Matchday Thread: Owls v Rams

[ramAnag]

Ultimately unlucky not to get a draw. Softest red card ever. Disappointed in Hourihane and NML. Sad for Davies. Plenty of effort from the rest. Might be a blessing in disguise. Think Wednesday would have battered us over two legs even though, strangely, they apparently have the oldest squad in the league.
Finishing 7th is better than most thought back in August but a big disappointment from where we were in January...anyway it’s gone now...start planning positively for next season ASAP now please.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Someone has to say it - "sack the board". At least I've beaten DCFCA to it.

[Ramshank72]

We were the better team, but lost it before today's game. Oh well.

[SithHappens]

Such a soft penalty, if anything its a dive and booking against the Wednesday player.

But even if it was a Pen its never a red in a million years. Not sure how a certain poster thinks Derby get all the decisions, we have had so many bad ones against us this year its unreal. But..we had chances to wrap up a play off spot in recents weeks and failed to take, only have ourselves to blame.

Probably Curtis last game so a sad way to go out.

[ramAnag]

We were the better team, but lost it before today's game. Oh well.

You mean the seven points dropped at home recently against Fleetwood, MK Dons and Portsmouth? That’s when the real sith happened.
Ah well...hopefully we’ll learn and strengthen well over the summer.
Quite fancy Bolton to go up now. A good role model for us if they do.

[SithHappens]

Yes like to see Bolton go up now.

[swaledale]

Ultimately unlucky not to get a draw. Softest red card ever. Disappointed in Hourihane and NML. Sad for Davies. Plenty of effort from the rest. Might be a blessing in disguise. Think Wednesday would have battered us over two legs even though, strangely, they apparently have the oldest squad in the league.
Finishing 7th is better than most thought back in August but a big disappointment from where we were in January...anyway it’s gone now...start planning positively for next season ASAP now please.

It was typical Derby really, had the game within our control and then one mistake/rash decision and we lose, echoes of QPR when they beat us in the champ play of final, a lucky goal.

AS you say, it gives us a couple of extra weeks to prepare for next season and it wasn't today that did us, it was the pts thrown away in previous games.

Funny really, everything went haywire after the FA cup game against West Ham, never regained our consistency after that.

All in all a much better season than one might have expected, now we need a new EFL business plan allowing transfer fees and Warne to get a squad together that is capable of pushing for automatic promotion next season. Mm watch us do that and finish mid table!!

[Ramshank72]

Haha yes that would be typical!

[MadAmster]

It's all opinion and none is more valid than another. Here's twopennyworth...

Better team but lost. Penalty? not IMO. Soft as they come but Curt took a gamble using his hands/arms on a player inside the box. Player feels the contact and goes down as if he's been poleaxed. Ref buys it and gives the penalty. Red? Not in a month of Sundays but the ref gave it. I can only think he believed it to have been a professional foul (now, there's an oxymoron if ever there was one). Certainly wasn't last man so it can't have been for that.

Had chances to score but didn't. How familiar did that sound. NML was less than average all game. The red card signalled a change to shore up the defence but why did he take Sibs off, who was having a reasonable half both defensively and in an attacking sense rather than NML who was continually caught in possession, offered nothing defensively and was off the pace?

Didn't deserve to lose and the point a draw would have given us would have seen us in the playoffs. Something hardly anybody expected 9 months ago when the season started.

All things considered we've done far better than I expected at the outset. However, having got this far on a broken shoestring of a budget, it's frustrating to have missed out on the lottery and a possible Wembley appearance.

Many are saying they can't wait to see what players arrive/leave. PW will have an idea who he wants in both categories. The loanees will return to their parent clubs although there's half a chance we might get to keep Roberts as his contract runs out and he has yet to get a new offer from Brighton. Can we take him on a permanent? Depends. As a BHA Academy graduate, they might be eligible to receive compo in which case, under the current restrictions, we can't sign him.

This is why the EFL review has to take place NOW. If there are to be any easings of the restrictions, we need to know ASAP. It seems we have kept well within the bounds of the agreement which will please the EFL. DC says he's on good terms with them which is a bonus. Apparently the business plan was drawn up budgeting for average gate of 17K. We are >10K above that so the coffers should be well stocked. So, what are the possibilities?

1. A complete lifting of restrictions? Not going to happen IMO. It would send out the opposite signal to that which the 2 year plan on exiting Admin is based.

2. As is. IMO a distinct possibility.

3. Some easing of restrictions for the 2nd year of the plan? Not impossible. If there was to be any easing, I can see 3 possible areas which could be eased. Maybe 1, maybe 2 or all 3. They are a) allowed to spend transfer/loan fees on incoming transfers/loans (I don't think they'll go further than that) b) an increase in the wages cap c) an increase in the total spend allowed, currently £8M. All based on not going into debt in the 2nd year.

This needs sorting now so that PW knows what he has to work with.

[GUNTERYY36]

Yes like to see Bolton go up now.

Is that because Bolton were not blameworthy whereas the other three were directly or indirectly responsible for Derby's misfortune?