I see quite a bit of criticism about PW post match interview but I wonder if he was trying to bring us all back to earth a little.
Perhaps a victim of his own success early on in the season. This is new territory for Rams fans. Even in our relegation season we were still playing some decent stuff. In League One there was a sense of expectation and that the championship was where we belong, even though we endured a few 'Shrewsbury' performances.
This season up until Ozoh got injured there was a familiar feeling of being a competitive Championship unit again, then gradually with injuries, not really having a settled team, persistent panicking in possession and the rub of the green rubbing off on the opposition instead of us, the mood has changed from optimism to more of a stoic bracing of oneself for the dogfight to come.
It's new territory, we're used to competing at the top end of the Championship and top end of League One, the echoes of Clough Jr's end of season relegation rallies are faded in the memory.
Feels like only yesterday all of Leeds spies were hidden away as Lampard's loanees, and a forced substitution threw the promotion dice in our favour n then the slow and sudden fall from grace through Covid, Cocu, Roo, 21 points, Clowes and Warne ball.
We're all impatient to be back where we feel we belong, the Spurs of the championship, but the reality is with our budget, squad and strength in depth we're closer to the Barnsley's, Rotherham's and Peterborough's than the Parachute quenched coffers of the Leeds, Sheff U and Burnley's of this world.
Perhaps if we'd have made one of the promotion pushes count we'd still be there competing away, but as it is we're gearing up for the huff and puff of survival.
Personally, I feel even as we are struggling, we have enough to stay up, reasons for optimism are a January transfer window - (a John Eustace presence in CM I think would be immense, maybe a striker (loan), potentially a full back, might give us something. I think Goudmijn is our David McGoldrick card and if we can get a CM to help us unleash him we can get back to picking up more points. I think we can outwork enough teams, maybe play counter against a few others and then pick up the odd heroic smash and grab. I can't fault the energy and effort from the team, I do feel they're playing for their manager. Off the ball I think we're solid it's just on the ball we feel miles off it.
I'm not sure what's more important for the run in, blood, sweat and tears, defensive solidity or creativity. I think we could maybe gamble on a more expansive manager and play some creative stuff but could risk the defensive huff and puff game that Warne has created.
I'd like to see us improve with the ball, an attacking coach to help Warne (if he'd accept it) but I think the Paul Warne pyramid is more Running as the foundation then - Effort/Pressing - Set Pieces - Attacking Play in that order.
Which is why I think Goudmijn is our trump card, n a blood and thunder MF alongside Adams, would allow Kenzo to be the Cantona to our water carrying warriors.
Then hopefully we can start to rebuild our Championship pyramid. It seems like Clowes is limited financially, I feel we did very good transfer business, the academy is showing promise again, it's a long, long road but we are where we are, and as a once wise and slightly smaller than average Scottish man once said, it is what it is.
N I think Paul Warne is that mi sen.
Reality Check
posted 3 days, 9 hours ago
VC? Closer to 400.
posted 3 days, 9 hours ago
We are where we are as a club. Elsewhere I've seen posters calling for Warne to be sacked. Crazy talk. The club is still losing money and we're struggling somewhat atm. To sack him and his management team would cost Clowes a fortune...and still with no guarantee that whoever took over eould
posted 3 days, 9 hours ago
Sigh... to continue :
We are where we are as a club. Elsewhere I've seen posters calling for Warne to be sacked. Crazy talk. The club is still losing money and we're struggling somewhat atm. To sack him and his management team would cost Clowes a fortune...and still with no guarantee that whoever took over would do any better.
To put things into context, our entire squad cost £5m to assemble. Rodon who scored Leeds 1st cost a reported £10m...their whole squad £140m...OK, not every Champ club has spent that, but many have spent huge amounts compared to us. We just have to stick together as a group. Let's avoid relegation and build from there...
posted 3 days, 2 hours ago
Until the discrepancy of wealth created by parachute payments is ditched all clubs without such payments will struggle. As we are one of the better supported sides in the championship we should eventually be able to compete as Sunderland are doing this season but usually at least two promotion places are taken by clubs relegated the previous season.
Warne is in tune with modern ideas about pace and quick transitions but clubs like ours are unlikely to be able to sign or develop players with the pace and control to make this system work.
posted 2 days, 9 hours ago
I think we could have given Leeds a game if we'd tried to go forward occasionally. I thought they were a bit nervous just before they scored.
We had 3 centre halves and then put Wilson against their tallest player, even when he had a rehearsal a few minutes before. This is the manager's fault, he sets up the team.
We can't afford to sack PW, but I would rather have kept Liam Rosenior as manager.
posted 2 days, 9 hours ago
I just hope we can manage 4th bottom, if we get relegated the club will be in a right old mess.
Will Hughes had a good game yesterday, nice to see a good passer, made 2 goals. If only Wally had brought on Bamford instead of Dawkins.....
posted 2 days, 1 hour ago
An inordinate amount of airtime has been given to PW's post-match comments - "league one team with a bit of sugar on top." "Sack him" has been a typical response; even "I'm not going again until he is gone".
I have to say that when I heard his words I did not respond either positively or negatively, possibly because I heard it and heard the rest of it all in context. If you just read those words then they may seem a bit off but verbal inflexion is everything. I find it hard to think any of the players would have been upset by it.
I remember Nigel Clough giving Thomas Cewka (?) a verbal hammering for an inconsidered pass down the flank which yielded possession but nothing more. "If he does that again he can go back to Poland or wherever he's from". Fans were up in arms about it but the lad himself said he fully deserved it.
There is no fun in being a public figure now. Every single word spoken is scrutinised and the slightest possibility of misconstruction is seized on. So many people are far too sensitive and willing to find the worst in public pronouncements. If nought but the truth is being said, swallow it and get on with life, I say.
posted 2 days, 1 hour ago
PS The footie under LR may have been better but I'm not convinced he would have got us promotion.
posted 2 days ago
Sound stuff Chicago
posted 1 day, 12 hours ago
comment by Chicagoram (U22653)
posted 13 hours, 13 minutes ago
PS The footie under LR may have been better but I'm not convinced he would have got us promotion.
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We'll never really know. Liam is now managing a club in France's top division pitting his wits against PSG, Marseille, Monaco etc...
I have wondered if we'd ever see PW playing his trade in a European league with Warneball.