Derby County clinched a point against Hull City on Saturday as one player produced a disappointing performance at Pride Park.
Dajaune Brown’s equaliser in the second half cancelled out Xavier Simons’ rocket as the spoils were shared between Derby County and Hull.
The Rams have extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to four matches following a win over QPR and three successive 1-1 draws against Millwall, Oxford and the Tigers.
So far, Paul Warne can be pleased with the start they’ve made in the second tier, currently sitting 12th in the table and just four points outside the playoffs.
However, there was one player who produced an uncharacteristically poor display in Saturday’s draw, and Warne has now explained why.
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Kenzo Goudmijn looked ‘jaded’ vs Hull City
Since arriving from AZ Alkmaar in the summer, Kenzo Goudmijn has been brilliant for Derby, supplying technical excellence alongside the dogged and determined Ebou Adams.
Warne even compared Goudmijn to Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch last week due to his complete midfield displays, with the 22-year-old operating in every central position, including as a deep-lying playmaker and a number ten.
Despite making a strong start to his Rams career, the talented Dutchman has dropped his level in recent weeks.
Goudmijn was ‘quiet’ in the draw against Oxford and ‘didn’t look right’ on Saturday, managing just 23 touches, making 10 accurate passes and losing possession eight times.
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It was a rare lacklustre display from the midfielder and Warne has now come to the defence of his star, claiming he was ‘tired’ after playing three games in a week.
“He did look tired, but a lot of them did,” Warne said as per Derbyshire Live.
“You have to remember that in Holland they play from week to week, and the Championship is a physical league where they are all elite athletes. But I don’t think it has come as a surprise to Kenzo, and that’s why I think he is brave to take the challenge and come over here.
“He’s really hard on himself if things don’t go right. In moments he did well at the weekend, but he did look jaded. But Marcus (Harness), Kane (Wilson) and Kayden (Jackson) looked jaded too. There were some tired bodies after three games in a week.”
Goudmijn needs to be rested vs Stoke City
Goudmijn has started every single game in the Championship this term and the workload is beginning to take its toll.
From playing in the Dutch league, where the football is less intense to plying his trade in one of Europe’s most physically demanding competitions, it was always going to be a challenging step up.
The young midfielder has taken to the technical side of the game like a duck to water but after playing so many matches of late, he could do with a rest against Stoke City.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Minutes played |
| Championship | 12 | 2 | 899 |
| Carabao Cup | 2 | 0 | 105 |
The season hasn’t even reached November yet, and Goudmijn has already played over 1000 minutes of football.
In a position that demands arguably the most out of a player physically, dropping him to the bench next weekend could be the right call from Warne, with Ben Osborn perhaps starting instead.