Sloppy!

Well after a couple of wins (Albeit scrappy ones) we return to our poor losing ways. A very poor, dire performance saw us lose to a struggling Wolves side. 

Poor defending for both Wolves goals and we scored from a set piece. That was the only way we ever looked like scoring too!

Carl Ikeme had very little to do all game. 

It's obvious that teams have sussed out how to stop our 4-3-3 formation. Apart from 4/5 games this season, it hasn't worked well in nearly a year. 

There's so little different we can do as an alternative too! We have looked very unconvincing using 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2. 

We sign a winger and play anyone but a winger down the flanks. It's evident that Darren Wassall doesn't fancy Camara or Blackman who cost 4m between them. 

It says something when our £6.5m flop Bradley Johnson is still starting games. On the wing too! 

Wassall dropped an in form Stephen Warnock to play Markus Olsson who has thus far failed to improve the team. In fact he doesn't look any better than Warnock. 

This team or indeed this squad needs a serious kick up the backside! Many fans are calling for the appointment of Nigel Pearson. He certainly wouldn't stand for our lacklustre performances of late. 

If Morris does have any inclination to sign anyone like him he needs to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later. Our friends across Brian Clough Way could well be looking for a manager within time given their owners track record. 

A former Rams manager, Billy Davies was in the news last week after giving his first interview since being sacked by Forest. 

It was full of the usual snipes at our club, so nothing new their. His biggest success was at Derby therefore he needs to keep bringing us up to keep himself in the news. I wonder why no one has employed him since his City Ground exit? Answers on a postcard 😜

Finally it was recently announced that AFC Wimbledon were returning to the Borough of Merton after gaining planning permission to demolish the greyhound stadium and build a new football ground at Plough Lane. 

Obviously they will need to purchase the stadium first! I am actually against this move! Firstly the current team has never played in the Borough. Their home is technically Kimgstonion. Secondly I don't wish to see the current sports at Plough Lane finish. Greyhound racing and Stock Cars have been staged there for a good many years and there was always a possibility of a return for speedway racing. 

Plough Lane is the last venue with a London postcode to stage these sports. Let's not let em die in the capital. I wish AFC Wimbledon well, but hope they don't get the move to this site. 

Hallelujah!

Well we have waited long enough, but The Rams finally won another match in dramatic circumstances on Saturday. 

There had been a few signs of things picking up in the first half, but went Brentford went ahead after a superb solo effort from Alan Judge many feared the worst once again.

Eighty minutes passed before Jeff Hendrick scored and equaliser and then Cyrus Christie picked an ideal time to score his first ever goal for the club to put us ahead. 

The dying moments were very dramatic as Brentford threw the kitchen sink in an attempt to salvage a point, but a class save from Carson saw us race down the other end of the field and Chris Martin ended his goal drought. 

It seems to be a long time since that last win and caretaker boss Darren Wassall looked ecstatic. 

Last night saw us make it two wins on the bounce thanks to a superb eighth minute strike by Jacob Butterfield. 

A scrappy game and one that saw us needing us to grind out a result against Blackburn. Hardly a classic, but the first thing in a its of priorities is points. 

What we need is for players like Bradley Johnson back on top of his game again. He was a class act for Norwich last season and started off promisingly at Derby. If he returns to form I think our midfield would be loaded with talent. 

Will Hughes has now resumed training after recuperating from his knee injury and when fully fit his name will surely be one of the first on the team sheet. 

This weekend sees a trip to Molineaux to face Wolves who have gone off the boil lately. We beat them 4-2 at home, but remember last season! A great 5-0 win at home before crashing away. 

Wassall seems to have stopped the rot, but it's now time to up a gear and jump back on to the promotion wagon. 

Lack of Firepower

Darren Wassall has seen his first game in charge end in a disappointing defeat to MK Dons. 

A truly awful game and very few positives to write about. 

A 4-4-2 formation was used and to be quite honest, it didn't work and certain players were anonymous on the pitch. 

Jason Shackell missed a good opportunity to put us ahead in the first half and David Martin was forced into making a couple of saves, but that was your lot when talking about chances to win the game. 

Bradley Johnson had a decent half and Markus Olsson looked a threat going forward down the left wing. 

A growing number of people are suggesting that we need an alternative to Chris Martin up front too!

From the prolific form of the last couple of seasons, goals have dried up quicker than water in the desert. 

It won't be an easy ride at Brentford on Saturday, but we need to snap out of this poor spell sooner rather than later. Three games in a week will require total commitment from all players and who knows if results are positive the mood could change very quickly too! 

The ball is firmly in the court of the team and coaches. Over 30,000 paying customers turned up for the bore fest last week. The fans have been turning up in good numbers all season. It's time for certain players to turn up and do a job! 

The supporters deserve better!

A Week is a Long Time in Football

A week ago we were looking ahead to a home game v Preston and a trip to Fulham. Two struggling teams and an ideal opportunity to get the promotion push back on track 

We failed miserably to do just that. The Preston match was a guaranteed cure for insomnia and we failed to muster one shot on target all night. 

Fulham away saw a calamitous own goal give our hosts a lead and a spectacular volley by Craig Bryson saved us a point. 

The simple fact though is that recent form isn't good enough. All teams have a blip at sometime during the season, but we appear to be in a slump rather than having a blip. 

It came as no surprise to me to hear that Paul Clement had been relieved of his duties last night. 

It was a gamble to appoint a rookie number one and unfortunately it didn't pay off. I don't blame our owner for having a go at trying something different to the usual manager merry go round either. 

The comments he has made are quite baffling. I've heard him say Promotion wasn't a must, but improvement was! Ok, we finished eighth place last season so we needed to finish seventh or at least qualify for the play offs. 

You also don't invest 23-25m in a squad to tread water. A lot of money spent and most of the signings are still to justify their purchase!

Personally I feel that Clement had lost the dressing room. We have scraped a few results and apart from half a dozen games have looked poor or average. 

There has been no plan b and seemingly little flexibility in different formations we have been sussed by many teams. Park the bus and counter often works against us. 

Squad depth is more about alternatives rather than more of the same. 

Mel Morris had a big decision to make with his next appointment and if he gets it wrong he could see himself on the receiving end of a fans backlash. 

He has had a little negative publicity recently similar to that of our neighbours down the roads owner. 

He has put his money where his mouth is, but we need the right man for the job and not chuck good money after bad. 

Many fans are asking about the possibility of an embargo next January after this spending spree. Mr Morris has stated we will meet FFP, and he will look a right twerp if we don't. 

Midfield Problems

Tonight we host Preston North End in which is a very Important game for the club. We need to get back to winning ways if we are to realise our ambitions of playing top flight football next season.

Our form of late has been to put it mildly disappointing. Both the attack and defence have under performed. The key is the midfield not doing its job in my opinion and it doesn't take a genius to work it out either. 

Losing the ball in midfield has added extra pressure on the defence and failed to give our attackers the much needed support. 

When you look through our list of midfielders it is baffling to say the least why we are struggling in this area. Big money has been spent in order to strengthen it, but this far it hasn't done so, in fact it's done the opposite. 

Perhaps it's time to go back to basics and recall players like Craig Bryson. He did score sixteen goals a couple of seasons ago and you don't lose the ability overnight. He needs a run in the side in my opinion. Who would it be at the expense of? One candidate for me! Bradley Johnson! From the Forest game onwards he simply hasn't been at the races. 

George Thorne has overall been solid, but both Jacob Butterfield and Jeff Hendrick have struggled to find consistency. They have both shown flashes of brilliance and I personally would give the nod to Butterfield. 

What we have discovered is the big hole that Will Hughes has left since he got injured. We haven't been able to cover for his absence effectively. 

So there you go! Sort out midfield and we will return to winning games. 

The Misery Continues

Yet another game ends in disappointing style for all Rams fans. 

This time it was a visit to Burnley and yet another defeat at Turf Moor. This time it was a thrashing, although some may argue that the actual score line was harsh. That said, and own goal, two penalties given away and a deflected goal simply is no excuse for yet again failing to do the business in a six pointer 

Before the rot set in our defence resembled a wall, it now looks like a wet paper bag!

Fans will argue that we played well in the first half and were indeed the better side. This is no use or any comfort though. You have to be on your game and take chances when you get them. 

Our boss still doesn't appear to know what our best options are in midfield. Anyone who picks Bradley Johnson judging by his recent form wouldn't start him. Personally he would do well to get on the bench if I was selecting the team. 

Nick Blackman is doing his best at the moment to prove the sneering Reading fans right that we were mugged paying such a hefty fee for him. At the moment he is making Connor Sammon looking a bargain. 

Chris Martins drought is lasting longer than one in the Sahara Desert too! 

The team currently look like a mid table outfit. Another long unbeaten run is now essential and our manager or Head Coach as he is called is going to have his work cut out. 

On Friday we hosted an out of form Manchester United in the FA Cup. An ideal opportunity for one of the two clubs contesting the tie to get their scoring boots back on. It was Manchester United who showed up and clinched a fifth round tie at Shewsbury.

No shame or disgrace in losing to them, but the wide difference in class was there for all to see. 

Tomorrow night we meet Preston. It was against them that we started our last unbeaten run. It's now imperative that we start another one. Automatic promotion is now looking a long shot and just a couple more defeats could see us slip sliding away down the table. 

Surely the capitulation isn't going to come even earlier this season. 

It's going to be a nervous and interesting few weeks. If we get back to winning ways, the bad run will be forgiven, however just a few more defeats and the pressure will surely mount on Paul Clement. 

Mel Morris has opened his wallet and surely won't be impressed by the players purchased so far. It's time for them to deliver and get the team moving forward once again.