Did try to warn people Lampard was clueless. He's conned most of the DCFC fan base.

[DCFCArmy]

You can see they are trying to play it but they don't have the skills to achieve it

Waghorn scored 16/17 goals in a god awful Ipswich side... he can score goals at this level if he's played to this strengths, and his strength isn't being asked to play on the wing and ping in pin point crosses and passes, and he's certainly not going to dribble his way past 3 defenders and put one in the top corner twice a game, he's no Cristiano Ronaldo Frankie

[macstheman]

No shots on target in normal time at home confirms your boring tag Andy but, truth be known, it's worse than boring.... it's fxxxxxg disgraceful!!
One point, in amongst his tirade, that DCFCA makes is the lack of energy shown by the players! Now this could be a fitness problem, a post Xmas fatigue or, more worrying, a lack of commitment to what they are being asked to do!! Passing for the sake of passing requires a discipline and creative thinking that doesn't sit well with average championship players and ours are most definitely average!! One thing that is consistent with them is their total lack of mental strength and creativity...... both essential to the passing game!! Sorry Frank but this is a different world, it's a world where, blood, sweat and maximising the limited talents that you have available is god. It's a dog eats dog world where the last man standing wins!!

[Andy_Faber]

Yes well put Mac, especially ‘lack of commitment to what they are being asked to do’. And Millwall, an average but well drilled combo, worked it out pdq, at which point we seemed even more clueless

[ManxRam]

No shots on target in normal time at home confirms your boring tag Andy but, truth be known, it's worse than boring.... it's fxxxxxg disgraceful!!
One point, in amongst his tirade, that DCFCA makes is the lack of energy shown by the players! Now this could be a fitness problem, a post Xmas fatigue or, more worrying, a lack of commitment to what they are being asked to do!! Passing for the sake of passing requires a discipline and creative thinking that doesn't sit well with average championship players and ours are most definitely average!! One thing that is consistent with them is their total lack of mental strength and creativity...... both essential to the passing game!! Sorry Frank but this is a different world, it's a world where, blood, sweat and maximising the limited talents that you have available is god. It's a dog eats dog world where the last man standing wins!!

I've yet to see playing out from the back work for us. 6 or 7 square passes and then back to the keeper who is now under pressure to clear his lines. Tippy happy keep ball is fine if you are two nil up. We create our own problems.

Zero urgency, no creativity and the opposition are finding it so easy to do a job on us - they just play a high press it's not rocket science.

Our dead balls last night were rubbish, the only 6 footers we've got are Keogh and Tomori so they should be the target. Holmes hit the first defender with half of his corners.

Waghorn didn't look like he had any studs in and Marriots worst game in a derby shirt, he didn't make a clean contact with the ball in the whole 90mins.

Agree that Frank needs to realise which division we are in when setting the team up. This is the weakest midfield I've seen us with in a long time. We couldn't get promoted with Hughes, Hendrick and Bryson in his prime so there is no way it's going to happen now.

Wilson does not have an impact on games, sweet left foot aside he doesn't have any influence on the direction of play.

Back four - Keogh wrong side of 30, Tomori on loan, Cole 38 leaves Bogle.

Midfield - Huddleston and Bryson best days gone, King and Mount on Loan leaves Holmes

Forwards - Wilson on loan, Nugent done Lawrence 1 in 5 leaves Marriott and Waghorn two championship level players.

That doesn't make pretty reading. Squad wise we are IMO 8-10 short for next season already.

Lampard I will back 100% but he needs to realise he hasn't got Willian, Pedro and Morata on the bench, we've got Nugent, Jozefzoon and Malone.

Last night was abysmal.

[MadAmster]

Kudos to Lamps for trying something different because 1-4-3-3 hasn't worked of late. Was it a 1-3-5-2 or was it a 1-4-4-2? I think the latter as we had a back 4 consisting of Bogle, Keogh, Tomori and Cole. Bogle and Cole went forwards at every opportunity just like our full backs have all season. If it was a back 3, who was the 3rd CH alongside Keogh and Tomori? I didn't see one. Then the MF 4. Hudds played the DM role, Bryson was everywhere, not always effective but there, Holmes (I did have to smile when the RamsTV commentator referred to him as "Eamon Holmes" about 10 minutes in) and Wilson who seemed to have some kind of roaming role drifting in and out of the game (more out than in) and then popping up as if by magic. Marriott and Waghorn up top. That is why I decided it was a form of 1-4-4-2. If anybody has a better explanation of why it could have been a 1-3-5-2 I am happy to read it.



Here is a Messenger msg I sent to a friend in Stockport post game last night in a short exchange of messages......



" No movement. No outlet. Poor passes which caused poor control. Millwall well organised but our lack of speed helped them. Poor. "



Millwall were very well organised and every time we got the ball they formed their 2 banks of 4 very quickly. Bus duly parked they invited us to to get round/through it. It can be done but you need:

1. movement between the lines getting as many players as possible in a position to receive a pass

2. fast ball circulation to help pull them out of shape

3. get round the outside and cross, centre halves hate that and last night the passes would have to be hard and low as our 2 strikers are 5' 10 and 5' 8



What did we deliver:

1. Static forward players meaning the guy with the ball had no outlet, hence so many back- and sideways passes

2. A total lack of any urgency mainly because there was no outlet and nowhere to carry the ball to

3. When we did get round the back the crosses were poor and food and drink to their 6' 4 centre halves

4. Tried to go through the crowded middle which simply didn't work.

5. Poor passes that made controlling the ball nigh on impossible. I remember one pass to Bryson on the edge of their box. He stretched as far as he physically can to try and reach a 10 yard pass. He could only manage to get a toe on it. RamsTV called it poor control. I saw it as he couldn't have done any better with that kind of crap ball.



Roos had his usual game. Kicked long more than usual because Millwall often had 3 players up preventing the short ball to Keogh/Tomori to start the build up from the back. The goal? I can't help but think he should have got something on it, probably his left foot.......

Bogle was better than in his previous 2 games but still guilty of wayward passes. Failed to control an awkward ball with his head that gave them the ball that led to the goal but I wouldn't blame him too much. The first error was a second and a half earlier which led to the ball looping up and forwards bouncing high and possibly also a bit of spin making it change direction somewhat.....

Keogh had another good game

Tomori ditto

Holmes looked lively without actually creating anything. 3 or 4 poor corners taken

Huddlestone was good defensively but his long passes were way off last night

Bryson ran himself ragged, chasing, harrying, unfortunately all to no avail

Wilson was poor. Even his free kicks were nowhere near the intended target

Waghorn put himself about without looking like scoring

Marriott has lost his edge after his time out ill and injured. Just the one possibility which saw him fluff it by being way off balance. He may need a couple more games to get "back into the groove". The question is, do we have that time? I fear we don't.



One thing is crystal clear. Play like that on Monday and the inbreds will rediscover the internet very, very quickly.



Based on last night's "performance" we can kiss the playoffs goodbye. However, we are Derby and that means anything is possible in the next 14 games.



Having said that, the next 2 are away at the Red Dogs and then at the Villans. Just what you don't want when you aren't playing at all well..........

Jozefzoon? I know the lad from his days playing over here. When we signed him I said "the odd flash of brilliance but not a player that will have great impact on a regular basis". He has had a couple of excellent appearances and a lot of poor ones. Sometimes you just hate being right.

[mistaram]

And Morris as well

Lumbered us with some of the worst dross we'll see in a long time as well

Marriott, Holmes and Jezefzoon are without doubt the most average footballers we could have signed

Marriott who everyone seems to love does a lot of huffing and pu**ing but little else

Yes he was clueless when we beat Sheff U Norwich Man U Southampton WBA your the clueless one If you think they are most average players this club has signed then you clearly have not been to any matches

[ramAnag]

I've yet to see playing out from the back work for us. 6 or 7 square passes and then back to the keeper who is now under pressure to clear his lines. Tippy happy keep ball is fine if you are two nil up. We create our own problems.

Zero urgency, no creativity and the opposition are finding it so easy to do a job on us - they just play a high press it's not rocket science.

Our dead balls last night were rubbish, the only 6 footers we've got are Keogh and Tomori so they should be the target. Holmes hit the first defender with half of his corners.

Waghorn didn't look like he had any studs in and Marriots worst game in a derby shirt, he didn't make a clean contact with the ball in the whole 90mins.

Agree that Frank needs to realise which division we are in when setting the team up. This is the weakest midfield I've seen us with in a long time. We couldn't get promoted with Hughes, Hendrick and Bryson in his prime so there is no way it's going to happen now.

Wilson does not have an impact on games, sweet left foot aside he doesn't have any influence on the direction of play.

Back four - Keogh wrong side of 30, Tomori on loan, Cole 38 leaves Bogle.

Midfield - Huddleston and Bryson best days gone, King and Mount on Loan leaves Holmes

Forwards - Wilson on loan, Nugent done Lawrence 1 in 5 leaves Marriott and Waghorn two championship level players.

That doesn't make pretty reading. Squad wise we are IMO 8-10 short for next season already.

Lampard I will back 100% but he needs to realise he hasn't got Willian, Pedro and Morata on the bench, we've got Nugent, Jozefzoon and Malone.

Last night was abysmal.

So much sense spoken on this forum it amazes me that those in ‘authority’ can’t see it.

In my opinion the two who shouldn’t be criticised are Morris and Marriott.

Mel Morris has gone above and beyond with his own money to try and take us back to the top flight. The fact that it hasn’t happened, and frankly shows no sign of doing in the near future, is the fault of successive managers and under achieving players not the owner.

As for Marriott...he has done enough to show that he was last summer’s best signing. Not his fault that he was hit with a debilitating virus and has received so little service this season.

Lampard is, as has been regularly acknowledged, a rookie. He has three quarters of one season of management experience and deserves another go. The last six weeks or so have been monumentally unimpressive but I’d stick with him.

He’ll still, unbelievably, be financially hamstrung by the contracts given to Anya and Martin but at least some of the dross will be off the books which leaves...Roos, Keogh, Bogle, Holmes, Lawrence(?), Waghorn and Marriott to build around.

The realists on here always said that there’d be no ‘quick fix’ and that this would be a season of consolidation. Unfortunately our reliance on loanees who won’t be here next season has arguably set us back to square one. Next question...what to do with Wisdom, FloJo, Evans, Malone...none of whom have proved themselves more than ‘flashes in the pan’ this season?

[MadAmster]

Its Mel Morrises wreckless spending that has landed us in this mess

Is it? Or is it actually that he brought a rookie manager in who had some very good ideas, told him he had no money to spend except for anything he could raise by selling players and that was why last season's golden boot player left. To fund the incoming.

All Mel has done is take a punt on a manager and backed him as much as he could, financially.

Morris hasn't spent a penny, recklessly or otherwise. He has backed the manager he appointed which is exactly what a good owner does.

[mistaram]

I agree

Why because he doesn't cheat and spy lol

[mistaram]

So much sense spoken on this forum it amazes me that those in ‘authority’ can’t see it.

In my opinion the two who shouldn’t be criticised are Morris and Marriott.

Mel Morris has gone above and beyond with his own money to try and take us back to the top flight. The fact that it hasn’t happened, and frankly shows no sign of doing in the near future, is the fault of successive managers and under achieving players not the owner.

As for Marriott...he has done enough to show that he was last summer’s best signing. Not his fault that he was hit with a debilitating virus and has received so little service this season.

Lampard is, as has been regularly acknowledged, a rookie. He has three quarters of one season of management experience and deserves another go. The last six weeks or so have been monumentally unimpressive but I’d stick with him.

He’ll still, unbelievably, be financially hamstrung by the contracts given to Anya and Martin but at least some of the dross will be off the books which leaves...Roos, Keogh, Bogle, Holmes, Lawrence(?), Waghorn and Marriott to build around.

The realists on here always said that there’d be no ‘quick fix’ and that this would be a season of consolidation. Unfortunately our reliance on loanees who won’t be here next season has arguably set us back to square one. Next question...what to do with Wisdom, FloJo, Evans, Malone...none of whom have proved themselves more than ‘flashes in the pan’ this season?

RA for to agree when they start criticising Morris they have lost the argument as far as I'm concerned Anyone with half a brain knows go was to blame for the financial state the club is in Morris was always transparent that he agreed a sum with his family about how much he would invest If and it's if he spent that amount then that is where we are Those who wish him gone just want to hope they don't get what they wish for You may end up with another three amigo scenario