Derby County were beaten 2-0 by high flyers Sunderland on Tuesday night and in doing so, Paul Warne matched an unwanted Championship record.
Following their promotion from League One, Derby’s home and away form has been chalk and cheese.
Despite losing 3-2 against Norwich City on Saturday, the Rams have won three of their four matches at Pride Park and kept three clean sheets.
On the flip side, Derby’s latest 2-0 defeat against Sunderland saw them record their fourth Championship loss on the bounce.
Paul Warne’s men have struggled to replicate their home form outside of Derbyshire and that unfortunately means an unwanted record has been equalled.
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Derby County’s winless away run matches 40-year club record
Warne was disappointed with the quality of his Derby side in possession while the only player to merit any praise from the defeat was Kenzo Goudmijn.
The 22-year-old was a beacon of light in the middle of the park for the Rams, and although he applied himself brilliantly, he couldn’t prevent the loss.
As pointed out by journalist Dominic Dietrich, Derby’s defeat at the Stadium of Light means they’ve started the season with four away losses outside of the top flight for the first time since the 1983/84 campaign.
The last time they achieved the same feat at England’s top table was in their infamous 2007/08 campaign, where they suffered relegation on a record-low 11 points.
Derby will want to quickly forget about this record in a hurry but they can only do that by winning a match on their travels, and their next opportunity is against Millwall after the international break.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 11 |  SwanseaSwansea | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 11 |
| 12 |  Oxford UnitedOxford United | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 11 |
| 13 |  DerbyDerby | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 9 |
| 14 |  Bristol CityBristol City | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 9 |
| 15 |  MillwallMillwall | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 8 |
Millwall are currently one point and two places below the Rams in the table, so perhaps this is one of the best chances they’re going to get to end the miserable run.
Why Derby County struggle away from home
Derby will often surrender possession on their travels, as expected, but when it comes to hurting their opponents in transition, Warne’s men often struggle.
Currently, there isn’t a focal point in the Derby squad to lead the line. A target forward is useful to deploy away from home, as their ability to outmuscle defenders and hold up possession offers some much needed respite.
Warne is relying on Jerry Yates to do that job, and he’s at his best when he’s stretching defences in behind as opposed to holding up possession and linking play.
This means that when Derby clear the ball, it is often launched straight back at them, with the back line offered no chance of respite and that is when mistakes can creep in.
For their next match away from home, perhaps Warne should try James Collins as the focal point and utilise Yates from the bench against tiring a defence.