What made Jerry Yates lose his rag and the glaring issue facing Derby County

Derby County's search for an away win in the Championship continues after Ben Gibson secured a 2-1 victory for hosts Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.

In a poor first half from both teams, Stoke took the lead when Tom Cannon was fouled by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and then converted from the penalty spot.

After the break, Derby levelled in fortuitous circumstances when Gibson headed past his goalkeeper in what was a terrible mix-up from Callum Elder's pass. Derby had hoped to cling on to a point at least, but Gibson turned from villain to hero as he met a corner to seal all three points for Narcis Pelach's side.

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A poor show

There's no point in sugar-coating it, but this was a dreadful game between two sides who were as bad as each other. Ultimately, Stoke City ended up being marginally better than Derby, whose first-half performance fell short in many key areas. They started well enough, with Joe Ward testing Viktor Johansson with a free-kick, but that was about as good it got for more than 3,000 away fans carrying plenty of hope and expectation.

Jerry Yates was isolated, Derby couldn't retain possession for any length of time, and when that happens, it's hard to gain any semblance of control to create chances in open play. Stoke were just as bad with the ball, and it just felt like another 45 minutes passed Derby by, as it did at Oxford United and Millwall.

There was a nagging disappointment because this game was there for the taking against a Stoke side who had been winless in five coming into the fixture. You can never fault Derby's effort and it is an honest group, but the task is so much harder when you misfire in the final third and it all just felt a bit too frantic. Presently it feels like some players are on AM, others are on FM, and the dial needs tuning so everybody is on the same wavelength, particularly when they venture away from home.

There was a moment in the first half when Yates wanted a ball in behind, but Kayden Jackson delayed, and by the time he had delivered the pass the striker was offside. That was the cue for Yates to lose his rag, and he was right. But that was symptomatic of Derby's lack of prowess in the final third in which none of the attacking players excelled. The game is often about control, decision-making and execution. Derby struggled in those areas, and losing David Ozoh's quality has been a huge punch in the face.

There was marginal improvement after the break, but even after they had the equaliser, which was incredibly fortuitous, and while they had moments in attack, did they do enough to justify a result? The answer was a resounding no.

Elusive search goes on

Last season Derby set a club record for the most away wins in a season as they sealed promotion from League One. But the jump from the third tier to the second has been accompanied by a leap in quality. Translating that form has proved incredibly difficult, but it always felt like it would be the case given the modest transfer spend compared to the established Championship clubs, some of whom have spent millions. That is the reality.

Ipswich and Southampton were two of the best teams in the second tier last season but have had the same problems in adapting to the Premier League. Derby's search for an elusive away win continues, but they are not the only ones. Plymouth, Cardiff, Oxford, Preston and Blackburn are all waiting for a cure for their travel sickness and remain winless on the road this season. Coventry only registered their first away victory in the Championship since March when they beat Middlesbrough at the weekend, and they have spent a lot of money.

But apart from the top teams, this division does feel like a much of a muchness, proven by how tightly contested the league table is. While Derby are three points clear of the relegation zone, they are just three points behind Norwich in ninth. Derby's ambition has always been to survive and they have exceeded expectations so far. But their ambitions this season will largely hinge on their home form, and it is true that to see the best of this team, it has come at Pride Park. The crowd's electricity sparks a unique level of intensity, particularly out of possession. They feed off each other. You can't replicate that away from home and a solution must be found.

Transfer need is clear

An awful lot is being asked of Jerry Yates, who is carrying the responsibility for scoring goals, but he is in desperate need of support. Dajaune Brown is willing but is still learning his trade. Conor Washington can't get in the squad and James Collins is being used as a substitute.

The glaring issue is that it is not a Championship-level strikeforce, and there must have been some envious glances at Tom Cannon, a player that Derby considered signing in the summer. But the deal to sign him from Leicester was huge, and only a couple of clubs perhaps had the finances to do it - one of them being Stoke with their bet365 links.

That is why Derby are trying to seek investment in order to make them competitive in the market, but they cannot go through this season with a strikeforce of Yates, Brown, Washington and Collins. Another number nine of Championship quality is needed to give Derby some firepower that will give them better options, because if Yates were to pick up an injury, who would they turn to then? It still feels like one area of the squad that is seriously lacking.

A reliable performer

Whatever people say about Ebou Adams' technical ability, and there are facets of his game in possession that he can improve, you can always rely on him to turn up. He was comfortably Derby's best player in terms of his aggression, tenacity and desire to stop the opposition. His performance here was a resounding positive on what was a difficult afternoon.

At a fans' forum in midweek, it was revealed that Derby had, at one point, reached the stage where they were ready to walk away from the deal as they negotiated with Cardiff for his signature.

Eventually, the Welsh side saw sense, and he was on his way to Pride Park, where he has rightly become a favourite among the fans. But the challenge for him now is to match that incredible industry with better quality in possession. If he can do that, he will become an even bigger force in this Derby team.

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