3/1 To Win
Jody Morris insists Derby County’s hectic fixture schedule is something to relish.
Derby will round off a busy first month of the campaign with back-to-back trips to Hull City this week.
They will head to the KCOM Stadium to take on the Tigers in the Second Round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, before returning to Humberside in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday.
The Rams’ fixture list has seen eight matches crammed into the first four weeks of the season – but there is some reprieve with the international break on the horizon after the Hull double-header.
After recording back-to-back home wins in the last week, against Ipswich Town and Preston North End, Derby will hit the road looking to keep momentum on their side.
Speaking to RamsTV, Derby’s assistant manager said: “It’s a hectic schedule at the moment and I like it.
“We’re still building here and it’s a long process for all of us.
“With the games coming thick and fast at the moment it gives you the opportunity to not only look at different personnel but different tactical problems or challenges too.”
On Nigel Adkins' Hull, Morris added: “We know, especially with teams in the Championship, any team can beat another on their day. We won’t be taking any team lightly, whether they are in the league below, the league above or from our division.
“Every opponent deserves respect and we know we’ll have to be on our game if we are going to have a chance of progressing.”
Morris has hinted that Derby could shuffle their pack for the Carabao Cup clash and utilise their squad once again.
Manager Frank Lampard made six changes to his side for the 2-0 victory at Oldham Athletic in Round One, which was secured thanks to goals from Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount.
It presented a number of players with the opportunity to stake a claim and also get match minutes under their belts at Boundary Park, and it could be a similar situation at the KCOM on Tuesday.
Tom Huddlestone and Scott Malone could feature at Hull after recovering from their respective injuries - but Curtis Davies and Harry Wilson are set to once again miss out, along with Jayden Bogle and Joe Ledley after they were forced off in the win over Preston on Saturday due to injury.
Morris explained: “When the opportunity is there you need to try and use the squad, especially when there’s some of the players that are without decent minutes. For example, for some of those that have been injured.
“That obviously comes into your thinking and the manager has stressed from the moment we came in that it’s going to be a squad game. It’s an already hectic schedule so you do want to be using your squad.”
He added: “I am sure there will be some changes, for both games up at Hull, and to be honest playing them twice in five days doesn’t have an impact on how we prepare for the matches.”
Morris says no-one in the Derby camp is getting ahead of themselves despite a positive last week.
Successive 2-0 wins over Ipswich and Preston have the Rams sitting in sixth place after five matches.
Morris, however, says there’s a firm focus on how the side can continue to improve individually and collectively.
He said: “It’s always a nice feeling off the back of three points and with six points inside a few days the place is a bit livelier.
“You also have the balancing act with the players that haven’t been playing and making sure that they train well.
“We also know there are still improvements to be made too. When we lost at Millwall we saw some good things, especially in the second half, and in the two home wins in the last week we’ve seen areas where we can get better too.
“I don’t think you’ll ever have a fully satisfied manager and regardless of winning or losing, you’re always striving to improve and get better.”
