Positivity Filtering Down Throughout The Club
It looks like Gary Rowett and the team took the advice of my last column during October!
I spoke about Derby County needing to produce more Jekyll than Hyde when it came to their performances, and that’s exactly what we got as the Rams won all four of their games last month.
Sure, we suffered a blip against Reading last weekend, but hopefully that’s all it is.
You can’t underestimate how much the atmosphere around the football club will have improved off the back of those wins over Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich City and Leeds United, and it appears that it has filtered down throughout the age groups.
The club’s Under-23s have also been in sparkling form.
Aside from the defeat against Manchester City, they ended Liverpool’s 100 per cent winning start to the season, beat Tottenham Hotspur, Spanish side Real Union in the Steve Bloomer Trophy, and they carried that form into November to beat Wolfsburg with a seriously impressive performance in the Premier League International Cup.
On top of that the Under-18s have been superb and only trail Manchester United and Manchester City in their league – a measure itself of just how far the club’s academy has progressed.
Rams Standing Up To Adversity To Pick Up Big Wins
Gary and his staff deserved huge credit for how good October was, but now it’s up to him and the players to make sure that that itself was not a one-off.
On paper, it was possibly the toughest sequence of games that the club has faced so far this season, and what was so impressive was that we won those games in a different way each time.
Sure, they had to ride their luck at times, but that’s what you need to do to be successful in the Championship.
After impressive home wins, the big test was then could Gary and his side build on their positive displays at Brentford and Cardiff City and get a win on the road?
The two away performances were absolutely fantastic. In truth, nobody expected us to get back-to-back wins from those two games against Norwich City and Leeds United, but the players showed up, stuck to their task, faced some adversity, and to come away with six points in four days was exceptional.
Big Impact In The Frontline
David Nugent’s goal before half time at Carrow Road was fantastic, and Sam Winnall’s late impact from the bench wasn’t surprising, and that’s down to the character and spirit in this squad.
The substitutes are now making a difference too, as Winnall did, but also Chris Martin when he came on at the break in East Anglia – so much so that they warranted a start against Leeds.
Those four results are a reflection of the hard work that has gone into the team; given that Gary inherited a lot of different players from different managers and set-ups, but so far, he’s making it work.
The partnership between Nugent and Vydra worked superbly in the first two games, but when he had to make a chance, Martin and Winnall produced the goods at crucial moments. That itself is a great headache to have.
Integral Ledley Making Big Waves
Another man that is impossible to ignore is Joe Ledley.
Derby are unbeaten whenever he’s played, and that is a great credit to him. I congratulate him on his professionalism and his attitude, but also his fitness considering that he spent so long without a club.
He’s so experienced, he’s played in the Premier League, the Champions League, but also at international level and he’s slotted into that role in front of the back four brilliantly.
It was no surprise to hear that discussions have started with regards to offering him a new deal.
He complements Tom Huddlestone in the middle of the park, shows great composure in and out of possession and has been integral behind the club’s recent seven-game winning run.
I think I speak on behalf of all the supporters when I say get him signed up!