Assistant Manager Jody Morris believes the club’s style of play was plain to see on Tuesday night against Blackburn Rovers and thinks Derby County are heading in the right direction.
The Rams created a number of opportunities on Tuesday night and displayed some scintillating football, enough for manager Frank Lampard to state after the game that it was the club’s best performance of the season.
It was frustrating not to get the three points, however, many positives were taken from the game. “You do get those games and you hope over the course of the season, if you play to that level, especially in the first half, then more often or not you will be on the right end of the result,” Morris told RamsTV.
“Their manager was very complimentary of us when he came into the gaffer’s office after the game and that’s nice to hear. That’s the type of football we want to be playing but we said at the beginning that we know it’s not going to happen overnight.
“When there are certain passages of play, both on and off the ball, going as well as it did in the first half and periods of the second half then you would like to capitalise when you’re so on top but it wasn’t to be.
“We feel with the style of play, it’s not only best for us what we want to do as a staff, but the best way forward for the football club and we have to stick to it. There are certain days and performances where we may be on it technically and physically but there are certain bits of luck that may not go our way.
“We need to make sure we stay on top of the mental side because the test will be mentally when you have frustrating games where you don’t get the results. I thought we stuck with it quite well on Tuesday night but you need to stay on top of it mentally.
“You need the players to buy in and to be fair the players are buying into it. Straight after the game, the gaffer said if you play to that level then you will get the right result more often than not.”
On Tuesday night, England boss Gareth Southgate was in attendance at Pride Park to cast his eye on the English talent in Lampard’s squad.
Mason Mount has been one to catch the headlines recently and he was almost the match winner on Tuesday night after his 30-yard free kick smashed the underside of the crossbar. Southgate would have been impressed with the youngster and Morris praised his midfielder and the England manager.
“The thing with Gareth, which is great, and I’m a huge fan of, is that he knows all the players all the way through the younger age groups,” Morris said. “Steve Holland, his assistant manager, came in and visited not too long ago and we spoke about Mason.
“If you are in the England set up then you’ve known about Mason Mount for a couple of years now. I’m not surprised that he wants to come and watch him. We want more young English players to be playing in the Premier League but it’s not as many as you’d like.
“If that means that he needs to look at the Championship for ones then so be it. I don’t think it means any player that’s playing. If you are going to delve into our league then they will need to be on top form and a talent and I think Mason comes under both categories.”
The Rams face four games in 14 days including a trip to Old Trafford and the assistant boss admitted: “That’s what you want and it’s something I’ll never complain about. You realise when you finish playing that you will do anything to have regular games, especially if it’s in a different competition because that means you’re doing okay and you’re successful.
“I’ll never look at a trip to Old Trafford as being in the way of anything. Let’s get it right, the bigger picture is to get promoted but at the same time, you want to go and play against the biggest and best teams and Manchester United are right up there so we’ll take each game as it comes.
“We are looking at Brentford first and we’re fully focused on that and then the minute that is out the way then we can refocus.”
