Match Thread City v Blackpool Tuesday (14 Viewers)

[wingy]

strangely enough the Mrs saved me a couple of pieces of The KFC chicken for when i got back. Not really hungry and debating what would be the best way to heat them up. Might just eat some crisps and give the chicken to the dog.

How could you?

 

---

[SBT]

Aside from Fulham running away with it the rest is very much up for grabs. We decided to bring a left back in at the cost of 7 players and that was it.

You can’t really say we’ve given this a proper go.

I think we've made some serious errors with our transfers this season, yes - specifically Waghorn and Bidwell. But I disagree with the idea that this season is some sort of open goal and that we have a one-season window to piss the league. I think we've made clear progress (like we do every season with Robins) and it bodes well for the future.

To be honest, the team we're seeing now - a talented, energetic side with a frustrating inability to put teams away - is exactly the same team we've been watching all season. There wasn't much difference between tonight's game and the ones against Forest, Reading and Bristol. It's just that the late goals that saw us go on a hot streak early on have (predictably) dried up. I see this current spell as a regression to the mean. Clearly others see it as unacceptable slacking from a team which really should still be dominating - something which, curiously, no-one at all was predicting at the start of the season.

 

[wingy]

GTBH,how anyone expected a different result apart from going further the wrong way IDK?

 

[baldy]

This sounds awful but I'm half expecting the story to end with the dad played by Lawrence Fishburne but with an animated head that looks like a swordfish and Mark Robins is there giving Information on transfers burned inside kfc burger buns.

You bumped your head tonight?

 

[SheafIsGod]

apart from the cunts that thought it was funny to try an intimidate my old man on the walk to the ground. Was very very tempted to let my feet and fists go but I bottled it and ran off instead. I suppose if you live in Blackpool it's easy to get excited when you get to leave there for a day.

Fixed for you.

Ignoring the points deduction, they have four more points than they did at the same point last year.

This idea that there’s been some sudden tumble in quality across the whole division is one of the oldest cliches in the book.

How does this support your arguement? A depleted Derby squad without two beans to rub together are outperforming themselves last season? Doesn’t that mean the league is worse.

All you have to do is look at some of the shit that are in and around the playoffs.

Blackburn - We we’re better team. Conceded two shite goals and were denied stonewall pen to win.

QPR - Outplayed them at home, should have scored 3 in first half away.

Huddersfield - Completely battered them for 90 minutes away and scraped a draw.

Middlesbrough - Completely outplayed both games, lost the away one somehow.

—-

You can make a genuine arguement that we’ve been the worse team in just 3 games this season: Luton (A), Swansea (H), West Brom (H)

We are blowing the best chance we could have in a long time

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I think we've made some serious errors with our transfers this season, yes - specifically Waghorn and Bidwell. But I disagree with the idea that this season is some sort of open goal and that we have a one-season window to piss the league. I think we've made clear progress (like we do every season with Robins) and it bodes well for the future.

To be honest, the team we're seeing now - a talented, energetic side with a frustrating inability to put teams away - is exactly the same team we've been watching all season. There wasn't much difference between tonight's game and the ones against Forest, Reading and Bristol. It's just that the late goals that saw us go on a hot streak early on have (predictably) dried up. I see this current spell as a regression to the mean. Clearly others see it as unacceptable slacking from a team which really should still be dominating - something which, curiously, no-one at all was predicting at the start of the season.

By no means am I saying it was guaranteed or that we’d walk the league. But look at how it’s tailed off and look at how close the side is-it wouldn’t have taken much to give this a proper crack. We may well still have fallen short, but for no dangerous expenditure.

As it is we have let other clubs have that go instead.

 

[covcity4life]

Played well but once again not clinical. Not too down tho. Still think we in for s good February

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

I think we've made some serious errors with our transfers this season, yes - specifically Waghorn and Bidwell. But I disagree with the idea that this season is some sort of open goal and that we have a one-season window to piss the league. I think we've made clear progress (like we do every season with Robins) and it bodes well for the future.

To be honest, the team we're seeing now - a talented, energetic side with a frustrating inability to put teams away - is exactly the same team we've been watching all season. There wasn't much difference between tonight's game and the ones against Forest, Reading and Bristol. It's just that the late goals that saw us go on a hot streak early on have (predictably) dried up. I see this current spell as a regression to the mean. Clearly others see it as unacceptable slacking from a team which really should still be dominating - something which, curiously, no-one at all was predicting at the start of the season.

You do make some good points there, regressing to the mean being something that has been on my mind for a while.

That being said, whether it is the standard of the league, or just that we have gotten better, it genuinely feels like we are the better team nearly every week, even against Southampton I would argue that.

The fact we cannot put our chances away is extremely frustrating and for that reason everything just feels wasted. It's underwhelming now to see us slipping down the table so much when we are generally blowing most teams away. We should be sitting pretty in the playoffs.

I did think we would struggle this season admittedly, but things have changed. Now I watch games and genuinely question how we've failed to come away without 3 points most weeks.

 

[shmmeee]

You do make some good points there, regressing to the mean being something that has been on my mind for a while.

That being said, whether it is the standard of the league, or just that we have gotten better, it genuinely feels like we are the better team nearly every week, even against Southampton I would argue that.

The fact we cannot put our chances away is extremely frustrating and for that reason everything just feels wasted. It's underwhelming now to see us slipping down the table so much when we are generally blowing most teams away. We should be sitting pretty in the playoffs.

I did think we would struggle this season admittedly, but things have changed. Now I watch games and genuinely question how we've failed to come away without 3 points most weeks.

Id quibble about Southampton as i thought once their subs came on they took the game away from us, but otherwise spot on. We are agonisingly close to being a top team in this division.

 

[Greggs]

Fixed for you.


How does this support your arguement? A depleted Derby squad without two beans to rub together are outperforming themselves last season? Doesn’t that mean the league is worse.

All you have to do is look at some of the shit that are in and around the playoffs.

Blackburn - We we’re better team. Conceded two shite goals and were denied stonewall pen to win.

QPR - Outplayed them at home, should have scored 3 in first half away.

Huddersfield - Completely battered them for 90 minutes away and scraped a draw.

Middlesbrough - Completely outplayed both games, lost the away one somehow.

—-

You can make a genuine arguement that we’ve been the worse team in just 3 games this season: Luton (A), Swansea (H), West Brom (H)

We are blowing the best chance we could have in a long time

It's quite sad watching a troll (and not even a decent one) actually start to believe his own drivel. Time to reflect and maybe take a break pal.

 

[shmmeee]

It's quite sad watching a troll (and not even a decent one) actually start to believe his own drivel. Time to reflect and maybe take a break pal.

Coming from a man who started questioning whether he has an owl that’s devastating.

 

[SBT]

Fixed for you.


How does this support your arguement? A depleted Derby squad without two beans to rub together are outperforming themselves last season? Doesn’t that mean the league is worse.

All you have to do is look at some of the shit that are in and around the playoffs.

Blackburn - We we’re better team. Conceded two shite goals and were denied stonewall pen to win.

QPR - Outplayed them at home, should have scored 3 in first half away.

Huddersfield - Completely battered them for 90 minutes away and scraped a draw.

Middlesbrough - Completely outplayed both games, lost the away one somehow.

—-

You can make a genuine arguement that we’ve been the worse team in just 3 games this season: Luton (A), Swansea (H), West Brom (H)

We are blowing the best chance we could have in a long time

No, it means that Derby are slightly better this year. Hats off to Rooney and his team.

In a similar vein - have you considered the possibility that the teams in the top 6 this season look less impressive than last year because we’ve improved massively ourselves? We couldn’t even lay a glove on teams like Reading and Bournemouth last year. Now - as you admit yourself - we’re competitive pretty much every week. No wonder the division looks worse.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Id quibble about Southampton as i thought once their subs came on they took the game away from us, but otherwise spot on. We are agonisingly close to being a top team in this division.

The team Southampton started with was a top end Championship one and they were made to look bang average. Yes we came under pressure afterwards but they honestly didn’t create much of note.

 

[shmmeee]

The team Southampton started with was a top end Championship one and they were made to look bang average. Yes we came under pressure afterwards but they honestly didn’t create much of note.

Second half I thought was very much a lower league side digging in and being hard to beat. First half we were great.

 

[SheafIsGod]

No, it means that Derby are slightly better this year. Hats off to Rooney and his team.

In a similar vein - have you considered the possibility that the teams in the top 6 this season look less impressive than last year because we’ve improved massively ourselves? We couldn’t even lay a glove on teams like Reading and Bournemouth last year. Now - as you admit yourself - we’re competitive pretty much every week. No wonder the division looks worse.

I think it’s a mixture of both. I’m just incredibly frustrated at the amount of games we’ve been the better team and walked away with 0 or 1 point(s).

It’s why I don’t buy this “happy with mid-table” nonsense. We’re one of the better sides in the league and there is absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be comfortably in the playoffs given our performances.

 

[OldBedrocker]

No, it means that Derby are slightly better this year. Hats off to Rooney and his team.

In a similar vein - have you considered the possibility that the teams in the top 6 this season look less impressive than last year because we’ve improved massively ourselves? We couldn’t even lay a glove on teams like Reading and Bournemouth last year. Now - as you admit yourself - we’re competitive pretty much every week. No wonder the division looks worse.

We beat Reading 3-2 last season

 

[Grendel]

Long term direction mate it takes time. We compete every game

Blackpool have done better than us in their first season in this league

 

[Evo1883]

Blackpool have done better than us in their first season in this league

And ?

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

And ?

Just trying to set up his robins out agenda

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

You do make some good points there, regressing to the mean being something that has been on my mind for a while.

That being said, whether it is the standard of the league, or just that we have gotten better, it genuinely feels like we are the better team nearly every week, even against Southampton I would argue that.

The fact we cannot put our chances away is extremely frustrating and for that reason everything just feels wasted. It's underwhelming now to see us slipping down the table so much when we are generally blowing most teams away. We should be sitting pretty in the playoffs.

I did think we would struggle this season admittedly, but things have changed. Now I watch games and genuinely question how we've failed to come away without 3 points most weeks.

Part of the reason we lose matches we shouldn't when we aren't clinical enough or make mistakes in defence is because as individuals we don't have the players who should be in the play offs.

But the collective as a team is very good and greater than the sum of the individuals.

Mid table teams in the championship are chucking anywhere from 2-5 million per player to give them the clinical edge and as frustrating as it is too watch our budget signings miss chance after chance or lack the quality for the final ball/pass/shot it is where we are as a team.

We've really only invested properly twice since we came up in Hamer and Gyokeres and i think they have both been successful, we just have to invest gradually season after season to improve the team and hope we can hold onto the previous players long enough to actually achieve and build something.

 

[Winny the Bish]

strangely enough the Mrs saved me a couple of pieces of The KFC chicken for when i got back. Not really hungry and debating what would be the best way to heat them up. Might just eat some crisps and give the chicken to the dog.

Air Fryer. Also works for leftover Pizza. You're welcome everyone.

 

[Otis]

Air Fryer. Also works for leftover Pizza. You're welcome everyone.

Great aren't they.

 

[Winny the Bish]

Great aren't they.

Brilliant things. Makes the diet easier and is a godsend for leftovers.

 

[shmmeee]

Part of the reason we lose matches we shouldn't when we aren't clinical enough or make mistakes in defence is because as individuals we don't have the players who should be in the play offs.

But the collective as a team is very good and greater than the sum of the individuals.

Mid table teams in the championship are chucking anywhere from 2-5 million per player to give them the clinical edge and as frustrating as it is too watch our budget signings miss chance after chance or lack the quality for the final ball/pass/shot it is where we are as a team.

We've really only invested properly twice since we came up in Hamer and Gyokeres and i think they have both been successful, we just have to invest gradually season after season to improve the team and hope we can hold onto the previous players long enough to actually achieve and build something.

Who is spending that outside Bournemouth? Most Jan signings in the Championship were under £1m. The idea you have to spend millions and millions is bollocks.

 

[theferret]

I think we've made some serious errors with our transfers this season, yes - specifically Waghorn and Bidwell. But I disagree with the idea that this season is some sort of open goal and that we have a one-season window to piss the league. I think we've made clear progress (like we do every season with Robins) and it bodes well for the future.

To be honest, the team we're seeing now - a talented, energetic side with a frustrating inability to put teams away - is exactly the same team we've been watching all season. There wasn't much difference between tonight's game and the ones against Forest, Reading and Bristol. It's just that the late goals that saw us go on a hot streak early on have (predictably) dried up. I see this current spell as a regression to the mean. Clearly others see it as unacceptable slacking from a team which really should still be dominating - something which, curiously, no-one at all was predicting at the start of the season.

This is on the money. The truth is we lack quality in key areas - or more specifically, match winners. We are a good side, have good technical players, are well-drilled and work hard, so can often dominate games, but this all meaningless really.

The simple truth is it is 4 wins in 17. At this stage of the season the table starts to tell the truth, The idea we were one deadline day signing away from being a top 6 team I think is nonsense.

Should we have invested? Perhaps, but I also understand why we didn't. We've been a loss making club every season for about 35 years, Our recent history has been a car crash, and this is the first season for a while where we look properly stable and sustainable. Some of the clubs around us are in a desperate position financially and feel they have nothing to lose by spunking more money at a lost cause. Perhaps we just take a breath and don't panic. Just don't buy this 'we'll never have a better chance' stuff.

 

[Skyblueweeman]

We won't be next season when Hamer, Gyokeres and O'Hare leave. This has the Mowbray season missed opportunity written all over it.

If those 3 go (they all won't), we'd get decent money and it'd be foolish to think MR wouldn't be able to get like for like (or better) replacements.

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

Who is spending that outside Bournemouth? Most Jan signings in the Championship were under £1m. The idea you have to spend millions and millions is bollocks.

Didn't say in January

 

[Cov kid 55]

No, it means that Derby are slightly better this year. Hats off to Rooney and his team.

In a similar vein - have you considered the possibility that the teams in the top 6 this season look less impressive than last year because we’ve improved massively ourselves? We couldn’t even lay a glove on teams like Reading and Bournemouth last year. Now - as you admit yourself - we’re competitive pretty much every week. No wonder the division looks worse.

Spot on, we weren’t competitive last season in games against the better teams, this season we have/should have beaten most of them. We are a much better team, and I just don’t get this ‘shit division’ stuff. It’s a highly competitive league.

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

If this season is a missed opportunity. Who are people pinning the blame on? Robins? The players? The board?

Teams like Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Forest are coming to the fore, I don’t think we stood much genuine chance anyway.

 

[Ccfcisparks]

Teams like Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Forest are coming to the fore, I don’t think we stood much genuine chance anyway.

We really didnt. As someone said last night, our position was masked thanks to some late goals which was not a sustainable way to win games.

 

[Grendel]

This is on the money. The truth is we lack quality in key areas - or more specifically, match winners. We are a good side, have good technical players, are well-drilled and work hard, so can often dominate games, but this all meaningless really.

The simple truth is it is 4 wins in 17. At this stage of the season the table starts to tell the truth, The idea we were one deadline day signing away from being a top 6 team I think is nonsense.

Should we have invested? Perhaps, but I also understand why we didn't. We've been a loss making club every season for about 35 years, Our recent history has been a car crash, and this is the first season for a while where we look properly stable and sustainable. Some of the clubs around us are in a desperate position financially and feel they have nothing to lose by spunking more money at a lost cause. Perhaps we just take a breath and don't panic. Just don't buy this 'we'll never have a better chance' stuff.

I’m not sure how you know if we are stable and sustainable - haven’t we just filed further loans through companies house?

 

[Grendel]

Teams like Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Forest are coming to the fore, I don’t think we stood much genuine chance anyway.

We were more in the top 6 than since our first promotion season. Our decline in form is as sharp as these clubs upturns

 

[theferret]

I’m not sure how you know if we are stable and sustainable - haven’t we just filed further loans through companies house?

Well I don't for sure, it is just a sense. Anyhow, I thought you were arguing for player investment on the basis that the crowds have been higher than anticipated and therefore there should be surplus cash. If you're now saying that is not the case and we are continuing to lose money, then the risk averse approach in January was understandable, no? Unless you were suggesting we should have borrowed in order to bring in players, if you were fair enough.

 

[JimmyHillsbeard]

And ?

They’ve done better than us since we beat them in September.

 

[Grendel]

Well I don't for sure, it is just a sense. Anyhow, I thought you were arguing for player investment on the basis that the crowds have been higher than anticipated and therefore there should be surplus cash. If you're now saying that is not the case and we are continuing to lose money, then the risk averse approach in January was understandable, no?

No not really. The only apparent strength of a hedge fund is to attract high risk investors - you’d have thought this would be up their street - speculators with returns if we achieve promotion

But no - the Fawlty Towers of the hedge fund world instead has to go to a pay day loan company just to keep us going

What heady days