Derby County players react at half-time

What Derby County must fix for Paul Warne amid stark Sunderland reminder as injury fear eased

Latest Derby County news from DerbyshireLive brings you all the talking points from last night's defeat to league leaders Sunderland

02 Oct 2024, 07:00 by Leigh Curtis · Derbyshire Live

A rocket from Jobe Bellingham and a strike from Wilson Isidor left Derby County still searching for their first away points in the Championship this season as Sunderland coasted to a 2-0 win at the Stadium of Light.

Derby started well enough with Marcus Harness breaching Sunderland's lines after some great approach play by Kane Wilson.

The on-loan Ipswich midfielder swept a shot towards goal which was blocked and that led to appeals for a handball that fell on deaf ears. Derby had done well to frustrate Sunderland in the first quarter and you sensed anxiety growing in the stands. But gradually Regis Le Bris' side started to pose a threat helped by Derby turning the ball over in their attempts to attack themselves.

Wilson Isidor fired wide of the post before Romaine Mundle saw a shot gathered by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom. Bellingham then wasted another chance when he headed wide when he should have hit the target.

But the brother of Real Madrid superstar Jude made no mistake before half-time when after Chirewa gave the ball away, he unleashed a terrific 20-yard rocket that flew past Zetterstrom.

Sunderland then made it 2-0 in the second half as they effectively killed off Derby's challenge with Wilson Isidor bundling over the line from Mundle's cross. Derby tried to summon a response and they should have done better when Kane Wilson had a glorious chance to play Kayden Jackson in on goal. But he overcooked the pass and Sunderland were able to relax. A set-piece then brought a chance when Curtis Nelson saw an effort cleared off the line while Eiran Cashin and Craig Forsyth also went close.

A difference in quality

Derby's ambitions this season was all about surviving their return to the Championship before plotting how they can challenge the top six in the future.

And Sunderland showed last night the distance Derby will have to travel if they are to realise that long-standing dream of challenging for the Premier League. Regis Le Bris's side were comfortable winners on the night and look well placed to launch an assault on the top two this season.

That's not to say Derby didn't give them a scare or two, but much like the defeat to Sheffield United, this a night when they had to be foot perfect when those chances arrived. Marcus Harness had an opportunity early on which was blocked, Kane Wilson wasted a pass that would have put Kayden Jackson in on goal and Curtis Nelson saw a header cleared off the line.

But the truth was that aside from those moments, it never felt like Sunderland would relinquish their control and even if they they had, it felt like they had another couple of gears to go through.

From a Derby perspective, defeats like this one won't define their season, but they are a stark reminder of what it will take before they are challenging at the top end.

Derby have to get Warne a striker in January

The failure to land a striker on transfer deadline day was a real source of frustration considering outside of Jerry Yates, there is not much strength in depth in attack.

Conor Washington was left out of the squad again and his long-term future at Derby must be in doubt. James Collins was on the bench last night but was ignored when Warne turned to the substitutes in the second half.

And finally there is Dajaune Brown who is still learning his trade and it feels a little unfair to throw him straight into the bearpit of Championship football. The truth is that it's not a Championship level strike force and that is something that has to be addressed even if it is only a temporary fix until the end of the season when the market opens again.

In the meantime, Derby will have to soldier on until then and hope that Yates, who is still searching for his first goal of the season, remains fit. January can't come and go without another striker coming in and Derby must fix that issue immediately.

A familiar feeling

As Warne said in his post-match analysis, nobody can level any criticism at this Derby side in terms of their output and competitive edge. They do the hard yards, they fly into the tackles and everything you would want from a team in that respect is there.

It's not easy to get players to do the ugly side of the game and kudos to this squad because they all work hard for each other and there does not appear to be any big-time Charlies who think they are above all the hard-running. There is a lot to admire in that respect.

But the source of frustration is that this team is a little bit careless in possession and it is costing them chances and goals at both ends of the pitch. That much was proven when Kane Wilson had a chance to slip Kayden Jackson in on goal in the second half.

The full-back was unchallenged and all he had to do was roll a simple pass into the forward's path but he ended up overcooking it and the chance was lost. Tawanda Chirewa was also guilty of playing a sloppy pass that was crucial for the first goal for Jobe Bellingham.

At Championship level you just won't get away with it and like Norwich at the weekend, Derby were left with the familiar feeling of disappointment having been largely architects of their own downfall.

Nat Phillips fear eased

The on-loan Liverpool defender had a solid first start for Derby who clearly wanted to utilise his aerial power from set-pieces.

A blow to the face came his way as he showcased the kind of bravery that led to Jurgen Klopp branding him a monster. And so when he stretched for a chance in the second half, it was a worry when he laid flat on his back as the physios came marching on. You wondered whether he had pulled a muscle given he was taken off immediately after. But Warne confirmed that it was just a touch of cramp and he was just taken off as a precaution which was good news.