Former Derby County boss Gary Rowett has given his verdict on the start of the season the Rams have faced back in the Championship so far.
Paul Warne’s side have settled in well to life back in the second tier, despite a difficult start away at Blackburn Rovers in the first match of the campaign.
Derby have made Pride Park a fortress, winning four games, drawing one and losing one in six games in their home matches.
On their travels there have been more struggles, with no win on the road so far but two positive points in trips to Millwall and Oxford United.
It places the Rams in mid-table, though with a group of teams just a few points behind, they will be keen to extend that to keep them safe from the bottom three in the Championship.
Gary Rowett praises Paul Warne job at Derby County
With Derby around the quarter-stage of the season, there is some hope that they can continue the form they’ve shown so far.
Despite some concerns still circling at times, former boss Gary Rowett has given his verdict with plenty of praise for the Rams.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “Brilliant, I think he [Paul Warne] did a brilliant job last season. Everyone spoke about Derby, should go up because of this, because of that but you know what, it’s a lot easier to say and a lot harder to do and I think he got them over the line fantastically well.
“Derby this year, I think sometimes when you’re getting 29,000 [fans] in every week, people think that they’re gonna start challenging at the top end of the division but I think for me it’s a season of stability, can you stay in the division without looking over your shoulder too much?
“And I think Paul Warne has done that really, really well, they’ve built the squad, it’s an incredibly competitive squad, what they maybe lack in some areas with a bit of quality, they make up with competitive spirit.”
The depth is starting to show how well Derby have built to be competitive, even if the aim is just to survive over the course of the season.
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Derby County squad depth will be key amid injury concerns
Injury concerns are a natural part of football now, with the fixture schedule causing plenty of problems for teams up and down the division.
For Derby, they are no different but will have to hope that the injury gods are kind to them if and when they strike.
To cover for that, a competitive squad has been built over the summer by adding in a mixture of smart permanent signings and loan entries.
Marcus Harness, for example, can cover the midfield, the wide flanks and attacking midfield positions if required.
Ebou Adams can compete up and down the spine while Nat Phillips is also capable of slotting into a back three of four if required.
Flexibility has become one of the core strengths of this Derby side and it’s one that could help them in those moments of weakness.