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Derby County notebook as transfer decision made, warning sounded, Rooney under threat
Derby County face one of the toughest assigments of the season this weekend as they travel to promotion-chasing Leeds United.
The Rams head to Elland Road on the back of a gut-wrenching defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday after a 94th-minute strike from Jamal Lowe sealed all three points.
Derby now face the arduous task of upsetting a Leeds side that have been strong at home this season having lost just once on their own patch against Burnley earlier in the campaign.
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To make matters even tougher, Derby will be without influential midfielder Ebou Adams who is suspended for the trip to the Whites after picking up his fifth booking of the campaign.
As part of the build-up, here is the latest Derby notebook which bring you all the latest from around Pride Park and this week's notebook includes the latest transfer decision on a young full-back, Warne's transfer hint and more.
Orient away
Derby County will face League One side Leyton Orient in the third round of the FA Cup next month after the draw was made last night.
The Rams travel to the capital to face the Os on January 11th (3pm) in what presents a reasonable chance of making progress.
Orient are currently in the bottom three of League One under Richie Wellens and Derby did the double over the Os last season as they won promotion to the Championship.
Derby won 3-0 in December last year and then followed it up with another victory by the same scoreline in April as Paul Warne's side went on to secure their first promotion in 17 years.
Warne transfer hint
Paul Warne says he is really proud of the group of players he has assembled at Derby County but admits "something will have to give" if they don't turn performances into results.
Sunday's gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday meant Derby have picked up one point from their last three home games despite dominating for large spells against the Owls. With the January window on the horizon, Derby could well look to strengthen their squad in the New Year with a striker thought to be on the agenda when the market opens for business.
Warne says that while he has no complaints with his players, he said results must start to follow as he hinted he could make changes next month.
"Everybody wants to sign the best players they can," he said. "I am not criticising any of mine they have been excellent and they are the best players we could get. I am really proud of the group we put together but it's no different to Southampton in the Premier League.
"You go up a league and you are playing against established Championship players and they sign people on top of it. We go up as a League One team and while we help the team that we have got, I appreciate some have experience of the Championship, but they dropped out of it to come into League One.
"Without sounding harsh, that's because they perhaps didn't have any Championship offers. However, they are performing like Championship players. They are performing really well, week in, week out, and I have no issues with any of them.
"But if we continue to not turn performances into results, eventually something will have to give. It's as simple as that. The window gives you a chance to shake the pack up but weirdly you can sometimes shake it up and be worse coming out of it than when you went into it."
Transfer decision made
Young Derby County right-back Max Bardell has extended his loan with National League club AFC Fylde until the end of January.
The defender has featured in three games for the Coasters who are managed by ex-Derby coach Kevin Phillips. Bardell featured in a 3-0 win over Gateshead and also played in defeats to promotion-chasing Sutton United and Oldham Atheltic.
The move comes as part of Derby's desire to send out their young players on loan to help give them senior minutes with young striker Lennon Wheeldon also on a similar deal at Boston United.
Bardell initially joined Derby in the 2019/20 season and was a mainstay in the Under-18s side before graduating into the Under-21s in the 2021/22 campaign.
He made his first team bow for Derby from the bench in the Rams’ Emirates FA Cup First Round replay success over Torquay United in November 2022 after a lengthy spell out of action due to injury.
Rooney walking tightrope
Wayne Rooney has two games to save his job at Plymouth Argyle according to reports.
The former Derby boss oversaw another heavy defeat against Bristol City at the weekend which followed on from a crushing 6-1 loss at Norwich City. Plymouth have shipped in an alarming 38 goals already this season and have the worst goal difference in the league which could be pivotal come the end of the season.
Now the Telegraph reports that games against Oxford United and Swansea will pivotal in determining Rooney's fate. A huge injury crisis is not helping with captain Joe Edwards, Northern Ireland goalkeeper Conor Hazard and forwards Ibrahim Cissoko, Morgan Whittaker and Muhamed Tijani all on the sidelines.
That has been recognised by the board, but it is claimed that their away form is proving to be of a real concern with eight defeats in their last 10 games.
Students enjoy Osborn visit
Students at Da Vinci Academy enjoyed an extraordinary experience as EFD Sport & Education, in partnership with Derby ace Ben Osborn, hosted an inspiring workshop series titled “A Morning in the Life of a Footballer.”
The school, part of L.E.A.D. Academy Trust, were afforded this opportunity as part of EFD Sport & Education’s commitment to mentoring young people through the transformative power of sport.
Osborn is a co-founder of EFD Sport & Education and led the sessions designed to provide students with a unique glimpse into the life of a professional athlete. The workshop focused on essential aspects of an athlete’s routine, including nutrition, fitness, and skill development.
During the sessions, students explored the importance of fuelling their bodies and minds for peak performance through a dedicated nutrition and lifestyle segment. They also participated in an engaging gym and fitness session tailored to their age, emphasizing strength, conditioning, and overall well-being.
The day culminated with an exciting football coaching masterclass, during which students enhanced their skills under Ben’s expert guidance while learning about teamwork and perseverance.
Phil Gregory, a Derby fan and assistant Headteacher and PE teacher at the school, accompanied the students and said: "We were thrilled to offer our students this incredible chance to not only enhance their physical skills but also gain valuable life lessons from an athlete who exemplifies discipline, teamwork, and resilience.”
And Osborn added: “It was a real privilege to come to Da Vinci and have the opportunity to inspire students, who come from similar beginnings to myself, about football and the power of sport in general.
"Da Vinci Academy is one of our partner schools at EFD Sport and Education, where we provide a weekly mentoring intervention to inspire positive change. Workshops like today allow us to raise aspirations and share the importance of key qualities needed to succeed, not just in sport but in education and beyond."
