It’s been a productive summer for Derby County, who offloaded several of their fringe players and have since acquired six new arrivals.
Manager Paul Warne has poured most of his focus into rebuilding his midfield following the departures of Conor Hourihane, Korey Smith and Max Bird while adding to his attack with the signings of Kayden Jackson and Jerry Yates.
Warne knew that reshaping his squad with younger, more energetic talents would be vital as they prepare for a gruelling Championship campaign, though there is still plenty of work to be done.
Derby still need to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper after releasing Joe Wildsmith. That is expected to be Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, although his £1.4 million move to Pride Park is on hold till his European involvement ends.
The situation involving Djurgens goalkeeper Zettrerstrom isn’t the only cause of concern for Warne, who will have one glaring fear that needs addressing.
Paul Warne will wonder where the goals are coming from for Derby County
Derby have endured a difficult pre-season, winning just one of their last four matches while conceding 11 goals in the process and scoring six.
The Rams have leaked goals for fun and that is uncharacteristic for a side who ended last season with the best defence in League One, shipping just 37.
Whilst that looks like a real issue for Warne, it’s Derby’s attack that will strike fear into the manager and not for the right reasons.
Last season, Derby finished as the joint-lowest scorers of sides that finished in the play-offs, as they relied on the brilliance of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and the striking instincts of James Collins.
Yet, despite those troubles rising to the surface, the Rams haven’t done much to suggest their fortunes in front of goal will change.
Yates and Jackson have both been signed as attacking options but neither are known for being prolific in front of goal. While Yates has scored just 31 goals in 152 Championship matches, Jackson’s record of six in 65 appearances leaves much to be desired.
Couple that with the declining duo of Conor Washington and Collins, it’s difficult to see where the goals are coming from.
Paul Warne must address this issue for Derby
When looking at previous Championship campaigns, teams that have survived have often had a player capable of scoring 15+ goals.
Plymouth Argyle, for instance, had to thank former Ram Morgan Whittaker for keeping them in the division after bagging 19 goals in the second tier.
The Pilgrims also had striker Ryan Hardie to rely on, with the Englishman leading their charge with 12 goals in 40 appearances.
Currently, it’s difficult to see where this inspiration is coming from in the final third for Derby, who will need to work some magic to find a potent striker.
Finding a player capable of producing a consistent source of goals is arguably the hardest thing to unearth, but for Warne to avoid a fourth relegation from the Championship, he must address this issue before August 30th.
