Derby County boss Paul Warne has hailed two ‘colossal’ Rams players following their Boxing Day win over Wigan Athletic.
Derby County made the trip up north to face Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, for what promised to be a tough outing in League One.
But the Rams continued their fine form with a 1-0 win courtesy of a Curtis Nelson goal in the 19th minute; Derby County have now lost just one of their last 12 in all competitions, winning seven of their last eight in the league.
Warne now finds his side in 4th place of the table but just two points behind Peterborough United in 2nd, with Bolton Wanderers in 3rd.
And after yesterday’s game, Warne was quick to praise his side, and quick to praise the performances of centre-backs Nelson and Eiran Cashin.
Paul Warne hails ‘colossal’ Derby County duo
Derby County have conceded just 18 goals in their opening 22 League One fixtures this season, making them the best defensive side in the league.
And between them, Cashin and Nelson have missed just one game so far this season, forming a formidable centre-pairing at the heart of the Rams’ defence.
Speaking to the club after yesterday’s game, Warne said:
“It’s difficult to play against Wigan, so I liked how the lads took on the detail. I liked our energy and our confidence on the ball and I liked when called upon we could do the ugly stuff. It would have taken some goal to beat Cash and Nels today as I thought they were colossal at the back.”
As per Sofascore, Cashin made more clearances then anyone yesterday (10), with Nelson making the second-most (5).
On top of that, Cashin made 3 interceptions and 3 tackles, winning 3 out of 4 duels compared to Nelson’s 5 duels out of 8.
Cashin also made more passes than any of his teammates (42), with Nelson making 32.
Rams’ defensive record could be the difference
It’s not often been the case, but Derby County are proving to be fairly watertight this season.
The Rams have already kept 10 clean sheets this season and in Cashin in particular, they arguably have a player who could be playing in the Premier League right now.
Ongoing links to Brighton are no joke and his stats in yesterday’s win at Wigan showcase just how dominant he is and how important he is to Derby’s promotion credentials this season.
Securing his future remains a key priority for 2024, though it seems inevitable that he’ll eventually leave the club.
But right now, with Cashin and Nelson at the back, Warne has the best defensive partnership in the league with Derby’s defensive record this season serving to prove that.
Yesterday’s performance though was a big team performance; Derby got the job done against a tricky Wigan side, managing to keep the pace on the top three during this congested run of form.
Up next for Warne’s side is another tough away outing, with a trip to Oxford United on the cards for Friday night.