Rafa Benitez is currently in the UK visiting his family. The Chinese League ends in 2 weeks time.

Just saying, mainly in order to get Scouse to soil his pants.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 20 minutes ago
Rafa Benitez is currently in the UK visiting his family. The Chinese League ends in 2 weeks time.

Just saying, mainly in order to get Scouse to soil his pants.
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Too late, (just on my way home from the launderette).

The really scary news is that Allardyce's odd have shortened considerably.

Jozwiak just scored a fantastic goal for Poland.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 1 minute ago
Jozwiak just scored a fantastic goal for Poland.
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I hope Rafa has seen that. He'll sign tonight if he has.

Rafa now clear favourite with skybet.

comment by BilstonRam (U1425)
posted 4 minutes ago
Rafa now clear favourite with skybet.
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Rafa 15/8
Rooney 10/3

comment by Scouse (U9675)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by BilstonRam (U1425)
posted 4 minutes ago
Rafa now clear favourite with skybet.
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Rafa 15/8
Rooney 10/3
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"Fact!"

Rafa 6/4
Rooney 7/2

It couldn't happen surely, could it?

As a relative newcomer to this site I have to say any article I write seems to get blocked by Spam Filters. There’s nothing in them that is remotely worthy of being called Spam….and I wonder if anyone else gets this problem ?

Anyway, it seems as though it’s about 3 weeks ago since we heard of an imminent takeover by Sheik Khaled – and since then nothing. Even the EFL have moved quicker. So what gives ? Yes I know people at the top level in DCFC have been self isolating but surely if it was going to happen it would have happened by now. Has our lowly position in the league put off the potential purchaser ? Would seem a bit short sighted if that’s the case – if not perhaps a little understandable.

And on to the vacant Managers role. Yes, I do understand that we shouldn’t make any rash decisions (not that we haven’t in the past) but my gut feeling is that MM & partners are looking to see how Wayne Rooney & Liam Rosenior do over the next couple of games before looking elsewhere. Wayne is the bookies favourite and Liam is highly rated by MM. That’s where my money is going.
What do you reckon ?

Talk is it'll be completed by Weds next week (hopefully sooner), delays are due to the mortgage and arrangements made with Dell.

comment by Terry Hennessey (U22420)
posted 6 hours, 48 minutes ago
As a relative newcomer to this site I have to say any article I write seems to get blocked by Spam Filters. There’s nothing in them that is remotely worthy of being called Spam….and I wonder if anyone else gets this problem ?

Anyway, it seems as though it’s about 3 weeks ago since we heard of an imminent takeover by Sheik Khaled – and since then nothing. Even the EFL have moved quicker. So what gives ? Yes I know people at the top level in DCFC have been self isolating but surely if it was going to happen it would have happened by now. Has our lowly position in the league put off the potential purchaser ? Would seem a bit short sighted if that’s the case – if not perhaps a little understandable.

And on to the vacant Managers role. Yes, I do understand that we shouldn’t make any rash decisions (not that we haven’t in the past) but my gut feeling is that MM & partners are looking to see how Wayne Rooney & Liam Rosenior do over the next couple of games before looking elsewhere. Wayne is the bookies favourite and Liam is highly rated by MM. That’s where my money is going.
What do you reckon ?
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Maybe I'm wrong as I see Rafael Benitez is now installed as the Bookies favourite.....

I just don't find myself excited by that prospect. Maybe because I just don't believe it'll happen.

We go for Rafa
We get Paul Cook

The Derby Way!


Or partly because he's similar to Cocu in the sense he comes across with a dour personality, not extremely charismatic.

We're obviously in a dark place and to quote Morecombe and Wise 'bring me sunshine' is exactly what we need right now.

comment by Desicafu (U8481)
posted 52 minutes ago
I just don't find myself excited by that prospect. Maybe because I just don't believe it'll happen.

We go for Rafa
We get Paul Cook

The Derby Way!


Or partly because he's similar to Cocu in the sense he comes across with a dour personality, not extremely charismatic.
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Remind me of when Cocu won the European Cup?

comment by Scouse (U9675)
posted 54 minutes ago
comment by Desicafu (U8481)
posted 52 minutes ago
I just don't find myself excited by that prospect. Maybe because I just don't believe it'll happen.

We go for Rafa
We get Paul Cook

The Derby Way!


Or partly because he's similar to Cocu in the sense he comes across with a dour personality, not extremely charismatic.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Remind me of when Cocu won the European Cup?
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If your comment refers to Rafa as a European cup winning manager, we've also got Rooney , a European cup winner as a player, but we're not getting that quality due to time and his quality now. Same could apply to Rafa, he might not have the intensity now, especially after the amount of money earned in China.

Don't get me wrong, he may do incredibly well, I personally just don't feel the excitement of this occurs.

Okay so reading between the lines this is what I'm stabbing at.

Ideological rift between Rooney and Cocu, Rooney still here.

I don't think Cocu had Covid and wasn't in charge for the Barnsley game, or maybe on 35 mins when Rooney played deeper was the changing of the guards.

Either way I think Rooney and Rosenior took the reigns for that second half....which judging on their subs would create cause for concern.

However, on paper the changes weren't too bad, just no time to coach the players on how to play it n their roles in it.

I think the back three is currently the best balance we've got but think Liam n Wayne seemed to make hints at wanting to play an attacking game. Plus rumours of a Clarke and Rooney bust up.

2nd half we were

Byrne Bielik Davies Buchanan
................Roo.......................
.......Shinnie...Kinght.................
...Joz.......Waggy.........TL..........

Didn't really work then we went

Byrne Bielik Davies Buchanan
.........Knight.......Roo.................
....Joz........Sibley............TL......
...............Waggy/CKR................

Which also didn't work.

I think Clarke is more progressive than Davies, but think Davies will get the nod, for leadership and organisational ability.

I think we'll likely see something similar to how we finished. Possibly throw caution to the wind

and go

...................Roo......................
..........Knight.....Sibley.............
...Joz............TL...........Waggy

Also the potential of Bielik playing alongside Rooney and one of Knight or Sibley in the number 10. Clarke being allowed off the naughty chair.

Will it work...no idea....I'm sure a lot of Derby fans will be willing to judge Rooney and Rosenior based on just this game but I think maybe the 3 or 4 games might be a good guage of potential....or need to sound the Rafa alarm.

Not sure Rosenior and Rooney are 100% aligned.

Think we'll see lot's more adventurous play as well as being very porous.

Will be interesting that's for sure. The shackles are off can we balance defence and attack???

Whether we like it or not they have the gig in the short term. Would fans prefer defeats so that we get a new manager or a couple of wins so that Rooney is given the job, at least until the end of the season?

The danger is that Rooney might take us down.What would be the fall-back position if we still bottom in 10-15 games time? If a firefighter was parachuted in with Rooney still at the club there could be complete meltdown.

I don’t know what happened in the Barnsley game but it was crazy muddled in the second half. Surely the players need a settled formation and if they encouraged to play forward more quickly and not to be afraid to try something creative in attacking areas then we have enough ability to score some goals.

Marshall
Byrne Davies Clarke Buchanan
Bielik
Knight Sibley
Jozwiak Waghorn Lawrence

You two are wasted in your current jobs, (well vidal at least).

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted 3 hours, 25 minutes ago
Whether we like it or not they have the gig in the short term. Would fans prefer defeats so that we get a new manager or a couple of wins so that Rooney is given the job, at least until the end of the season?

The danger is that Rooney might take us down.What would be the fall-back position if we still bottom in 10-15 games time? If a firefighter was parachuted in with Rooney still at the club there could be complete meltdown.

I don’t know what happened in the Barnsley game but it was crazy muddled in the second half. Surely the players need a settled formation and if they encouraged to play forward more quickly and not to be afraid to try something creative in attacking areas then we have enough ability to score some goals.

Marshall
Byrne Davies Clarke Buchanan
Bielik
Knight Sibley
Jozwiak Waghorn Lawrence
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I think the way Wayne is talking (DET & Ramsplayer) he has the job - provided we start to improve. I think he will have to step away from playing though at some point - as Frank Lampard did. You can't be 'one of the lads ' and manage at the same time. I do think he still has much to offer on the pitch at certain times so it'll be interesting to see how he and Liam run things. Seems the Rafa Benitez thing was just "Bookie talk"....

I like the sound of the Ralf Somebody or other from Germany. He seems like the sort of manager we need, the Gegenpress sounds like the future. God knows how our unfit bunch would take to it though.

Not sure he is guaranteed it to be honest and still think the fact Rafa said we're a big club was a "tempt me" sentence.

I think Rooney will have some great attacking ideas and probably would agree with what he's trying to do, just worry that this team right now needs a f*****g therapist more than ideas and thoughts.

Lampard was well known as a very intelligent person. Rooney considers smashing open a banana with a rock super intellectual.

If you get rooney your proper facked the only thing he might be able to do is attract players...

comment by Ole-dirty-baztard - You want ole in, ole out, ... (U19119)
posted 8 minutes ago
Lampard was well known as a very intelligent person. Rooney considers smashing open a banana with a rock super intellectual.

If you get rooney your proper fackedthe only thing he might be able to do is attract players...
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You're

But thanks for the comments on intellect.