I didn't want us in the playoffs this season anyway!

[MadAmster]

but we dont

No we don't GP but it does highlight how very much we are missing that hasn't been adequately replaced and I suspect you understood that.......

[swaledale]

We do seem to have a knack of buying players who are:

Easily injured
Lose form as soon as they join us
Basically crap

[MadAmster]

We do seem to have a knack of buying players who are:

Easily injured
Lose form as soon as they join us
Basically crap

.... or all 3.

[ramAnag]

We do seem to have a knack of buying players who are:

Easily injured
Lose form as soon as they join us
Basically crap

Do they lose form or are they just repeatedly used in the wrong way?

Thinking back to signings like Saunders and Stimac...when we bought them we seemed to know exactly what their strengths were and what we needed. Consequently they slotted seamlessly into the side and brought immediate benefit.

Successive Derby managers seem to have lost that ability - Lawrence and Marriott being the most obvious examples imo.
Lawrence impressed at Ipswich and for Wales in a much more central role but, Huddersfield apart, he’s just been stuck out wide for us.
Marriott’s goal scoring achievements at Peterborough were the result of him playing alongside a big man who was the target for an endless supply of crosses. He’s had neither at Derby.

It’s like trying to complete a jigsaw with half the pieces missing. Jim Smith, McClaren Mk1 and - to a lesser extent - Lampard got that but imo no one else has. Cocu has the excuse of being new to Derby/the Championship. He needs a good January window but whether he’ll get the backing after the last few months is another matter.

[MadAmster]

Marriott’s goal scoring achievements at Peterborough were the result of him playing alongside a big man who was the target for an endless supply of crosses. He’s had neither at Derby.

Add running on to through balls as well.

Deja vu? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Derek Hales. Scored one in 2 or better everywhere he played except at Derby. Everywhere else he played alongside a target man. At Derby he WAS the target man.

Yes, his performances were not the best for us by a long chalk but we played to his weaknesses....... I would suggest, not his fault.

[AdiSalisbury]

I think the issue Cocu has, is that putting certain players out of their natural position, is a better option than the player that might otherwise have played there. I'm all for pitting Lawrence down the middle, as with Waghorn, but who else would we play out wide? Patterson and Holmes? Holmes can't cross, and I've seen little promise from Patterson. Alternative - use the wing backs in midfield... square pegs in round holes again. Even Lampard put Waghorn and Lawrence on the wing, even Mason Bennett out wide.

We could just load the team with youth players in their natural positions, but we all saw early season that the gulf is too big between the 2 levels.

We just don't have a decent squad, the loan players last year just paved the cracks. Cocu has a monumental task, and we'll have to be patient.

[mistaram]

Think we're being a bit harsh on Cocu when think back to staring line up at Wembley. We have lost Tomori, Cole, Huddleston ,Johnson, Keogh, Mount ,Wilson that's hell of a lot to lose We've bought in Bielic Clarke and Shinnie and would be amazed if Cocu had anything at all to do with those signings But has Swales has said and I agree this squad has relegation written all over it .Unless we have serious investment in Jan . But if that relies on outgoings we're snookered

[MadAmster]

Think we're being a bit harsh on Cocu when think back to staring line up at Wembley. We have lost Tomori, Cole, Huddleston ,Johnson, Keogh, Mount ,Wilson that's hell of a lot to lose We've bought in Bielic Clarke and Shinnie and would be amazed if Cocu had anything at all to do with those signings But has Swales has said and I agree this squad has relegation written all over it .Unless we have serious investment in Jan . But if that relies on outgoings we're snookered

Roughly what I said in post #68 in this thread in which I wrote "We didnt, adequately, replace Mount, Tomori or Wilson. Johnson, Bryson, Cole & Carson have all gone. *We are missing through injury Keogh, Huddlestone, Evans, and until recently Marriott and Bogle and Martin. Anya still injured and Forsyth almost fit as is Wisdom."

[mistaram]

Roughly what I said in post #68 in this thread in which I wrote "We didnt, adequately, replace Mount, Tomori or Wilson. Johnson, Bryson, Cole & Carson have all gone. *We are missing through injury Keogh, Huddlestone, Evans, and until recently Marriott and Bogle and Martin. Anya still injured and Forsyth almost fit as is Wisdom."

MA sort i missed your previous post was in services in M6at the time just a quick glance Anyway in off to watch the U23at Loughborough tonight against Wolves . The way the first team are performing I could expect at least two to be in the squad tomorrow prob Sibley and Bird although I'm not sure about the latter ,Cocu seems to like him probably see a bit of himself in him

[Geoff Parkstone]

Bird and Cock, yep, likely to be a bit of the latter in the former