Why Derby being draw specialists is not a concern

A 1-1 draw at Wrexham the previous weekend and a 1-1 draw with Charlton in midweek meant Derby went into their tough fixture against recently-relegated Southampton perhaps less confident than they would have hoped.

Yet again, though, Derby found themselves coming away with a point, through yet another 1-1 draw, heading into the second international break of the season as the league's "draw specialists", having drawn five of their opening nine matches.

As frustrating as it is that Derby can't seem to find a winning formula, it's arguably more important the Rams are showing resilience and aren't being defeated.

After falling behind in each of their past three fixtures, Derby have managed to bounce back and get an equaliser, showcasing the fighting mentality that John Eustace has projected onto the team since joining the club.

Some positives to take into the international break: Patrick Agyemang and Ben Brereton Diaz being up and running with goals. If Derby can have more than one attacker in form and high on confidence, the goals will come.

It's not that the Rams aren't creating good attacking opportunities, at times it's just been a lack of execution in the final third that's been the difference.

However, now you have Agyemang, Brereton Diaz, Rhian Brewster and Carlton Morris all with goals to their name, and once that first goal has come for an attacker at their new club, it gives them so much more confidence and self belief to go on and add to their tallies.

The midfield balance is improving: Since the signing of Lewis Travis, boss Eustace has found himself with a headache in the middle of the park, having to decide which of Ebou Adams, Travis and David Ozoh to play together as a central two.

The midfield conundrum has also been a hot talking point among fans, with many split between playing Travis and Adams, or playing Travis and Ozoh.

However, after watching the Travis and Ozoh pairing from the start on Saturday, I believe there's actually a case for both combinations, and potentially even an Ozoh and Adams option too, depending on the opposition.

Against more aggressive and physical opponents, Adams must start. His ability to win the ball back, his strength and aggression are all very much traits the team needs against "lesser" opposition who like to make the game as tough as possible for us.

However, against more technically gifted teams, Adams has recently lacked the quality needed in the middle of the pitch to retain possession and keep the team moving in an attacking sense. That for me is exactly where Ozoh makes the difference.

His natural passing ability, and ability to link play between the centre of the pitch to the attack much more efficiently, allows him to be the better fit against teams you'd expect to be in and around the top half of the table by the end of the season.

There's also a world where Adams and Ozoh could be paired up in midfield throughout the season. Those two have worked well together previously for the club, so there's no reason why they couldn't be trusted to repeat their positive performances.

However, I'm inclined to believe that we'll see a lot less of that combination with Travis being Eustace's main man, and captain.

Regardless, it's great to have depth in the midfield with three quality players who all suit the team in different ways. I wouldn't be surprised to see regular rotation between the three throughout the season, to manage minutes and prevent injuries.

With Brewster returning from his knock, plus Sondre Langas, Owen Beck and Corey Blackett-Taylor all looking to come back into the squad after the break, the Rams should feel a boost over the next week or two that will no doubt keep them hopeful they can find a formula to turn draws into wins as soon as possible.

You can often catch Amelia Warren as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.