Derby County have been leaking goals all over the pitch since the 19/20 Championship season began, keeping just three clean sheets in their opening 14 games under Philip Cocu, conceding 20 goals – four more than they have managed to score.
The Rams have been forced to make changes to their defence throughout the season which may well have contributed to their poor record. First, Jayden Bogle missed the start of the season through injury, then it was revealed that club captain Richard Keogh would miss at least the rest of the season after being involved in an off-field incident.
But with a solid and experienced Curtis Davies coming in to replace Richard Keogh, perhaps the real problem lies with who is positioned just to that man’s left. Matt Clarke was brought in on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion at the beginning of the season as a replacement for Fikayo Tomori who is now keeping clean sheets in the Champions League.
Clarke, it’s fair to say, has struggled to get to grips with life at Pride Park and hasn’t been the signing the Derby supporters – and indeed Cocu – might have expected or certainly wanted.
Recognising this, The Athletic Derby correspondent Ryan Conway believes that – once fit – one Derby defender in particular should be given another chance to get the Rams’ disciplinary record back on track.
Conway believes that Andre Wisdom should take the spot of a confident-shot Clarke.
Wisdom has been a permanent Derby player since 2017 after having had a successful loan spell with the Rams in the 2013/14 season. Since joining Pride Park on a permanent basis, the former Liverpool man has made just 44 appearances after struggling with several injuries.
For most of those, Wisdom appeared in the right-back position, but Conway has asked the question of opting to play the physical player down the middle, next to Davies.
The Derby supporters’ response was split. Some don’t think the defender could manage the role.
Others believe he should be given a go, presuming their defence can’t get much worse than it is now.