Derby County's run of form came to a shuddering halt last night as they were stunned by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

The Rams knew that they could go back into second if they won last night but instead a changed side from Gary Rowett ended up on the wrong end of a Lucas Joao brace as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat.

The club needs to get back to it as soon as they can, then, and put this down to a minor blip rather than the sign of something more significant.

Some, meanwhile, have questioned whether Rowett was right to make so many changes from the draw with Norwich at the weekend but he has rejected such claims, saying that the team still had enough to get the job done.

As quoted by the Derby Telegraph, Rowett suggested that the six changes shouldn't have had an impact:

"It was the same side that beat Aston Villa (2-0) and Millwall (3-0) at home in December, so in terms of the quality of the team to win the game I thought we showed we were good enough to create chances.

"I don't think the changes were the reason we conceded two goals, it was down to a lapse of concentration."

The Verdict

Changes are part and parcel of the game, particularly in the second tier, and so Derby's players should have been ready for the game no matter who'd been playing recently.

There was plenty of experience out on the pitch but it never really clicked and so the club will just have to write it off and start over.

Thoughts, Rams fans? Let us know below!