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Comment | Pellegrini Should Of Got Award: Holloway
at 22:41:47
If you look, "ALessonlnPride", I suggested that the Editor amend the meaningless title, regardless of whoever might think that Holloway said "should of" and wrote it as such.
I think Holloway is more articulate than "should of", anyway - his biog is quite readable & entertaining.
I'm not grumpy - I just happen to value good communication and usually enjoy the standard of writing on Fans Network.
The Rams are en route soon to Wembley, so I've no other reason to be grumbling.
I will take the point that Pellegrini is a better manager - at least of big-timers - than Mancini, though the latter wouldn't have done any better at Palace in Prem than Holloway either in my opinion!
Enjoy your trophy! |
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Comment | Pellegrini Should Of Got Award: Holloway
at 16:46:30
Well done City, etc, though perhaps several managers might well have won the title with all that dosh and that great squad.
Tony Pulis is the top man this season in the Prem for me. How would Pellegrini have fared if he'd taken over the demoralised squad that Holloway himself left at Palace?
He'd have done about as well as Holloway in my opinion.
If you'd seen Millwall play this season you'll know that Olly's found his true level there, down near the base of the Championship.
But who checks these articles? "Should Of" is a meaningless mix-up of words, and looks awful presented here as a "title" (it's bad enough to hear illiterate kids saying "should of", but on a published article...?l
The plain but correct English is "Should Have", for those who know how to write. |
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Comment | What I.Saw: It Doesn't Matter? It's Leeds.. It Will Always Matter!!
at 16:30:02
Thanks, Dave/Leeds - but I don't think that DCFC (or most of their fans) are small-minded.The club is set up for PL these days.
Most observers would liken the play-offs to a 2-leg Cup tie followed (hopefully) by a Final; winner takes all.
I don't remember Leeds covering themselves in glory in their own Play-off endeavours; Derby's record is balanced - lost Semis to Blackburn & Preston, lost Final (robbed) to Leicester & beat WBA in last Final.
Leeds small club mentality is illustrated by today's headline, too:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27309365
Bates, now Cellino; you certainly know how to pick 'em!
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Comment | Bill's Take: The Road To Wembley No Longer Runs Through Nottingham
at 13:35:37
True, but WBA are in a rather precarious position in the Prem, and there may be a clause in GT's new contract that activates if they're relegated.
Given his age & from what we've seen of him so far (apart from a booking per game), he'd be a good investment if we exchanged places with Albion - and he might just fancy moving to a bigger club anyway!
Bill's article should also mention our own agents Mac & McLeish, both of whom did a fine job to lay Forest open, all ready for the "prodigal pixie" to trash them up good & proper before running off with yet more loot! |
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Comment | Bill's Take: Was Martin Sent Off Because Madley Owed Burnley One?
at 19:45:40
No - you're right, Hooteroll; the club couldn't appeal against 2 yellow cards.
But why should Steve McClaren be criticised here for "not protecting his players"? He can't simply demand a "chosen" referee, and thankfully we don't get the sort of antics from Mac & Co that Wee Billy is notorious for (& Clough was also prone to on occasion).
Steve Mac has stated quite clearly that "The ref got it wrong" on two, maybe three counts - Martin's booking, the sending off and disallowing the goal scored bt Hendrick on follow-up.
Why not consider also Burnley's pre-match plan & tactics, strangely not even mentioned here? They obviously identified Martin as being pivotal to Derby's play, and every time he was near the ball two or three Clarets crowded him, contriving a series of skirmishes that were all attributed to Martin's aggression.
The ref bought it all. His first booking was a 50/50 melee, and I'd bet that Sean Dyche had rasped "go for Martin" to his team in his pre-match prep.
Furthermore, I actually sat next to some Burnley fans at last night's England-Wales Under 21 international at the iPro, and when I put the latter point to them when discussing the match at Turf Moor, they all agreed that it was a bad decision and that their players (& fans) had clearly baited Martin.
The main lesson learnt should be by Martin; stay on your feet, watch a few classic Derby videos and watch how John O'Hare dealt with the monkeys that kicked him & Hector every match - get up and just smile if you're flattened, beat them with your skill.
We know refs practise guesswork, and Madley is a poor official, but there were three parties involved in the sending off that changed the game, so let's get some perspective and put the incident behind us, 'cos it can't be changed. |
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Comment | Bill's Take: Did Securing Sammon Cause Clough To Be Cast Away?
at 14:48:08
Yeh - for some reason an old & redundant topic poses the "question". Sammon's surely proved his worth as part of a promotion-chasing squad.
I really thought Conor had won over plenty of doubters last year, when he came on as sub & scored vital winning goals against Watford & Boro.
As a long-time season-ticket holder I rate him as a fine squad player - a facilitator rather than a goal-machine. Fans expecting the latter will keep on grumbling, of course! |
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Comment | How Stupid Do I Look After Derby's Defensive Display?
at 14:52:43
Yes, commentators can look rather daft at times in hindsight, but it can be difficult to balance opinion and fact in an article, can't it?
It's a rather good sign that the Woodentops will be playing Leic, QPR and then us.
Maybe the smirk on Wee Billy's face, now temered by their ignominious Cup exit to Nigel Clough's team, will be somewhat further amended by the time they arrive to play the Rams.
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Comment | How Stupid Do I Look After Derby's Defensive Display?
at 17:41:19
Unfortunately, Bill, I do well remember the negative impact of those January 2007 signings by the "quick fix/gimme,gimme,gimme" transfer policy of Wee Billy.
Only Tommy Docherty rivals Davies with the absolute tat he paid out good money to sign in our promotion season. Doc wrecked a top-flight team; Davies couldn't build one.
Those signings and the "nearly men" he rushed to sign as the next season started constitute Derby's County's worst-ever team (in competitive terms). Forget Wembley - Davies' true lagacy at Derby is just 11 points in a full season.
Davies is now making similar noises about spending money next month to his Notts chairman. His contrivances could put the icing on an exciting season for the Rams!
After that January flutter until the end of that fateful promotion season, I regularly used to leave the Rams' games after we'd scraped another point or win in bewilderment at how such a disjointed team, now largely of low-quality mismatched players, had done so.
Matt Oakley, Darren Moore & Stevie Howard excepted, the bankruptcy of Davies' team building was quickly exposed, on & off the field, when the next season got underway. |
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Comment | Settling For Top Six Not Enough - Rams Must Aim For Automatic!
at 16:53:19
Yes - there's a really positive buzz around Derby now (at least in regard to the Rams, anyway), but on last night's Sportscene phone-in, Steve Mac & Co were quite careful to present their sensible "game-by-game" approach.
Steve said wisely that it's the last dozen or so games when the season really starts - it's all about the team being in a position to challenge AT THAT TIME.
Bleating on about promotion right now will not be their mantra - that only puts more pressure on a team,, and could derail the players' focus.
Still, I'm glad that the ex-regulars, i.e. the pompous moaners who "don't like the Americans" or "how the club is being run" and made all the other school playground noises from their lofty perches are the dummies that could miss out on all the fun to come!
The fickle fans will just fade away, ever afraid of being wrong. |
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Comment | Good Luck At United Nigel - "A Change Is As Good As A Holiday"
at 19:20:49
It should also be noted that Blades' interim manager is their ex-skipper Chris Morgan, who will continue his responsibilities for the club's U21s.
Sheff Utd's results have improved since Weir was removed, and Blades' Co-Chairman has said that CM "awoke in our lads a belief. That's a foundation we can build on."
So he'll remain as part of the coaching team being assembled by Nigel Clough. Not sure if NC & CM have any previous connection @ F*rest, though someone might know.
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Comment | "A Change Is As Good As A Holiday" - Good Luck In Sheffield Nigel
at 21:32:45
Well, I wouldn't even bet against a fairly quick rehabilitation for Nigel at Sheff Utd before sorting out the mess that Billy Davies will leave at F*rest.
Any assumptions about the makeup of Nigel's backroom team at Bramall Lane are rather premature: It's known that Crosby & Garner have been named, as has "scout" Simon Clough, but there's no mention as yet of Metgod or Taylor. |
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Comment | Just Who Is McClaren's First New Ram - Simon Dawkins?
at 12:25:21
Good luck to Simon during his loan period here.
It seems he has had some injury issues, and might have been previously reluctant to leave his hometown glamour club.
Quite a few of his loan assignments seem to have foundered, and the recent Villa spell didn't amount to much. Wonder why 'arry @ QPR didn't take him on at Steve Mac's recommendation?
If he does well at Derby and the penny drops with him that he could turn out to be a very useful Championship player away from the Smoke, it'll reflect well on the head coach's judgement. |
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Comment | Bill's Take: "If We Ever Get Relegated, We're In Trouble"
at 21:50:45
You did very well indeed to miss Sam's loud proclamations!
Putting "relegation" in the title suggested a strange nostagia to me, but you write (thankfully) of the here & now.
I choose to attend to what's said - Rush & Co are accountable for "the product" (in American terms) so I'd say that will invite scrutiny & inform comment.
Just my opinion, though!
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Comment | Bill's Take: "If We Ever Get Relegated, We're In Trouble"
at 18:05:39
Bill - I'd agree that the Rams have to get promotion "sooner rather than later" and that we're well set up for the Prem (off-field, anyway - not player/squad wise).
But you also write that such promotion talk "...was never stated of course..." In fact, many fans at DCFC forums (including myself) have heard Sam Rush declare "top six - minimum" more than once when he's been challenged about the club's apparent lack of ambition.
That approach underpinned his season-ticket push, and so It could be argued that Sam Rush's arrival has finally stirred GSE into a more ambitious train of thought.
Don't forget that Appleby initially said that "promotion isn't a priority" and he's studiously avoided either meeting fans or making any brazen comments about promotion for five years now. If you can find any quotes to disprove this, let us have them!
AA has a very poor PR approach in this respect, and he has low credibility with many fans.
But isn't the pre-season "top-six" sensibility the whole basis of the recent management change?
As you say, the season might just get interesting from now on! |
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Comment | DCFC Owners, Not Players - Put In A Disgraceful Forest Performance
at 14:05:59
Thanks for letting the emotion come through, Dan. Quite a cathartic article for many, I'm sure.
I too feel angry & sad about the timing of Clough's departure - ham-fisted, insensitive to Clough's personal situation and the decication he's shown to DCFC through recent months since Mrs. Clough passed on.
Something had to give as the team starts to slip down the table yet again, but Rush has kept his head down this season after failing to enable further player signings; so what is he actually good at? We used to ask the same of Glick. In a footballing sense, there's not much to choose between so far.
We know Clough's strengths & faults - some of those that constantly barracked NC after poor results won't have so much to carp about now. They got their wish - but be careful of the devil you don't know.
GSE aren't worried about goodwill from DCFC fans - they simply don't have much anyway. If they don't get the next appointment right, the 3 Amigos protests will seem like a tea party. |
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Comment | Bill's Take - Bland 'Pride Park' In Need Of A New Name!
at 09:45:19
Yes, Bill - I just worry too much about GSE taking all fans' comments seriously sometimes!
If the stadium (or its public image) was to be "enhanced" for mainly commercial reasons, maybe an association with a prestigious English company that has very strong local connections would work better - perhaps the Rolls Royce Stadium or Royal Crown Derby Stadium would be names that carry the city's other jewels further afield... |
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Comment | Bill's Take - Bland 'Pride Park' In Need Of A New Name!
at 19:30:38
Well, PPS is basically a deluxe version of Boro's Riverside Stadium, and the Rams' home is just as close to our own local waterway, so perhaps the "Derwent Stadium" or "Derwent Park" would be popular and give the stadium a proper identity that also locates it in the town that derives it's actual name from the river.
Would Ramzoners be prepared to support that idea?
Why would anyone want it to be named after a brand of car or a firm of solicitors? That one sure beats me!
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Comment | Leeds fans to suffer Dynamic Pricing ‘Solution’
at 16:34:56
...(sorry - continuation)....costs them, according to the club. Digonex may have paid DCFC fat cash for their contract, but gates were down last season. Perhaps it's a more insidious plan by clubs in general to maintain or improve their season ticket sales, or at least it's been pitched to them in that way.
Clubs might eventually learn that it's what the fans see on the pitch that counts, regardless of schemes to fleece the casual fan or enhance the "matchday experience" without undue cost. |
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Comment | Leeds fans to suffer Dynamic Pricing ‘Solution’
at 16:29:10
You're spot-on with your comment that the "Dynamic Pricing" scenario seeks to present the illusion of better value-per-game for season ticket holders.
I think we're stuck with it at Derby despite supporters' grumblings, and the club has presented S/T holders with a ful fixture chart for the new season that defines four different grade "demand based" prices, stating how much each and every game actually |
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Site Scores| Forum Votes: | 2 | | Comment Votes: | -4 | | Prediction League: | 0 | | TOTAL: | -2 |
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