Derby County are starting to see the best from summer signing Sonny Bradley as he stamps his place in the first-team.
He’s had to be patient, but Sonny Bradley is finally starting to make his mark on the first-team at Derby County. The experienced defender made waves as he left Premier League bound Luton Town to join the League One outfit.
There were great expectations of a centre-back that’s seen it all, with multiple promotions and captaincy under his belt. But they were not met early on, some part down to mistakes, but also due to the tactical setup.
Derby manager Paul Warne attempted to start the campaign with his favoured three-at-the-back formation, with Bradley and Curtis Nelson added to contribute in the centre. Wing-backs were also signed to maximise this system.
Just three wins from their first eight in all competitions saw the 3-5-2 ditched for a back four, which would stay that way until late January.
A slew of errors at the back and problems in progressing the ball saw that switch to a four against Carlisle United. Eiran Cashin and Nelson were preferred to Bradley, who was limited to cameo appearances to seal victories from the bench.
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While that is still an important role, it won’t have been the one he envisaged when joining the months prior.
The return of the back three
That has changed since, with injuries forcing Warne’s hand into making some tweaks with his tactics. The most notable of those issues has been to Ryan Nyambe, Craig Forsyth and Callum Elder, with all three able to play as traditional full-backs comfortably.
Compare that to his available options of Louie Sibley, Joe Ward and Kane Wilson and things naturally swing towards using wing-backs instead. The key change came in the clash with Cheltenham, where Bradley came on with the game level.
A back three gave the Rams a better base for possession at the back, beating the press easier and progressing the ball better. A late Max Bird winner secured the victory and the three has been favoured for the majority of matches since.
It’s been far from perfect, but when it works, the Rams are able to give themselves a solid defence, a comfortable possession base and plenty of width with their wing-backs. Bradley has been at the heart of that at a key time of the season.
The 32-year-old is capable of throwing his body on the line when required, with an aerial ability that is key in both boxes for the manager. His leadership and experience will also be key in getting any title challenge over the line.
In a time where players need to stand up and be counted, the marquee signing of the summer is finally having his time to shine. It may not have been the season he had hoped for so far on a personal level, but Bradley can still write a chapter in the story of this campaign.