Eureka moment? Matej Vydra, David Nugent prove worth as Derby County defeat Barnsley

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Steve McClaren appears to have finally found a way to get the best out of two of his most gifted attackers.

At their very best, David Nugent and Matej Vydra could be a strikeforce worthy of a place in the Championship top six. The veteran Nugent was won promotion in two of the last three seasons while Derby County’s record signing won the league’s Player of the Year award after netting 20 times for Watford in 2012/13.

And although the duo have netted just three goals in 33 appearances between them in Derby colours, it appears that Steve McClaren has finally found his Eureka moment, the Derby Telegraph reports.

Shifting away from his tried and tested yet recently stalling 4-3-3, McClaren trialled a new-look 4-2-3-1 in Saturday’s win against Barnsley with Vydra in a free role out on the left and Nugent through the middle.

The Czech international thrived, showing his worth for the first time at the iPro, while Nugent netted his first goal for the club since his January move from Middlesbrough. The former Leicester City striker had previously been rooted to the bench due to McClaren’s insistence on a one-striker system.

The win was Derby’s first in six games and, although the play-offs may be beyond them, a free-flowing display in a system that finally got the best out of two of the club’s most gifted attackers bodes well for next season at least.

According to the Derby Telegraph, Vyrda, who started for the first time since the 3-0 January collapse against Norwich, is now the club’s first choice on the left hand side, his speed, incision and link-up play making him a far better fit out wide than the likes of Abdoul Camara and Ikechi Anya.

“Matej has potential, I’ve said it from day one, and his attitude has been absolutely fantastic,” the Telegraph quoted McClaren as saying of the £8.5 million man.

Finding a role for two players who seemed ill-suited to the system in place at the iPro, McClaren appears to have found a solution to Derby’s goalscoring problem.