Derby County secured a hard-fought 2-1 win at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
A quick look at the stats make it very clear where Derby County’s strengths and weaknesses lie.
Only five teams in the league have scored more than Frank Lampard’s Rams so far in 2018/19. But it’s telling that Derby have kept just three clean sheets in the Championship all season, and none since a 0-0 home draw with Blackburn Rovers in September.
And a Derby defence who were ripped apart by Aston Villa prior to the international break were left exposed once more as Adam Reach coolly gave Sheffield Wednesday an early lead at Hillsborough on Saturday, though the East Midlands side roared back and won 2-1 thanks to goals from Harry Wilson and Jack Marriott.
Speaking to EFL on Quest (24 November, 9pm) former Derby left-back Stephen Warnock agreed with host Colin Murray’s notion that their defensive record could stand in the way of their promotion ambitions.
“Yes. It’s trying to find a balance between attack and defence and getting that blend right. That is the most difficult thing in the league to do,” said the former England international, who played 30 games for Derby between 2015 and 2017.
Richard Keogh and Fikayo Tomori have started the majority of Derby’s 18 Championship games together at centre-back but Lampard is not short of options if he wants to shuffle his pack with a hectic fixture schedule on the horizon.
Experienced Curtis Davies was outstanding as The Rams reached the play-offs under Gary Rowett last season, while Andre Wisdom is also capable of filling in at centre-back when required.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
