Derby County have picked up another home victory having beaten hapless Cardiff City 1-0 at Pride Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Rams were outstanding at home last season and have taken that superb form into Championship life.
After a superb 3-0 win over Bristol City just before the international break, Derby County were at it again on Saturday afternoon.
Kenzo Goudmijn scored the only goal of the game against Cardiff City, converting Callum Elder’s cross to secure a 1-0 win.
The Dutchman has been praised since that goal with Elder praising Goudmijn and teammates branding him a ‘magician’ on Instagram.
Derby could have won this one 2-0 but Ebou Adams remarkably missed an open goal, leaving boss Paul Warne to defend him after the game.
Cardiff City coach hails Derby County
That is now three home wins in a row for Derby without even conceding a goal.
Pride Park is a real fortress for Derby and nobody will fancy a trip to face Warne’s side any time soon.
Cardiff are the latest victims and this season is already becoming a real struggle for the Bluebirds.
Five games, no wins, four defeats, one goal scored, 11 goals conceded; Cardiff sit bottom of the table and Derby took full advantage on Saturday.
Boss Erol Bulut is under pressure and didn’t even speak to the media after Saturday’s game, leaving assistant Omer Riza to perform those duties.
Riza told Cardiff’s official website that he was expecting a ‘tough game’ against Derby and conceding a ‘scrappy goal’ was a real blow.
Riza added that Derby worked ‘really hard’ and that intensity was something Cardiff simply couldn’t match, almost calling on the Bluebirds squad to watch how hard work paid off for the Rams.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” said Riza. “We wanted to be able to control the game and create opportunities.
“From nothing, really, we’ve conceded a goal. From a throw in, a scrappy goal that puts us on the back foot, and then we’re chasing the game. We need to do more. Football is about chances and scoring goals. It can put you on the back foot when you don’t do that.
“I think our aggression around the pitch has got to be a lot better, and our intensity to get close to them. Derby worked really hard today, and hard work sometimes pays off. It’s not where we want to be. We’ve performed well in patches, but it’s not enough. We’ll keep trying to get better, win games, and tidy up on the things we’re not doing well,” he added.
Bulut on the brink
That praise is lovely to read and Warne will certainly be happy with how his side has performed in the opening weeks of the Championship season.
This game may be the final one for Cardiff boss Bulut though as his torrid start to the campaign could see him lose his job.
The Telegraph’s John Percy claims that Cardiff are now considering whether to axe Bulut, claiming that the Turkish boss is now ‘facing the sack’.
Derby’s win appears to have pushed Bulut on the brink and Riza may yet follow him out of the club.
Warne won’t love seeing another manager lose his job but that is the nature of the game, especially in the Championship.
This league is so tight and so competitive that you are never far away from a tough run of form.
Warne absolutely knows that after his time at Rotherham United and that’s why celebrating these wins is so important.