Tired

[Jourdan]

McGee

Rooney - Cashin - Davies - Roberts

White - Knight - Sibley

Dobbin - Collins - Barkhuizen

Imagine this was the line up today and five or six key players were rested and we drew 0-0 or lost 0-1.

Would the fans be sympathetic? Quite the opposite.

I don’t think Warne can really win in this situation. I certainly don’t blame him for playing as strong a line up as possible.

[sage]

9 hours ago, Jourdan said:

But can we?

Do we have the quality from the bench to ‘save our legs’?

Would you trust McGee to step in for Wildsmith?

Would you trust White or Thompson to step in for Hourihane?

Would you trust Rooney or Oduroh to step in for Smith?

Would you trust Collins to step in for McGoldrick?

The only real area where we have any reasonable depth is on the wing, but wingers by their nature are inconsistent.

I don’t think it’s as easy as you make it sound.

You are the missing the point again.

I'm tired now too.

[VulcanRam]

Good discussion between @sage and @Jourdan and you're both right. We don't have squad depth or are in a position to rest key players.

However, and yesterday was a great example, we don't manage games to conserve energy. 2-0 up and cruising, it was obvious from the opening moments of the second half that Shrewsbury had altered their shape and got a rocket, yet we simply didn't react. Some leadership from the bench or from the captain/senior players to just dig in for 15, stick 10 men behind the ball, perhaps change shape a bit, try to conserve the lead and some energy, was notably lacking. We did nothing, hence having to then be full throttle again once it was 2-2 having spent 20 minutes wasting a lot of gas chasing Shrewsbury shadows. 

 

 

[Mucker1884]

8 hours ago, Rich84 said:

I agree, and have said previously, we look tired, so why aren't we using the bench effectively? 

 

I agree.
Get everyone to shift into the stands, so our players can take a lie down!

That's what I do when we find an empty bench when out hiking!   

 

[Mr Tibbs]

Bar a mad 20 mins I thought the control was pretty much there yesterday. 20 mins under the cosh that all started from individual mistakes. 

A call for more possession? 61% is more than enough. Second most in the league yesterday, far more than any of our rivals. Third highest possession in the league overall this year, I don’t think that’s a problem. 

Theres no doubt a few are ball bagged but look at the team for what it is. Old men and inconsistent kids. Mistakes will happen and teams will have a period in the ascendancy, we’ve just got to cut out the lapses at the back.

 

 

[angieram]

Managing games isn't about keeping the same shape and substituting like for like, though, is it? 

It's about adding an extra defender or midfielder and playing possession football. Slowing the game down when in front, rather than continuing to go full throttle with every attack and risk losing the ball quickly and cheaply.

Yesterday Shrewsbury's change of formation was obvious but we didn't react to it at all. 

[Blondest Goat]

17 minutes ago, VulcanRam said:

Good discussion between @sage and @Jourdan and you're both right. We don't have squad depth or are in a position to rest key players.

However, and yesterday was a great example, we don't manage games to conserve energy. 2-0 up and cruising, it was obvious from the opening moments of the second half that Shrewsbury had altered their shape and got a rocket, yet we simply didn't react. Some leadership from the bench or from the captain/senior players to just dig in for 15, stick 10 men behind the ball, perhaps change shape a bit, try to conserve the lead and some energy, was notably lacking. We did nothing, hence having to then be full throttle again once it was 2-2 having spent 20 minutes wasting a lot of gas chasing Shrewsbury shadows. 

 

 

We only appear to have one way of playing under Warne.  Can't think of a match where we've changed tactics in game to respond to an opponent.   That said you can't really hold the manager to account for two sloppy goals conceded and we did more than enough to win the game really.  

Shame we don't have a right back at the club as I thought Smith was excellent in midfield.  Has done well at RB but showed us what we have missed in the middle yesterday. 

[kevinhectoring]

9 hours ago, Brammie Steve said:

 Maybe a little tired but nowhere near Warne Out!

Easy to say in hindsight but in large part we drew yesterday because Warne was out manoeuvred by his opposing number in the first 15 mins after HT. A bit disappointing but hopefully he and his team will reflect on what happened and learn. 
 

Not fully signed up to the idea it’s fatigue - I don’t think Warne has yet found his best team. Made a big step yesterday with improvement in midfield, to look on the bright side

[AndyB]

I’m not sure about physical tiredness. The modern day club has all the stats to tell them this. I think this is much more about individual mistakes and our inability to pull together on the pitch. We’re a too nice, quiet, team, we don’t have a strong leader to get stuck into a few when the tide is turning against us. I think this will ultimately be our downfall in this season’s promotion race but we should do enough to get into the play offs and from there anything can happen as we know only too well!

[MadAmster]

We have used 21 players this season, less than the rest of the League. The only unused players in the are Loach and McGee I believe.

We started the season with a hastily put together squad, many of whom weren't as fit as they should be come the opening game of the season. We've played 34 League games and 11 cup ties. I think it's not at all strange we appear to be running out of steam. I remember a certain Argentinian Manager at a Yorkshire club, who shall remain nameless, doing exactly the same. High energy game and falling away at the season's end. I hope I'm wrong.

[angieram]

12 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

We have used 21 players this season, less than the rest of the League. The only unused players in the are Loach and McGee I believe.

We started the season with a hastily put together squad, many of whom weren't as fit as they should be come the opening game of the season. We've played 34 League games and 11 cup ties. I think it's not at all strange we appear to be running out of steam. I remember a certain Argentinian Manager at a Yorkshire club, who shall remain nameless, doing exactly the same. High energy game and falling away at the season's end. I hope I'm wrong.

Who might that be? 

[Mr Tibbs]

16 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

I remember a certain Argentinian Manager at a Yorkshire club, who shall remain nameless, doing exactly the same. High energy game and falling away at the season's end. I hope I'm wrong.

If what then happened to them after that season happens to us…

Sign me up for some of that. 
 

 

[May Contain Nuts]

13 hours ago, Jourdan said:

Hectic schedule? Under Warne, didn’t we have six away games in 28 days and 20+ games from October through to the beginning of January?

Injuries? Bird and Chester are currently out with what have been long term injuries. Knight, Sibley and McGoldrick have all had spells out injured under Warne. Forsyth has had to fill in where Davies, Chester and Stearman couldn’t. We’ve been playing midfielders at full back for the majority of the season.

Fitness and familiarity? Warne has had build all of that while having a similarly tough schedule.

No-one has said Warne is the next Clough or Sir Alex and no-one has said he can’t be outsmarted or outmanoeuvred. No-one is holding him to a different standard either.

Just two losses since October and just four in 25 league games overall tends to give you a bit of leeway.

Yes, a hectic schedule.

At the beginning of the season we had a game every 4 days, with a squad who'd not been allowed a full & proper pre-season due to events above them, a skeleton staff working day and night to get enough players in to field a competitive team (so less time on the training field), and some key players coming in who'd not had a lot of football in their legs the season prior who needed carefully managing.

Despite this backdrop we still managed to get home wins against Barnsley (who've recently beaten us 4-1) & Wycombe (a 3-2 loss in the return fixture), Oxford & Peterborough but they were overshadowed by poor performances and/or results against Charlton (lots of wasted chances, no McGoldrick), Shrewsbury (who we've just let a 2-0 lead slip to at home), Lincoln (who we've just scraped a 1-1 draw against at home and with them down to 10 men for 40 minutes) & Plymouth (still going strong for automatic promotion) and a feeling that we weren't adapting to the requirements of the league due to the nature of the away performances.

Warne was appointed during the first international break and had 8 days to effectively do a mini pre-season and prepare for his first game. Not a huge amount of time, but the majority of players had 2 weeks between matches, some much needed rest.  There was and is still a lot of work to do, but trying to make out that he's come in and had to build from scratch himself "Warne has had build all of that" - no, he had some benefit for the work already done, as he himself has acknowledged) is a little bit revisionist (and biased).

I'm not saying Warne hasn't also had a hectic schedule, maybe even more so. He has however had this mid-way through a season when fitness levels would naturally be higher anyway, he's also had quite a few runs against some seriously crap opposition and played a few teams at bad times for them (Bolton losing their main strikers, I think someone even said they didn't have a recognised CB against us? But that could have been a different team) so there's been ample opportunity for big, confidence boosting wins.

He has however still struggled to get us performing against exactly the same sort of opposition who had our number earlier in the season. Those earlier performances haven't seen anywhere near as many excuses made for them as the disappointing performances and results of late.

It really doesn't feel to me - and I could be absolutely 100% wrong - that the leeway you're giving him is as a result of two losses since October and just four in 25 league games because you've offered him every excuse under the sun - and refused to hear a bad word said about any aspect of his management -  from the moment he walked through the door!

If you'd have said you're giving him leeway because of his promotions at Rotherham that would have made more sense - and I agree actually, it absolutely should earn him quite a bit. How it comes across to me though (again, could totally have missed the mark), is that you've looked at his past record and seen an opportunity to jump in their quickly on what you see as a safe bet.

It stands to reason that Warne will do well here, so rather than be 'the unpopular one' it's just easier all-round to go all in on your support, there are fewer arguments that way and you don't end up on the end of so much criticism for your views, which seems to have maybe hurt / ired you a little in the past?

I could understand that tbh because not being in the super happy fun club 24/7 seems to receive the same treatment from some.

ps McGoldrick - arguably our most important player - has only missed 3 games under Warne. Bird however (probably our second) is a big miss that nobody else had to contend with - that's been a genuine punch in the balls, but is it insurmountable?

pps I was very much told when I said that the comparisons to Smith/Cox/Clough were a bit premature that this wasn't the case. This may only have been one poster, but hey, it counts. ?

Edited March 5, 2023 by Kokosnuss

[MadAmster]

1 hour ago, angieram said:

Who might that be? 

Didn't he employ that well known Irish spy, Bin O'Culars? ?

[May Contain Nuts]

33 minutes ago, Kokosnuss said:

jump in their quickly

FFS

Angry at myself for allowing that one to slip in there

[Comrade 86]

1 hour ago, Kokosnuss said:

FFS

Angry at myself for allowing that one to slip in there

Ninth paragraph mate. Nobody will have got that far.

[Oldben]

Hello fellow Derby County fans,

As we continue to navigate through our two-year transfer ban, we must acknowledge the difficulties that come with only being able to sign loan players and free agents, many of whom are over 30 years old or young and inexperienced.

Many of the free agents available may be towards the end of their playing career and may not have the same physical ability or endurance as they did when they were younger. On the other hand, the loan players we can sign may be young and developing, with limited experience playing at this level or in our style of play.

This can cause difficulties in building a cohesive squad that can compete at the highest level. We need to ensure that we are selecting the right balance of players who can contribute to our success, despite the restrictions we face.

Furthermore, as we continue to compete in League One, we must be aware of the challenges that come with playing at this level. League One is a highly competitive league with many teams striving for promotion. The competition is often very tight, and teams need to consistently perform at a high level to have a chance of success.

Many teams in League One have limited financial resources, making it difficult for them to attract and retain top-quality players. This can impact a team's ability to compete with larger, better-funded teams in the league. Additionally, League One is a very demanding league with a heavy fixture schedule, especially during the winter months. Teams need to be able to manage their squad effectively and rotate players to avoid burnout and injuries.

League One is also a physically demanding league, with games often played on heavy pitches in adverse weather conditions. Teams need to be well-prepared physically and mentally to cope with the challenges posed by the league. Furthermore, teams need to be tactically flexible and able to adapt to different playing styles and formations used by their opponents. This requires good coaching and player intelligence.

Team cohesion and unity are essential for success in League One. Teams need to have a strong team spirit and work ethic, with players willing to put in the hard work for the good of the team.

As fans, we must continue to support our team and show them that we believe in their ability to overcome these challenges. Our players have shown determination and resilience in the face of adversity, and we need to do our part to lift them up and keep them motivated.

We need to stay focused on our objectives and work hard to rebuild our team in the best way possible, given the restrictions we face. Let's continue to show our support and do everything we can to help our team succeed.

Come on you Rams!

[sage]

On 04/03/2023 at 23:13, Jourdan said:

Ignore

I fear the worst for the rest of this season.

Bird and Chester coming back will help but I can't see a material increase in our stamina for thr rest of the season.

 

[vonwright]

On 04/03/2023 at 18:59, sage said:

We are tired.

Playing gas out football with a small squad aged under 23 or over 30 has caught up with us. 

We may have to play more fringe players as we limp on, hopefully hanging on a top 6 finish.

 

Agree and not sure the January reinforcements have re-enforced us all that much. We have also been a bit unlucky with injuries/decline which means squad players like Stearman/Chester/Davies aren't really.up to the task. No alternative to Collins up front if we need a number 9. The Norwich winger hasn't really shown much so far so we rotate between just three. Some positions (left back) where we don't have a specialist first choice, let alone a second. Some of our bench options are really rotation options (I wouldn't want to see Thompson starting a game).

It's a paper-thin squad really. 

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

8 minutes ago, sage said:

I fear the worst for the rest of this season.

Bird and Chester coming back will help but I can't see a material increase in our stamina for thr rest of the season.

 

I never really saw the logic of spaffing 25% of a budget on a non league goalie and 3 centre halves who really weren't going to play due to age and injury records.   That may have bit us on the arse in January.  We now have 40 k a month being spent on a goalie and a centre half putting out cones and probably another 60-80 k a month on a bench warmer and a bloke with a horrific injury record over the last couple of years.