Derby County

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It is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the football calendar as Premier League and Championship clubs join the FA Cup action from round three.

The draw will take place on Monday, 2 December from 19:00 GMT and can be watched live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Dominic Dietrich
BBC Radio Derby Sport

The mood was good at Moor Farm as head coach Paul Warne joined us in the media room immediately following his team meeting.

Normally after a defeat, the training ground can be a downbeat place at any football club, but there was an optimism in Derby's Warne that suggested he was pleased with what he saw for the 76 minutes after they were 2-0 down at home to Swansea City just 14 minutes into the game on Wednesday night.

That’s where the questions began. How does this Derby team start at 0-0 with the same tempo and standards going into Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday?

A player that could be key to an improved Derby side is the well-documented David Ozoh.

After months of awaiting news, the injured midfielder is back fit. Last week's introduction to training was welcomed with excitement by the supporters, but this morning Warne said there is "no chance" he will feature against Sheffield Wednesday and suggested he could be a further couple of weeks away after some discomfort running.

The Rams are yet to win when they have conceded the first goal and have won five of the eight in which they have opened the scoring. Warne admitted they have to start faster with what he perceives to be a low-scoring game in the Championship this season.

In Derby’s case, that is certainly true, having only been involved in two games that have had more than three goals this season.

Derby County have missed composure in their recent performances, according to Rams Daily's Nigel Owens.

The Rams' 2-1 defeat to Swansea City on Wednesday night means they have only picked up one win in their last eight Championship matches - seeing them drop to 15th in the table.

"A little bit of mentality, a little bit of composure missing," Owens told BBC Radio Derby.

"It’s just frustration that when not under pressure putting balls out of play, tracking runners like the second goal and not being motivated to do the right things in the first 10-20 minutes of the game, feel like things professional footballers in the Championship should be able to do."

Head coach Paul Warne received some criticism over his team selection in midweek after making six changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Preston North End four days earlier.

Striker Jerry Yates missed Wednesday's defeat with winger Kayden Jackson chosen to lead the line by Warne ahead of out-and-out striker James Collins, who is yet to score this season.

"No disrespect to him but he's [Jackson] been asked to play a position he hasn't in a Derby shirt for quite sometime," Rams Daily's Jason Straw added.

"One big surprise is why James Collins didn't start for me, personally."

Ed Dawes
BBC Radio Derby commentator

Image source, Rex Features

What a strange night at Pride Park.

The expectation of a first Championship night under the lights quickly evaporated as Derby County were swept aside by a rampant Swansea City.

Two goals, masterfully executed by Vipotnik and Ronald, brought boos from the home crowd who sang about their displeasure in no uncertain terms.

Six changes by head coach Paul Warne was very bold.

It was all out attack with the midfield dynamo that is Liam Thompson left to watch on from the bench as Derby were caught short.

The visitors bypassed the Rams midfield, pressed high in attack and crowded the final third.

After some treatment for goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom the Rams changed their approach and went on to control the match.

They changed their press and managed to gather as a team, but without in-form striker Jerry Yates, who was unable to play against his parent club, they were lacking that decisive finish in front of goal.

Derby seem to be lacking a controller in midfield.

Swansea’s Matt Grimes held that responsibility. He picked the ball up from the defenders and moved it forward through the middle of the field and out wide.

But when the Rams made the changes on 62 minutes, he had Liam Thompson to contend with.

He is like that annoying fly that keeps landing on your food. He will run around in front of you and pick your pocket.

Derby had seven shots on target to Swansea’s two and on the balance of play deserved something from the game.

But if you start slow you are always susceptible to being picked off.

Derby County boss Paul Warne believes his squad is overachieving based on the resources available to them.

The Rams are currently 14th in the Championship as they prepare to host Swansea on Wednesday, representing a solid start to life back in the second tier after two seasons in League One.

Derby recruited 17 new players in the summer, including five loans, and having previously admitting there were a number of individuals they were unable to secure, referenced Bolton forward Aaron Collins as one who eluded them due to price.

"I saw Collins scored in the 94th minute for Bolton at the weekend - he's a player we would have liked to sign but couldn't afford him," Warne told BBC Radio Derby.

"But I think the business we have done, supported by the board has been as good as we could get. I get sensitive when people criticise my players because I see how hard they are working and at times possibly how we're overachieving."

Derby have lost just one of their past eight Championship matches and been beaten only once at Pride Park this season.

"The lads are performing at a level that makes me really proud - would I like a team in the top two? Yes, and we're trying to make steps towards that and feel everything in the club is going really well," Warne added.

Former Derby County striker Malcolm Christie has said the Rams are predictable in possession following their 1-1 draw at Preston on Saturday.

The visitors registered only one shot on target at Deepdale, Jerry Yates' 29th- minute equaliser, and Christie has questioned his former club's performances.

"The performances that we've had and we've seen recently- it can worry you a little bit," Christie told BBC Podcast Rams Daily.

"If we have a defeat, what will that do to the confidence of the squad moving forward into these games coming thick and fast?

"The quality in the final third, for me, needs improving."

Derby sit 11th in the Championship, the best of the three promoted clubs from League One last season, but have only won one of their last seven matches, picking up five draws in that time.

"I think we can keep the ball better- the Rams leave you wanting more a little bit at times," Christie added.

"Who makes us play? Who is our playmaker in that team? I was watching Ipswich, you see Sam Morsy in the midfield, I love that sort of player who wants the ball - give me the ball!"

"We're really good out of possession, but when we have the ball, we look very predictable."

Swansea City will likely be licking their wounds after conceding an added-time winner to Leeds United during their 4-3 loss on Sunday and will be hoping not to fall to a third consecutive league defeat as they make the trip to the East Midlands to take on Derby County on Wednesday.

While the Swans are having something of a blip in results after successive defeats, the Rams are unbeaten in three league games after in-form forward Jerry Yates - on loan from Swansea - headed home an equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Preston North End on Saturday.

Yates won't be making an appearance against his parent club but Derby will be hoping their three-game unbeaten run at home can continue in his absence.

• Derby County are winless in their last three league games against Swansea City (D1 L2) since a 2-0 win in December 2020 under Wayne Rooney.

• Swansea are winless in their last five away league visits to Derby (D2 L3) since a 1-0 win under Paulo Sousa in February 2010.

• Derby have lost only one of their last 13 home league games (W10 D2), though have only won one of their previous four such games (D2 L1).

• Swansea have lost five of their eight away league games so far this season (W2 D1), their most after their opening eight such games since 2017-18 in the Premier League (also five).

• Swansea have lost only one of their previous eight away league games against newly promoted sides (W5 D2), with one such win already this season at Oxford (2-1).

Ed Dawes
BBC Radio Derby commentator

Image source, PA Media

After failing to pick up a single point on the road in their first four matches, Derby County’s latest draw away from Pride Park feels like progress.

With three draws, one win, and one defeat in their recent run, the Rams appear to be heading in the right direction.

However, it’s worth asking how many of those games they should have actually won.

At Millwall, they were minutes away from claiming all three points.

Against Oxford, they showed resilience to fight back but then retreated into their shell, barely surviving a late onslaught.

At Stoke, they were flat and deservedly left empty-handed.

While at Coventry, they executed their game plan brilliantly.

And now another draw at Preston leaves fans wanting more.

The performance at Deepdale was lacklustre.

Derby managed just five shots, with only one on target - which they scored from - but they offered little else.

The match was uninspiring, far from a showcase of the beautiful game, as both teams repeatedly gave away possession under little to no pressure.

The basics of football - communicate, run, shoot, and pass - seemed absent.

It’s astonishing how many Championship teams struggle with something as fundamental as retaining possession and passing accurately.

Sure, the weather conditions might provide an easy excuse, but let’s be honest — this isn’t a one-off. We’ve seen the same sloppiness time and again this season from multiple teams.

For Derby, improving in this area is crucial.

Good performances in training are fine, but they don’t replicate the intensity or pressure of a match situation. So after 16 games, is this all there is for Derby this season? More uninspiring matches and a mid-table finish?

Hopefully not. But perhaps it’s time to accept that a dose of perspective might need to become a regular part of the diet.

Listen to Sportscene at Six, Tuesday to Friday at 18:00, and subscribe to BBC Radio Derby's Rams Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

Derby County's 1-1 draw against Preston North End on Saturday proved to be as dreary as the weather drizzling down at Deepdale.

But, while the chances weren't raining down from either side, goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom is taking the point as a positive.

Speaking with BBC Radio Derby after the game, Zetterstrom spoke about the stormy conditions, the impact of their support away from home and stretching their form to only one defeat in their last eight games.

Derby County head coach Paul Warne told BBC Radio Derby the Rams were just a moment of quality away from turning their draw at Preston North End into a win.

"We are the away team, so I'm not overly concerned with the excitement of our performance," he said.

"We came here to win, we picked an aggressive team and I though we frustrated them in large parts.

"Our second half, while we didn't create any clear-cut chances, I thought we were the only team that were going to win it.

"Overall, away from home it's a point, a good performance, but we were just a pass or a decent cross, or decent pull-back or something away from getting the winning goal, so that's my only real complaint."

You can listen to more reaction from the draw at Preston on BBC Radio Derby's Rams Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.

Matthew Cresswell
BBC Sport England

Derby County head coach Paul Warne has compared Curtis Nelson to a gladiator after the central defender signed a contract extension at Pride Park.

Since arriving from Blackpool on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, Nelson has featured in every game of the 61 league matches he has been available for.

"He’s played virtually every minute in the league for me since I’ve been in charge," Warne told BBC Radio Derby ahead of the Rams trip to Preston North End on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

"He’s been a brilliant gladiator on the pitch."

The 51-year-old added it was a straightforward decision to offer Nelson a one-year agreement, which will take his current deal to the end of June 2026.

"It wasn’t a very difficult one, the door wasn’t locked on either side for me, his agent or himself," Warne added.

"We spoke at the end of the season and I said in the typical manager terms that I would sort him out.

"He was never any trouble, he never knocked my door down, so he was nothing but a professional and hence why I want to keep him here."

"I know you can have defenders with different attributes but, for me, they have to defend first and then everything else is a Brucie Bonus and he’s definitely, I think, improved on the ball as well."

Warne also commended Nelson's leadership qualities in a young squad which has adapted well to life back in the Championship, where they currently sit 12th.

"What he’s like off the pitch, is perfect," Warne said. "He’s excellent in the gym, he looks after himself, football means something to him.

"He gets luggy in training if someone nutmegs him - he's everything you want in a footballer".

Dominic Dietrich
BBC Radio Derby senior sports journalist

Image source, Rex Features

Derby County boss Paul Warne was in a refreshed and upbeat mood this morning at Moor Farm after a two-week international break which saw only two of his first-team players called away to international duty - midfielder Ebou Adams and goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

Warne now sets his sights on a busy period for the Rams which sees them with nine games before the new year in a variety of different kick-off times thanks to the new TV schedule.

The biggest takeaway from the press conference was the news of David Ozoh’s imminent return. Whilst Saturday at Preston will be too soon, Warne confirmed Ozoh will be back in full training with the squad next week.

The midfielder was a key part of all that was good about Derby in the opening six matches of the season before picking up an injury in the home victory against Cardiff in September.

His return will eventually come with heightened pressure but it's important to remember he is a 19-year old playing his first full season at senior level.

With Derby set to face Leeds twice, Burnley, Luton and West Brom across a tough December period, you'd have to think the Rams will want to try to make the most of Preston away next, followed by Swansea at home on Wednesday.

But, as with most Warne press conferences, it's all about the next game and every team in the Championship is strong.

Derby County midfielder David Ozoh is "close" to a return after missing the last two months through injury.

The 19-year-old Crystal Palace loanee last featured for the Rams in mid-September after picking up a hamstring injury.

Ozoh was set to return last month but suffered a setback when a quad muscle issue ruled him out for another four weeks.

"He keeps putting his face in front of mine at the buffet, so he's obviously getting closer," head coach Paul Warne told BBC Radio Derby's Rams Daily podcast in his press conference before Saturday's visit to Preston.

"When they're injured, the first few weeks, they don't want to look at the manager and when they get close, they start doing star jumps in front of the salad bowls.

"I've definitely noticed him more so that means he's obviously close. I've been told that he's going to train next week.

"It's obviously going to take him a little bit of time to catch up. I think the Sheffield Wednesday game will probably come too quick, but the one after [Leeds United on 7 December] possibly not."

Here's what else Warne also said:

• What have you made of Preston? Warne said: "I know how methodical he [Paul Heckingbottom] is and how well the team are coached. I think Preston are similar to virtually every team in the bottom 12 - that you wouldn't be surprised if they went and won three on the spin. I know how tough it's going to be and how much they want to get a home win against us, but in the same way, we're desperate to get back-to-back away wins. So we go into the game as we always do, trying to win it."

• On the benefit of the international break, he added: "Some have got some sun, some have had a city break, which they need because the next eight weeks, it feels like you're in every day. So it's a nice psychological rest and we've had a reasonable week this week."

You can listen to Warne's pre-match press conference on BBC Sounds.

Image source, BBC Sport

Preston are looking to end a run of five Championship games without a win (D3 L2) when they welcome Derby to Deepdale on Saturday afternoon.

The Rams have lost just once in their last seven (W2 D4) but have struggled away from Pride Park. However, they did pick up their first win on the road at Coventry in their last away game.

• Preston North End have won just two of their last 18 league games against Derby County (D5 L11), failing to score in eight of their last 10 matches against the Rams.

• Derby County have lost just one of their last nine away league games against Preston North End (W5 D3) despite failing to score on three of their last four visits to Deepdale.

• Since the start of April, only Coventry City (13) have lost more Championship matches than Preston North End (12).

• Derby manager Paul Warne ended a 17-game winless away run in the Championship with a 2-1 win over Coventry in their last away game. Warne last won consecutive Championship away games in March 2021 with Rotherham United.

• Derby County's Ebou Adams has made 60 tackles in the Championship this season, six more than any other player.

Image source, Getty Images

Award-winning football writer Henry Winter says the start Derby County have made to life back in the Championship should have the Rams looking ambitiously up the league ladder.

The Rams are 12th in the table after 15 games and are four points above the relegation places and six adrift of the play-off spots.

"I think a few people were thinking they would struggle, so actually they are doing pretty well," Winter told BBC East Midlands Today.

"And why shouldn't they look up?

"I mean, it's such a basket case of a division in terms of recruitment, in terms of decisions - it's actually quite nice to watch because there isn't VAR."

Derby's first game back since the international break will be a trip to Preston North End on Saturday.