Wigan Athletic v Derby County

[Caerphilly Ram]

23 minutes ago, HorsforthRam said:

Good performance. Deserved more goals before the 60 min mark. Concerned if Cashin leaves. He has a great partnership at the back with both Fozzie and Nelson. 
 

Also, you could see we were slower after 60 mins, in thought and physical speed. Wigan players started to want the ball. We need a strategy to keep possession of the ball as it felt like we were trying to play the same way but never had the energy for it. Don’t know if it’s change of shape, loading the midfield or whatever but a better time might exploit us last 20 mins of games if we aren’t 2 goals ahead 

Wonder if that’s where the squad depth will play a part in our favour as the season goes on? In time we’ll have the likes of Thompson, Smith, Waghorn and Washington available along with those on the bench today which should give us the ability to see games out and keep things fresh. IF Warne chooses to use them in the right way.

[Van der MoodHoover]

36 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

Wonder if that’s where the squad depth will play a part in our favour as the season goes on? In time we’ll have the likes of Thompson, Smith, Waghorn and Washington available along with those on the bench today which should give us the ability to see games out and keep things fresh. IF Warne chooses to use them in the right way.

The last is the most importaent. We started falling off after about 60mins, but we only got one sub after 75 and another couple much later still.

Warne needs to have a better feel for when things are fading and act more decisively and then he will be addressing a lot of the criticisms he gets.

[europia]

1 hour ago, HorsforthRam said:

Good performance. Deserved more goals before the 60 min mark. Concerned if Cashin leaves. He has a great partnership at the back with both Fozzie and Nelson. 
 

 

Yes now that Derby are genuine promotion contenders, keeping Cashin could make the difference. Imagine a line up that included Ward and Bradley and we would need to score 3 goals min to be sure of winning.  

[On the Ram Page]

3 hours ago, DavesaRam said:

Just for you, On The Ram Page, here is a re-write:

We Won. Way Hay!!!

Brilliant. Happy Christmas,

[Brammie Steve]

Great win!

Great three points 

Highlights on Youtube all of 140 seconds but….

We win again!!

 

[ap04]

4 hours ago, LeedsCityRam said:

at a good opponent

Easily among the 4 worst in the division if not the worst according to xG (and with just 2 days' rest for all it's worth).

 

4 hours ago, LeedsCityRam said:

I would agree with those who say it was overall the best display of the season..only Barnsley at home would be comparable

Northampton-Blackpool-Vale were even better and Burton-Peterborough-Exeter-Orient as good (assuming Wigan are that poor).

 

[Comrade 86]

Honestly, almost from the first minute, it never felt like a game we could lose, despite the wasted chances and a scoreline that suggests a close match-up. The fact is, we absolutely battered this lot. For nigh on 70 minutes, they were chasing ghosts and some of our football was as slick as I've seen since Mac1. Our work off the ball was excellent too, by far the best I've seen under Warne, with a bristling Conor Hourihane at the heart of it. I think we've got the old man fit at last and we're a better side for it. Some consistency now please skipper! As much as anything, that off the ball work the lads were putting in today is what gets the coaches purring. That and clean sheets.

So where do we stand? On this kind of form, where we're beating teams quite comfortably, even in games where we are not playing at our best, I reckon we are a prime candidate for the autos. Our defence seems impregnable, bar occasional brainfarts (we are in L1 after all*) and we remain a tad goal-shy on occasions*, but we are now starting to exercise real control in games. Critically, I think there's still gears left in this side and in fitness terms, the value of a full pre-season this year is clear to see. Some kudos to Warne on that score, at very least. Some are only just now finding their legs (see Hourihane), whilst NML can now run flat out for 70 to 80 minutes, when last season he was gassing out before halftime. We may not have the searing pace of youth that some sides boast, but we'll run harder for longer than most in this division and I genuinely believe think we'll finish as strongly as we have done in a very long time. Like butcher's dogs, this lot.

A last thought would be around the transfer window. My mindset has changed on this in recent weeks, mainly because the lads are stepping up and filling what I'd considered to be gaps. I no longer think of this window as 'critical', though I obviously agree that a couple of decent signings might further strengthen our chances, hopefully without disrupting what appears to be a well settled squad. Wanting a statement win against Oxford to take us into that window might perhaps be greed on my part, but I can see us doing, it at which point Derby County become the fox in the henhouse with everyone else just hens. Honestly, that's how I see it right now. Few will want to play us, that's for sure and that will present some new challenges, I concede, but taking a pragmatic view, that's quite a luxurious 'problem' to have. I can't say I've watched a lot of the other teams in and around the top, but on what I have actually seen, there's no side we should fear. Quite the opposite.

A swift closing doff of the cap to Curtis Nelson. It seems a case of, Curtis is dead, long live Curtis, as we've lost one warrior to father time, but found another in his stead. He and Ryan Nyambe are our best signings in feckin years and just look at how they've got Eiran playing. £3 million? Brighton can feck right off! Somehow, old man Fozzy keeps running through the pain and that back 4 is a collective monster right now. Frankly, if anyone gets us promoted, it'll be those lads.

COYR
 

 

 

[TomTom92]

Nothing can stop the Paul Warne come back 👏👏

[jimtastic56]

1 hour ago, TomTom92 said:

Nothing can stop the Paul Warne come back 👏👏

Went to the game and thought Warne’s tactics were sound . Up against a dogcrap team with dogcrap players , who tried to play like Man City . Just wait for them to give us the ball and put it in the net . We should have been 4 up after 30 mins , only taking advantage of one of their gifts. Should never have been hanging on at the end .

[Archied]

Ok , nice walk with my daughter and the dogs in the morning , home for a lovely family full English , potter around a bit and sit down to rams tv for a game that was big in the scheme of things and one I was looking forward to , so often we have got ourselves into good position then dropped the ball over the last few years , can we keep the pedal down was the big question,

first five minutes I thought this is going to be an interesting tough game , they looked ok with decent players then the switch flicked , the determination, the work rate , the spot on tactics of not giving the a second to breath ( take a bow James Collins , you lead it and the team followed you over the top ) , the mixture of wide and cross it and pass and move football was SPOT ON , adored that first half and we could have been out of sight ,

second half they obviously came into it with more fight and grit as you would expect but I still thought we looked the most likely to score and go on to win it , obviously the last ten was nervy as we hadn’t got the lead we deserved but really that was more to do with that kind of poo always seems to happen to us rather than what was playing out on the pitch ,

days don’t come much nicer for an old fart like me 😀,

the autos are wide open and it’s who holds they’re nerve and believes , glad we have some experience in the squad and management team ,,, coyr 🐏💪

[G STAR RAM]

10 hours ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

The last is the most importaent. We started falling off after about 60mins, but we only got one sub after 75 and another couple much later still.

Warne needs to have a better feel for when things are fading and act more decisively and then he will be addressing a lot of the criticisms he gets.

The fact that we won says that he got it right. 

Who's not to say if he had made a change it might have disrupted us and led to a goal for Wigan?

[Caerphilly Ram]

 

[sage]

2 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

The fact that we won says that he got it right. 

Who's not to say if he had made a change it might have disrupted us and led to a goal for Wigan?

He will have got it right if we are still fresher than Oxford on Friday.

We could have brought Mick Coop off the bench yesterday and still kept a clean sheet 

[G STAR RAM]

8 hours ago, ap04 said:

Easily among the 4 worst in the division if not the worst according to xG (and with just 2 days' rest for all it's worth).

 

Northampton-Blackpool-Vale were even better and Burton-Peterborough-Exeter-Orient as good (assuming Wigan are that poor).

 

For saying how poor you think Wigan are, they would be above all the teams you list except Peterborough and Blackpool if it wasnt for their points deduction.

[G STAR RAM]

1 minute ago, sage said:

He will have got it right if we are still fresher than Oxford on Friday.

We could have brought Mick Coop off the bench yesterday and still kept a clean sheet 

Think he said he will be using the full squad over the 3 games, so hopefully he will be bringing in some completely fresh legs.

I think your second sentence does a massive injustice to how well we defended yesterday.

Edited December 27, 2023 by G STAR RAM

[Van der MoodHoover]

10 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

Think he said he will be using the full squad over the 3 games, so hopefully he will be bringing in some completely fresh legs.

I think your second sentence does a massive injustice to how well we defended yesterday.

Wigan were hopeless and only came forward with any purpose once they brought mcmanaman on and we fell back into our final third.

We weren't under any sustained pressure that required a huge defensive effort. That's the point being made.

[G STAR RAM]

1 minute ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Wigan were hopeless and only came forward with any purpose once they brought mcmanaman on and we fell back into our final third.

We weren't under any sustained pressure that required a huge defensive effort. That's the point being made.

No need to make any changes then surely?

Why tinker with something if we werent under any sustained pressure?

 

 

[Tamworthram]

10 hours ago, Stockport Ram said:

Barkhuizen won us the game, but I agree he is very hit and miss. I just felt that he’s had a lot of criticism over the last couple of months and his response was first class today. 

We’ve enough genuine width with NML, Wilson and Ward covering the attacking wide options if necessary, and I’d prioritise a goal scoring direct replacement for Collins to interchange with him if we are serious about top two.

Not a criticism of Barks (although he missed a few chances to add to our lead, he did play a big part in the goal) but I wouldn’t say he “won us the game”. Surely, if we’re going to single out an individual player for that accolade (I don’t think we should by the way, it was an all round team performance) it should be Cashin for his great defensive performance or, better still, Nelson for his usual excellent defensive performance AND actually scoring the goal.

[TomTom92]

41 minutes ago, jimtastic56 said:

Went to the game and thought Warne’s tactics were sound . Up against a dogcrap team with dogcrap players , who tried to play like Man City . Just wait for them to give us the ball and put it in the net . We should have been 4 up after 30 mins , only taking advantage of one of their gifts. Should never have been hanging on at the end .

Yep watched it on stream and if every team played like them we’d win every match. 
 
I know they’ve had points deductions etc. but if they put that sort of performance in most weeks then I’m surprised the Wigan fans can stomach the it.

[kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong]

5 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Wigan were hopeless and only came forward with any purpose once they brought mcmanaman on and we fell back into our final third.

We weren't under any sustained pressure that required a huge defensive effort. That's the point being made.

They were hopeless because we five man pressed them to death for the first 60 minutes...that's not sustainable if you have two more games in the next week...

The changes were spot on in terms of the time played and also to safely run the game down to the end.