Derby County are finally beginning to show some form in this season’s Championship, after a start that could only be described as appalling.
Defeats to Burton, Newcastle, Ipswich and Blackburn saw the Rams plummet to the bottom of the table and only after sacking Nigel Pearson did things begin to pick-up.
With Steve McClaren now back at the helm, things have begun to stabilise in recent weeks, despite the still obvious need for improvements all-round.
A big win over Sheffield Wednesday last time out has really helped the cause and it’s another win that pulls the East-Midlanders away from the relegation zone.
And with a massive game against Wolves on the horizon, the sooner a winning solution can be bottled up, the better, because Derby aren’t out of trouble just yet.
So with all that in mind, here’s THREE things Derby County must do better going forward…
Get their best players playing
On paper, Derby County have one of the most competitive and thorough squads in the Championship.
They have the likes of Will Hughes, Tom Ince, Darren Bent, Cyrus Christie- the list goes on. These are all players who have plenty of experience at this level or higher, who should be performing better.
By whatever means possible, McClaren needs to get these players back to their best because these are the names that will be able to lead the Rams to safety.
Please the home supporters
Derby have always been well supported and attended on match-days. But the frustration growing amongst the home faithful is clear - both online and in the ground.
People want to see good football again, played at a pace which excites people.
What they don’t want to see week-after-week is a good group of players falling short at the first hurdle.
If they can string some results together, especially before the busy Christmas period, then things should begin to pick-up.
Losing the nerves within the squad
Even during the few wins the Rams have had this season, the nerves that seem to have riddled the players is still a big problem in this Derby side.
It was clear that after a few bad results, players began to lose their bottle and struggled to cope with the pressure playing at this level demands.
If there is one thing that will help this club going forward, it’s getting rid of these crippling nerves.