Quote Originally Posted by ramAnag View Post
We don?t actually have to do anything against Stoke providing Bristol City beat PNE as expected, but I agree we should take nothing for granted and be monumentally grateful for our position going into the final match.

As regards your Warne point. I don?t think there?s much doubt that PW signed a number of duds and sicknotes. Having said that, imo, the most improved player under Eustace has been Nat Phillips and the biggest single difference has been making Adams captain which introduced a level of leadership which simply didn?t exist under Warne.
We also seem to have become better at performing for 90+ minutes. Coincidentally my second son is friendly with a former DCFC defender who will remain nameless for obvious reasons. He has suggested that the first thing Eustace needed to sort out was the general level of fitness which was apparently very poor. Whether that?s fair or not I wouldn?t know, but I do think we have seen far greater commitment since JE?s arrival.

I remain grateful for PW?s achievement of last season but equally I feel infinitely more optimistic about our future since he was replaced.

On the subject of Jerry Yates, the acid test is whether you?d want him back for next season.
MM well without going over old ground about how, why, who and the circumstances that players have been signed, and the obvious fact that even clubs with virtually limitless funds sign a few players that get injured or don't perform (Tottenham for example) what isn't in doubt is that the team thats been playing well over the past few matches is the team that Warne assembled, plus a few left from Rosenior's days. So it follows logically that the issue hasn't been his signings but his coaching and management.

A casein point as you rightly say, is the appointment of Adams as captain, but its simplistic to say thats the main difference. Yates as a loan or main striker then no. But as a a player who works well in support to another players is creative and chips in with the odd goal, in fact he is Derby's top scorer with 11 goals so without him we would have been in trouble, no doubt about that. Shame you seem unable to recognise the guys contribution.

I actually think he could form a good partnership with our currently injured Scandinavian striker, so would I have him back next season? The answer rather depends upon who else we are able to recruit, how much of a fee he would command and
his wages. But the fact remains he has certainly proven to be a more than useful forward player and more so under Eustace who has utilised his strengths.

In fact Eustace has clearly got most of this team playing to the strengths, rather than shoe horn them into a rigid system, which to me is the sign of a good coach, someone who can adapt and coach the players he has rather than stick rigidly to his preferred system.