Derby County star Ben Osborn has given his verdict on the clash with Stoke City over the weekend, where the Rams fell to defeat in Staffordshire.
An uncharacteristic mistake from Jacob Widell Zetterstrom gave a penalty to the hosts, with Tom Cannon slamming the spot-kick into the bottom corner.
A poor first half prompted changes from Paul Warne which brought about some better spells in possession after the break.
It wasn’t the cutting nature of Derby that brought them back into it though, with a mistake from Ben Gibson resulting in the defender nodding the ball into his own net.
The defender had another say in the result though as he rose highest to score from a corner – ending a run of four games unbeaten for the Rams.
Ben Osborn heaps praise on Callum Elder for Derby County impact
One of those Derby changes that came at half-time against Stoke City saw Callum Elder come on for Craig Forsyth.
The change of system saw the Australian offer plenty of attacking width for the side, which was needed as they found a way into the game.
While he couldn’t have a decisive say, it did come with some praise from Osborn, who told RamsTV: “In the second half, we changed formation a little bit.
“We came back into the game, got after them a little bit, it was a bit better. Obviously, helps attacking our fans better. I thought Callum [Elder] did well when he came on. We caused them a few problems down the left.”
The left flank has been a particular problem for the Rams over the course of the season so far, with a conundrum facing Warne.
Left-back issues have seen Elder come in and out of the side, while Forsyth has struggled to offer much attacking threat.
While Corey Blackett-Taylor has impressed in small cameos, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has been preferred on that flank.
Callum Elder must play for Derby against Coventry
Next up for Derby in the league is another away trip, this time to Coventry City in mid-week, where that first win on the road is still missing.
While several changes could be made, one key one that should be on the cards is a move to bring Callum Elder back into the team.
The left-back had settled in well before his injury issues, but ever since he has seemingly been managed by the Derby head coach in terms of minutes and workload.
However, with what he showed in 45 minutes against Stoke, it’s clear that Elder must be brought in to make an impact against Coventry.
The Rams have struggled to get out of their half in some games on the road and the defender could offer an attacking outlet on that side.