Boring, Boring, Derby County

Boring, Boring, Derby County

Here we are again. Talking about Derby County. Since we last spoke about them, things haven’t really been any better. Was a point at Wrexham a bit of a cover up? Football is meant to be fun, right? That’s the whole point. It’s why thousands of fans drag themselves down to Pride Park on a Tuesday night when the rest of the country have their feet up watching the Champions League on Amazon Prime. I wonder if Derby fans took that option up last night.

A 1-1 draw last night for the Rams. Deserved? I’m not sure. It’s a bit of a cover up for the awful performance I watched. Slow, sideways, no attacking threat, no intent, no clear system, and a Derby team that, frankly, looked bored themselves.

Let’s not sugar-coat it: Derby were poor. Very, very poor.

A Night To Forget

Being honest, Charlton weren’t great themselves. They were, however, organised, disciplined, well-drilled, and did the basics right. Something Derby fans will be crying out for, I’m sure. Derby didn’t control the game at all, they didn’t look dangerous, and aside from a couple of half-chances, they barely laid a glove on Charlton.

At home, against Charlton, Derby should be dictating play. Instead, it was more of the sideways shuffle between defenders before punting it long to whoever happens to be up top. It’s unimaginative. Predictable. And worse, it’s dull.

Player Ratings (vs Charlton)

Here’s how I saw it:

Jacob Zetterstrom: 4. Looked shaky and never convinced. Didn’t exactly ooze confidence.

Max Johnston: 2. I’m sorry, but what does he actually offer? No pace, no final product, can’t cross, doesn’t beat his man. Derby surely thought they were signing a real talent in Johnston - so far, Kane Wilson looks a much better option.

Matt Clarke: 6. Solid enough, didn’t do much wrong, and scored.

Dion Sanderson: 7. One of the few that looked good. Which is another huge surprise for Derby fans. He’s really made the centre half position his own in the last few weeks. Strong, steady, reliable.

Callum Elder: 2. Poor. Looked lost. He gave the ball away every time he touched it.

Ebou Adams & David Ozoh: 3. I’ve put them together because they both offered the same: not much. Honest, hardworking, but no creativity, no spark.

Lewis Travis: 3. Same as the two above, but worse. Doesn’t grab the game, doesn’t carry the ball, and he gave it away every time he did have it. He made a few decent challenges, but that’s your lot.

Ben Brereton Diaz: 2. Barely touched the ball, and when he did, he constantly made the wrong decision.

Carlton Morris: 7. I felt sorry for him, to be honest. Worked hard, had a few decent touches of the ball, came deep to get involved, but he has to be Derby’s focal point. He has to be higher up the pitch and in-and-around the 6-yard box. Tactically, to ask him to drop deeper to get on the ball, for me, makes absolutely no sense.

Bobby Clark: 3. Ineffective, lightweight, few decent touches, but just couldn’t impact the game at all.

Patrick Agyemang: 6. Tried to make things happen, he’s positive and direct, had energy, but he can’t do it on his own.

The Johnston Problem

Let’s talk about Max Johnston for a minute. When he arrived, Derby fans must’ve thought they’d signed a real threat. International caps, Champions League appearances abroad, and really highly rated. So far? He’s been poor. To me, from what I’ve seen, he looks out of his depth. He doesn’t take players on. His crossing, to be polite, is abysmal. And he has zero end product. He looks awkward at times.

Is he really better than Kane Wilson? Honestly, I don’t see it. Wilson, of course, had his injury problems whilst at Pride Park, but for me, right now, he’s head and shoulders better than Johnston. Especially going forward. Wilson wasn’t a world beater, of course, but he did give you pace, and energy. At the moment Johnston looks like a kid in a sweet shop. He looks around, doesn’t know what he wants, takes time to think about his decision, then just picks a random sweet from the shelf. And drops it on the way out.

The Midfield That Is Crying Out For Change

Then there’s the midfield. And here’s the truth: you can’t play Lewis Travis and Ebou Adams together. It doesn’t work. They’re too similar. Both ball-winners, both decent at breaking up the play, but neither grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Neither drive forward. Neither carries the ball. And both look way more comfortable passing it backwards and sideways.

For me, if you stick David Ozoh and Lewis Travis together you might have something that Derby have been missing. Ozoh is more of a ball carrier, he will take players on and create chances, I’m sure of it. After being loaned out to Derby again this season, I’m sure he would have expected more game time than he’s got so far, so here’s this chance to really make an impact on the team. Derby are crying out for a midfielder to bring the ball forward and actually create chances.

Carlton Morris: Please, John Eustace, Play Him As A Number 9

If there’s one thing I’m absolutely certain about, it’s this: Carlton Morris has to be the number 9. The highest player up the pitch for Derby.

Watching him drop deep last night just to touch the ball was painful. By the time Derby worked it forward, he was loitering around the halfway line. That’s not his fault - it’s the system.

Morris is a finisher. He needs to be in the box, ready to latch on to any scraps, not wasting his legs tracking back like a midfielder. Build the attack round him. Play Agyemang off him, or out wide, whatever. Just make Morris the focal point. Right now, Derby are trying to fit square pegs into round holes, and it shows. I’m not actually sure Eustace knows what he wants.

The Eustace Question

Now, here’s the part no one really wants to acknowledge or talk about: is it time to start asking questions of John Eustace?

One win in nine. A team that looks bereft of ideas. No clear style, no consistent formation, and certainly no attacking threat. Every week it’s the same for Derby fans: pass sideways, pass backwards, lump it long.

Yes, Eustace did a good job keeping Derby up last season after a horrible run under Paul Warne. He steadied the ship, and did exactly what David Clowes asked for. But, in my opinion, that credit can’t last forever. Derby spent over £15,000,000 in the summer. Let’s not pretend Derby are still operating on League 1 scraps. Spending money increases pressure, and ultimately, means Derby need to be winning games of football. Derby have invested - and so far, for what return? A team that looks no better than last year, maybe worse.

Eustace’s record at Derby is now 7 wins in 22. That’s not good viewing. At some point, you have to stop talking about progress and start asking: is this as good as it gets?

No System, No Direction

I’m sure right now, for Derby fan’s, the problem isn’t even the results. It’s the lack of identity. If you look at teams like QPR, Bristol City, and even Charlton, you can see what they’re trying to do. They have a system, a style, a plan. Derby doesn't have any of that.

What are Derby? Are they a possession side? A counter-attacking team? A long ball side? No one knows. Least of all Eustace, it seems. He doesn’t know his strongest starting eleven. He doesn’t know his strongest formation. I’m not sure who Derby are trying to be. And that, more than anything, is a huge problem.

You could feel it last night in the stands. The groans, the sighs, boo’s at half time, cheers when the players actually played the ball forwards. Derby fans aren’t daft. They’ve seen enough over the years to know the difference between a team that’s building something and a team just going through the motions.

What Next For Derby?

So, what happens now? Do Derby just sit and hope Eustace finds a magic formula and pray the team suddenly ticks? Or do Derby fans just admit they’ve hit the ceiling under Eustace already and this is just what is going to happen for the rest of the season?

It is, of course, early days, but the showing so far has been a very tough watch.

I don’t know the answer, personally. But I do know that if Derby carry on like this, their season’s going to drift away before it’s even started. Fifteen million (plus) spent, and they’re almost back where they started under Paul Warne. That’s not good enough. Not for Derby County.

Something has to change. Whether that’s the system or the personnel. The management team have a huge job on their hands to give Derby fans something worth watching. Right now, it’s boring. And worrying.