Derby County continued their pre-season preparations on Wednesday evening with a meeting against League Two side Chesterfield.
Paul Warne aims to keep Derby County in the Championship in 2024/25 following promotion from League One.
The Rams kick off their season with a curtain raiser against Blackburn Rovers on Friday, August 9th, and Warne expects three more new players to arrive before then after getting six through the door.
Before that, Derby are preparing with some warm-up games, beginning their pre-season with a 3-0 victory over local side Matlock Town before securing a 1-0 win against Stockport County in Spain.
Derby’s third fixture of the summer was a trip to League Two side Chesterfield, where Warne’s men were thumped 4-0 on a disappointing night.
The result looked extremely poor on paper however, pre-season is more about learning from mistakes, so with that in mind, here are three things we spotted in the loss to the Spireites.
Ebou Adams played in an advanced midfield role
Ebou Adams made his stay at Pride Park permanent this summer following a fantastic loan spell in the second half of last season.
The Gambian completely transformed Derby’s midfield into a well-oiled machine, capable of winning possession back swiftly and showcasing ferocity in the tackle.
From January onwards, the Rams only conceded nine goals with him in the side as he helped them secure promotion.
Adams greatest strengths are protecting the defence and putting his body on the line for the team, however, against Chesterfield, he was deployed in an advanced role.
The 28-year-old has often received criticism for his lack of technical ability and that was the case against the League Two outfit, as Derbyshire Live’s Leigh Curtis slammed him in his player ratings.
He wrote: “Played as an advanced number eight and his passing let him down at times. Couldn’t fault his application but just needs to sharpen up his technical work.
Playing Adams further forward is an experiment that didn’t work, and he should return to his usual deeper role in competitive matches.
Mendez-Laing & Kayden Jackson were a threat in behind
Derby’s squad was one of the oldest in League One last term as Warne carried the weight of several experienced players.
That meant his side often lacked pace in transition but with the addition of Kayden Jackson, in particular, they now have a player who is a threat in behind.
For the match against Chesterfield, he partnered with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing in the attack and the duo looked dangerous when the ball was played over the defence, they were just unable to finish their chances.
Curtis hailed Jackson’s ‘blistering pace’ and claimed he ‘pressed well’, so if he can combine that with better finishing, Derby will be more of a threat next season.
Kenzo Goudmijn looks the part
Derby dipped into the foreign market to sign Dutchman Kenzo Goudmijn from AZ Alkmaar.
Warne landed the playmaker for a price of £600,000 and the 22-year-old already looks like a bargain.
Goudmijn was deployed in an attacking midfield role on Wednesday night, impressing with his technical attributes, including his ability to manipulate the ball, find pockets of space and pick out the right passes.
Curtis was left impressed by his performance, saying: “Some glorious touches in the first half and the weight of his passes were excellent. Did the right things at the right time and looks a good buy. Best player in possession.”
Goudmijn was a rare highlight from the 4-0 defeat and he’s given Derby supporters a flavour of the qualities he’ll bring to the party, with Warne reliant on his creativity to unlock defences.