Positive signs as it’s two wins out of two
NEW RECRUITS IMPRESS AS HERTHA BERLIN DEFEATED
Sponsored by:
DERBY County made it two wins out of two in pre-season as another impressive performance secured a 1-0 victory over Hertha Berlin at Pride Park Stadium.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a composed finish after David McGoldrick saw a shot cannon off the upright. Rams goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith had a quiet opening 45 minutes as Curtis Davies and James Chester both enjoyed a solid first half.
But Wildsmith was beaten when Dodi Lukebakio hit an upright with a fine curling effort after the break which was the closest the visitors came to scoring.
Jason Knight then hit a post for Derby with a low free-kick in what was a classy performance by the midfielder.
Here are the main talking points from the game:
■■Classy McGoldrick
The former Sheffield United striker may not be blessed with an abundance of pace but his speed of thought was hugely impressive.
Deployed alongside James Collins in a 4-4-2 formation, the forward played with a great deal of intelligence to underline why Derby were so keen to sign him.
It was an education for any aspiring front player in terms of his awareness as he dropped into pockets of space and his positioning was a class above. He played a huge role in the winner as he danced past a challenge before being denied by the goalkeeper and then a post.
Fortunately, when the rebound came to Nathaniel Mendez-Laing the winger was not just composed but also clinical in applying the finish. McGoldrick only played 45 minutes as Derby continue to work on his fitness but he was an absolute joy to watch in the time he was on the pitch.
The fans were quick to praise his performance but it was justifiable given how he cleverly drifted into areas where Hertha were unsure whether to follow or stay in position. He’s a thinking man’s footballer and even though he was making his bow in a Rams shirt, the first impressions are that it looks an incredibly astute bit of transfer business.
■■A winger’s work is never done
Tom Barkhuizen and MendezLaing have been brought to Derby to add craft and ingenuity out wide and both players have already showcased that in pre-season.
They are off the mark in terms of goals but as the game has progressed, the days of wingers just hugging touchlines and running at full-backs are long gone.
Football demands they are more defensively aware, particularly as full-backs now supply a lot of width in attack. And what will have pleased Rosenior is the way his summer signings certainly did not shirk their responsibilities running back towards their own goal.
There was a moment in the first half when Mendez-Laing ran 60 yards to stop a Hertha counterattack which drew a terrific ovation from the fans.
Wingers may not like doing the hard yards when they are there to be creative but that willingness to work is just as important as what they do in the final third.
■■Knight’s versatility
He started at right-back, he then moved up front before switching into midfield.
Is there anything that Jason Knight can’t do? It is a measure of his quality that no matter what position he played, everything about his work was accomplished.
At 21, it’s remarkable to see a player of that age blessed with so much maturity allied with a great understanding of the game.
No wonder Championship sides are being linked with him because he oozes class in everything he does. He looks to be a manager’s dream not just in terms of his ability but his attitude too.
Only the woodwork stopped him from leaving this game with a goal that his performance deserved.
There’s been a lot of talk about players incoming but keeping Knight at Pride Park will be among the great business they do this summer.
■■An important reminder
It has not taken the bookies long to install the Rams as one of the favourites for promotion from League One this season, presumably on the back of the impressive transfers they’ve completed so far.
But it must be remembered that for all of the high-quality additions, this is still a team that has been assembled in a very short space of time.
James Collins, who played up front, only had a couple of sessions having joined the Rams in midweek, while Conor Hourihane, James Chester and McGoldrick have not even had a fortnight at the club.
After Clowes Developments completed their takeover on July 1, the Rams have built a new team from the ground up and the speed with which the side has been put together has been impressive.
But there is still a lot of work to do to get them fully fit as the season approaches.
It’s very easy to fall into the trap of using pre-season games as a barometer of how well the season will pan out.
The reality is that other teams will have had a headstart on Derby in terms of pre-season preparations, while the Rams are still learning the shape, style and structure interim boss Liam Rosenior wants to implement.
So far the signs look good but it’s important we do not get carried away in the process.
There is a reason why no manager places any emphasis on pre-season results.