Derby County have endured a challenging start to the season under Phillip Cocu, with the Rams managing to win just one of their opening eight Championship matches, before winning two of their last three games.

A 2-1 win at Huddersfield Town on the opening day of the season, had raised expectations that Derby could mount another play-off push this term, having been beaten in the play-off final by Aston Villa in May, but Cocu's side endured a frustrating seven-match winless run to somewhat dampen hopes of repeating last season's form.

Cocu's side have been guilty of drawing too many matches they should be looking to take maximum points from, with the Rams drawing six of their opening eleven league matches, which is the most amount of draws a team has had in the Championship so far this campaign.

Derby's prospects of mounting another play-off challenge have not been helped by the season ending injury suffered to club captain Richard Keogh - and that was the last thing that the Rams needed having lost a group of the excellent loan players they had at the club last season under Frank Lampard.

However, Derby have shown signs of recovering from a slow start to the season in the last few weeks, with Cocu's side currently unbeaten in five Championship games, following a 3-0 defeat at Brentford at the end of August, and they have won two of their last three games at home to Birmingham City and Luton Town.

That 2-0 win against Luton in Derby's last game before the international break, saw the Rams record just a second league clean sheet of the season - and that is something which Cocu's side will need to build on if they are going to be go on a winning run to move further up the table.

The Rams have struggled so far this season defensively, having conceded 15 league goals so far this term, which is costing them valuable points, as was highlighted in the 2-2 draw at struggling Barnsley, where Derby through away a 2-1 lead in stoppage time to end up dropping another two points.

Derby have so far conceded more than once in five of their opening eleven league games, which leaves them with the very difficult task of having to score three goals at times to ensure they pick up the three points - and that is something that will have to be addressed as the season progreses.

Cocu needs to work on a way of helping his side become better organised in defence, and start to keep clean sheets on a more regular basis, with the Rams defence looking a lot better against Luton - and Curtis Davies and Matthew Clarke showing signs of forming an understanding at the heart of defence.

That needs to built on now, and if the Rams can produce the same level of defensive resilience as they did at times against Luton, then they will have a chance of climbing the table - and the prospect of mounting a play-off push will depend on how well they do that in the coming weeks and months.