Steve McClaren says Derby County have had a reality check

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The writing has been on the wall for weeks now. Derby County will be in the Championship for another season.

Derby County manager Steve McClaren cuts a dejected figure on the touchline

After witnessing his side brushed aside in a 3-0 defeat against automatic promotion chasers Brighton and Hove Albion on Friday evening, McClaren gave a brutally honest assessment.

McClaren told the Derby Evening Telegraph: “It showed how far Brighton have come – they will go up, for certain.

“They are physically strong, full of running, they deal so well with the ball and in Glenn Murray they have a great target man.”

Derby were outclassed throughout the game and could only manage three shots on goal, none of which were on target. In 2014, the Rams comfortably beat the Seagulls 6-2 on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals. Since then, the clubs have headed in opposite directions.

This latest defeat has left the Rams in 10th position and mid-table obscurity the likely end to this desperately disappointing season. The mood at Pride Park has shifted dramatically. At the start of February, Derby fans were still quietly optimistic about another promotion push.

McClaren’s return to the club in October saw the team’s position in the league dramatically rise. They found themselves in the play-off positions at one stage, and it seemed that a third appearance in four years in the Championship play-offs for Derby was looking likely.

Derby County’s Tom Ince struggled to make any impact on the game.

However, after a run of only one win in nine games, the deteriorating form on the pitch has reflected on the club’s league position.

Former Newcastle and England manager McClaren continued: “It just shows the gap (between the two teams).

“We (Derby County) have stood still, and if you stand still you go backwards.

“It was a reality check, and we have had quite a few.”

McClaren will now have the task of trying to motivate his side to finish the season strongly. If it was not apparent before tonight, the squad is crying out for a major overhaul. The hangover from the 2014 play-off defeat has not quite wore off, and a fresh approach is needed to reignite Derby’s promotion credentials for the start of next season.

Matej Vydra had Derby’s best chance of the game when he hit the post.