Thu 08 Feb - Posted in Feature
Time to read: 3mins
With 30 games gone, Derby County boast one of the best defensive records in the Sky Bet Championship, something that can be attributed to the consistency of selection at the back.
Scott Carson, Richard Keogh and Curtis Davies have started every single one of Derby’s league games so far this season, as the Rams find themselves in the second automatic promotion place with 16 fixtures to go.
Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have conceded less goals (22) than Gary Rowett’s side so far (23), and where better to start this look at Derby’s defensive record but with our supreme No.1…
It was perhaps lost in the hype of Tom Huddlestone and Cameron Jerome notching their first goals for the club, but our ‘keeper reached an impressive personal milestone against Brentford on Saturday.
The shutout against the Bees was his 50th for the Rams in just 120 appearances, and he’s conceded just 117 goals during that time.
Outstanding form this season has contributed to his record dipping below a goal conceded per game, with Derby keeping 16 clean sheets in their 30 league games so far, including nine during the current run of 11 games unbeaten.
A true reflection of Derby’s solidity is the fact that Carson’s record of 58 saves so far this season is the third least when compared to other clubs, but when he does make a stop, often it’s spectacular.
Incredible saves against Middlesbrough and Barnsley caught the eye in brilliant away wins, with the reflex stop from Britt Assombalonga at the Riverside Stadium coming with the scores goalless, before Matej Vydra ran riot as Derby won 3-0.
Keogh’s adventurous runs forward have been a theme of this season, with the most memorable ending in a game-clinching goal when he played through Johnny Russell as the clock ticked down against Aston Villa.
That pass was Keogh’s fourth assist in the Championship this season, a number that is more than any other centre-back in the division.
Earlier this season, Rowett hailed his captain as the best ball-playing defender in the league, and that is a statement that would be difficult to argue with.
What a bonus it is for the Derby boss to have a defender with the ability to drive forward with the ball and create opportunities for his teammates, as well as provide near-faultless defensive qualities down the other end.
With a new contract until 2021 signed and sealed, Derby fans can look forward to more of the same from the skipper.
Before we move on to Davies’ role in the Rams’ defensive form this season, it is worth a moment to praise the man that has provided solidity to Derby’s left-hand side, alongside the former Hull City defender.
Craig Forsyth has played a key role so far this season, and he’s blocked more crosses (25) than any other player in the league.
To the right of him is Davies, the player that made the most interceptions in the Premier League throughout the whole of last season, and he’s carried on in similar vein at Pride Park Stadium.
He’s made 81, which is a league-high figure, and it’s worth arguing that his quality at the back has allowed the previously impressive Keogh to flourish even more.
Only Pontus Jansson (260) has completed more clearances than Davies (255), and if this back-three can continue to start together, you wouldn’t want to bet against the Rams ending the season with the best defensive record in the league.
