Derby County Head Coach Paul Warne says his team will have to be 'right on song' when they take on Burton Albion in Sky Bet League One action on Monday evening (8pm kick-off).
The Rams are looking to bounce back from Tuesday's 1-0 Bristol Street Motors Trophy Round of 16 defeat to Bradford City when the Brewers visit Pride Park Stadium and maintain their impressive run of form in the league after picking nine wins from their last 11.
Speaking to RamsTV ahead of Monday night's fixture, Warne reflected on the midweek defeat to the Bantams and looked ahead to the clash with the Brewers.
On Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's new contract...
I'm really pleased with the news and really pleased for him as well. His performances have merited it. He's an important part of our team and the group. We're trying to get as many minutes out of him as we can by balancing his training a little bit more and he's been really effective, he's a weapon for us and there's no disputing that. The team is significantly better with him in it. He wants to play in the Championship again and that's the intention of everybody here.
On his relationship with Mendez-Laing...
Everybody here goes out of their way to make people feel cared for, so it's good that he feels he's in that kind of environment. I love Nat, I get on with him and we have a strong relationship and that is built on respect. If you feel comfortable, you play your best football.
Reflections on the Bristol Street Motors Trophy loss to Bradford City...
For me, it shows you can never be over-confident. There's a thin line between confidence and arrogance. I'm not saying the lads consciously went into it like that, but if they thought that they were going to be alright beforehand, you just can't play like that.
The best players in the world do the best things consistently well all the time and we didn't do the basics consistently well enough to win the game. We should have won it, if we played at our best we would have won it but collectively we just weren't good enough.
On facing Burton Albion on Monday night...
Whoever we play at home, we just have to be right on song. The opposition, whether local or not, I don't think it makes any difference. Every team comes here and raises their game. Pride Park gets the best out of other teams and we have to get the best out of ourselves to win.
On the squad fitness...
Fozzy has an issue with his calf so we've got to keep monitoring that and unfortunately Waggy has had a problem in his rehabilitation work so he will be out a little bit longer as well. Korey Smith is back in the group today which is good but Joe Ward and Kane Wilson aren't 100% so we've got to check on them too.
