Blackburn Rovers looked a level above Derby County on Friday night, as the new Championship campaign got underway.
Paul Warne will have been disappointed to see his Derby County side outclassed away at Blackburn Rovers on Friday night.
In fairness, Rovers looked solid, well-drilled, and whilst Derby County showed the odd glimpse of a side ready to compete in the Championship, they’ve given fans little hope for the season ahead.
Curtis Nelson headed home a corner in the second half to bring the scores to 1-1.
Soon after, though, Blackburn were back in front, and soon after that they had a 4-1 lead, with Kane Wilson scoring a late consolation.
Kenzo Goudmijn impressed Derby County fans on the night, though on the whole it was a poor performance, and one that’s highlighted the need for some more star quality in the first-team squad.
Giving his verdict on the game, journalist Leigh Curtis highlighted one ‘scary’ difference between the two sides, which will certainly worry Warne.
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One difference between Blackburn Rovers and Derby County was ‘scary’
John Eustace’s Blackburn Rovers largely dominated the game.
Following a brief spell of Derby pressure after the break, Rovers quickly reasserted themselves, and cut through Derby far too easily.
And Blackburn managed to get back on top with their substitutions in the second half, one of whom being former Derby County man Andi Weimann who went on to score.
Giving his verdict on the game, Curtis highlighted the ‘scary’ difference in quality of the substitutes on the night, which arguably handed Blackburn the win.
The aim for Paul Warne and Derby County is now clear
There was a sense that Derby County lacked overall quality in their squad before the Blackburn game.
And the second half performance has certainly nailed that home. So for Warne and the Derby County owners, there’s now added emphasis for the remainder of the summer transfer window.
The Rams need to add a bit more quality and depth to their ranks so that they too have players who can come off the bench and change a game.
The eventual inclusion of Jerry Yates will certainly help. But he alone won’t change Derby’s fortunes in the Championship this season.
Signing quality will be easier said than done, and Derby may have to rely on last-minute loans in this summer’s transfer window.
But something certainly needs to be done to address what was a worrying opening game.