After suffering one of the FA Cup first-round upsets, it was obvious that Derby County manager Paul Warne would face some difficult questions.
The Rams were dumped out of the Cup, 3-1 on Tuesday night by Crewe Alexandra. The League Two club were worth their victory. What was more disappointing was that it came off the back of two comprehensive wins in their League One promotion chase.
After the game Warne’s side was rightly criticised by supporters, and media, with certain players being highlighted for their poor performance. The manager also agreed on a statement that suggested that his team are unpredictable.
An interview on BBC Radio Derby was picked up by derbycounty.news, and Warne had to submit that the critique was correct. “It’s a fair comment and same for me.
“I picked virtually the same side from the performance on Saturday. I’ve said it many times, when we win on Saturday I don’t come away going ‘wow, we have got everything sorted, we are the best team in the league’. I don’t think that.”
There were no obvious signs of complacency but Warne acknowledged that his side was not at their best, far from it.
“Everyone plays to be the best they can. Maybe a couple of the senior players could have got hold of the game but Crewe made it difficult for us and we didn’t have enough individuals at their best.
“If you interviewed all of my players, none of them would say they consciously didn’t try or anything like that. They just weren’t good enough to win the game.”
Derby now have the time to reset as their game this weekend has been postponed, and they return to action the following Saturday at home against Bristol Rovers. This will be a chance to shake off the shameful outing and for Warne to quieten his critics.
Writer’s View
Paul Warne has maybe opened a can of worms with his admittance that the unpredictable performances of his side are an issue. However, this could also be the kick that he and the players need. Any sign of a drop off in form will be punished in the league, just as it was in the FA Cup by Crewe.
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