Match Thread: vs Bristol Rovers (a)

[Foreveram]

2 minutes ago, angieram said:

Great atmosphere, the new stand is still a bit rubbish, with posts in the way, but much better than last year's! And not a cup of tea to be had in the ground. What's that all about? 

Strangely there were a lot of empty seats on our row, I think because some fans chose to "double up" at the end of rows, spending all their time and energy goading the home fans in the same stand. Their behaviour climbing across the divide after we scored the second goal was downright embarrassing and the sooner they are banned from away games the better, imo. 

Anyway, when I could actually concentrate on the game (they were right in my eyeline for the net at our end) I thought that first half we looked sharp and incisive up to the final ball, then didn't quite get it right.

It actually helped us second half when they came at us as we had room to play on the break. A comfortable win where we could have won by an even greater margin, apart from a big miss by Waggy and some unintentional heroics from one of their defenders when Smith's shot was bound for the net. 

We started in fine voice, got a bit distracted by the stupid baiting of their fans and then picked it up again once the goals started going in. Nice to learn the words to some of the newer songs, everyone seemed to get a tune today.

Good bouncing, will that stand hold was my biggest worry!  😟 😉

 

Lots of fans standing on the stairways again, they came in just as we kicked off. The lad that ran on to the pitch and celebrated with the players and then managed to get back into the crowd again, was standing next to me when we scored, and I was on row U.

[angieram]

Just now, Foreveram said:

Lots of fans standing on the stairways again, they came in just as we kicked off. The lad that ran on to the pitch and celebrated with the players and then managed to get back into the crowd again, was standing next to me when we scored, and I was on row U.

Stewards definitely bottled it today! 

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Tamworthram said:

Not sure what the smiley face response was all about @Chester40. I was being serious. Who, in their right minds, would have given him a bad reception?

There's a few on here who....

Hang about. You said "in their right minds". As you were.

[dabber]

56 minutes ago, Elwood P Dowd said:

Rams Tv reported that Derby 1st team coach had been sent off, anyone know anything about this 🤷‍♂️

Parked on a double yellow apparently

[Rammy03]

 

[Barney1991]

Btw that performance today and vale is how to play 3 at the back. I’ve been crying out to go to a back 4 but if we continue in this vain scrap the 4. We looked solid we moved the ball the front 3 interchanged. Best performance of the season and I loved every minute of the drive home. 

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

16 minutes ago, Barney1991 said:

Btw that performance today and vale is how to play 3 at the back. I’ve been crying out to go to a back 4 but if we continue in this vain scrap the 4. We looked solid we moved the ball the front 3 interchanged. Best performance of the season and I loved every minute of the drive home. 

Agreed, although better teams than Vale and Rovers (who were both rubbish tbh) won't let us have it so easy.

[McArthur Park]

Cracking day out today! Thought the second half especially was some of the best football we've played. I found it difficult to pick out a man of the match today because it was a great team performance, including the subs. Who did they pick on Rams tv? Oh and the toilets were marginally better than last year!

[kevinhectoring]

1 hour ago, Barney1991 said:

Btw that performance today and vale is how to play 3 at the back. I’ve been crying out to go to a back 4 but if we continue in this vain scrap the 4. We looked solid we moved the ball the front 3 interchanged. Best performance of the season and I loved every minute of the drive home. 

Yes fortress 3 at the back is good so long as the others have intelligence and energy. Ward and Sibley fit in nicely even if Ward not at his best today. Was glad to see Barks start. Question is whether we can make it work against stronger sides. 

[kevinhectoring]

4 hours ago, jono said:

Keep wining and we can’t be touched.

We’re good at wining 

[DerbyAleMan]

1 hour ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Agreed, although better teams than Vale and Rovers (who were both rubbish tbh) won't let us have it so easy.

But Bristol Rovers are not rubbish, they are a team in form, and we was away, and played well against a in form team, enough said. 

[Anag Ram]

I have been a vocal critic of both three at the back and the inclusion of Sonny Bradley.

Today, I was wrong. We negated the threat of Messers Martin and Sinclair. We played excellent pressing football and we broke with intent.

It was as comfortable an away game as you could wish for. Even at half time, we looked in charge.

Well done everybody, including the crowd. I loved it. Brilliant day out.

[ilkleyram]

54 minutes ago, McArthur Park said:

Cracking day out today! Thought the second half especially was some of the best football we've played. I found it difficult to pick out a man of the match today because it was a great team performance, including the subs. Who did they pick on Rams tv? Oh and the toilets were marginally better than last year!

Shaun picked Barkhuizen for motm.

[Ram@Lincoln]

3 hours ago, CBRammette said:

Enjoying scrolling through twitter tonight. Something on this one has stumped me though - who is the chap on the right shoved to the from for the bounce? Coach?

He's the fitness coach that takes charge of the half time warmup/kick about. Obviously a popular guy amongst the players.

[Carl Sagan]

RamsTV Highlights: https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2024/03/match-highlights-bristol-rovers-vs-derby-county-march-2024

Great to see. Could have been many more. Well done everyone. Come on you Rams!

[BramcoteRam84]

6 hours ago, kevinhectoring said:

Yes fortress 3 at the back is good so long as the others have intelligence and energy. Ward and Sibley fit in nicely even if Ward not at his best today. Was glad to see Barks start. Question is whether we can make it work against stronger sides. 

 

8 hours ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Agreed, although better teams than Vale and Rovers (who were both rubbish tbh) won't let us have it so easy.

Thought ward was excellent today, especially first half. 

As for stronger sides, this lot had won 3 out of their previous 4 games before yesterday, and we dismantled them on their own patch, when our rivals were dropping points against equivalent or worse sides. Of the remaining fixtures, only Bolton, Blackpool (both at home) and Pompey A are arguably tougher than yesterdays fixture. If we reproduce this performance consistently regardless of who we’re playing we have a great chance. 

Yesterday we were very good. Its grossly unfair to place some of it down to poor opposition when they weren’t poor. Vale I agree wasn’t the barometer as they were really bad but not the case yesterday. They had their moments and we stood firm.

 

[Tamworthram]

7 hours ago, DerbyAleMan said:

But Bristol Rovers are not rubbish, they are a team in form, and we was away, and played well against a in form team, enough said. 

I’m not sure how poor Bristol were and you can only beat the team that’s in front of you but I wouldn’t describe them as an in form team. Certainly not at home. Since the turn of the year, before yesterday, they had lost 4 out of 6 home league games including against Burton and Fleetwood.

If we can back up two comfortable wins against less good teams with back to back home wins (I haven’t checked our head to head record but Reading always seem to cause us problems and, of course Bolton should be a tough game) then we’ll be in the box seat. COYR.

[WestKentRam]

6 hours ago, Ram@Lincoln said:

He's the fitness coach that takes charge of the half time warmup/kick about. Obviously a popular guy amongst the players.

We were right in front where the subs warmed up and noticed him at half time, and could see he is quite a character and popular.

The BR PA played dance type music at half time and he did his best to get the subs to groove along to it at the end of their warm up, that was quite funny and showed a certain positivity and team spirit.

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

We played some good football yesterday. Mixed slick patterns of play with power and pace up front. Gayle making a huge difference by helping our wide men stick to what they are best at. His link up play is above this level. Shame he's past his best but if he wasn't he wouldn't be with us now. 

[Ambitious]

I don’t want to get ahead of myself or allow myself to be excited, but.. I feel like something has finally clicked.

Best performance we’ve ever had under Warne, in my opinion. We’ve fell on to a workable system, the main reason was the recruitment staff doing their job and finding a gem in Ebou Adams and very recently I think it’s not in any small part to having to change the dynamic with Gayle upfront. I believe these two signings in particular have changed our fortunes, similarly to how Nyambe did earlier in the season.

Sibley and Ward are excelling. The defence are well balanced, the cohesion between the midfield and defence is significantly better, gaps aren’t as freely available for the other team and we are now working well going forward. I think we actually look like a team now, which for the majority of the season has definitely been missing something. The last two performances, the dynamic of the team, I’m finally hopeful.