Matchday thread: Derby v Exeter City.

[Andy_Faber]

I tried to show positivity rA, expected a draw (and was right as it transpires!) but opted for a win against my better judgement!
I received a txt mid second half from my eldest lad which read:
GARBAGE, UTTER GARBAGE!!
Nothing more to say!

Looking on the bright side: wildsmith continues to impress. ‘The defence’ appear well drilled and prepared to get body parts in the way when required. Roberts never stopped running

BUT: elsewhere we appear to have a team of one trick ponies, there are five or six on the pitch who even i can work out - NML and McGoldrick in particular

AND: Bird and Hourihan were a gear too slow, made worse by Hourihans dead ball performance being lousy

AND: no doubt MA will confirm the ref technically got it right but IMO Smith deserved sending off for the blatancy of his foul after being caught out fannying about in the first half

[MadAmster]

It seems like L1 refs are dragging Derby down to their level. The first 45 minutes were shockingly bad. To slow around the park, ball circulation too slow. One decent cross early on from NML that Roberts couldn't get on target at the far post. Improved effort and faster ball circulation 2nd half but still not enough. Best effort was the Hourihane/Didzy combo at the free kick which Blackman saved well.

Blackman. Should have seen red for taking Osula out. You might, just about, make a case for a yellow due to Will's lob past the keeper slowing things down and giving the defenders time to get back and cover...... but how that wasn't a free kick? Ridiculous. Ref was 40 yards away and can be forgiven to an extent but his assistant was in line and less than 10 yards away and he didn't give the foul. How many fouls, both in and out of the box, have been given to the opposition this season by the flag waver? These things even themselves out? Do they hell as like, not when you're Derby County they don't.

Smith? Was he fannying about or did he lose his footing? I thought the latter. Something that happened to Roberts, Bird, Sibley, Dobbin...... throughout the game. Wrong studs? I think so and that's not the first time this season we've had players unable to stay on their feet due to poor choice of studs. Although I prefer boots to be black, their colour is unimportant. However, getting the choice of studs right is imperative. Later in my "career" I always had 2 pairs of boots with me. 1 with "blades" underfoot and the other with screw in studs and I always had a set of short studs and a set of long studs with me. Guess which was the right choice for the conditions. if, during the warm up, I came to a different conclusion, I'd change to the right ones before kick off. I'm amazed at how often "pro's" get it wrong. They shouldn't. What you got right, Andy, was that the ref was right to issue a yellow. There was a defender (Cashin IIRC) right in front of him and Chester was moving inside as well. That cover removed any chance of a red.

[ramAnag]

I tried to show positivity rA, expected a draw (and was right as it transpires!) but opted for a win against my better judgement!
I received a txt mid second half from my eldest lad which read:
GARBAGE, UTTER GARBAGE!!
Nothing more to say!

Sorry mac. I was just amused at your ability to cover all bases.
Tbh I feel much the same...we just never seem to know what we’re getting at the moment...other than the fact that it’s never very good.

We seem to me to be bereft of three things at the moment...luck, leadership and confidence. That can be changed by one or two of the right signings in January and I remain hopeful that, if we can stay in touch until then, we’ll still be able to make the playoffs. Until then it seems like it’s going to be a hard watch.

[ramAnag]

Studs and boots, MA? They’re playing on a bowling green compared with what we used to play on. This lot wouldn’t have been able to stand up, let alone run, at the BBG. Wearing the wrong studs is unforgivable at this level. Suggest they all have a word with a certain Kevin Hector.

[Geoff Parkstone]

I tried to show positivity rA, expected a draw (and was right as it transpires!) but opted for a win against my better judgement!
I received a txt mid second half from my eldest lad which read:
GARBAGE, UTTER GARBAGE!!
Nothing more to say!

Was he at the game Mac, or just working shifts as a binman?

[macstheman]

Sorry mac. I was just amused at your ability to cover all bases.
Tbh I feel much the same...we just never seem to know what we’re getting at the moment...other than the fact that it’s never very good.

We seem to me to be bereft of three things at the moment...luck, leadership and confidence. That can be changed by one or two of the right signings in January and I remain hopeful that, if we can stay in touch until then, we’ll still be able to make the playoffs. Until then it seems like it’s going to be a hard watch.

We seem to have lost our way at the mo which is probably inevitable after the sudden change of direction from keep ball to a more forward thinking style. At least under Rosenior we knew what each game would bring and the players had adapted to it. Now whether the squad assembled to play that system can or ever will adapt to what Warne wants is an unknown but at present they ain't. As you say it often won't make easy viewing.

Imo, we will be too far behind by Jan to make the play offs because we are well short of what's needed to do so and, bearing in mind our ongoing restrictions, I don't see Jan being a game changer in that respect. Let's face it we won't be the only club looking at Jan to turn their season around and they won't have those restrictions! Mind you there will always be the leftovers.

[macstheman]

Was he at the game Mac, or just working shifts as a binman?

Lol.
At the game.
Some of the officials we seem to be getting wouldn't spot a waste bin if they fell in it though most ought to be in it!

[ramAnag]

We seem to have lost our way at the mo which is probably inevitable after the sudden change of direction from keep ball to a more forward thinking style. At least under Rosenior we knew what each game would bring and the players had adapted to it. Now whether the squad assembled to play that system can or ever will adapt to what Warne wants is an unknown but at present they ain't. As you say it often won't make easy viewing.

Imo, we will be too far behind by Jan to make the play offs because we are well short of what's needed to do so and, bearing in mind our ongoing restrictions, I don't see Jan being a game changer in that respect. Let's face it we won't be the only club looking at Jan to turn their season around and they won't have those restrictions! Mind you there will always be the leftovers.

Still...we somehow remain just five points off the playoffs with a game (or 2 in some cases) in hand. Looking at the fixtures I can honestly see us picking up 20 or so points - beginning with three on Saturday - between now and the New Year which would keep us well in touch.

I may be devoid of any optimism as regards our country’s political plight, but hope still burns eternal where Derby are concerned.
Then again...we may lose on Saturday and my optimism will crash and burn as I’m proved to be talking bollux...again!

[macstheman]

Still...we somehow remain just five points off the playoffs with a game (or 2 in some cases) in hand. Looking at the fixtures I can honestly see us picking up 20 or so points - beginning with three on Saturday - between now and the New Year which would keep us well in touch.

I may be devoid of any optimism as regards our country’s political plight, but hope still burns eternal where Derby are concerned.
Then again...we may lose on Saturday and my optimism will crash and burn as I’m proved to be talking bollux...again!

The old saying 'theres always the next game' is what keeps fans from suicidal tendencies and perhaps all we need is the rub of the green, one good result or one half decent set of officials and away we go! Who knows? Let's hope your optimism is realised, however, with regards to your political worries forget Sunk and Co look east and worry about that bonkers idiot!

[Geoff Parkstone]

Lets be fair, at the start of the season everyone was expecting upper mid table, which is where we are. The trouble is that when we see our team win a couple of games, eyes light up and there is a sudden expectation of success. I am not despairing, we are doing about what I expected, win a few we shouldn't, lose a few we shouldn't, take time to acclimatise and avoid the double division drop fate that Bolton, Coventry, Portsmouth endured in recent times, or even worse like S****horpe, Oldham, Notts County, Southend etc have been through.

and as you mentioned politics rA, is Gavin Williamson the new Steve McClaren?