Derby County vs Exeter City (H) Match Thread

[On the Ram Page]

13 minutes ago, Andicis said:

That's an excuse though isn't it? We're a year further on under Warne, we should be seeing material gain year on year and we aren't. Last night was decent, however the caveat was that it was against a side that has lost 5 on the trott. Being up there is the bare minimum requirement. 

What’s an excuse - the injuries or losing McGoldrick? We have had so many unlucky injuries (anyone who saw Bird play last night will know how much he was missed). I also suspect Ward has been a major miss too, particularly the quality of his crossing. You can be all Fromm and gloom is you wish, I am still optimistic.

[On the Ram Page]

10 minutes ago, TINMANTED said:

collins failure to see/put barks through for a tap in,and subsequently fail to hit the target highlights just how woeful he is.we dont have a striker at the club,we have two forwards who are slightly better at playing up front than they are any where else on the field,not strikers.,whoever is in charge in january,a striker has to be the utmost priority

And if we sack Warne and the coaching team (with the inevitable  cost implication) as many appear to want, where are we going to find the money to buy your decent striker?

[Foreveram]

1 hour ago, angieram said:

Lots of people saying Exeter were dire - they were last night - but they had 20 odd shots on Saturday against Wigan so maybe we made them look dire? 

A similar side to us in many ways, I thought. They wanted to play football, not very physical (although a couple of their subs were solid units, they were warming up down in our corner!) 

We showed greater desire than them last night, with our players chasing down every loose ball. 

Two big differences for me last night - Waggy's hold up play and a balanced midfield. NML worked so hard, Bird ran the show, and Hourihane mopped up. 

Shout out to Fozzy, who played a key pass in both goals. Where he finds the energy from I don't know, but he's definitely taken over the Mr Derby County role from Curtis Davies with some style. 

Appreciated a referee who largely let the game flow, helped by two sides who weren't more intent on fouling than playing the ball. It's a shame that the lino got the offside wrong because a 3-0 scoreline would have been a better reflection of the game and give more confidence going into Saturday, which I expect will be much more attritional than last night.

COYR! 

I predicted 3-0 so I feel cheated 🥹

[Ian Buxton's Bat]

1 hour ago, On the Ram Page said:

I watched Saturday’s game at Shrewsbury on RamsTV for the first time yesterday, expecting to see a shambles but we weren’t that bad. We definitely had quite a few periods where we did play through midfield and strung quite a few passes together but our final ball approaching their box was very poor. Watch the match again and you will see it wasn’t as bad as people make out despite the very poor result. We didn’t deserve to lose the game.

I'll pass on watching the match again - watching it live once was sufficient..........but I agree that we didn't actually deserve to lose, despite being awful for the first half.

I posted elsewhere that I thought we were much better in the second half when Hourihane came on but by that stage Shrewsbury had established themselves as the better side and were confident.

Last night we were out of the blocks and dominating midfield from the outset (with skill and nous rather than physicality) which set the tone.

[jimtastic56]

11 hours ago, DiggerB said:

I just over 24k announced, but looked like much less in the ground.

There were at least 8 S T holders around me not present last night - could be flooded out . Hope the win will take the pressure off Paul for a few days , let’s not get carried away yet . Reading put 9 past Exeter , possible the worst team we have played since FGR . I thought NML was a different class.

[On the Ram Page]

6 minutes ago, Ian Buxton's Bat said:

I'll pass on watching the match again - watching it live once was sufficient..........but I agree that we didn't actually deserve to lose, despite being awful for the first half.

I posted elsewhere that I thought we were much better in the second half when Hourihane came on but by that stage Shrewsbury had established themselves as the better side and were confident.

Last night we were out of the blocks and dominating midfield from the outset (with skill and nous rather than physicality) which set the tone.

I challenge you to watch again and I have no doubts you will think they played much better than you thought (till we get to their penalty area).

[Srg]

27 minutes ago, Marriot Ram99 said:

Our options aren't tragic, I think Washington is quite good for this level as a link up player Waghorn is decent as well not great but decent. Collins is very frustrating but has a decent goals to games ratio this season and is atleast slightly above average for this poor league. Maybe once John Jules gets fit in a few weeks he Maybe good as well. It's a good enough strike force for promotion even though we lack a main man like Charles or JCH I think the midfield play and some poor defending has been our main weakness, the midfield have been poor both offensively and defensively in a lot of games even though playing the right way they are good enough individuals.

We just don't agree then. You can point to goals to games ratios all you want, one backed up by penalties and another by a hat trick in one half, but none of that changes the fact that the way we play is completely hamstrung by the attributes, or lack thereof, of those strikers. The midfield hasn't been great, but when midfielders get the ball, look up, and the only option is to go wide or recycle backwards because we have a statue up front it gets very very easy to defend against. Our strikers scare no team in this league, there's no threat in behind, there's no threat from distance, none of them can beat a man and they'd all struggle in a foot race against anyone.

[May Contain Nuts]

5 minutes ago, On the Ram Page said:

I challenge you to watch again and I have no doubts you will think they played much better than you thought (till we get to their penalty area).

Nobody needs to watch the game again to know that we played 'OK' once the opposition got a goal and were happy to sit back to defend the lead, catching us us on the break where possible, while we couldn't quite make the breakthrough.

You can analyse it as a one-off match if you want, but that misses the wider point.

It's a pattern that many teams fall into and then trick themselves into thinking that they played better than they did in reality and deserved more than they got.

Playing well, and the opposition letting you play well because they're comfortable that you're not really a threat to them aren't the same thing. That said I'm not sure Shrewsbury are good enough to be playing that game.

 

[Andicis]

35 minutes ago, On the Ram Page said:

What’s an excuse - the injuries or losing McGoldrick? We have had so many unlucky injuries (anyone who saw Bird play last night will know how much he was missed). I also suspect Ward has been a major miss too, particularly the quality of his crossing. You can be all Fromm and gloom is you wish, I am still optimistic.

Both? Every team has injuries, we're no different. That isn't a valid justification on our performances. Be optimistic if you want, but being only a point better than the last season is a failure in my eyes. And that's just realism.

[DCFC Kicks]

1 hour ago, Srg said:

Don't particularly need them to be 20 goal plus, just a striker with those attributes would improve the entire team. For all we know, that guy is Dajaune Brown but Warne continues to completely ignore him despite the tragic options in the first team. At the very worst, he's no better than what we have. But at least we'd know.

But doesn’t Washington have those attributes? He’s not rapid but he’s quick. Has good stamina. 
 

Hasn’t Warne somewhat abandoned the pressing game anyway? I’d much rather have a Rhodes type striker who can hold the ball up for the 3 behind him. That new guy for Bristol Rovers would’ve been ideal.

[Srg]

4 minutes ago, DCFC Kicks said:

But doesn’t Washington have those attributes? He’s not rapid but he’s quick. Has good stamina. 
 

Hasn’t Warne somewhat abandoned the pressing game anyway? I’d much rather have a Rhodes type striker who can hold the ball up for the 3 behind him. That new guy for Bristol Rovers would’ve been ideal.

Abandoned the pressing game due to the options he decided to go into the season with.

[DavesaRam]

So ….. job done. A comfortable win, but not convincing.  But a step in the right direction. We had a good tempo from the start, and were much more compact, and were also helped but what appeared to be just on DM instead of two.

Max Bird was man of the match for me, he is on a different level to most of the rest of the team. Thanks, Max! And playing Wilson as a winger shows some tactical nous, so where that came from I don’t know. Played as an attacking full back emphasises his defensive shortcomings, but last night he was set free from those shackles, and we saw the benefits. Sibley worked hard without setting the game alight, and I hope he gets the James Collins treatment from Paul Warne instead if the usual benching at the first opportunity - ie a load of starts ao he can get used to the number 10 role again. If so, then unlike Collins he will improve. 
 

And so to Collins - the first thing he did was foul a defender as a cross went out of play, then a poor lay-off, then a demonstration that he has the footballing brain if a lumbering great number 9 with that refusal to pass to Barkhuisen. Which brings us to Barks - he did well when he cane on, and got into some great positions, including fir the Collins non-pass, and again when Washington scored. 

In the end we dud what we had to do against a team who we could see from the start were pretty gash. Their second half substitutions raised them to the dizzy heights of being a really poor team. 
 

And the ref, who many have said was one of the best we’ve had. But come on, it’s mot a high bar fir match officials, is it? As well as the disallowed goal, there were a couple if admittedly soft penalty shouts and some glaringly bad offside decisions.

So a step or two in the right direction, and the hope of improvement, and maybe that we keep on with what we did last night. 
 

Well done to the fans who applauded Hourihane as he cane over to take corners in the second half. And Mendez-Laing’s goal celebration wasn’t “Call me”, it was  to do with the fan’s criticisms on Saturday. He probably shouldn’t have done it, but hopefully we have turned that corner now.

[Bald Eagle's Barmy Army]

One win doesn’t make your bird swallow. 
 

I think the saying goes something like that anyway. 

[MadAmster]

53 minutes ago, Foreveram said:

I predicted 3-0 so I feel cheated 🥹

You'd have been right if the ref's assistant hadn't cocked up...

 

Now, where the hell did that performance come from? Cracking 1st half. 2nd half almost as good. Patience moving the ball backards and forrards and sidewards when necessary/wise. Some adventurous forrards passing (which wasn't always accurate) at speed when the opportunity presented itself. Nels and Cash the 2 worst culprits at that but both had some good passes as well and were solid at the back so I won't complain. Keeper and back 4 solid. MF 4 defended well and attacked better. The front 2 had the odd opportunity to have a go, all to no avail.

Floater from Waggy out wide to Foz who played a cushioned pass into Bord's path, low cross that nutmegged the defender and NML put it away with the outside of his right boot. Wonderful move. More of that through the coming games please.

Quality ball down the line from Foz to Wash who took the ball forward, cut into the box and put it away right footed just inside the post. 2nd good goal of the night.

Should have been the 3rd. Sibs from central in his own half, great ball to Barks, wide right. Cross into Waggy who nods it back to the near post where NML heads it back into the far corner. 2-0 for everybody in the ground except the ref's assistant who thought he saw an offside. He didn't. Perfectly good goal wiped out thanks to yet another mistake by an official. How many's that this season? Way too many.

Collo. Should have passed to Barks, absolutely. I understood it though. He's a striker and strikers are selfish when in and around the box. Might the solution be to make the bonus for an assist the same as that for a goal? That way strikers might become less selfish and play the right ball more often...

If we can keep on playing like that top 6 shouldn't be an issue come May. Top 2 isn't out of sight. The key word being IF

26 shots, 8 on target. We still need to improve our accuracy in and around the box but I'm not a greedy sort, this was a massive improvement on the previous 3 games. Consistency at this level and higher is what the team need to aspire to. Will it happen? We all hope it will. Time will tell.

[BaaLocks]

1 hour ago, angieram said:

A bit harsh - covered 12 different attempts on goal. 

I like to see the replays, too, as you spot little things you maybe didn't notice at the time, whilst also hearing the summary of the move from the co-commentator.

I think RamsTV do a great job.

Live commentary I agree and I like the team, plus if you compare the quality of output to what I have seen on other streams for clubs at our level (when I am round friends houses watching it on their TV, not suggesting anything illegal of course) we are a significant level above.

Highlights just feels very bloated to me - first goal last night was shown four times, even Barker was running out of things to say.

Anyway, I guess that's the joy of streaming - you watch, I fast forward, everybody's happy(ish) nowadays.

[TINMANTED]

1 hour ago, On the Ram Page said:

And if we sack Warne and the coaching team (with the inevitable  cost implication) as many appear to want, where are we going to find the money to buy your decent striker?

the money simply has to be found,even if it means losing someone else

[Bwash_Ram]

My impression.  we were average, they were awful, all i will say is, if that was the "reaction" then Warney is doomed.

[Rampant]

Regarding the need for a striker, I'm hopeful that John-Jules will be that man. My next choice would be to give Brown a go. He can't offer less than Collins.

[G STAR RAM]

3 hours ago, HorsforthRam said:

Watching from the Easy Stand, next to the away fans, it was really obvious the lack of options Nelson, Nyambe and Wilson had to pass to inside to a midfield pivot. It was really a case of trying to force it up the wing. Nyambe’s physical strength helped him turn but Wilson was sometimes forced to run across the pitch with the ball. The midfield just doesn’t show for the ball and the gaps were too big between players. I don’t know whether that’s a tactic to get more players further up the pitch but it led to too many balls punted down the line. 
 

For about the first time this season, I don't think I recall seeing any balls 'punted down the line'. With the exception of a few long balls from Cashin, pretty much everything was played to feet.

[Justa]

20 minutes ago, Rampant said:

Regarding the need for a striker, I'm hopeful that John-Jules will be that man. My next choice would be to give Brown a go. He can't offer less than Collins.

If he's ever fit for long enough....