'Derby County man was let off the leash and what Paul Warne got spot on amid Eiran Cashin blow'
I covered Derby County's 4-0 win over Portsmouth last Friday for Sky and thought they were fantastic. After the Leeds and Burnley games, there was a little bit of pressure surrounding Pompey's visit, but Derby handled that really well.
I spoke to Paul Warne during the Sky interview after the game and I tried to allude to the fact that sometimes, as a manager, you get judged on games like Leeds and Burnley when I think it's a better barometer to be judged against teams like Portsmouth. They came up from League One by winning the title, but what it showed me is that Derby looking a little bit ahead of someone like Portsmouth, in my opinion, shows good progress,
But while Derby were undoubtedly happy with the result and the performance, seeing Eiran Cashin pick up a hamstring injury was frustrating, given his form this season. I didn't see much of him last season, but I've seen bits of him over the last few years. Obviously, he was linked with Brighton, and I've spoken to a few people about why Premier League clubs are looking at him.
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It's not just his defending; it's his passing, his ability on the ball, and how he reads the game. He's one of those players that I sometimes look at and wonder whether he has the extra mobility to play in the Premier League. But every time I watch him, he just reads the game so well. He always seems to get there and make that last-ditch tackle, which tells me that he's actually a lot quicker than you would presume in those areas.
He's progressed really well, although obviously, I've not seen him day in and day out. He looks like a really good character, and it's great for Derby that they have a young player performing at the levels that he is. Derby will be naturally disappointed that he is out, but that's why you build a squad — to cope with moments like this.
If you look at someone like Nat Phillips, then you've got a ready-made replacement ready to come in. I have to say, Phillips, Cashin, and Curtis Nelson are three terrific players to have at this level. They all have different attributes, but it gives Derby a little bit of depth, which I think will be really important over this festive period.
Provided he plays, and I am not the manager, Phillips has great pedigree and experience. It's really hard as a manager sometimes because when you sign a player, you don't want to bring someone in who is happy to play third fiddle, which means that player's not as good as you need.
I'm sure that somewhere down the line, there was a feeling that you could actually play different systems with an extra centre-back in the squad. Building the squad in that way is very good management, and it's in moments like this that you need that level of player. The aim if you're Nat Phillips is that if he does get picked alongside Nelson, you want to make it impossible for Cashin to get back in the team.
That's the problem you want in any team sport. Derby look strong defensively, but I also felt their midfield three impressed against Portsmouth, and it was a really good blend. In an ideal world, you want someone who's a passer and composed, someone who's got great energy and is box-to-box, and someone who is in between. If you look at the midfielders who played, they have different options.
The energy of the team was really good, but there was composure, too. Ben Osborn is obviously a very good player to have at this level, and he's played in the Premier League, too, so you expect that from him. I thought Paul Warne got it spot on. In recent weeks, you may have expected Adams to fill the David Ozoh role, but he seems to have been much better when he's just been let off the leash to get in the box. He's scored three goals this season, and sometimes drive and desire can get you into brilliant positions, and he's certainly done that.
There were changes to the team before the game and I know a few might have questioned them after the draw at Burnley. However, as fit as Derby will be under Paul, the reality is that the difference between League One and the Championship is physicality.
There is an absolute mile between being incredibly fit, strong and mobile in League One compared to the Championship. To therefore perform at the levels you need to, week in and week out, it's hard to keep going, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday.
A lot of managers will utilise the squad. As a manager, while you understand everyone has an opinion and you respect it, they don't see the players train, how the synergy of the group has been, or what a player's body language has been like. Sometimes, you might see someone away from the ball and think they look tired.
Sometimes, you may look at the opposition, spot a weakness, and go with different personnel. However, a lot of thought goes into it, and you're sat there with the staff working out the best options to get a performance. What a fan does is base it on the previous game, and they're very different judgment calls. Both opinions are valid, but as a manager you have to go with an informed opinion.
Sometimes, you make a decision and you get it right, and you feel justified, but ultimately, you're always going to be in and out over the course of the season in terms of how right or wrong you get it. It's the life of a manager.
Pressure mounting at Stoke
Stoke City are having a bit of a tough patch at the moment, but when you change manager, as they did when Narcis Pelach replaced Steven Schumacher, it's like anything, isn't it? Once you make that call, you've got to get it right.
Steven was quite popular with the fans, but as a club, you must make an informed decision behind the scenes based on whatever information you have. If you don't get it right, you're going to come under a little bit of pressure and scrutiny. And so, at this moment in time, we're sitting here talking about things not being as positive as they should be at Stoke.
It's a shame, really, because there was a lot of hope this season. But there's been a bit more change, and maybe it'll take a little more time. However, everyone lacks patience, don't they? I'd be the same. You want to win games; when you don't, it's a horrible feeling to repeatedly experience the same thing.
They've got a lot of work to do. They haven't had a window with a new manager yet, so I'd expect Stoke to support him in January and give him a little more time. Stoke made that decision, and you want to try to back that decision and be positive.
It's always hard to give an opinion when you don't know the people or the parameters. What you can see is a team not consistently getting that positive bounce in terms of results, and obviously, it's disappointing for them.