Matchday Thread - Derby County v Oxford United (30/07 15:00)

[RamDotFi]

I'm really really excited! It's going to be great, having a few mates and beers and Rams TV at my place. Unfortunately I bruised my ribs yesterday at a sunday league (or friday league...) match so no jumping up and down though. I suspect it will be a tough match today and maybe a slow start to the season but it's going to be brilliant in the end.

[LeedsCityRam]

So excited like everyone on here. Win, lose or draw - its just great to be back, to have hope & to be concentrating on what's going on out on the pitch. Will be such a contrast to opening day last season - Huddersfield at home, depressingly low crowd of 16k, everything shut around PP & a feeling the club was ebbing away. By far the most miserable match experience I've ever experienced, including the playoff final defeats.

No expectation, no negativity, just happy to be here, just happy to be Derby. COYR

[Marriot Ram99]

 I'm quite optimistic for today's game really, think Oxford will give us a good game and we will have to be watchful at the back and switched on and organised and we will really need Davies for that with our defence being a new unit and abit dubious in the RB spot right now. 

At the same time though I'm expecting our midfield to have that bit too much quality especially if Bird and Hourihane are on form and we will end up with a 2-1 win. 

Really interested to see if we go abit more direct today than last season and get the ball to our wide forwards quickly, we really need to play with a higher tempo than last season and I think that's what Rosenior is trying to implement. 

Edited July 30, 2022 by Marriot Ram99

[Ratpackram]

Will be watching from Crete on family holiday .... I've told them , Saturday is football day no exceptions . Come on you rams 

[Ellafella]

2 hours ago, Simo said:

Hi everyone. Really looking forward to today's game! I'm bringing my little lad - does anyone know if there is a spot you can watch the players enter the ground? And if so what time they usually go in? I usually just rock up to pride park five minutes before kick off but want to make sure my lad gets the full match day experience!

Players entrance. Get there for 12:30. Players start to arrive then. Oxford coach will arrive at 13:15. 

[hales300k]

They docked us 21 points , they tried to kill our team , but we just came back stronger , cos we`re DCFC , allez allez allez !  

[Rams forever]

1 hour ago, Leeds Ram said:

I'm collecting tickets from the office, do they ask for ID and stuff or are they happy to see the order email on my phone for confirmation it's me?

Might ask for something with your address on, driving licence would do it. 

[Leeds Ram]

2 minutes ago, Rams forever said:

Might ask for something with your address on, driving licence would do it. 

cheers ? 

[strawhillram]

Regardless of what happens today and this season, I’m so grateful that we still have our club

[Day]

Regardless of what happens today, I just don’t want to see us play with 2 DM’s.

The reality is, were one of the bigger to beat teams and we do have some real quality for this division, wouldn’t be surprised to see most teams sit back and try to hit us on the counter directly. Accepting they will only have a few chances and try to make the most of them. 

I just want to see positive football, on the front foot, be attacking and exciting team to watch. Possession stats don’t win you games.  

[brady1993]

11 minutes ago, David said:

Regardless of what happens today, I just don’t want to see us play with 2 DM’s.

The reality is, were one of the bigger to beat teams and we do have some real quality for this division, wouldn’t be surprised to see most teams sit back and try to hit us on the counter directly. Accepting they will only have a few chances and try to make the most of them. 

I just want to see positive football, on the front foot, be attacking and exciting team to watch. Possession stats don’t win you games.  

I don't think that's the intent tactically based on pre-season, at least as Plan A.

We will either line up on paper as a 4231 or 433 but the intent is that when we have the ball we will look more like a 2323 with full backs helping Bird rotate play and the other midfielder/s pushing on with more freedom to try to find space. Clearest example was against Hertha Berlin where Hourihane nominally played in a 2 with Bird but any time we had possession he'd push really far forward in line with McGoldrick. 

I think the only times we will see more than one midfielder sitting this season is when one of two things happens; we are protecting a lead or weirdly when Fozzy plays left back.

[jono]

This really does feel like a fresh start. I am so happy and full of enthusiasm.

If you think about it, all our woes were becoming visible prior to Covid. We entered the closed stadium era full of fear and doubt. Who remembers those echoing Rams TV games ? Then in the back of your mind the “this sounds bad, what’s going on?” The embargoes, the playing 16 year olds in cup games, can we loan anyone at all ! , will the wages get paid ? Then a brief respite as the stadium part opened, I shed a tear then when the team came out then but it was hard, so very hard. The us against them of last season a bitter attritional battle against the odds with the EFL sticking spokes in the wheels at every opportunity, yet we stuck together, found reserves of fervour, spirit and grit that will live in my memory. Then at the death, being tortured by a charlatan, a custodian of tawdry self promotion. We’ve done 3 years of penal servitude. Today we walk free. Let’s enjoy it !

Meanwhile we need a right back and we are short a striker. A problem ? Naaaa that’s not a problem that’s football. 

[brady1993]

10 minutes ago, jono said:

This really does feel like a fresh start. I am so happy and full of enthusiasm.

If you think about it, all our woes were becoming visible prior to Covid. We entered the closed stadium era full of fear and doubt. Who remembers those echoing Rams TV games ? Then in the back of your mind the “this sounds bad, what’s going on?” The embargoes, the playing 16 year olds in cup games, can we loan anyone at all ! , will the wages get paid ? Then a brief respite as the stadium part opened, I shed a tear then when the team came out then but it was hard, so very hard. The us against them of last season a bitter attritional battle against the odds with the EFL sticking spokes in the wheels at every opportunity, yet we stuck together, found reserves of fervour, spirit and grit that will live in my memory. Then at the death, being tortured by a charlatan, a custodian of tawdry self promotion. We’ve done 3 years of penal servitude. Today we walk free. Let’s enjoy it !

Meanwhile we need a right back and we are short a striker. A problem ? Naaaa that’s not a problem that’s football. 

Even then we do have a right back and a few people who've played there before. We do have a fit striker, one to come back from fitness and a couple young strikers to fill in. That feels like nothing compared to some of the stuff we've had to deal with squad wise.

[Jimbo Ram]

18 minutes ago, brady1993 said:

I don't think that's the intent tactically based on pre-season, at least as Plan A.

We will either line up on paper as a 4231 or 433 but the intent is that when we have the ball we will look more like a 2323 with full backs helping Bird rotate play and the other midfielder/s pushing on with more freedom to try to find space. Clearest example was against Hertha Berlin where Hourihane nominally played in a 2 with Bird but any time we had possession he'd push really far forward in line with McGoldrick. 

I think the only times we will see more than one midfielder sitting this season is when one of two things happens; we are protecting a lead or weirdly when Fozzy plays left back.

What about my old phone number 234251 ?

[Carl Sagan]

47 minutes ago, David said:

Regardless of what happens today, I just don’t want to see us play with 2 DM’s.

The reality is, were one of the bigger to beat teams and we do have some real quality for this division, wouldn’t be surprised to see most teams sit back and try to hit us on the counter directly. Accepting they will only have a few chances and try to make the most of them. 

I just want to see positive football, on the front foot, be attacking and exciting team to watch. Possession stats don’t win you games.  

Sadly I'll be amazed if we don't. But I'll be very happy to be amazed!

[ramsbottom]

To think that little over a month a go we feared we'd never see Derby County play a game of football ever again.  So whatever happens today it's gonna be an emotional afternoon.  I'm getting a lump in my throat even thinking about 30 odd thousand belting Steve Bloomers Watching, full blast. 

#COYR

[jimtastic56]

55 minutes ago, David said:

Regardless of what happens today, I just don’t want to see us play with 2 DM’s.

The reality is, were one of the bigger to beat teams and we do have some real quality for this division, wouldn’t be surprised to see most teams sit back and try to hit us on the counter directly. Accepting they will only have a few chances and try to make the most of them. 

I just want to see positive football, on the front foot, be attacking and exciting team to watch. Possession stats don’t win you games.  

100% with you on this one . Get Conor forward , he has a tremendous shot. 

[DavesaRam]

14 hours ago, whiteroseram said:

I've heard if you stare at them long enough you see David Clowes

David Clowes is not the Messiah, he’s just a very good boy!

[DesertRam]

It's 4.46am here, cant go back to sleep now, too excited   

Waiting to see the crowd when coverage starts

so just a half fan

Thank God we are still here    2nil today

[Kinder]

Setting off in a few minutes. Really excited and expecting it to be quite emotional.

We’re in the West Lower for a change. Can’t get season tickets this year as Kinder Jnr plays school sport every Saturday afternoon in term time, so we’re just going to come as often as we can.