Gary Rowett has laid down a challenge to Derby County’s players ahead of this weekend’s trip to Reading - to make their dominance in matches count.
The Rams will head south to take on the Royals at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off) looking to return to winning form in the Sky Bet Championship.
Derby reside in fourth spot in the table and remain firmly in the promotion hunt after tasting just one defeat from their last 14 league fixtures.
Rowett’s side have won half of those matches, as well as recording six draws and a single loss since the beginning of December.
Two draws and that sole defeat, away to Sheffield Wednesday last Tuesday, have been registered in the Rams’ last three outings and they are now five points behind in-form Cardiff City in second spot.
Those results haven’t necessarily told the full story as Derby have created a number of opportunities, as well as being uncharacteristically punished defensively from the limited chances their opponents have had.
Crucially, though, Derby showed a strong mentality and a never-say-die attitude on Wednesday evening and came back to score in injury-time to earn a 2-2 draw against Leeds United at Pride Park Stadium.
Rowett admits his side need to get back to keeping clean sheets from a defensive aspect, as well as being more clinical in the final third.
With the focus now on the trip to Berkshire to take on Jaap Stam’s side, the 43-year-old believes it’s important his side get back to turning their good performances and chances into clear leads and victories.
He told RamsTV: “It’s pretty obvious that clean sheets give you a fantastic platform to win a game.
“The last two games have probably seen us concede the poorest goals we’ve let in all season. The reason for that is that the opposition haven’t had to work too hard for the goals.
“It has been very uncharacteristic of us but you can’t rely on getting a clean sheet to win every week.
“It’s nice to have them and we have had plenty this season, but on the flip side we have to be more clinical at the top end of the pitch as well.
“If we were conceding lots of goals and chances, as well as creating very little, then I would be feeling like I need to go and change the world and do something different.
“We’ve probably created as many chances in a game in our last two performances as we have all season as well as limiting the opposition to very few opportunities; but they have taken theirs and we haven’t. That’s the reality of it and we’re obviously disappointed about that.”
He added: “We’ve performed well in the matches and have, over the season, responded to setbacks. Forget the scoreline and moments in the game against Leeds, we responded very well with a strong performance and you can see the mentality of the players is excellent.
“We need to turn our good performances and chances that we are creating into clear leads and wins.”
Rowett made the point when speaking to the media after the draw against Leeds that it’s important, as a team, that the goals are shared around.
Matej Vydra is Derby’s leading marksman this term with an impressive 18 goals and he has delivered a number of crucial match-winning strikes.
The Rams’ boss believes there can’t be an over-reliance on the Czech Republic international and he has urged the side’s other attacking players to chip in with their fair share.
Vydra, understandably, has become a player that opposition teams pay close attention to – but Rowett feels that could, in turn, provide more space for others in the final third.
He said: “There’s a general feel, and I don’t want it to be a criticism, that Matej Vydra is on 18 goals and we’d like some of our other attacking players to be closer to him.
“You’d hope to have one of the strikers and wide players to be in and around double figures, as well as the centre-backs chipping in with a few goals.
“It feels like we need to score a very good goal to win a game right now. We perhaps don’t score as many scrappy goals as other teams but we are creating more than enough chances.
“I said it after the game against Leeds but some of the players around Vyds have got to help ease that burden on him.
“Teams are paying him a lot more attention it seems so that should create space for others. We just need to be more clinical.”