Matchday Thread: Rams v Posh 1/1/24

[ramAnag]

The OTT bit was about signing players in the Transfer window being vytal to our continued progress. I don't think it is, it wouldn't be an issue If we can get in some that add to the team, but I feel your over emphasising this point.

I don't have a bee in my bonnet about financial restrictions, I'm merely echoing what the situation is in January and what Warne and others have said. Its a difficult window and one can end up over paying for players if not careful. Derby aren't in a position to spend over the odds, nor would I want them to, thats what led to our downfall last time.

I don't disagree about Posh's squad, but one fact is overlooked, Posh weren't in administration 18 months ago, they didn't have their academy gutted to keep the club afloat and have had more time to scout and sign players they can develop, all things Derby had to restart. Indeed we have signed some promising youngsters, but it takes time to develop them into players that can slot into the first team, not sure Derby fans are that patient, Posh fans expect their team to be bobbing back and forth between this league and the championship, they survive by finding cheap gems, developing them and then selling them on and they have been doing it for years.

Yesterday, the team were off their game just as much as they were on it against Oxford, it happens I anticipated a dip, a game where our luck would run out, it happened yesterday. I'm not disputing the fact that yesterday we were 2nd best and the better team won, indeed that was my comment in my first post.

Does that necessarily point to we need new signings? Well yes if we can get some quality, but its unrealistic to think we will be signing a L2 player who will take L1 by storm in the second half of the season. I'm hopeful that we can possibly get a couple of good quality loans in and maybe sign a good player permanently.

Again we largely agree, but Posh’s ability to find ‘gems’ from Scotland/lower leagues is something we would do well to emulate and haven’t done for many years.

You said earlier we need two or three additions and have referred to the need to strengthen up front and in midfield. We agree! I have never ever mentioned spending more than we can afford, but Warne himself has said he made a mistake last year by only adding a couple of lightweights and thinking he’d already got enough. He hadn’t and if the indicators from yesterday are anything to go by we have to see that tired performance as a warning if we are to avoid the risk of deja vu.

P.S. Our luck didn’t ‘run out’ yesterday. In fact we were actually lucky to still be in touch by HT imo. Neither was it down to the referee or other misfortune. We were just, on the day, up against a fitter, better organised team.

[swaledale]

Again we largely agree, but Posh’s ability to find ‘gems’ from Scotland/lower leagues is something we would do well to emulate and haven’t done for many years.

You said earlier we need two or three additions and have referred to the need to strengthen up front and in midfield. We agree! I have never ever mentioned spending more than we can afford, but Warne himself has said he made a mistake last year by only adding a couple of lightweights and thinking he’d already got enough. He hadn’t and if the indicators from yesterday are anything to go by we have to see that tired performance as a warning if we are to avoid the risk of deja vu.

P.S. Our luck didn’t ‘run out’ yesterday. In fact we were actually lucky to still be in touch by HT imo. Neither was it down to the referee or other misfortune. We were just, on the day, up against a fitter, better organised team.

Warne's comment was about not getting players that weren't necessarily better than in the squad, but making additions to the squad to increase the depth. We aren't in that position, other than through injuries, the squad is bigger and isn't missing key positions such as full back for instance. Yes there are areas where the right player would or could make a difference, but its not IMO essential to our making progress.

That tired performance came on the back of a run of games close together over Xmas and the New year, I don't agree its an indication of the squad needing reinforcements, its as much, which Mac referred to, a mistake of selection by Warne who didn't freshen the team up enough to start with. I guess he didn't want to disrupt a winning team, but expecting any team to keep going over that run of games was wishful thinking. It was typical tired performance from a team tired from having played so many games over a short period - I do wish they would sort this fixture log jam at this time of year out, it does neither fans or players a favour.

I referred to our "luck" running out in as much as if we had got a draw that would have been lucky! As you said, a more comprehensive 2-2 thrashing you hadn't witnessed!! In games we have won we have had good luck and won 1-0. in other we have dominated and then been caught late and drawn 1-1, luck is many things, though they do say one makes one own!!

The only thing we disagree on is to the need for signings - IMO if we lose nobody and keep John-Jules we would be fine. If we can add a striker and a midfielder so much the better it can only be of benefit, though as we both know any signing whether loan or perm is a gamble, they may work out they might not.

[ramAnag]

Warne's comment was about not getting players that weren't necessarily better than in the squad, but making additions to the squad to increase the depth. We aren't in that position, other than through injuries, the squad is bigger and isn't missing key positions such as full back for instance. Yes there are areas where the right player would or could make a difference, but its not IMO essential to our making progress.

That tired performance came on the back of a run of games close together over Xmas and the New year, I don't agree its an indication of the squad needing reinforcements, its as much, which Mac referred to, a mistake of selection by Warne who didn't freshen the team up enough to start with. I guess he didn't want to disrupt a winning team, but expecting any team to keep going over that run of games was wishful thinking. It was typical tired performance from a team tired from having played so many games over a short period - I do wish they would sort this fixture log jam at this time of year out, it does neither fans or players a favour.

I referred to our "luck" running out in as much as if we had got a draw that would have been lucky! As you said, a more comprehensive 2-2 thrashing you hadn't witnessed!! In games we have won we have had good luck and won 1-0. in other we have dominated and then been caught late and drawn 1-1, luck is many things, though they do say one makes one own!!

The only thing we disagree on is to the need for signings - IMO if we lose nobody and keep John-Jules we would be fine. If we can add a striker and a midfielder so much the better it can only be of benefit, though as we both know any signing whether loan or perm is a gamble, they may work out they might not.

Same for everyone Swale. Yes there’s a lot of football over Christmas but it’s the same for all teams and the only thing that makes a difference is the size of the squad and the manager’s ability to rotate.

John-Jules? Showed what he’s capable of with one cracking shot yesterday, but is he reliable? Don’t doubt his ability...just his reliability in terms of availability and given that the two W’s are proving to be ‘sick notes’ I think we need another striker, along with legs and guile in midfield, to match the ambition.

[Andy_Faber]

Same for everyone Swale. Yes there’s a lot of football over Christmas but it’s the same for all teams and the only thing that makes a difference is the size of the squad and the manager’s ability to rotate.

John-Jules? Showed what he’s capable of with one cracking shot yesterday, but is he reliable? Don’t doubt his ability...just his reliability in terms of availability and given that the two W’s are proving to be ‘sick notes’ I think we need another striker, along with legs and guile in midfield, to match the ambition.

An observation about JJ. The much maligned Collins, as well as scoring twice yesterday, ran himself into the ground in both attack and defence for 90 mins. In contrast, JJ who was on for less time so could have outrun Collins, seemed to just jog about when not on the ball. An extra bit of off the ball graft might have saved us

[ramAnag]

An observation about JJ. The much maligned Collins, as well as scoring twice yesterday, ran himself into the ground in both attack and defence for 90 mins. In contrast, JJ who was on for less time so could have outrun Collins, seemed to just jog about when not on the ball. An extra bit of off the ball graft might have saved us

Is Collins still ‘much maligned’? Certainly was last year but his goal scoring record is now around 25/65 over one and a half seasons at Derby, meaning that not only can he score but he also turns up!
As things stand, he’s the only one of our current strikers I’d offer a contract to next season.