Blunt attack needs to be sharpened
IT is more than six hours since Derby County scored – 366 minutes, to be precise, since Colin Kazim-Richards’ strike denied Nottingham Forest a win.
Derby have failed to find the net in their last four matches, against Cardiff City, Coventry City, Barnsley and Millwall.
They have also failed to score in half their 36 League fixtures and on only five occasions have they scored more than once in a game.
The last time they went more than four League games without a goal was 13 years ago, 2007, when they did not not score in seven consecutive Premier League fixtures.
Sharpening the attacking threat and searching for greater creativity are the problems likely to dominate Wayne Rooney’s thoughts as the manager ponders his starting 11 to face Brentford tonight.
Whether Derby go 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-3, they need more threat from the wide areas. Kamil Jozwiak has one goal in 32 appearances (26 starts), Martyn Waghorn three in 27 (17 starts) but only one from open play.
Patrick Roberts showed enough in the first half against Coventry City and when he came off the bench against Millwall to start against Brentford, while young midfielder Louie Watson is pushing for a first senior start.
The 19-year-old got on the ball and looked to thread passes through the lines. Rooney has praised Watson’s contribution as a substitute in three of the last four games and there comes a time to take the next step.
“He is a young lad, he has not been with the first team for that long, so it is important I manage him right in this period,” said Rooney, before adding: “But I am delighted he is with us. He is a player who excites me, a player who has great character.
“He is a talker and he is going to be an important player for us, certainly for next season but also in the 10 games coming up.”
The last three games have highlighted a need to get support in and around striker Kazim-Richards. His influence on the team means he is being tightly marked and so a strike partner (Lee Gregory, maybe) or a number 10 ( Louie Sibley, maybe) could give defenders something else to think about. Rooney has demanded more from Sibley.
“He (Sibley) needs to do more, he has to do more when he comes on,” Rooney said at the weekend.
Derby have missed the attacking option Tom Lawrence can provide.
The Welsh international has been out since December due to an ankle injury but returns to the squad for the Brentford game.
Although yet to score this season, and having shown inconsistent form earlier in the campaign, Lawrence can operate in a wide role or a more central position.
Rooney has shown he is not afraid to make changes. He has options at centre-back and at full-back or wingback. The balance in midfield has been hit by Krystian Bileik’s longterm injury and needs addressing.
It would mean another raft of changes and would be a bold selection but could Rooney go with this 11?
■■Roos; Byrne, Wisdom, Clarke, Forsyth; Watson, Shinnie; Roberts, Sibley, Jozwiak; Kazim-Richards.
1.20pm Metier, 1.55pm Shishkin, 2.30pm Aye Right, 3.05pm Epatante, 3.40pm Roksana, 4.15pm Hell Red, 4.50pm Snow Leopardess (NAP).