Grumbles about Warne

[swaledale]

The problem is, Swale…it’s now November and since mid September we’ve hit relegation form with one win and just six points from the last 24 available.

Warne got us up and to go up at all, let alone automatically, looked unlikely this time last season and was a big achievement.
He’s also made four or five excellent seasons along the way.

On the debit side he’s also made a number of average signings along with some very questionable ones and there doesn’t seem to have been much progress or evidence of the team gelling recently.

He’s also been unlucky with the injury to Nyambe in particular and our inability to provide effective cover at RB proving enormously destabilising. It also means we may well have to spend on a RB in January when we really want to put our limited resources into a goal scorer.

It may be that by 5.00pm next Saturday we’ll have collected another six points and all will be well again. Personally I doubt it, but should we lose at Coventry and go a goal down to Plymouth then I fear the atmosphere may become toxic which won’t help at all. If I remember correctly the last time we met Plymouth at PP we were cruising at 2-0 before succumbing to three late goals. Can’t afford a repeat of that as three points next weekend looks essential.

I did hope that you may have a more realistic view of matters this season, but it seems you are again failing to look at the bigger picture and take into account the transfer and wage budget Warne has at his disposal. Stoke for example spent over £6 million last transfer window alone on improving an established championship team. Derby have spent less than half that and are changing a L1 team into a championship team, that takes time and money.

Whilst I wouldn't argue that some of Warne's signings are bang average, certainly for this league, it is surely unrealistic to think that shopping in the bargain basement as Derby were until recently won't mean that some signings don't work out as well as hoped?

Losing 1 out of the last 5 games is hardly relegation form, yes at least 1 more win from those games would have been preferable (and by the way put us level with Norwich on pts, just to add context). But Derby have not been outclassed and at the moment are mid table, which is surely where most realistic fans thought we would be? Look at West Brom who can't get a win at the moment, dips in form happen.

If the atmosphere does turn toxic, then shame on those fans who it seems have forgotten there nearly wasn't a club just over 2 years ago! A little patience and a reality check is required, this is a very tight competitive division, those with more resources can not only buy better players, but also afford to have better quality players to cover for injuries, whereas Derby at the moment have to rely on players that are perhaps no better than L1 standard in these situations.

What is required is for fans to back the team, I see no reason why Derby won't stay up this season, but fully expect it to be a little nerve shredding at times any fan who thought that wasn't going to be the case has unrealistic expectations.