MK Dons (H) Monday 10th April, 3pm KO

[G STAR RAM]

I'm really baffled how anyone can watch the game today and think that the blame lies at the door of the manager. 

I guess Football Manager and football being on Sky 24 hours a day is probably where the answer lies. 

[DiggerB]

28 minutes ago, DRBee said:

How did we score then?

From an awful corner that bounced before the net post and made it past a very average keeper. Didn’t make it a great delivery. Conor looked as surprised as everyone else that it actually made it that far!

Edited April 10, 2023 by DiggerB

[kevinhectoring]

4 hours ago, NorwichExile said:

I blame Warne a bit for wanting everything to be open and free-flowing even with a lead. If we played that smartly then we don't concede.

Yes. Why is Roberts behind enemy lines when we’re 1-0 up and the most likely goal from them is a breakaway? And he’s the defender with the pace. 

Team selection today worked in midfield. Upfront there is just no reason not to give Sibley a proper go - tho Oxford is a distant memory

Defence selection makes no sense. Fozzie is our best, most experienced defender. Grave error imo to not play him.  W Rooney did the same with the same result 

 

 

[1of4]

We can point at the ref if it makes people feel better but we were poor today, our shooting was appalling, crosses either hit the first man or sailed harmlessly over everyone's head and our passing at times was sloppy. For a portion of the game either side of half-time we were mundane, lacking in any buzz, happy to see the game pass by.

So who should we apportion the blame to for the dropping of  two points today? The players, the management, a bit of both?  while I like every other Derby fan wants to see us return to the Championship has quickly as possible. Do we need to be realistic and accept that while on paper we have a number of good players, we are what we are, an average league one team that has over achieved.

Hopefully the man that has been chosen to get us back up to the Championship and higher, is given the opportunity and time to build a team that can achieve this. 

[kevinhectoring]

4 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

we are what we are, an average league one team that has over achieved.

I think we’re an above average div1 side which has under achieved 

[RoyMac5]

5 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

We can point at the ref if it makes people feel better but we were poor today, our shooting was appalling, crosses either hit the first man or sailed harmlessly over everyone's head and our passing at times was sloppy. For a portion of the game either side of half-time we were mundane, lacking in any buzz, happy to see the game pass by.

So who should we apportion the blame to for the dropping of  two points today?

Does it matter, nothing can be changed now can it?

[1of4]

7 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

Does it matter, nothing can be changed now can it?

For the last game, no. For the next game, the next season alot can be changed.

[Foreveram]

On 09/04/2023 at 18:04, Foreveram said:

Our average is 26,955, I think it will be close to that.

26,793,  162 out, I think that can be classed as close.

[CBRammette]

Emerged from the ground very late today. Despite their disappointment impressed to see Davies, Cashin and Wildsmith seemingly endlessly still having pictures taken snd signing away. Sure others were too but thats the few we saw. Good on them

[Grumpy Git]

12 minutes ago, Foreveram said:

26,793,  162 out, I think that can be classed as close.

Ground looked more or less full to me today. I was surprised it wasn’t higher.

[Andicis]

4 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

@Andicis laugh all you want but I'm afraid its the truth, there's a reason why he did not given the call in either the last match or today, appears you are the only one having the wool pulled over your eyes...

The reason he didn't get it today was poor refereeing. It's a penalty by the rules. Not interested in this soft penalty nonsense, pushing your arm/shoulder into someone's back is a penalty and always will be. Claiming Knight is diving is laughable.

[Sparkle]

We should have slaughtered them today - we didn’t because we didn’t score enough goals from loads of chances 

but - our defending was shocking and desperate far to often - even at 1-0 we get 3 points and we most certainly should have at least won that game 1-0 

[May Contain Nuts]

1 hour ago, G STAR RAM said:

I'm really baffled how anyone can watch the game today and think that the blame lies at the door of the manager. 

I guess Football Manager and football being on Sky 24 hours a day is probably where the answer lies. 

I don't think I've played Football Manager since about 2011.

There's plenty of difference between laying the blame at the manager's door and pointing out flaws in his game management which have and will cost us goals and points if they go unaddressed.

Nobody is blaming him for our missed chances, nobody is blaming him for contentious refereeing decisions. They / we are however, quite rightly, concerned about the manner in which we react to things going against us and an innate failing in his approach to ever appreciate that sometimes, while it would be nice to increase our lead / hold onto a draw, it's better to make sure we don't throw away what we've got in the process of seeking something more grand.

The more common an occurrence throwing away a game from an advantageous position becomes the greater the demand to see a plan not to do so becomes.

Edited April 10, 2023 by Kokosnuss

[Gritstone Ram]

I know this must be said time and time again but if it wasn’t for our current owner we wouldn’t exist. Moving forward we must take small steps. I think our hands are tied with a lot of things and the fact we are competing at the top end is an achievement. 
I want us up asap but let’s put things into perspective and just be happy we still have a club.

[AndyB]

My biggest frustration yesterday was that we lost control of the game in the second half after the howling for penalties. It was still 1-0. We needed a calm head to get everyone re focused and have a solid 5 minutes.

But no, we left the back door open for an equaliser against such an inferior opponent.

The basis of our long unbeaten run was clean sheets. If we could get back to keeping clean sheets we’d make the play offs easily. The basis of our recent poor run has been conceding really poor goals including the one yesterday.

We should have won 1-0 which would have been a good result.

If we miss out on the play offs it will be down to ourselves and no one else.

The priority signing for the summer in my view is a strong leader on the pitch with a calm head respected and listened to by the other players. Either a centre half or centre mid.

[Tamworthram]

6 minutes ago, AndyB said:

My biggest frustration yesterday was that we lost control of the game in the second half after the howling for penalties. It was still 1-0. We needed a calm head to get everyone re focused and have a solid 5 minutes.

But no, we left the back door open for an equaliser against such an inferior opponent.

The basis of our long unbeaten run was clean sheets. If we could get back to keeping clean sheets we’d make the play offs easily. The basis of our recent poor run has been conceding really poor goals including the one yesterday.

We should have won 1-0 which would have been a good result.

If we miss out on the play offs it will be down to ourselves and no one else.

The priority signing for the summer in my view is a strong leader on the pitch with a calm head respected and listened to by the other players. Either a centre half or centre mid.

I know all wins are important but, given the opposition yesterday, to describe a 1:0 win a “good result” feels a bit generous to me. We should have been, based on the chances created, 3 or 4 nil up by half time. Now, even if there hadn’t been any further goals in the second half, that would have been a good result.

I agree though, if we miss out it will be down to our own failings. We’ve seen some awful time wasting and some poor decisions from the officials (unlike every other team who are never on the end of shocking referee calls 😀) but ultimately, it isn’t down to either of those if we fall short. The disallowed goal against Ipswich could have been critical but the real reason we might not make it isn’t because we didn’t get anything against Ipswich. It’s because we allowed games to slip away from us in the second half so many times that it became predictable for both us as fans and opposing managers. Plus our failure to beat inferior teams at home. If those failings are down to PW as a coach then we’ve got problems. If they are down to PW not having the players he wants/needs to make the necessary adjustments then there is real hope for next season (assuming he can find and sign suitable players).

Even before yesterday, I was amongst those that said we wouldn’t make the play offs now. Obviously I’ll be disappointed but I’ll still be looking forward to next season despite the restrictions that will remain in place or the quality of this league which some seem to find unbearably. COYR 🐏

[G STAR RAM]

9 hours ago, Andicis said:

The reason he didn't get it today was poor refereeing. It's a penalty by the rules. Not interested in this soft penalty nonsense, pushing your arm/shoulder into someone's back is a penalty and always will be. Claiming Knight is diving is laughable.

Its a contact sport.

I could have told you how the incident was going to play out 10 seconds before it happened. 

Knight gets infront of players, plants his feet in the ground and waits for any slight contact before throwing himself to the ground.

I like Jason Kngiht as a player, such a shame that he has let cheating creep into his game.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, DiggerB said:

From an awful corner that bounced before the net post and made it past a very average keeper. Didn’t make it a great delivery. Conor looked as surprised as everyone else that it actually made it that far!

Agree with that.  I don’t for one second think that he intended it to work out how it did…

[CBRammette]

I am still muttering to myself about their no 33 feigning injury for third time and rolling onto the pitch to do so and ref and linesman just let him. So disappointed we let 2 points go yesterday but all of the "gamesmanship" and decisions leave such a nasty taste after the game. 
At least their contingent in directors box thought was hilarious, one in particular. 

[RoyMac5]

36 minutes ago, CBRammette said:

I am still muttering to myself about their no 33 feigning injury for third time and rolling onto the pitch to do so and ref and linesman just let him. So disappointed we let 2 points go yesterday but all of the "gamesmanship" and decisions leave such a nasty taste after the game. 
At least their contingent in directors box thought was hilarious, one in particular. 

We shouldn't have been at the stage where they wanted to time waste. If we'd kept a clean sheet - how dangerous were they, or if the cow's arse had been banjo-ed, then they'd have been in a hurry.