I'd be amazed if Sadlier gets on the pitch but you can bet your bottom dollar Hirst will.
I wish the people who interview him for telly and 'tiser had the balls to ask him why.... and if Cheo is properly fit, why has he not featured either ?
With Ogbene, there is a massive difference between being injury free and match fit. He had a potentially career ending injury. I love Trevor Clarke's enthusiasm but he has never really looked up to this level. As for Sadlier, he looks tidy enough on the ball but in his admittedly brief appearances I havent seen much from him. There is always a danger when a team loses that players not in the side look better than those who are, but I dont buy into the idea that Kieran Sadlier would have made a lot of difference. I havent seen anything to back that up. We dont see them in training or in the dressing room. I'm not saying he isnt a decent player, but I have to believe that if Warne thought we had a better chance of winning with Sadlier in the side he would be in there. The idea that Warne being too soft to drop players or only playing his mates is a cheap allegation. By all means disagree with selections, but don't wrap it in some sort of Gwru-style conspiracy theory. I dont agree with all his selections or substitutions, but whatever else Warne is he isnt stupid. His career prospects will look a lot brighter if we stop up. He isnt stupid enough to throw that away just to avoid upsetting one or two. Whether he is making the right decisions or not is up for discussion, but I am sure he is making them for what he believes are the right reasons.
This is still in our hands. With PNE stuffing Derby 3-0 tonight, we are 4 points behind with 3 games in hand. I have a feeling we will play better against Boro than against the other relegation threatened teams and a win is not beyond possibility. Three points tomorrow night would make the bottom of the table look very interesting and very squeaky for Derby County fans!
I think even smiler has to admit tonight is a must win game if we want to stay up, at some point we have to win games, to be honest we have to start by scoring at home.
I genuinely think this squad of players is better than we had last time Warne got us relegated and a better manager would keep us up, In smilers message referring to Sadlier he does make a valid point, when a team isnt playing well the players out of the team appear the answer, well yes of course as that is why we have a squad isn't it? May I remind you all of a certain Richard Wood, a man that couldn't get on the pitch under one manager, a player that when he got his chance for the first few games didn't look that good, but when he got a run of games he deleivered and has been excellent for us ever since. All managers have their favourites, all managers make irrational emotional decisions about players and they are not always right, Warne is no different. Sadlier hasn't had the game time or a run of 80+ minute games, so without that none of us (including Warne) knows if he adds to this team or not, one thing we do know he scores penalties which is more than our strikers does. The point from some of us is why isn't he getting that run of games, in a team that cannot score goals, cannot cross a ball without hitting the first man and at times cannot pass the ball ten yards. As Brad says this was our flagship signing, it makes no sense at all. Smiler says we don't see him in the dressing room or in training, well remember Warne said Vassell was the best player in training, so perhaps a training based decision in isolation may not be the best one. 5 homes games out of 6 without a goal would signal to a rationale man to try something different, I suggest Warne repeats the same mistakes because he is scared, I do not see him as natural leader, a strong leader that is bold in his decisions, against Birmingham and Coventry he looked like a defeated man with no idea what to do, so he did what he always does. Bringing on Hirst in the last game was an horrendous decsion, a young lad that has had an awful season, let us hope he recovers from such an early blow in his career. I am ever hopeful and I pray we get 3 points tonight to at least give us some interest in the next 5 games, but if the manager fails to motivate them for this game then there is no hope for us or for a man that is clearly out of his depth managing at this level. Do not mistake my view that Warne is not a good championship manager with a view I want us to lose, that is not the case I want us to win every game, I want us to stay up and I want Warne to prove me wrong, and if he does I will say well done to him and support him in his next championship campaign, my point is I do not see him as a winner at this level, and winning is defined as staying up.
I agree with a lot of that 'Derby'. George Hirst is no teenager. He is 22 years of age and a lot is expected of him. I just think the move was wrong for us and him and said so at the start of the season. I have to admit after watching him i don't know what sort of strengths he has. I once read Brian Clough saying to Taylor on the plane before they played a second leg in Germany. He looked down the plane and said 'how many of these can i rely on to put their bodies on the line and go through hell to get us home' He looked down the plane and named about six. He said to Taylor that will be enough. The point i am making is mangers know what strengths certain players have and will use them through thick and thin. I am not saying warne is a Clough but he will know who he can trust in difficult games. Unfortunately for the millers we don't have a Francis or Robertson who could produce that bit of magic. However we do have a Kenny Burns in Richard Wood. LOL.
Whiston, lovely post and a great memory of a very special man. You are right, I have no issue with Warne having his 6 players, I do have questions about his decisions on the others. Let us hope we win tonight and give ourselves something to feel positive about and hope, just having hope for those last 5 games, is what we need and as fans what we deserve. Plus the fact Warne owes me for 4 remote controls, 2 TV's and a window this season, I am fed up of having to get upset and throwing something and damaging my property because of his in match, decisions.
Issue I have is that he doesn't seem to want to change what isn't working.
I guess he'll put out more or less the same starting 11, and bring on Hirst if we are losing in last 20 mins...
What I would like to see is Barlaser start, give Crooks a rest ( I like him but think he needs a rest, bring him on as sub if needed). Sadlier also starts and rest Wiles.... and if we need subs, use Cheo.
I think Barlaser is our only creative player and when he's not playing we rely on hoof ball and set peices. We need to create loads of chances as we don't take many of them... So for me, Sadlier and Barlaser must start..
Just my opinion, I hope Warnock does us another favour tonight...
Derby, you've got me wrong. You seem to see me as the chairman of the Paul Warne fan club. I'm not. I have said it before many times and will say it again - I think he makes mistakes. My objection is not to people having opinions or being critical, but to people (not necessarily you) who never really wanted him as manager firing cheap shots based on the idea that he picks his mates, is too nice etc. That does get under my skin a bit. Those sort of things are just anger and frustration turning into personal attacks, which doesn't help anyone. I thought the same when people turned on Redfearn and even Stubbs and said the same then.
Neil Warnock has given a good interview ahead of tonight's game. He knows the score and has seen the club first hand. He did an incredible short term job but knew the long-term limitations, which is why he moved on. He knows both the club and the division, and he thinks we should stick with Warne even if we go down. Actually - and this might surprise you - I am not sure I agree. But it seems to me that people outside the club looking in have a lot more respect for the guy than many of our own supporters. I am not really sure what point I am trying to make there - I am just throwing it in for perspective.
In turn, the Wycombe, Coventry and Birmingham games were all billed by many as 'must win'. They weren't. With hindsight, three draws or even one win and two defeats and we would be looking at the table now with much more confidence. Clearly, as the end of the season gets nearer the outcome of every game gains added importance. Tonight we are playing a good side with little to play for. It is a game that we are capable of winning. Obviously we need to win one soon (three wins might well be enough given Derby's awful form and our superior goal difference), and winning tonight would be a massive boost.
Wonder who the penalty taker will be for us tonight? All goals matter at this crucial point in the season. Smudge doesn't seem to be able to find the back of the net these days from the penalty spot.
Wood was cramping up on Sunday. He will know whether or not he is fit to play. If he is, he has to. We need his experience. If all the centre backs are fit I would play Angus, Wood and Robertson.
I agree that Barlaser should play, as should Lindsay. I would play Giles on the left side and Harding on the right.
I wish Ladapo would do better with his back to goal. Several times on Sunday he had a simple layoff on but tried to twist and turn and have too many touches and ended up losing the ball, when all we really need him to do is lay it off and get himself into the box where he does his best work. For me, that is a part of his game he could improve very easily. Having said that, I like him as a player and he always has a goal in him and I would start him.
