Wycombe today

[swaledale]

Same old crap then! Going down I fear.

[macstheman]

Same old crap then! Going down I fear.

I can't see any other scenario takeover or not.

[ramAnag]

In an ordinary season we’d now only be approaching late October and it’d be tempting to say it’s too early to call.
The figures don’t lie though...we have 96 points left to play for but, on the evidence of last season we’ll need 49 - another 42 of those 96 - to stay up.
42 from 96 requires a massive improvement on our current record of 7/42. Something needs to change seriously quickly and even now any points deduction must be seen as virtually terminal.

I’m not sure how this isn’t now having some detrimental impact on the takeover. Would you pay the same for a club destined for League 1 as you would for the Championship club with huge potential you might have thought you were buying?

[Geoff Parkstone]

On a positive note, Corley have just knocked Peterbrough out of the cup, having taken down Wigan last round.

Every dog has its day, so we might just beat Forest in this season of despair

Hopefully we don't get Chorley ne t round, let's just get put down compassionately 2-0 away to Sheffield United or something

[swaledale]

In an ordinary season we’d now only be approaching late October and it’d be tempting to say it’s too early to call.
The figures don’t lie though...we have 96 points left to play for but, on the evidence of last season we’ll need 49 - another 42 of those 96 - to stay up.
42 from 96 requires a massive improvement on our current record of 7/42. Something needs to change seriously quickly and even now any points deduction must be seen as virtually terminal.

I’m not sure how this isn’t now having some detrimental impact on the takeover. Would you pay the same for a club destined for League 1 as you would for the Championship club with huge potential you might have thought you were buying?

I potential, which Derby as a club has assuming its run properly! Not entirely sure how you think the situation has changed since the takeover process began, I mean its not as if there has been a sudden loss of form is it? Even if we did go down, the right management team with a decent budget would see it promoted quickly and there are a number of clubs, Norwich and Southampton among them who went down and after that have been in the prem or consistently top of the championship since.

[ramAnag]

I potential, which Derby as a club has assuming its run properly! Not entirely sure how you think the situation has changed since the takeover process began, I mean its not as if there has been a sudden loss of form is it? Even if we did go down, the right management team with a decent budget would see it promoted quickly and there are a number of clubs, Norwich and Southampton among them who went down and after that have been in the prem or consistently top of the championship since.

To the best of my knowledge the ‘takeover process’ began towards the end of last season.
Although last season may have been a disappointment for some we actually finished just six points off sixth position.
Since the first three or four games after the end of Lockdown 1 our form has completely collapsed and we are currently as far from safety at the bottom as we were from a top six place when last season finished.
I know very little about takeovers or buying a football club but in terms of potential buyers I can’t see how the above would be encouraging to potential buyers.
You’re absolutely right about Southampton and others like Leeds, Newcastle, Wolves, Villa and WBA have also bounced back in recent years.
I very much hope we can still avoid relegation but change needs to be rapid and drastic imo, as for every Southampton, Leeds and Villa there’s a Sunderland, Bolton or Ipswich.

[swaledale]

To the best of my knowledge the ‘takeover process’ began towards the end of last season.
Although last season may have been a disappointment for some we actually finished just six points off sixth position.
Since the first three or four games after the end of Lockdown 1 our form has completely collapsed and we are currently as far from safety at the bottom as we were from a top six place when last season finished.
I know very little about takeovers or buying a football club but in terms of potential buyers I can’t see how the above would be encouraging to potential buyers.
You’re absolutely right about Southampton and others like Leeds, Newcastle, Wolves, Villa and WBA have also bounced back in recent years.
I very much hope we can still avoid relegation but change needs to be rapid and drastic imo, as for every Southampton, Leeds and Villa there’s a Sunderland, Bolton or Ipswich.

Mel's been "hawking" the club around for a while and there was talk of new investment which never materialised, until this proposed takeover which became apparent in September, not sure the two are linked but maybe you have something that shows they are?

Even if the process started last May or June, the club lost 4 out of its last 5 games, so there has been little change in the clubs form over the period. Your correct we were higher up in the league but performance wise we were much the same. I don't see the current form affecting the takeover, they want a club and have identified Derby as the one thats for sale with the best prospects - a team can be built more quickly than a fan base, stadium or training facilities.

Yes there are clubs that are currently languishing in league 1 that arguably shouldn't be, however they all have a common denominator, millions were spent and then the tap turned off by the owners, not a position Derby will be in after the takeover.

I grant you should mel still be in charge then our prospects are likely to be dire, but all news at the moment is positive. Expect confirmation next week, together with a new manager before the following weekend.

[ramAnag]

Mel's been "hawking" the club around for a while and there was talk of new investment which never materialised, until this proposed takeover which became apparent in September, not sure the two are linked but maybe you have something that shows they are?

Even if the process started last May or June, the club lost 4 out of its last 5 games, so there has been little change in the clubs form over the period. Your correct we were higher up in the league but performance wise we were much the same. I don't see the current form affecting the takeover, they want a club and have identified Derby as the one thats for sale with the best prospects - a team can be built more quickly than a fan base, stadium or training facilities.

Yes there are clubs that are currently languishing in league 1 that arguably shouldn't be, however they all have a common denominator, millions were spent and then the tap turned off by the owners, not a position Derby will be in after the takeover.

I grant you should mel still be in charge then our prospects are likely to be dire, but all news at the moment is positive. Expect confirmation next week, together with a new manager before the following weekend.

Yep, you’re right...Mel’s been ‘hawking the club around for a while’ and proposed ‘new investment’ has ‘never materialised’.
I was surprised to read recently that the current negotiations have been going on for longer than had been thought and, as far as I understand, that they began last summer.

That may or may not be true, I suspect neither of us are in a position to know, however I find it alarming that previous alleged investment appears to have always fallen through.

As I’ve said, I can’t help but wonder if the failure of previous negotiations and the hesitancy in these has been down to uncertainty about our future and, given the position we’re now in, the strong likelihood that any deduction of between 6-12 points would now prove unrecoverable from this season.

I seriously hope you’re right about what to expect in the coming week and I seriously hope this ‘new manager’ will be someone who understands what is required for what is likely to be a relegation battle for the remainder of the season.

It’s sad, imo, that you regard our prospects as ‘dire’ if Mel remains in charge. That’s not a criticism and I take your point completely but, imo, Mel Morris and Lionel Pickering are the two most benevolent and well intentioned owners DCFC have ever had. Like Lionel it seems MM is about to exit under something of a cloud. They both made huge mistakes but without the building of PP and the further investment in the stadium and training facilities it is doubtful we’d be anything more than just another failing midlands club with a history of a couple of years of success from almost half a century ago.

[swaledale]

Yep, you’re right...Mel’s been ‘hawking the club around for a while’ and proposed ‘new investment’ has ‘never materialised’.
I was surprised to read recently that the current negotiations have been going on for longer than had been thought and, as far as I understand, that they began last summer.

That may or may not be true, I suspect neither of us are in a position to know, however I find it alarming that previous alleged investment appears to have always fallen through.

As I’ve said, I can’t help but wonder if the failure of previous negotiations and the hesitancy in these has been down to uncertainty about our future and, given the position we’re now in, the strong likelihood that any deduction of between 6-12 points would now prove unrecoverable from this season.

I seriously hope you’re right about what to expect in the coming week and I seriously hope this ‘new manager’ will be someone who understands what is required for what is likely to be a relegation battle for the remainder of the season.

It’s sad, imo, that you regard our prospects as ‘dire’ if Mel remains in charge. That’s not a criticism and I take your point completely but, imo, Mel Morris and Lionel Pickering are the two most benevolent and well intentioned owners DCFC have ever had. Like Lionel it seems MM is about to exit under something of a cloud. They both made huge mistakes but without the building of PP and the further investment in the stadium and training facilities it is doubtful we’d be anything more than just another failing midlands club with a history of a couple of years of success from almost half a century ago.

The length of time its taking to complete the takeover is not abnormal for a deal of this complexity, in order of events, they would agree a deal in principle with Mel, submit for approval from the EFL, undertake due diligence, agree a final figure for the buyout, sort out the financing and negotiate the finer details of the takeover. All this takes time and is no doubt not helped by another lockdown in the middle of the process. Think about how long the average house sale takes - 3 -4 months and thats a simple deal!

I'm not criticising Mel, things might well have been different had we beaten QPR at Wembley that day, such are the fine lines that affect how matters turn out and lets face it owning a football club is a good way of getting a small fortune, from a large one! Owners are easy targets for criticism by fans who don't have to risk their own money, some of course justify the criticism, Mel I think rescued the club from the doldrums of the American ownership, but for a combination of reasons his vision just didn't happen, which is sad.

I'm neutral on yet another middle eastern owner taking charge of a club, but I guess such concerns will be swayed if we are a successful mid table prem team within 5 years!

I just wonder whether he wasn't ill advised and perhaps ill served by people who were working with him, we know a little about some issues from the media but we clearly don't know the whole story.

[MadAmster]

When the team was announced I was asked in a WhatsApp from my mate Dave in germany what I thought would happen. My reply to him was.....

7 changes. How will that pan out? Still not sure where the guile is to create chances. Ok with keeper and back 4. Glad Shinnie is back but Evans has been poor when he's played this season. Holmes and Lawrence not done anything to deserve a start. Pleased Sibley is in. Ok with Kazim getting a start BUT he has a career average of a goal every 7 games. Hopefully he's in to set up others rather than to score.

..... shows what I know Wink Holmes and Lawro had good games. Evo had his best game of the season so far but was, IMO, no more than adequate.

Kazim was, as I had hoped, there more for hold up and link up play. He was impressive in the first half. Less so in the 2nd and I would have subbed him earlier. Hindsight would probably see him subbed at HT.

Very pleased at HT and wondering if our failure to put chances away and put ourselves out of sight would turm round and bite us..... it did.

We moved the ball around better, faster and more accurately. There was movement off the ball. People running into space.

Even in the 2nd half we created some good chances and how we didn't score from the double chance and the keeper's save from Clarke and then the full back stopping Fozzy's rebound header....

Looking forward, will this be the platform to build on? Players getting used to creating proper chances and then to start putting more of them away? I hope so but will wait and see.

Their goal? Akinfenwe had hold of Curtis but that got ignored. Wis and Clarke both got the wrong side of their man and that resulted in the goal.

On to Tuesday now and we need the 1st half performance repeating for 90 odd minutes. Do that and we can win it. Fail to do so and we will pay the price.

I'm a fighter and never give up but we really do need to mind the gap.