Curtis Nelson shares why Derby County are better than any other Championship team at one thing

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Derby County can be pleased with the start they’ve made to life in the Championship.

The Rams’ ultimate aim for the season was, and remains, to survive relegation and Derby are currently 12th in the Championship table, boasting a four-point buffer on 22nd place Luton Town.

With just over a quarter of the campaign gone, Paul Warne’s men have the sixth-best home record in the division, collecting wins against Middlesbrough, Cardiff City, Bristol City and QPR.

Derby’s survival foundations have been built on how difficult they are to beat at Pride Park and that isn’t the only variable holding them in good stead so far.

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Curtis Nelson comments on Derby County’s set-piece record

Last season, Derby scored the most goals of any side in the football league from set pieces on their way to achieving promotion back to the second tier.

Warne’s men have continued that trend this term, scoring nine of their 15 goals from a set-piece situation.

Dajaune Brown was the latest player to profit from a dead ball, diverting Ben Osborn’s cross with a looping header over Ivor Pandur to equalise against Hull City last weekend.

Brown rose highest to score his first senior goal for Derby and he isn’t the only player who is a threat in these situations, as Curtis Nelson is arguably the biggest.

Nelson has scored twice in 12 matches this term, with both goals coming from a dead ball, and he’s now shared the secret behind their success.

“We were talking about it the other day; the gaffer was saying the aggression on the set pieces for ourselves is what’s probably getting us success,” Nelson said as per Derby’s official website.

“We are aggressive when we go to attack and we have to make sure we hit our zones. If we don’t hit our zones or don’t do things right, we know what’s coming when we get back in the changing room! We know how much it can help us going forward from games last season and especially this year.”

Derby showing the key ingredients for Championship survival

So far, Derby are showing the key elements of any team who are successful in their push for survival, not just in the Championship but any division.

The Rams are extremely tough to beat at home, as Hull found out last weekend, while their inevitability from set pieces is a side to their game that Warne has executed to perfection.

With plenty of aerially gifted players in their squad, most notably Nelson, they can continue to profit in matches and it’s this ability to score from anywhere on the pitch that gives hope of Derby surviving this season.

If the Rams can start picking up some wins on their travels to go with their home record, it’s difficult to see how they suffer relegation to the third tier, although nothing is ever guaranteed in football.