What single issue are we ACTUALLY bothered about?

[Andy_Faber]

out?
So we’ve lost our first two competitive games. IMO if Fozzy had miss hit his chance just after his goal on sat we’d be celebrating a win and last night would have just been dismissed as bedding in new players. And I’m not the only one here to recall some godawful halves/games even in the good years. Middlesbrough at home in 73, Jesus wept.

BUT, to quote NFL parlance we are ‘oh and two’ and the general consensus is there are ‘problems’. What’s YOUR major concern?

Choosing one, and being true to my oft repeated mantra on here and elsewhere, we should build from defence and our defence looks 20% worse than the loaner/pressganged midfielder / old fellah lineup of last year. Goals win games but clean sheets at least guarantee points and the defence earned a lot last year, can’t see the current mix doing the same

Anyone?

[ramAnag]

Okay...I’m sure this is going to get some ‘hostile fire’ from certain quarters and I’m genuinely sorry to have to say it but, for me, the biggest single issue to be ‘bothered’ about is the lack of progress since late September last year.

When Warne arrived I didn’t expect us to go up...it seemed too big an ask. I was prepared to give him time and actually expected us to finish somewhere between 10th and 6th which would have been satisfactory and was ultimately what happened.

Expectations were then raised in the months around Christmas and ultimately a season we would, in the beginning, have been happy with ended disappointingly. I don’t blame Warne entirely for that...however neither do I absolve him completely.

Since then, and I know it’s never easy, there’s been further disappointment. We’ve lost some important players in Curtis Davies (dressing room leader), McGoldrick (goal getter) and Knight (versatile action man) and, imo, they haven’t been replaced. I thought we’d got a new leader in Sonny Bradley, but apparently the players decided otherwise and went for Hourihane who, in my infinitely less well informed opinion, is not the leader we’ve needed for a while. We seem nowhere close to replacing McGoldrick’s contribution and Knight’s loss has still to be addressed imo.

As I say, I know it’s not easy but I can’t see how we’re operating under restrictions that are as severe as they were last summer. I expected to see some wheeler dealing. Warne knew what he was coming to and that we wouldn’t be able to spend big money. He has the persona of an ‘old school’ manager and there are two or three players who I would have thought he could use to barter with to help us strengthen in the areas others have described as ongoing weaknesses, but there seems little, if any, evidence of that.

So, sorry to say it...hope to be proved wrong and there’s still plenty of time, but for me, it’s the lack of progress over the last eleven months which is the biggest single source of concern.

[Andy_Faber]

Okay...I’m sure this is going to get some ‘hostile fire’ from certain quarters and I’m genuinely sorry to have to say it but, for me, the biggest single issue to be ‘bothered’ about is the lack of progress since late September last year.

When Warne arrived I didn’t expect us to go up...it seemed too big an ask. I was prepared to give him time and actually expected us to finish somewhere between 10th and 6th which would have been satisfactory and was ultimately what happened.

Expectations were then raised in the months around Christmas and ultimately a season we would, in the beginning, have been happy with ended disappointingly. I don’t blame Warne entirely for that...however neither do I absolve him completely.

Since then, and I know it’s never easy, there’s been further disappointment. We’ve lost some important players in Curtis Davies (dressing room leader), McGoldrick (goal getter) and Knight (versatile action man) and, imo, they haven’t been replaced. I thought we’d got a new leader in Sonny Bradley, but apparently the players decided otherwise and went for Hourihane who, in my infinitely less well informed opinion, is not the leader we’ve needed for a while. We seem nowhere close to replacing McGoldrick’s contribution and Knight’s loss has still to be addressed imo.

As I say, I know it’s not easy but I can’t see how we’re operating under restrictions that are as severe as they were last summer. I expected to see some wheeler dealing. Warne knew what he was coming to and that we wouldn’t be able to spend big money. He has the persona of an ‘old school’ manager and there are two or three players who I would have thought he could use to barter with to help us strengthen in the areas others have described as ongoing weaknesses, but there seems little, if any, evidence of that.

So, sorry to say it...hope to be proved wrong and there’s still plenty of time, but for me, it’s the lack of progress over the last eleven months which is the biggest single source of concern.

Thanks rA although that’s an outcome rather than a reason

[Geoff Parkstone]

Brexit?

[ramAnag]

Thanks rA although that’s an outcome rather than a reason

Is it? Fine lines and semantics...but let’s not get into Corbyn again.

Seriously...the apparent lack of progress over the last eleven months is what bothers me most and is the biggest reason behind my disappointment. Are we, DCFC, in a better place now than we were a year ago? In my honest opinion...no...but we surely should be.

[MadAmster]

Not enough attempts on target. 4 on target in each of our 2 games so far. These came from 20 shots against Wigan and 9 against Blackpool. As has been said, if we don't concede we'll get a point, however, it's 3 point games that get you promoted and if we can't score we'll not get more than a point from any game.

[swaledale]

Okay...I’m sure this is going to get some ‘hostile fire’ from certain quarters and I’m genuinely sorry to have to say it but, for me, the biggest single issue to be ‘bothered’ about is the lack of progress since late September last year.

When Warne arrived I didn’t expect us to go up...it seemed too big an ask. I was prepared to give him time and actually expected us to finish somewhere between 10th and 6th which would have been satisfactory and was ultimately what happened.

Expectations were then raised in the months around Christmas and ultimately a season we would, in the beginning, have been happy with ended disappointingly. I don’t blame Warne entirely for that...however neither do I absolve him completely.

Since then, and I know it’s never easy, there’s been further disappointment. We’ve lost some important players in Curtis Davies (dressing room leader), McGoldrick (goal getter) and Knight (versatile action man) and, imo, they haven’t been replaced. I thought we’d got a new leader in Sonny Bradley, but apparently the players decided otherwise and went for Hourihane who, in my infinitely less well informed opinion, is not the leader we’ve needed for a while. We seem nowhere close to replacing McGoldrick’s contribution and Knight’s loss has still to be addressed imo.

As I say, I know it’s not easy but I can’t see how we’re operating under restrictions that are as severe as they were last summer. I expected to see some wheeler dealing. Warne knew what he was coming to and that we wouldn’t be able to spend big money. He has the persona of an ‘old school’ manager and there are two or three players who I would have thought he could use to barter with to help us strengthen in the areas others have described as ongoing weaknesses, but there seems little, if any, evidence of that.

So, sorry to say it...hope to be proved wrong and there’s still plenty of time, but for me, it’s the lack of progress over the last eleven months which is the biggest single source of concern.

Whilst I'd take issue with the lack of progress, I think the performance last season has inflated expectations, whatever the reason for it ultimately falling short, promotion was an unrealistic ask and its coloured fans views going forward.

On the other hand I agree with some of the issues you have raised, but its a tad unrealistic to think that another period of adjustment and reorganisation is immediately going to result in a promotion winning team. One only has to look at how long it took Ipswich and Sunderland to get out of this division, and they didn't have the issues that Derby have had to face, to know that its not easy or simple to assemble a team and get results.

Its difficult to pin down one single issue.

On the player issue then the need for a striker is obvious, and probably 2 midfielders, one defensive but more importantly a creative central midfielder.

On the team as a whole - the fact that Warne favours 3-5-2 and this team doesn't look comfortable playing that way, now Warne has brought in players specifically to play these tactics, it might take a while for them to adapt. But I would be very concerned if that's his game plan and he trys to use it in every game if it doesn't work. He needs to be flexible and have a plan B for when plan A isn't working.

On paper the defence should be solid, they are players with a pedigree, but at the moment playing 3 at the back doesn't seem to work, though one presumes they have done this in preseason?

It could all be just a case of a team gelling together, as AF says, cut out the defensive and goalie error and we may well have won against Wigan, the Blackpool performance was a shambles though.

Roll on Burton

[ramAnag]

Nice to be in agreement about Brexit, Swale...as we invariably are.

Not sure how you can ‘take issue with the lack of progress’ though.
Yes...last season’s expectations may have been ‘inflated’ by our near miss last season but...here’s some facts.
1. We got rid of an interim manager with a 58.3% win ratio and replaced him with a manager with a 42.5% win ratio.
2. We brought in a manager who has never kept a promoted side in the Championship to replace a manager who, having inherited a struggling Hull side last season, kept them up at a level above us...no small achievement imo.
3. We lost our 20+ goals a season talisman who had just been voted player of the season to a smaller/poorer club. I’m not entirely sure why.
4. We haven’t, in comparison with last summer, been as proactive or effective in building a squad for this season...yet!

So...I’m not writing Warne off and I accept that some fans have unrealistic expectations...but in what way have we made progress over the last eleven months and, more especially, over the last three months?

[Geoff Parkstone]

You forgot #5

The sky is falling in, chicken licken.

[ramAnag]

You forgot #5

The sky is falling in, chicken licken.

Hmmm...silly comment, but remind us all. When was the last time you actually attended a match? Pre or post pandemic?
Try answering the question if you feel strongly enough to respond.