Derby County will certainly be looking to add to their ranks following their open day defeat.
The Rams were always going to make extra additions throughout August, with Paul Warne making it abruptly clear that he is looking to add strikers and a goalkeeper or two to his squad before the transfer window slams shut.
However, Derby County’s 4-2 loss away at Ewood Park highlighted several issues in the squad and the fact that signings will definitely be needed this month in order to bolster Warne’s sides chances of survival.
Eiran Cashin, for example, surprisingly gave an unsatisfactory performance against Blackburn Rovers in a game where the Rams shipped four goals, and there will undoubtedly be questions asked about the central-defence.
The attacking-output of Derby County also further highlighted the necessity of more firepower up top, which has since led to Warne targeting Luton Town striker Cauley Woodrow.
However, there is another position lacking depth that must be filled following Derby County’s opening day loss.
Paul Warne must target a left-back after Derby County loss
Derby County’s Callum Elder started at left-back for the Rams unsurprisingly, with there being very few options that could slot into that position.
Whilst Elder was far from the worst on the pitch, it highlighted the sheer lack of depth in the area, with new signing Ben Osborn being one of the few who could potentially do a job there, and even then he won’t be getting utilised to the best of his ability if he is not in midfield.
There were times where the Australian full-back seemed somewhat lost, albeit he wasn’t always getting support from others at the worst of times.
Weak points in Derby County’s side must be fixed this window
There is no doubt that Derby County’s current transfer strategy sees them prioritising a striker addition this August, despite the signings of Kayden Jackson and a loan deal to attain the services of Jerry Yates from Swansea City.
However, the Derby County board should reconsider their approach as striker doesn’t seem to be as glaring of an issue in comparison to full-back.
Whilst Elder isn’t necessarily not good enough for Championship level, him having no competition and also no one to slot in if any fitness concerns are raised will certainly bring up issues later down the line for Warne’s side.
Goalkeeper is a massively troubling area at this moment, although that looks set to be somewhat fixed by the expected arrival of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom at the end of the month.
Warne has done very well to bolster his attacking and midfield options so far this summer, and providing that he focuses on defensive recruitment then they will be likely to improve on what was a very sub-par opening day performance.