Three, maybe four seasons away I think..

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Harry's Game

Harry's Game

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... From having a side good enough to challenge for the top two, we aren't going up this time around, not with this squad, next season we will be weaker as it's likely our best player (Murphy) will be gone, then you are talking about another couple of seasons to build a new side, possibly Including the seach for yet another new manager during that period as well, as Clough may survive not going up this season but patience will run out when we struggle to challenge next season.

The board / owners should be ashamed of themselves for the absolute mess they have made of it this season, this was a golden opportunity and it has been squandered.
 
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Absolutely agree. After tonight's inept performance I would be inclined to shout Clough out.
 
Harry's Game said:
... From having a side good enough to challenge for the top two, we aren't going up this time around, not with this squad, next season we will be weaker as it's likely our best player (Murphy) will be gone, then you are talking about another couple of seasons to build a new side, possibly Including the seach for yet another new manager during that period as well, as Clough may survive not going up this season but patience will run out when we struggle to challenge next season.

The board / owners should be ashamed of themselves for the absolute mess they have made of it this season, this was a golden opportunity and it has been squandered.
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:D
 
Well I don't think we will be getting out of this league anytime soon.

I hope I am wrong.
 
If results had gone differently tonight we'd have been 3 points off the top with a game in hand. This is a shite league, and two teams are going to come good. I'm not writing us off just yet.
 
Sorry if I sound like a repetitive parrot but even though I think our side is bang average and won't get us up

Three or four key signings would be enough to get us on a run and get us challenging the top two

Our saving grace being that this league is so poor this year that come January time the top two will still be very much up for grabs

If we don't go for it you can forget about next season as well
with our ambition and looking at the teams coming down its another year Inow the football wilderness for us
 
Is it the Boards fault?

We have one of, if not the biggest budgets in the league and made a series of Summer signings.

I agree Coady went to Huddersfield for a bargain price but I'm not sure whether he wanted to play league one again. Harry was always going somewhere and Brayford again enjoyed his time with us but probably preferred a higher level. We had them for that one season and on failing to get promoted were always going to lose them. Sadly, they were our three most influential players.

So, we signed a lot of players and spent our budget. I'm not sure that is the Board's fault as they would appear to have backed the manager. Yes, we would all want more money put in, but is that realistic to expect?

Equally, I'm not sure its Nigel's fault as most of the new signings do seem to have been sensible and proportionate.

The problem to my mind is that it takes time for players to gel as a team, the impact of losing the three most influential players takes time to get over, our start was correspondingly sluggish, we've since had injuries to the strikers we bought, our 'system' has lacked vital components and Chedgate has been a cloud of uncertainty that we could have done without out from fans to players to manager and Board alike.

Now that Chedgate is sorted, the Board have bought the much needed striker in O Grady, who wont have come cheap.

So actually, I think we've done ok to be where we are and I think we are at the right point for a spring board in the New Year when our strikers are back, complimented by O Grady, we've stopped leaking goals ( remember Swindon) and our 'system' of utilising our fantastic attacking midfielders ( all of whom have goals in them) will be able to be restored.

The only lesson I'd learn is to resolve matters quickly and decisively and the 'will he wont he' sagas of Coady, Harry, Brayford and Ched have caused uncertainty to all. Make the decison, don't fanny about, tell everyone and then move on is what I'd ask from the board.
 
Our support which is fantastic deserves better. Carry on like this and the attendances will plummet after Xmas.
 
I'm not entirely sure, despite claims to the contrary from NC, that chedgate hasn't had its impact on the pitch and that we are still in the fall-out from that. At the very least it was an unwelcome, negative and destructive distraction. I think it will take a little time to get it out of our system. Whether we have enough time this season remains to be seen.We do appear to have got money to spend in January - quite possibly as a result of money earmarked for Evans being freed up, and we look to need cover at RB and to use our forwards more effectively, but I think a lot of teams have sussed out NC's tactics and system and we need a bit more variety in that department I think.

It was interesting to see NC say in an interview that we have 4 forwards - McNulty, Higdon and O'Grady plus one other so I am presuming either Porter or Diego do not enter his plans (could be both if he regards Baxter or Adams as a forward). I was sorry to see Diego go out on loan ( would have been better if Porter had gone - poor bloke has to buy a ticket if he wants to see the first team play) and I have a huge nagging doubt that we will ever see much of Diego in a blades shirt whilstever NC is in charge. I think Diego will be gone, sooner rather than later.
 
Dkc said:
If results had gone differently tonight we'd have been 3 points off the top with a game in hand. This is a shite league, and two teams are going to come good. I'm not writing us off just yet.
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If results had gone differently? You mean like if we'd won?

It's been said a few times this season that "if results had gone our way, we'd only be this many points off such and such a position".

This isn't good enough for a team with our resources. The standard of football and team in this division is absolutely abysmal. We shouldn't be relying on other results going our way, we should make them go our way.

In the summer, all that was needed was to replace the key players that left with good quality footballers. There was no need for the root and branch overhaul that took place and the signing of so many average, underwhelming players. This is why the team gelling is a poor excuse for our dismal performances. It was totally unnecessary.

We don't look like a team who will click and give a team a hammering. The one time we looked capable of pasting someone this season, we had the ball in the corners with 8 minutes to go, 1-0 up at home.

If we don't go up this season, and if we carry on the current trend of recruiting far worse players than those that left, we won't even be getting up in four or 5 years.

Sad times ahead if we don't get our fingers out.
 
If you listen to any Derby fan they will tell you Clough set his team up to play the same way every game even when it became clear other teams had worked them out.

He doesn't have plan B. Anyone hoping for a change of style or tactics is kidding themselves.

Either he is able to sign better players to play his style or eventually he fails and is replaced.
 
zablade said:
He doesn't have plan B. Anyone hoping for a change of style or tactics is kidding themselves.
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I well remember that derby supporter coming on this forum and saying that when we got NC. They gave him a long time at Derby and got rid of him because it was taking too much time - I don't think he will get that length of time here - JP has said several times that the sheik is not a patient man.
 
Harry's Game said:
... From having a side good enough to challenge for the top two, we aren't going up this time around, not with this squad, next season we will be weaker as it's likely our best player (Murphy) will be gone, then you are talking about another couple of seasons to build a new side, possibly Including the seach for yet another new manager during that period as well, as Clough may survive not going up this season but patience will run out when we struggle to challenge next season.

The board / owners should be ashamed of themselves for the absolute mess they have made of it this season, this was a golden opportunity and it has been squandered.
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So what you're saying is, we should concentrate on the cups.
 

Dkc said:
If results had gone differently tonight we'd have been 3 points off the top with a game in hand. This is a shite league, and two teams are going to come good. I'm not writing us off just yet.
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And if my auntie had bollocks she'd be my uncle. If results had gone our way we'd have won the Champion's League, yet here we are in Division Three.
 
Might as well forget the next 26 games along with Capital Cup and the FA Cup then and we'll never make up the 8 points we are away from the top of the league ...

Now where's that 60s LP (Songs of Leonard Cohen) from Leonard (music to slash your wrists by) Cohen

:(
 
Legend is NC but he is over cautious, plays 5 pass system when 2 would do, stifles individualism, plays a predictable easy to defend system, is poor at buying players and is to comfortable for our own good.

Edit- we will get a tonkin against MK. Swindon did it us and they will be next unless he grows a pair and goes out for a win with our players attacking their defence and not trying to out play them with 25 2 yard passes
 
SwissBlade said:
And that would help, how?
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It's a ridiculous comment, agreed. But make no mistake, Clough is playing a significant part in the "non performance" of this team.

We aren't a million miles away. Player recruitment was below expectation given relative resource in the third division. But as we can see week in week out, when the team applies itself, it is good enough.

We are constantly too negative from the off. That is entirely the manager's fault.

UTB
 
Cyprus Blade said:
I'm not entirely sure, despite claims to the contrary from NC, that chedgate hasn't had its impact on the pitch and that we are still in the fall-out from that. At the very least it was an unwelcome, negative and destructive distraction. I think it will take a little time to get it out of our system. Whether we have enough time this season remains to be seen.We do appear to have got money to spend in January - quite possibly as a result of money earmarked for Evans being freed up, and we look to need cover at RB and to use our forwards more effectively, but I think a lot of teams have sussed out NC's tactics and system and we need a bit more variety in that department I think.

It was interesting to see NC say in an interview that we have 4 forwards - McNulty, Higdon and O'Grady plus one other so I am presuming either Porter or Diego do not enter his plans (could be both if he regards Baxter or Adams as a forward). I was sorry to see Diego go out on loan ( would have been better if Porter had gone - poor bloke has to buy a ticket if he wants to see the first team play) and I have a huge nagging doubt that we will ever see much of Diego in a blades shirt whilstever NC is in charge. I think Diego will be gone, sooner rather than later.
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Clough spoke about him yesterday saying he wants to give him first team action later this season ,but he showed he isn't quite ready therefore he has gone to get experience. He also hopes he will be here for the next 4 or 5 years..
This doesn't apply to you Cyprus but some of the posts on this thread look like they've been written by a spoilt 2 year old ,they will be the ones who cheered when Higdon was subbed ,fucking embarrassing :(
 
sitwell said:
,they will be the ones who cheered when Higdon was subbed ,fucking embarrassing :(
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True, that was cringeworthy. Mind you, Higdon was poor. Playing him (not fully fit, not the most mobile anyway) from the off was another bizarre decision by the manager.

UTB
 
alcoblade said:
It's a ridiculous comment, agreed. But make no mistake, Clough is playing a significant part in the "non performance" of this team.

We aren't a million miles away. Player recruitment was below expectation given relative resource in the third division. But as we can see week in week out, when the team applies itself, it is good enough.

We are constantly too negative from the off. That is entirely the manager's fault.

UTB
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I agree in part. Clough is a very cautious manager, but I think he has reason to be. It's frustrating but we went through a spell of conceding many goals per game, but also scoring.

Clough should also take some blame, he sets us up not to lose, but this is at the detriment of scoring goals. I think O'Grady has enough about him to play the lone striker role, but he needs support as well
 
SwissBlade said:
I agree in part. Clough is a very cautious manager, but I think he has reason to be.
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Good points. I'm not sure he has to be now though. We constantly lose the first half battle, and win the second half one. How much more of this does he need to see to realise that our initial tactics, particularly at home, are not working? It's cold hard fact.

UTB
 
sitwell said:
This doesn't apply to you Cyprus but some of the posts on this thread look like they've been written by a spoilt 2 year old ,they will be the ones who cheered when Higdon was subbed ,fucking embarrassing :(
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It is probably the same fans who slam Clough for saying he bullies McNulty. Baxter and JCR were far worse than Higdon yesterday (and that is not saying Higdon played well and Steven 'run around and don't do much' Scougill was nearly as bad.

When the ball was played to Hidgon he didn't do too bad but we all know he can't jump so why do the players chip the ball in the air to him/.

County haven't lost away all season nand you could see why. Not a disastrous result in the scheme of thinhs and i still think we will scrape into the top 2
 

alcoblade said:
Good points. I'm not sure he has to be now though. We constantly lose the first half battle, and win the second half one. How much more of this does he need to see to realise that our initial tactics, particularly at home, are not working? It's cold hard fact.

UTB
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But this is the thing, perhaps things are working in the first half? I look back to the cup games of last season, we always set up cautiously. But last season we had two very good players in Brayford and Harry.

This season we had a few games where we lost first half goals. Now were conceding fewer, but it's still not ideal.

Don't get me wrong we need to improve. But promotion will be gained by not losing games as well as winning
 
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