Three successive defeats in the Championship has left Derby County struggling for form at the start of 2025 - and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are lacking the ability to take control of games.

He was speaking after the 1-0 loss at Bristol City on Saturday where a 20th minute winner from Luke McNally was enough to claim all three points for the home team.

Speaking to the club's official website, Mendez-Laing stated: "It was not a good enough standard from ourselves at all today. I don't really think we got going. It's not a representation of ourselves and we are really disappointed. It's been a tough, busy period and there was a lot of fatigue in the group.

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"The boys have given what they can. That being said, there can be no excuses for the performance. We know we've got to be better. We've got some time now to recharge and I'm sure the boys will come out and do that."

With the current run of form looking particularly bleak for Paul Warne's side, they have to find form quickly to ensure they don't get too close to the wrong end of the Championship table.

There are things that the Rams can take away from Ashton Gate, especially with a week of recovery ahead before they take on Leyton Orient in the FA Cup.

Mendez-Laing explains: "We just have to be a lot more gritty, especially away from home.

"We need to do the ugly side of the game and then try and be positive in our play when we get the ball. We can't just wait for the game to come to us. We have to just grab it by the scruff of the neck.

"We've said in the dressing room that it is important we stick together. On the recovery side of things after the period that we've just had, the break is important. We’ll have to do all the right things and get ourselves in the best possible shape for our next match."