DerbyshireLive gives you the talking points from the Rams’ defeat to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester City completed an East Midlands double over Derby County, winning 2-1 at the King Power Stadium.
After winning 3-1 at Pride Park before Christmas, the Foxes relieved some of the strain on Marti Cifuentues, who will hope that this victory sets the team up for a good second half of the season.
Dion Sanderson launched himself at the midfielder, hoping to prevent the shot, but he could only watch as Cifuentes’ team seized the lead.
But, aided by a fantastic away support, Derby levelled when Patrick Agyemang sent a pass into the path of Callum Elder, who did brilliantly to pick out the unmarked Rhian Brewster.
The striker maintained his head over the ball and unleashed a powerful shot that flew past Jakub Stolarczyk, sending the away end into a frenzy.
Derby could have taken the lead when Sondre Langas made a superb run to the byline and crossed for Brewster, but he couldn’t guide his header on target.
A pocket of Leicester fans broke out into a cry of “sack the board” in what has been a poor season so far, indicating growing frustration in the home stands.
But they had reason to celebrate before the break when Luke Thomas’ feed into the inside left channel allowed Jordan James to whisk off Liam Thompson and curl home Leicester’s second.
Brewster attempted a free kick soon before halftime, but it was cleared under the wall, giving Derby hope that they may get back on level terms.
Following the break, Agyemang made a move towards goal and sent a shot that was deflected up and into the arms of Stolarczyk. At the other end, Zetterstrom had to be alert to tip over Adams’ header to avoid an own goal.
In stoppage time, Andi Weimann had an opportunity from the edge of the box, but it went wide of the post as Leicester won.
A sense of frustration.
It is possibly a measure of John Eustace’s improvement that there were many members of the black and white legion who were disappointed not to win this game.
Derby’s head coach was equally frustrated that his squad did not win on a night when they more than held their own against a Premier League-experienced outfit.
Lessons had clearly been learned from the first meeting between these clubs, when Marti Cifuentes’ side blew them away in the first 45 minutes and had the game wrapped up before halftime.
The true frustration came from Derby’s goals, both of which were not only soft but also preventable.
The second before half-time, which ultimately sealed Leicester’s victory, required Liam Thompson to be much stronger than he was when confronted with Jordan James’ challenge, who went on to finish the job.
Until then, Derby had been decent value to be level on a night when Joe Ward’s absence necessitated a personnel and formation change. Jacob Widell Zetterstrom was never really called upon, and the only notable save he made was tipping Ebou Adams’ header over his own bar.
Ultimately, it was a lesson in ruthlessness in both boxes, as well as a reminder of where this Derby squad stands during the Eustace period. Very good in areas, but still a long way from being a finished piece in a season when Derby’s goal is to maintain their position in the Championship.
A momentous moment.
It’s fair to say that some Leicester fans are dissatisfied with how the season is going, with the prospect of a points deduction looming and the team still hovering around mid-table.
A small group of fans in the home end expressed their displeasure with chants of’sack the board,’ and at 1-1, it appeared that another score for Derby would have caused even more animosity.
It almost happened when Sondre Langas’ fantastic run concluded with a peach of a cross that found the unmarked Brewster, only for the attacker to head wide of the post.
It felt like a big moment in the game because if it had gone in, Leicester would have been under a lot more pressure.
Instead, they were allowed off the hook, which Cifuentes’ side took advantage of when James scored before halftime.
It simply exacerbated the frustration.
Depth is an issue.
Given the amount of football played over the holidays, you would expect Eustace to turn to his replacements’ bench to give Leicester a nervous finish to the game.
Lars-Jorgen Salvesen, Corey Blackett-Taylor, and Andi Weimann were all thrown on, but the trio had little impact.
Derby have made tremendous progress in strengthening their starting XI, but there is still work to be done to improve the squad’s depth.
The midfield still lacks a player capable of dominating play from its base, and a Championship-level wide player would also be very welcome.
Derby will attempt to bolster the squad in January, with Oscar Fraulo poised to be the club’s first acquisition of the year, albeit he is unlikely to be thrust into the starting lineup immediately.
A loan acquisition could be a solution to get Derby through until the summer, when they can make further changes to the team with much more players available.
Clark is a worry.
While we’re talking about depth, the fact that Bobby Clark had to leave in the second half with a knee injury was concerning.
Derby will assess him over the next 24 hours, and hopefully it will be nothing serious, since the on-loan RB Salzburg midfielder has been extremely good in recent months.
David Ozoh, who is still recovering from a thigh injury, will be missed if he is out for an extended amount of time.
Lewis Travis’ reappearance was a wonderful sight, but he was only permitted a few minutes because, wisely, he had been out for 12 weeks. Pushing him too hard and too quickly may result in a subsequent injury.
Eustace is thus left with only Liam Thompson and Ebou Adams who can play a full 90 minutes in midfield. If either of those took a knock, Derby would have a serious problem.
Fingers crossed Clark is not out for an extended period of time.
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