Tom Huddlestone felt Derby County’s meeting with UEFA Champions League bound TSG 1899 Hoffenheim was just what the players needed ahead of their trip to Sunderland next Friday.
The Rams produced a spirited display against Julian Nagelsmann’s side, but eventually fell to a 2-1 defeat at Pride Park Stadium.
Lukas Rupp opened the scoring by bundling in a close-range effort on the hour mark and after substitute Matej Vydra had levelled matters, Sandro Wagner, the German international striker, struck the winner with a well-executed shot from the edge of the area.
It was Derby’s seventh and final fixture of a fruitful pre-season campaign ahead of their Sky Bet Championship curtain-raiser at the Stadium of Light.
Assessing the game, Huddlestone told RamsTV: “We defended fairly well. In our attacking play, we were caught out sometimes on whether we needed to press or fully keep our shape.
“It made it easy for them to pass their way through to our back four. Saying that, Scotty Carson didn’t have to make too many saves over the game.
“At the other end, Matej took his goal well. I thought over the last 15 minutes we fully committed to the pressing and that forced the error that led to the goal.
“It was disappointing to concede so soon after that.
“That aside, it was very useful as a workout and it was just what we needed.
“We have played a few lower league teams, especially since I have been part of the club, so hopefully to play a higher level of opposition will be beneficial to us when we start the season.”
Huddlestone also took time to speak about Hoffenheim’s eye-catching style of play.
Particularly in the first half, Nagelsmann’s side, who achieved a fourth-place finish in Bundesliga last season, bossed the possession and showed a big appetite to take risks and try and play out from the back.
“There’s not many teams in Europe that try and play that kind of football,” Huddlestone added.
“Their goalkeeper has had as many touches as most of their players and they all trusted each other with the ball.
“Defensively, they press very well and, again, they trust everybody behind them to lock on to their man.
“I don’t know if it is a German philosophy – Liverpool play the same way under Jurgen Klopp – and it appears to be a new way of playing.
“Thankfully, there aren’t too many teams in the Championship that play like that!”
Only six days separates the Rams now from their season opener against Simon Grayson’s Sunderland.
The match represents a tasty start for Derby and the intrigue now rests on Rowett and what starting XI he will opt for at the Stadium of Light.
And Huddlestone feels the players, over the course of pre-season, have given the Rams’ manager a real headache heading into next week.
He added: “Sunderland have just come down from the Premier League so they will be one of the sides trying to bounce back up.
“We will go into the game full of confidence, though. We have got 20 or 22 players that all feel that should be in the starting XI and I think the manager is going to have a bit of a headache.
“We all feel ready and just want to get started now.”
