Derby County played a friendly match against adjacent Matlock Town on Friday to kick off their pre-season.
Derby County played a friendly match against Matlock Town on Friday to begin their preseason preparations; the Rams won 3-0.
Jerry Yates and Kayden Jackson, two recent additions, both scored goals; Liam Thompson added the third goal midway through the second half. Paul Warne selected two different teams in the match and gave his new recruits a taste of what to expect; Kenzo Goudmijn also made an appearance in the second half, in addition to Jackson and Yates. Ben Osborn was absent. However, the encounter served as a useful preparation for the Derby County players as they get ready for what looks to be an extremely difficult Championship season in 2024–2025.
The Rams are expected to have difficulty because they advanced from League One. However, their successful summer transfer window thus far has given supporters hope that they can avoid the drop. Additionally, Warne has been quite impressed with two new players in training.Ben Osborn and Kenzo Goudmijn of Derby County received appreciation from Paul Warne. Speaking to the team following the victory over Matlock Town, Warne shared his thoughts on both Goudmijn, a fellow summer newcomer who played for less than 30 minutes against Matlock, and Osborn, despite his absence. “We haven’t seen Ben Osborn yet, but we’ve seen him in training, and he looks like [Zinedine] Zidane,” Warne remarked about Osborn. Additionally, Warne mentioned Goudmijn, who Derby County had acquired on a long-term contract from alkmaar, “He is what we want a midfielder to be; he always wants to play forward,” said AZ Alkmaar.We’ve been really happy with him; even though he’s only been training for a few days, you can tell that he knows what to do with the ball when he receives it. He’s a valuable acquisition.
Paul Warne might still be hesitant about Derby County’s midfield department. Pride Park’s central midfield unit was previously thin, but Goudmijn and Osborn undoubtedly give it more depth. Warne has added some experienced Championship calibre to Osborn and signed a very promising player in Goudmijn who has the potential to do great things in England. However, if Warne sticks with his preferred 3-5-2 shape, he might prefer to add another central midfielder during the summer transfer window to provide his team more depth for the arduous Championship campaign. It might be difficult to find another one sufficiently Championship quality. Additionally, since the Rams have already signed Osborn and Goudmijn, it might be difficult to get another centre to join the team.