No midfield control again…

[RoyMac5]

16 minutes ago, Jourdan said:

Warne doesn’t have just one way of playing. We played some lovely football during the 15-game run last season, however that was heavily dependent on McGoldrick and Knight bringing balance to the team.

Having not been able to replace those two sufficiently, we have had to try another approach.

I think hopefully things will be easier when the restrictions are lifted and we have more flexibility in the market. Bringing better players into the fold can and will evidently make a difference. A player with the quality of a McGoldrick can bind a team together.

It’s very easy to say we should be working towards a sustainable place in the Championship now. However the phrase trying to run before we can walk would spring to mind.

Is that Didzy who was going to re-sign? And Knighty who he made look poor, so that many Derby fans thought he was as bad as Birdy seems now?! 

During most of Warne's spell at Derby I don't recall very much good team play for a whole game, just flashes and then moments of individual play. 

Didzy lit up last season and kept the light off Warne. 

[Srg]

1 hour ago, RoyMac5 said:

Is that Didzy who was going to re-sign? And Knighty who he made look poor, so that many Derby fans thought he was as bad as Birdy seems now?! 

During most of Warne's spell at Derby I don't recall very much good team play for a whole game, just flashes and then moments of individual play. 

Didzy lit up last season and kept the light off Warne. 

This is league one. This is what league one is.

[sage]

1 hour ago, Jourdan said:

Warne doesn’t have just one way of playing. We played some lovely football during the 15-game run last season, however that was heavily dependent on McGoldrick and Knight bringing balance to the team.

Having not been able to replace those two sufficiently, we have had to try another approach.

I think hopefully things will be easier when the restrictions are lifted and we have more flexibility in the market. Bringing better players into the fold can and will evidently make a difference. A player with the quality of a McGoldrick can bind a team together.

It’s very easy to say we should be working towards a sustainable place in the Championship now. However the phrase trying to run before we can walk would spring to mind.

At some point you're going to have to just tell us, who is the postman and who is the letterbox?

[RoyMac5]

34 minutes ago, Srg said:

This is league one. This is what league one is.

No it isn't what league 1 is. It might be what league 1 was or how it's chosen to be played. 👍

[MadAmster]

20 hours ago, DCFC Kicks said:

I'd argue a similar thing about Hourihane. It's a trend on here for all the Warne fans to blame Hourihane when he's being asked to be a player he isn't. His abilities have been wasted in my opinion.

 

Agreed. I think we should pair either Fornah or Tommo with Bird at DM and play CH in the #10 role to which he's better suited. As I've said many times, I'd be even happier if Sibs was given a run there to see if he can push on.

[MadAmster]

11 hours ago, Chris_Martin said:

i'll be honest, i don't think warne would have even been in a position to talk to NML about signing for derby in the first place

 

Interesting. Why?

[Srg]

27 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

No it isn't what league 1 is. It might be what league 1 was or how it's chosen to be played. 👍

Really? We've been down here now a season and a half, and the only teams that have genuinely impressed me in possession have been Plymouth and Peterborough - and they were both wide open at the back.

Take Peterborugh as the prime example of the "best" team we have seen recently. They drew 0-0 against Lincoln at the weekend, just like we did. Prior to that, it was 7 league games til their last clean sheet (16th Dec v Fleetwood), and all the games between now and then in the league were decided by 1 goal.

What about the other form team, Bolton? Beat Carlisle 4-1 at the weekend, but prior to that 4 1-0 wins in their last 5. This isn't a team dominating and blowing teams away.

This league is a league of attrition. You may have the odd performance where you batter a team, but more often, it's about a spell in a game where you're good enough to win it and having enough grit, fight and luck not to concede in the rest of it.

Fundamentally, you, like many many of our fans, have an unrealistic expectation of what league one football is with league one players. Should we be better than we have at many times this season? Yes, I'm not saying that. But this vaunted utopia of controlling games, playing free-flowing football and keeping the door shut at the back is just pie in the sky. It simply doesn't exist with the calibre of players in this league and the teams we are playing against. This isn't Mac 1, and longing for it isn't going to do anything but wind yourself up with everything you're going to watch.

More fans need to realise this, quickly.

[Caerphilly Ram]

7 minutes ago, Srg said:

Really? We've been down here now a season and a half, and the only teams that have genuinely impressed me in possession have been Plymouth and Peterborough - and they were both wide open at the back.

Take Peterborugh as the prime example of the "best" team we have seen recently. They drew 0-0 against Lincoln at the weekend, just like we did. Prior to that, it was 7 league games til their last clean sheet (16th Dec v Fleetwood), and all the games between now and then in the league were decided by 1 goal.

What about the other form team, Bolton? Beat Carlisle 4-1 at the weekend, but prior to that 4 1-0 wins in their last 5. This isn't a team dominating and blowing teams away.

This league is a league of attrition. You may have the odd performance where you batter a team, but more often, it's about a spell in a game where you're good enough to win it and having enough grit, fight and luck not to concede in the rest of it.

Fundamentally, you, like many many of our fans, have an unrealistic expectation of what league one football is with league one players. Should we be better than we have at many times this season? Yes, I'm not saying that. But this vaunted utopia of controlling games, playing free-flowing football and keeping the door shut at the back is just pie in the sky. It simply doesn't exist with the calibre of players in this league and the teams we are playing against. This isn't Mac 1, and longing for it isn't going to do anything but wind yourself up with everything you're going to watch.

More fans need to realise this, quickly.

 

[S8TY]

3 hours ago, Jourdan said:

Warne doesn’t have just one way of playing. We played some lovely football during the 15-game run last season, however that was heavily dependent on McGoldrick and Knight bringing balance to the team.

Having not been able to replace those two sufficiently, we have had to try another approach.

I think hopefully things will be easier when the restrictions are lifted and we have more flexibility in the market. Bringing better players into the fold can and will evidently make a difference. A player with the quality of a McGoldrick can bind a team together.

It’s very easy to say we should be working towards a sustainable place in the Championship now. However the phrase trying to run before we can walk would spring to mind.

Disagree , why not build a team that needs tweaks rather than an overhaul next season 

[May Contain Nuts]

18 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

 

...except now all fans unhappy with the quality of our play are going to be branded with this idea that they're delusional and expect McClaren-esque football, which quite frankly is a load of b******* for the most part.

[ramsbottom]

29 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

Agreed. I think we should pair either Fornah or Tommo with Bird at DM and play CH in the #10 role to which he's better suited. As I've said many times, I'd be even happier if Sibs was given a run there to see if he can push on.

 What you're suggesting could work but Warne seems reluctant to play an actual midfielder in the No 10 bar Bird earlier in the season, he's much preferred NML or John-Jules (!!??!?!) in behind Collins.  Personally I'd like to see us with a proper 3 in the middle, Bird holding then Hourihane with Thompson/Fornah pushing on but I think that in turn will isolate Collins even more.  We've looked at our best when he has someone in behind him.  Whatever the formation I just want the midfielders to be in midfield, so many times we build up play and both of them are tucked in between the full back & winger and yards from each other, which doesn't help with picking up 2nd balls cause they're nowhere near their positions when the ball breaks into that area.  Cheltenham were picking up our clearances from their long balls so easily and if they had more creative players, they'd have done some real damage...

[Jourdan]

Just now, S8TY said:

Disagree , why not build a team that needs tweaks rather than an overhaul next season 

How many sides in League 1 have the luxury (be it time or money) to build a Championship ready side?

It took Ipswich several years of building and at great expense.

Look at the market we are shopping in at the moment by comparison. It’s very different.

We might be able to attract players who have Championship experience but they are stepping down into League 1 for a good reason.

In our current state, we are not likely to attract many players who we can say we are confident about their ability to transition to Championship football.

We’ll probably look to add some extra quality in every area of the squad.

 

[S8TY]

19 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

 

Are you  saying the ones that are saying we could be playing better football are wrong ? more control , better to watch ? just thank the lord we are in the reckoning ? I always want to see progressive football that might take us somewhere .....build something...use the youngsters etc etc no matter what division you are in 

What you're implying is lets be a League 1 side whereas I want us to think and play like a good championship side play football and don't sink to L1 standards use our better players that we have  to  our strengths not end to end basketball type football we've witnessed too often ...get stuck in this league too long though and we may well become entrenched in it if we don't think and act better than your average L1 club 

[Caerphilly Ram]

6 minutes ago, May Contain Nuts said:

...except now all fans unhappy with the quality of our play are going to be branded with this idea that they're delusional and expect McClaren-esque football, which quite frankly is a load of b******* for the most part.

Not by me they’re not.
 

The gif was just a bit of fun, for clarity, I share the stance @Srg does on league one, and also agree that this Derby team could be playing better football within league one. But league one and ALL teams within it have deficiencies in my opinion.

[Caerphilly Ram]

2 minutes ago, S8TY said:

Are you  saying the ones that are saying we could be playing better football are wrong ? more control , better to watch ? just thank the lord we are in the reckoning ? I always want to see progressive football that might take us somewhere .....build something...use the youngsters etc etc no matter what division you are in 

What you're implying is lets be a League 1 side whereas I want us to think and play like a good championship side play football and don't sink to L1 standards use our better players that we have  to  our strengths not end to end basketball type football we've witnessed too often ...get stuck in this league too long though and we may well become entrenched in it if we don't think and act better than your average L1 club 

See above post ☝️
 

I’m not one for making sweeping generalisations about our fan base, the team, the manager or much for that matter. I share my opinions and will engage in debate with people who share opposing views to my own either in an attempt to understand their stance or in a bid to encourage more balance in the hope they can see and respect my view. 

The gif was just meant to show how I feel @Srg accurately captured the state of league one and that I share in their assessment. 
I didn’t say people couldn’t or shouldn’t want more so please don’t put words into my mouth. It was just meant lightheartedly to highlight what I felt was a good post. 
I don’t know that I can be arsed with this place any more 😞 

Edited January 31 by Caerphilly Ram

[duncanjwitham]

2 minutes ago, Jourdan said:

How many sides in League 1 have the luxury (be it time or money) to build a Championship ready side?

It took Ipswich several years of building and at great expense.

Look at the market we are shopping in at the moment by comparison. It’s very different.

We might be able to attract players who have Championship experience but they are stepping down into League 1 for a good reason.

In our current state, we are not likely to attract many players who we can say we are confident about their ability to transition to Championship football.

We’ll probably look to add some extra quality in every area of the squad.

 

It's not so much about having championship-ready players, it's about the style of play.  You want to be in a position where if you go up, you can basically carry on doing that you're doing, but add a few quality players where you can find them to kick that style up a level. 

I just don't believe that we will win enough games at Championship level if we keep playing like we are, even if we do add a few quality players to the squad.  No amount of extra running will make up for the amount of times we turn possession over, when up against better players.  Plus we go from having one of the strongest squads in the league to having one of the weakest, so there's much less chance of winning games by the sheer virtue of having a Hourihane or having a NML or having a McGoldrick in the team.

[May Contain Nuts]

12 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

Not by me they’re not.
 

The gif was just a bit of fun, for clarity, I share the stance @Srg does on league one, and also agree that this Derby team could be playing better football within league one. But league one and ALL teams within it have deficiencies in my opinion.

Thanks for the carification.

Fun or not gifs do have a certain power to perpetuate a notion / thought or feeling more than words, and must be wielded responsibly! 😄😉

 

edit:

And yeah, I agree that all League One teams have their deficiencies, but IMO with our squad we should have fewer than most, and surely the point of hiring a promotion expert is that they know how to further cover these deficiences?

Rather than doing that, our manager exposes them.

Edited January 31 by May Contain Nuts

[S8TY]

7 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

See above post ☝️
 

I’m not one for making sweeping generalisations about our fan base, the team, the manager or much for that matter. I share my opinions and will engage in debate with people who share opposing views to my own either in an attempt to understand their stance or in a bid to encourage more balance in the hope they can see and respect my view. 

The gif was just meant to show how I feel @Srg accurately captured the state of league one and that I share in their assessment. 
I didn’t say people couldn’t or shouldn’t want more so please don’t put words into my mouth. It was just meant lightheartedly to highlight what I felt was a good post. 
I don’t know that I can be arsed with this place any more 😞 

I wasn't have a dig at you just commenting on your post don't take offence as it wasn't meant that way at all and if you think that i apologise 

[S8TY]

1 minute ago, S8TY said:

I don’t know that I can be arsed with this place any more 😞 

You love it stop being silly...we are all Rams Fans and you're a good contributor on here 👍

[MadAmster]

25 minutes ago, ramsbottom said:

 What you're suggesting could work but Warne seems reluctant to play an actual midfielder in the No 10 bar Bird earlier in the season, he's much preferred NML or John-Jules (!!??!?!) in behind Collins.  Personally I'd like to see us with a proper 3 in the middle, Bird holding then Hourihane with Thompson/Fornah pushing on but I think that in turn will isolate Collins even more.  We've looked at our best when he has someone in behind him.  Whatever the formation I just want the midfielders to be in midfield, so many times we build up play and both of them are tucked in between the full back & winger and yards from each other, which doesn't help with picking up 2nd balls cause they're nowhere near their positions when the ball breaks into that area.  Cheltenham were picking up our clearances from their long balls so easily and if they had more creative players, they'd have done some real damage...

He moves in mysterious ways... so mysterious I've not worked him out yet and I very much doubt anybody else has. In Bird/CH he has 2 players equally capable of putting the ball out wide or into the channels and also have the skill/vision to play through the middle as well. That 3rd option seems to be taboo. Demands crosses into a CF who does, admittedly, score with some good headers when he manages to lose his marker but all too often misses out as one of the oppo's two 6'4" centre halves outjumps him. We don't seem to play to Collo's strengths all that often. 18 so far this season, in all competitions. Give him the service his style needs and he'd be om mid 20s already. Obviously we all know "nothing" and PW  will be vindicated when we go up.