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


Mostyn6

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I thought at the time it was harsh to Sack Nigel Clough and didn’t agree. I changed my opinion 48 hours later when McClaren Simmo and Steele were announced. This was before even a ball was kicked under their management. It just felt right, but then no one expected it to go quite as well as it did, probably because of the 5 years of mediocrity we’d endured prior. Just a crying shame we didn’t get over the line.

It was dull under Clough but he was working to the tightest budget restrictions of any Derby manager (until now) and we were never really under serious threat of going down. And he did make us comfortably mid table while in a better place financially, and built the team that McClaren and Simmo took to the next level. But it needed them to come in for the team’s potential to be realised.
 

Clough would be ideal for where this club is right now and if he was in charge he would keep us up 100%. And despite it being dull for the majority, our home form was decent in most seasons and he did give us some great memories with the City Ground victories (the 10 men victory remains one of my favourite away days and is a day I will cherish forever) and countless wins over Leeds. In fact I think he won 4 matches at the city ground as Derby manager and no other Derby manager has won there since. 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Mostyn6 said:

Clough was the nurse. We now need a nurse. However, when you’re nursed back to health, the specialist will get involved. Clough doesn’t have anywhere near the skillset, vision and bravery to even get a big side to flirt with the top8 let alone a trip to Wembley. 

Said similar things recently. The mess we are right now, Clough would be perfect to see us right before we replace him to go onto the next level like we did last time. 

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2 minutes ago, Mostyn6 said:

Clough was the nurse. We now need a nurse. However, when you’re nursed back to health, the specialist will get involved. Clough doesn’t have anywhere near the skillset, vision and bravery to even get a big side to flirt with the top8 let alone a trip to Wembley. 

I really like the analogy, but I do think he had vision and bravery in bucketloads, just totally misplaced. I used to conflate our timid away performances with a timid culture at the club but sheesh, having read Pride, Nigel had a very clear vision for how we wanted to play and borderline bullied any player that got in his way. That's where his skillset fell short. He couldn't - or wouldn't - get on with the modern footballer so he got his brother to stalk the British Isles finding parodies of old-fashioned footballers.

You know the phrase "you can't make an omelette without breaking any eggs?" I'd imagine an Omelette made by Nigel Clough would be inedible due to the amount of egg shell in it.

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In answer to the original question, it's remarkable how much collective amnesia we seem to have for 07/08. I suppose it was more comical than depressing. It is incredible, though, that we had the witnessed the most pathetic attempt at a league campaign in English history and for many fans that still wasn't the most depressing episode in their time supporting our club.

This may be niche, but I think 2016 was a very bleak time. It was very clear by January that year that we'd spent an enormous amount of money on very average players, and for that we are still paying the price. It still has the potential to finish us.

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25 minutes ago, Duracell said:

In answer to the original question, it's remarkable how much collective amnesia we seem to have for 07/08. I suppose it was more comical than depressing. It is incredible, though, that we had the witnessed the most pathetic attempt at a league campaign in English history and for many fans that still wasn't the most depressing episode in their time supporting our club.

This may be niche, but I think 2016 was a very bleak time. It was very clear by January that year that we'd spent an enormous amount of money on very average players, and for that we are still paying the price. It still has the potential to finish us.

Perhaps we accepted our level in 07/08

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The trip back from Cambridge in 1980 was pretty depressing... but then it was well gone midnight before we got away, due to having to stand the mini-bus back on all fours... and I was sat next to the window that had been put through... and it was bloody freezing... oh yeah... and we lost 3-0(?)

Still, at least we went back in '81, so I guess the tee-shirt didn't lie, afterall!  

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38 minutes ago, Duracell said:

In answer to the original question, it's remarkable how much collective amnesia we seem to have for 07/08. I suppose it was more comical than depressing. It is incredible, though, that we had the witnessed the most pathetic attempt at a league campaign in English history and for many fans that still wasn't the most depressing episode in their time supporting our club.

This may be niche, but I think 2016 was a very bleak time. It was very clear by January that year that we'd spent an enormous amount of money on very average players, and for that we are still paying the price. It still has the potential to finish us.

On the field yes, but we didn't have all the off-field problems then did we....

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Trying hard to think of a lower point (I can go back to early Arthur Cox era) but can’t.

The on pitch side of things can change quite quickly sometimes but it is very unlikely to happen without the behind the scenes sorted.

Part of me thinks though that we were sooo ? at the end of last year it would be genuinely difficult to get worse. Get lucky with our meagre bargain buys + injuries + odd kid stepping up and we could easily be better. A 12+ points headwind would be terminal though.

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This must be age related for me, i remember us nearly going out of business in the 80's, but was too young to realise how serious the situation was. Then the three amigo's time, Holdsworth up front, selling our best player's a minute to midnight etc, you had to be drunk to watch that team ?. Today's issues, with the worlds problems added in, definitely makes this a depressing scenario for us Rams fans, but we always have hope. I'd like our rag-bag side of kids and veterans, to stick two fingers up to the EFL,gibson and whoever and fight like mad to stay in the championship. It could be depressing, or very exciting.

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I know 07/08 is kind of its own thing, and then there was the grind of the Nigel Clough years, but that start of the season 08/09 under Jewell was pretty depressing.

Over 07/08 there was a lot of "we'll be ok after, it's an aberration this season, but next will be fine"

We weren't being beaten by premier League teams but average championship teams and the continuation of the man who came to define "unappealing fat sweaty Scouser" meant a continuation of of us being crap. How we didn't fire home out a cannon with a huge "it's over" banner as soon as the final whistle went Vs reading I'll never know.

But even then, we had the GSE in place, and talk of getting back and moving forward.

So still the 3 amigos.

This is like every season is the Phil brown season and it's never going to end...

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There are 2 times I have felt depressed about the Rams, the first when Tommy Docherty ripped apart a great side and replaced great players with awful replacements and we saw what clough was doing at forest, but the time that has depressed me the most is now when I come on here and see the “I can be a worse fan than you “ postings of the deplorables who think it is big and clever to slag off every aspect of the club, it makes me vomit. I hate social media at least in the past the anti fan had to keep their thoughts to themselves or if they voiced them in the pub would get a knuckle sandwich.

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2 minutes ago, Charlotte Ram said:

There are 2 times I have felt depressed about the Rams, the first when Tommy Docherty ripped apart a great side and replaced great players with awful replacements and we saw what clough was doing at forest, but the time that has depressed me the most is now when I come on here and see the “I can be a worse fan than you “ postings of the deplorables who think it is big and clever to slag off every aspect of the club, it makes me vomit. I hate social media at least in the past the anti fan had to keep their thoughts to themselves or if they voiced them in the pub would get a knuckle sandwich.

lovely

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21 minutes ago, Charlotte Ram said:

There are 2 times I have felt depressed about the Rams, the first when Tommy Docherty ripped apart a great side and replaced great players with awful replacements and we saw what clough was doing at forest, but the time that has depressed me the most is now when I come on here and see the “I can be a worse fan than you “ postings of the deplorables who think it is big and clever to slag off every aspect of the club, it makes me vomit. I hate social media at least in the past the anti fan had to keep their thoughts to themselves or if they voiced them in the pub would get a knuckle sandwich.

You do realise that you are using social media whilst participating in the forum?

Just doesn't seem to be doing your blood pressure any good.

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Hard to say as we have had our moments at times were i thought we would never recover as previous posts have already mentioned.

That said once your financial clout goes these days its an whole different ball game,we are relying on players that no one else wants and possible loans later down the line,ask me again in January as this is going to be one hell of a long season again

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On 21/07/2021 at 12:42, ilkleyram said:

Not even close.  Tim Ward's reign when for year after year we showed no signs of progress; sacking Sir Brian after years of progression; the whole post Dave MacKay period and Docherty when average player after average player was sold to us as a world beater replacing genuine world beaters and a succession of owners with no money; 30 minutes from extinction and then saved by Maxwell - saved by a crook who then steadily lost interest and stole the income from our two best players; the long slide into the 3rd division; Brian not coming back and Peter not the manager that Brian was, never mind their falling out; the 3 amigo period; the promise followed by the depression of Lionel's ownership and that's before we get to the 11 point season and three managers in a year and losing at bloody Wembley time after bloody time after bloody time.

Watch the Big Match revisited - that depresses me more but in an addictive way.  Football was fun then, more equal - the pitches (not only the BBG) were awful, the players not as fit, the grounds not as well appointed, the referees not as good (God help us), the FA was in charge (God help us), managers ran clubs with (allegedly) brown envelopes and cash, players were slaves and fans often violent, the BBC actually did proper sport and did it well without 5Live and Robbie and Chris, newspapers covered all clubs not just 6, European cup a knock out competition against Champion sides only heard of not seen before. A lack of familiarity bred interest and passion. Above all there was no social media, no P and S, no EFL, no PL, no Sky/BT, no pleasing fans thousands of miles away. Just better.

What football has become in my lifetime is far, far more depressing than the temporary problems of my beloved club

Hail....Hail...... @ilkleyram

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On 21/07/2021 at 16:22, angieram said:

Just think we know too much stuff these days. Everyone thinks they're an expert on everything and over- analyses every little nuance of the club. Not particularly fans, but pundits etc - all wanting to promote their take on every situation. There's no wonder the fans follow suit.

When I started following football there were still dodgy dealings, still very limited chances of success, still great times and crap times.

I think @ilkleyram has it spot on above. It's not Derby County in particular that depresses me, it's the state of football today.

@angieramand @ilkleyram

can clearly see that the beautiful game of football has become ugly through greed and unnecessary change. If it ain't broke don't try to fix it depressingly badly. Then again the youth of today will probably think us oldies need sending to the nearest opticians, and require to be sectioned, when we harp on about the good old days.

..........in with the old, out with the new.........hold me close.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Inverurie Ram
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