Paul Warne

[DiggerB]

11 hours ago, jimtastic56 said:

I don’t know if it was a ploy by P W ,but we let Matt Clarke have all the time in the world on the ball. He was slow and useless. He made the game walking pace and only played the safe ball at all times . Hats off to the manager if it was a tactic. 

Reminded me of Santos from Bolton at our place last year. Looked pretty clueless. Collo only pressed Boro’s right centre half with the ball. Not a surprise that Clarke registered the joint 2nd most accurate passes. They either went 10 yards sideways, forwards, or diagonally out to an unmarked right winger. A definite ploy. He noticeably played further up the pitch 2nd half as we sat in the low block, but never did anything of threat.

Edited August 18 by DiggerB

[Day]

1 hour ago, 1977 Ram Raider said:

I think any team that’s come up from league 1 would be classed as the underdog. 

Don’t feel like this is respected enough.

We’re not a club that went down, retained our squad and bounced straight back up after one season.

We was stripped bare, had to rebuild the entire squad to come back up. 

20 odd years in the Championship prior means absolutely nothing, we’re a newly promoted side and our expectations going into these games must reflect that.

Boro had better players all over the pitch, we did what we needed to do, that’s the goal for the season. Just stay here and gradually build to where we can go out there and match the likes of Boro and dictate the game.

[Crewton]

We could sign a couple of strikers, a LWB, creative midfielder and pacey CB, and Middlesbrough would still be favourites to beat us next time we meet, because they've had years at championship level to build the current squad, using Gibson's largesse and funds from multi-million pound sales. So park the concerns about how we did it, just be happy that we've picked up a surprise 3 points to make up for last week's disappointing loss. 

We're playing Watford next week, who have a 100% record so far. If we do them 1-0 after a similar performance, I'll be absolutely delighted.

[DCFC Kicks]

5 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

Yes, if you watch the highlights back, Middlesbrough should have slaughtered us.

Their poor finishing, combined with our determination, led to the 1-0 win.

 We weren’t playing Liverpool, we were playing a team in our division, so a 27% possession rate should sound alarm bells.

That’s not me being doom and gloom. Producing that type of performance week in, week out, is unsustainable. 

We have to find a combination of players who can keep the ball for longer periods.

Yesterday was brilliant for the players and the fans, but today PW will know he has his work cut out and will need some luck in the transfer market.

 

Also the physical exertion of playing a full game with 27% possession is immense. Its going to affect our performance against Watford. It will be almost impossible to continue playing this way especially when we start playing mid-week.

[Srg]

8 minutes ago, DCFC Kicks said:

Also the physical exertion of playing a full game with 27% possession is immense. Its going to affect our performance against Watford. It will be almost impossible to continue playing this way especially when we start playing mid-week.

Seen a few people now saying things about playing this way week in and week out. This is the second league game, and we set up in a very different way in this game to the last one. Warne himself in his post match said about not every game being like this.

It’s a lot of worrying and concern over something that hasn’t happened yet and we’ve been told isn’t the plan. 

[DCFC Kicks]

2 minutes ago, Srg said:

Seen a few people now saying things about playing this way week in and week out. This is the second league game, and we set up in a very different way in this game to the last one. Warne himself in his post match said about not every game being like this.

It’s a lot of worrying and concern over something that hasn’t happened yet and we’ve been told isn’t the plan. 

Regardless of whether or not they continue playing this way, it will affect the players for our next game against Watford. Lets not pretend it was some sort of masterstroke either. 95 times out of 100 we lose that game. I not convinced yesterdays performance was really a 'plan'. I think Warnes initial plan was different as we were slightly more positive in the first 5/10 mins of each half. I think the team just instinctively reverted to parking the bus when that failed and we could barley string two passes together.

[DCFC Kicks]

4 hours ago, 1977 Ram Raider said:

I think any team that’s come up from league 1 would be classed as the underdog. 

2 of the last 6 promoted teams have finished 6th and 2nd - so not always.

[bcnram]

6 hours ago, Chester40 said:

It was a Warne masterclass. 

I loved it.

Massive underdog performance. 

But we all know what happened to Rotherham. It's not a sustainable plan. 

And that's the crux isnt it. 

Have we got a bigger budget and significantly better players still to come to add to our more talented squad.

Can we retain the ball, take the game to teams,  impose our possession etc...or are we going to just be the underdogs in every game and launch it long and hope for knockdown and deadball goals to keep us in the league.

 

I wouldn't call that a 'Warne masterclass', we got away with being gifted a goal and some fairly inept attempts at goal by Boro strikers. It looked to me as if they had been sent out with a massive feeling of inferiority. They did defend bravely at times but although Boro had some well practiced passing routines and shape around our box, they were nothing remarkable. Rather than a masterclass, it showed the limitations of our coaching team. Our priority now has to be a centre forward who can control the ball, because we cannot continue to give the ball away as frequently as we do. Unfortunately, if the manager is limited by the chairman to loans now, that is a difficult ask.

 

[Tamworthram]

7 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

Yes, if you watch the highlights back, Middlesbrough should have slaughtered us.

Their poor finishing, combined with our determination, led to the 1-0 win.

 We weren’t playing Liverpool, we were playing a team in our division, so a 27% possession rate should sound alarm bells.

That’s not me being doom and gloom. Producing that type of performance week in, week out, is unsustainable. 

We have to find a combination of players who can keep the ball for longer periods.

Yesterday was brilliant for the players and the fans, but today PW will know he has his work cut out and will need some luck in the transfer market.

 

Well you are being a bit doom and gloom.

We might well put that type of performance in against the fancied/stronger teams (the likes of Boro, Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley) but that doesn't mean to say we'll do it week in week out. 

I don't think yesterday's opposition are the benchmark of what we can expect from all the teams in the Championship.

If we only have 27% possession at home against teams like Plymouth, Millwall, QPR, Portsmouth, Stoke, Cardiff etc. then I agree, it's not sustainable but I don't think we should assume that will be the case simply because that's how it panned out against Boro.

[Anag Ram]

28 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

Well you are being a bit doom and gloom.

We might well put that type of performance in against the fancied/stronger teams (the likes of Boro, Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley) but that doesn't mean to say we'll do it week in week out. 

I don't think yesterday's opposition are the benchmark of what we can expect from all the teams in the Championship.

If we only have 27% possession at home against teams like Plymouth, Millwall, QPR, Portsmouth, Stoke, Cardiff etc. then I agree, it's not sustainable but I don't think we should assume that will be the case simply because that's how it panned out against Boro.

There are two reasons why we had poor possession. One is the quality of the opposition. The other is the poor quality of our own ball retention. We simply don’t have a pass and move squad and we have too many who are poor on the ball. We end up hoofing it and inviting pressure. 
If we can improve that, then yes, the games will be more even.

[Loughborough Ram]

In my opinion the ONLY thing that matters in the first dozen games is getting points on the board. Whether that's by running rings around the opposition or throwing bodies in front of the ball for 90 minutes it is irrelevant to me.

We have players like Ozoh and Goudmijn who are going to get better as they adapt to life in the Championship, and players who will improve when they get used to their new surroundings and new team mates, so the performances will come, but opportunities to pick up points are gone forever when the ref blows the final whistle.

Nothing breeds confidence like good results, losing while playing well will work for a short period but nothing more. And don't forget, we have a brand new centre forward next week, so enjoy the good times when they're on offer.

 

[Tamworthram]

3 minutes ago, Anag Ram said:

There are two reasons why we had poor possession. One is the quality of the opposition. The other is the poor quality of our own ball retention. We simply don’t have a pass and move squad and we have too many who are poor on the ball. We end up hoofing it and inviting pressure. 
If we can improve that, then yes, the games will be more even.

I agree our ball retention wasn't great but against "lesser" teams we're likely to get away with it more often, we'll probably not be under the same degree of pressure (which forces errors and resorting to hoofing it) and the opposition are more likely to surrender position than Boro did. I would also hope/expect that we'll deploy different tactics against some other teams.

I think we need to see the team playing against weaker teams before we can determine if we are any sort of pass and move squad and how good (or not) the players are on the ball. Our play and ball retention against Blackburn, whilst still not brilliant (possession 52.9% according to the BBC) , was better than yesterday.

[Anag Ram]

8 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

I agree our ball retention wasn't great but against "lesser" teams we're likely to get away with it more often, we'll probably not be under the same degree of pressure (which forces errors and resorting to hoofing it) and the opposition are more likely to surrender position than Boro did. I would also hope/expect that we'll deploy different tactics against some other teams.

I think we need to see the team playing against weaker teams before we can determine if we are any sort of pass and move squad and how good (or not) the players are on the ball. Our play and ball retention against Blackburn, whilst still not brilliant (possession 52.9% according to the BBC) , was better than yesterday.

Fairy nuff.

 

[CBX1985]

2 hours ago, DCFC Kicks said:

Regardless of whether or not they continue playing this way, it will affect the players for our next game against Watford. Lets not pretend it was some sort of masterstroke either. 95 times out of 100 we lose that game. I not convinced yesterdays performance was really a 'plan'. I think Warnes initial plan was different as we were slightly more positive in the first 5/10 mins of each half. I think the team just instinctively reverted to parking the bus when that failed and we could barley string two passes together.

Or when we lost two players to injury.  

 

[mwram1973]

11 hours ago, sunnyhill60 said:

To be talking about promotion is absurd, getting the points to avoid going back where we have just been is THE goal for this season

100% this. To talk even about top 6 with the team and budget we have is delusional. We need to be better than 3 teams this season and thats it. Then we can build a little more and hope for a top half finish next season. If we finish mid table this season, Warne and the team would have done a phenominal job.

[mwram1973]

3 hours ago, DCFC Kicks said:

2 of the last 6 promoted teams have finished 6th and 2nd - so not always.

2 of the last 6 promoted teams were not stripped bare and almost put out of business.

[maxjam]

1 hour ago, mwram1973 said:

2 of the last 6 promoted teams were not stripped bare and almost put out of business.

Further to this, iirc the average time a relegated club takes to get out of Lg1 is 4 years.  That gives the club chance to undergo a proper rebuild, invest in youth etc.  A lot of our fans were desperate to get out at the first or 2nd attempt (with minimal money to spend). 

We were never going to be an Ipswich and compete in the Championship.  A slow evolution of the squad is imho both sensible and inevitable.

Be better than 3 teams this season - hopefully much better so the final few weeks of the season aren't stressful, then build from there.

[Premier ram]

On 17/08/2024 at 18:25, Jayram said:

I get his point tbh - it was a hard watch, but with a couple of decent additions before the window closes and PW saying we won’t always play like that I reckon that style will only be employed against the likes of Leeds/Sheff Utd etc. 

a hard watch, what a Derby County team playing their hearts out for the club, I’ll take that every game thank you

[Tamworthram]

43 minutes ago, Premier ram said:

a hard watch, what a Derby County team playing their hearts out for the club, I’ll take that every game thank you

I think you're missing the point he was trying to make. We were on the back foot and under pressure for large parts of the game. That's the bit I would assume he is referring to not the effort or commitment from the players.

As many have said, it could be the type of game we're going to have to get used against some teams (especially away from home) but not what we want to see every week.

[On the Ram Page]

A few random thoughts from Saturday, having been at Pride Park on Saturday and having rewatched the game on RamsTV.

Always exciting attending the first match of the season at PP and I don't think we could have been given harder opposition. Having watched them demolish Leeds in the Cup during the week, I would have bitten your hand off for a point before the game. Their counter-attacking was something to behold on Wednesday.

Thought we started pretty well and had some good movement, without really troubling Borough. Borough started to get into the game and find a few pockets. Then we scored, Jackson taking his goal superbly - how often do we actually score one on one's? Not often.

Then the injuries - Cash was a blow (to him too!) and not many in the ground would have fancied Sonny Bradley against the Boro pace. Nyambi (who I personally would have started with), I thought would strengthen our defence.

They constantly caused us problems, which I expected, but I was delighted with the way we came up with the solutions, plugging gaps which had previously appeared. Sure we had some luck too - but we surely deserved that.

Everyone ran their socks off too. No slackers in view.

I think last year's midfield would have floundered. This year we have legs and more mobility. Kenzo, although he didn't see much of the ball, used it well when he had the opportunity and kept hustling the opposition. Ozoh, started nervously (not surprising for his age and inexperience) but gradually gained confidence and became a real presence in midfield. Osborn never stopped running, harassing and guiding others.

The defence were magnificent to a man. Vickers, apart from a couple of moments, was faultless. Nyambe and Nelson, their usual selves (i.e. superb) and Bradley and Elder probably had their best games for the Club. NML didn't have his best game but still worked very hard and Jackson never stopped running. Collins got a bad press from many on here over the weekend but I think he did some great work defensively.

Yes, Boro were the better and more confident side, after their start to the season and our unfortunate start at Blackburn.

The referee (not anybody's favourite) actually (watching RamsTV) got most of the decisions correct (apart from a few right at the end). He had a pretty good match actually.

Style went out of the window for this match, it was important we got something out of it for our confidence. Although I would prefer to see us attacking for 70% of the game , there was something so satisfying at keeping Boro at bay. Edge of the seat stuff at times - but so pleasing too.

Paul Warne gets a bad press at times for his recruitment. If ever there was advertisement for why you select "team players" - this was it. 100% commitment to the cause and each other!

As usual, there are some supporters calling for Warne's head because of our defensive display. I, for one, am even more behind the team after this performance, although I do want to see more attacking prowess in the future. I think he got his subs. spot on too.

Two more very difficult games to follow but I feel more confident after this game.

Well done, all.