Mini-slump means that Leeds will be more dangerous
FRANK Lampard believes Leeds United’s run of three successive defeats makes them more dangerous opponents for Derby County tonight (7.45pm).
Derby travel to Elland Road to take on the Championship leaders in a televised clash.
Leeds won seven games on the spin before they lost 2-0 at home to Hull City and then 4-2 against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
They also lost 2-1 to Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup last weekend.
Lampard was asked if this is a good time to play Leeds.
“Good question. Probably not, because good teams react and having had a couple of results as they have had, they are going to want a reaction - and they will have their home fans behind them,” he said.
“This league will do it to all of us they are not the only team.
“It’s probably credit to Leeds that this is the first time they have had to think in this way - that they have lost two games in a row, or three including the FA Cup.
“So we just have to focus on ourselves. We know their attributes, we know how well they play and what a good team they are.
“We are not thinking necessarily on form, we’re thinking about what we’re going to come up against but first of all, what we are going to bring to the table.
“If we bring our best game, we can give anyone in this league a good game.”
Lampard believes the Rams are in a much better position to challenge Leeds this time than they were in the teams’ first meeting this season.
Derby won their opening fixture of the campaign at Reading but lost their first home game 4-1 to Leeds in Lampard’s first match at Pride Park since his appointment in the summer.
Mateusz Klich gave Leeds a fifthminute lead before Tom Lawrence equalised from a free kick.
Kemar Roofe headed Leeds back in front midway through the first half and the visitors scored twice around the hour mark through Roofe and Ezgjan Alioskis to take the three points.
“That was a tough game for us because they came here a very fancied side, a very settled side and very good players, albeit with a new manager,” said Lampard.
“We were very transitional at that point. We had a lot of changes, without making excuses. Since then we have had a lot of time to work. I would like to think we will give them a better challenge in this game than we did in that one.
“I feel like we’ve improved since then but they played very well and have continued to do so. The table doesn’t lie. They and Norwich have been really strong in the first half of the season.”
Asked what effect the result had on him so early in his managerial career, Lampard said: “I am a young boss but I am an old player.
“I got beaten 4-1 before myself and I’ve realised it is not the be-all and end-all, it is football.
“Let’s get it right, it could happen again on Friday, or next week against anybody.
“I had a bit more perspective than that. It was a tough day and sometimes those make you a little bit stronger, for sure.
“It was a defeat and a good reminder at that point for all of us of the battles we had to come to try and get to where we want to be.”
Derby sit sixth in the Championship and eight points behind leaders Leeds, who boast the best home record in the division, having won eight and drawn three of their 13 League games at Elland Road.
On the test facing his team, Lampard said: “It is a great atmosphere (at Elland Road), always has been.
“They are top, they are pushing to get back to the Premier League and it is a club that has history and a fan base that deserves to be there, for sure.
“It will be difficult for the players but we have to use it as a positive. We have to enjoy the atmosphere, try to negate it, try to change it and try to play our football. That is the only way to go into a place that is quite hot, in terms of atmosphere. That is up to us.
“It is going to be a tough game, hard-fought, hopefully fought in the right way in terms of on the pitch and respect off the pitch.
We will see who comes out on top. “I’m looking forward to it and the players need to look forward to it. We need to understand it is a tough test but also believe in ourselves.
“In terms of our promotion hopes, there is a long way to go after this game but it’s a nice test for ourselves and, of course, if we can claw back some points on the likes of Leeds, then great.”
IT’S January and Derby County are in the Championship’s top six again.
We have been here before, three or four times in the last five seasons, and we have been higher than we are now.
But this time it feels different. We have seen all of the teams and there are none to fear, especially if we can show more consistency in performances and results.
Derby are sixth but only six points off second place.
This is a big opportunity and this is why I believe manager Frank Lampard should be backed in this transfer window.
Frank showed in the summer with his signings that he can be cute in the transfer market.
Look at the contributions of Harry Wilson, Mason Mount, Jack Marriott and Fikayo Tomori. They have made 106 appearances between them.
Look at the number of goals Wilson, Marriott and Mount have scored - 26 between them. Where would we be without those goals?
I know the club have backed previous managers and it has not worked out.
We have had managers who have spent ridiculous amounts of money and we have had players on long contracts and big wages who just haven’t been good enough, in my opinion.
Frank has done well in his seven months as Derby manager. He is impressive, I like his philosophy, I like what he is trying to do with the team but he is just short of players able to take that forward. He hasn’t quite got the quality in certain areas.
I’m not asking for wholesale signings this month but we need two, maybe three, of the right type of signings, the right quality and age to help this young team stay in the hunt.
If that happens, who knows where it will take us?
Frank has already gone on record as saying any new signings in January will be minimal and ins are likely to depend on how many players can be moved out.
His rebuilding job was always going to take more than one window. I also understand the financial constraints and that Financial Fair Play is something clubs have to be aware of but that doesn’t take away the fact that this is a big opportunity.
A NUMBER of Derby County players are out of contract at the end of the season but I would offer only one of them a new deal.
That player would be Craig Bryson.
I would look to extend his contract by another year to keep him in and around the team.
He has been a fantastic servant to the club.
He loves the club. He knows what Derby County are all about. He has been through the good times and through the tough times here. He understands what the fans want to see on the pitch and he know what promotion would mean to the fans.
Bryson is 32 but we have given other experienced players like Chris Baird and Alex Pearce one-year extensions in recent seasons.
Bradley Johnson, Jacob Butterfield, David Nugent, Marcus Olsson, Joe Ledley, Nick Blackman and Pearce are coming to the end of their deals and I think the time is right for them to move on.
We have stockpiled players for long enough. Players have to earn new contracts, for me.
IF George Thorne is a success in his loan spell at Luton Town it could pay dividends for the Rams.
It is a massive move for George. He is going to a good club, they are second in the table and they play the right way.
Luton have been progressing for a few years now and they appear to be heading in the right direction.
Derby fans have an affinity with George and many of them are hoping there is going to be a “part two” for him at Derby.
It is the right time for him to go out and play some football.
He doesn’t fit into first-team plans here at the moment but things can change.
You cannot be judged on how you play in the Under-23s and so it is a massive opportunity for him to show what he can do.
Hopefully, he will be injury-free and he can get his career back on track.
And, hopefully, that will pay dividends for Derby.
We continually talk about this holding role in midfield but I don’t think we have had a natural holding midfielder since Thorne. When fit and playing well, he took the role to a new level.
We have seen a number of players play the position in the last few years but never really look natural in the role. Thorne understands the role.
If Thorne plays regularly at Luton, gets fit and builds his confidence which has probably taken a knock, then who knows? We might not have seen the last of him in a Derby shirt.
He suffered bad injuries playing for Derby, so we want Thorne to go to Luton and tear it up.