It might have only been the first game of Derby County’s pre-season campaign, but there were some positive signs to take away from Tuesday night’s 4-0 win over Kidderminster Harriers.
The trip to Aggborough Stadium was the players’ first match situation since early May and enabled the majority of the first team squad to get their first 45 minutes under their belts ahead of the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship season.
Right now, that is the priority, but from a performance point of view, there were further positives to take away.
Jacob Butterfield explained in an interview with RamsTV: “It was good to win. The first game of pre-season is always two different starting line-ups over two 45 minutes and it can become a bit stop-start.
“It was strange with the weather that we had too. It was lashing it down, but it was a good exercise for us and everyone got 45 minutes into the legs.
“The game was a bit scrappy, but there were some bits of good quality in there. Overall, it was a good run out.
“We have been working hard and the fitness is at a good level within the squad.
“It’s always good when you get to this stage and you start to have more of a feel for the ball in match situations. It always steps up that little bit at this point.”
Gary Rowett, the Derby manager, said after the game, in which David Nugent, Craig Bryson, Chris Martin and Darren Bent were all on the scoresheet, that there were some elements of his side’s general play that pleased him – a statement that Butterfield agreed with.
The 27-year-old was deployed as part of the second half XI and in giving his overall assessment of the night, the midfielder felt the Derby’s performance, even at this early stage, showed promise.
As the Rams’ pre-season develops, though, Butterfield feels they will only improve.
He added: “You could see bits of how the gaffer is wanting us to play. He wants us to get control of the ball, but get it forward quickly when we have chance to.
“He wants to see movement and penetration up front and when we get in that final third it gives us license to be creative.
“He wants us trying things in and around the box and that’s something we will get better at. There were some good signs there.
“As I mentioned, it was scrappy at times, but it was game one, two different line-ups and the bigger picture was that it was good for our fitness.
“Give it a couple more games and we will start to look like the team we want to be.”
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‘Some Elements Were Really Pleasing’
‘Kidderminster Win Was The Early Marker We Wanted To Put Down’
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Butterfield Reviews Kidderminster Friendly
Rams Open Pre-Season Schedule With Comfortable Kidderminster Win