you’re entitled to your opinions as am I.

The best thing this club did was sack Clough.

 

7 hours ago, David said:

McClaren was the start of some great times, memories that will last a lifetime, I have no special memories under Clough, I won’t sit here and fake any either.

 

Already said the opinion was reasonable...it was the way it was expressed that came across as dismissive to a manager who left us in a better place than he found us & which seems to have riled others too.

As to 'best thing we ever did sacking him' &  thereafter having 'memories to last a lifetime'....a few seasons where we never seriously threatened automatic promotion from the second tier despite massive financial outlay is a million miles from 'great times'. We're Derby, not Brentford or Millwall.

Its largely been a frustrating few years & the expectant/quick to anger mood of the crowd during that period would back that up. The fact we're now paying for that with the current mess is just salt in the wound.

Edited July 22, 2021 by LeedsCityRam