Duane Holmes was far from his best as Phillip Cocu’s Rams were held to a draw by Barnsley in the Championship.
Duane Holmes set the bar so high at Derby County towards the end of last season that every below-par display is magnified and often blown out of all proportion.
Then again, it is no exaggeration to suggest the former Scunthorpe United forward was nowhere near his buzzing, creative best at Oakwell on Wednesday night.
Derby had to settle for a point in the most frustrating of circumstances as struggling Barnsley snatched a draw in the 93rd minute but, if Holmes had produced a little more quality in the final third, Phillip Cocu’s side could have wrapped up the win early on and killed off any hope the hosts had of getting anything out of the game.
The 24-year-old find himself in promising positions on a number of occasions in South Yorkshire but his end product was certainly lacking. In fact, that’s a part of his game that he’s needed to improve upon for a while.
Even during an impressive debut season at Pride Park, Holmes still only managed two goals and one assist in 27 Championship matches.
Holmes might be one of Derby’s most dangerous players but just imagine how effective he’d be if he learned to cross or finish effectively.
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