Eric and Ernie......

There's a famous clip featuring comic duo Morecambe and Wise where their show featured a special guest, and on one particular week, that guest was renowned conductor Andre Previn. In the clip, Eric Morecambe sits at the grand piano and knocks out a tune, terribly as it happens, and draws criticism from Previn. Eric protests that he is playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.

This sketch came to my mind this week as John Eustace tried yet another right back in Deon Sanderson and how Eustace has previously seemed to put square pegs in round holes. As my woodwork teacher at school would testify, this is actually a thing, and Eustace is now producing a back four with similar reliability as my Oxo cube holder made in the aforementioned woodwork class. Disjointed, unreliable, and things are likely to go through it where they shouldn't. Derby's defence doesn't smell of beef of course.

Having your player of the year for last season, Matt Clarke, out for a prolonged period has been a big miss. He played every game and was man of the match in most. I think Sondre Langas is still in that weird phase after the World Cup, a bit like when we come back to work from a holiday, when we're clearing emails, handing out holiday sweets and generally writing off the first week or two back. Without Clarke alongside him, as a part of an ever-changing defence, he has looked far shakier than at any time since he arrived. He battled well at Portsmouth at right back but less commanding in the centre against West Ham and West Brom. Max Johnston was hailed by Eustace as the best young right back in Europe when he arrived, but injuries last season and Eustace's desire for more productivity on the flanks from that position, have seen him benched. Joe Ward is in effect Derby's NFL equivalent 'quarter back'. I think if Eustace could roll him on and off to take corners and free kicks he would. Between Johnston, Ward and Ryan Nyambe, Derby probably have an excellent right back, but changing each week does no-one any good. Nyambe is probably the most effective Oxo cube holder of the 3 but offers nothing in an attacking sense. Eustace needs to pick one and stick with him.

In answering questions after the West Brom game about using several right backs, Eustace was keen to highlight the strengths and dangers West Brom posed. I hate this attitude from managers. I genuinely believe that you should back your own team and do what the opposition least want you to do. In any sport. Yes, be aware of their strengths of course, but to negate an attacking option (using Ward as an example) in favour of a very defensive one in a home game is a really poor look in my opinion and says a lot about Eustace's mindset. I think supporters would give him a lot more credit if he took a few more risks, whether that be in formation, style, personnel (ie youth), and the gratitude of fans for the escape from relegation 2 seasons ago and 8th place finish last year would seem a distant memory if the passive performance against West Ham away and toothless one against West Brom are repeated. That said, I personally have more patience, and experience tells me that time is required.

It is fair to say that Eustace has been dealt a difficult hand. Injuries (more on that shortly) and the transfer window have hindered the opening weeks. I would say that Derby are currently at the equivalent of week 2 of pre- season given the readiness and availability of his squad and the new signings made.

Much has been said and written about Derby's business in the transfer window, particularly with regards to the 'Eustace versus club' signings, the amount of money spent and the timeliness of that business.

Firstly, in my opinion, this isn't complicated. People are keen to suggest a rift between manager and club, and whilst Eustace may have frustrations as to how quickly he's got players in to work with, I don't think the gripe goes deeper than that. Managers do far less in person scouting of players than they ever did. Gone are the days of a manager disguising himself and mingling with the crowd, the smell of Bovril (or Oxo) and cigarettes wafting around to try and get a peek at the latest talent. They rely in part on agent referrals (beware strangers bearing gold is all I would say on that), old fashioned networks of scouts, data driven recruitment teams and their own previous knowledge of players. Eustace signings are simply put players he's worked with before or has first-hand knowledge of. Club signings are those players identified by the club's recruitment team. Simple as that. Any suggestion that a player is signed by the club without Eustace's approval are likely to be incorrect. He doesn't get a player foisted upon him, brought out onto the training ground without his knowledge, like a 10-year-old being given a new jumper by his mum and told he's got to wear it. No, I believe that Eustace is allowed to pick his own jumpers, it's just that the club may give him a C&A catalogue to pick from or it's a jumper style and colour he's worn before.

In terms of finances, there needs to be a reality check of where the club is and what they are up against. Figures of 30 million pounds having been spent by the club over the past couple of years may or may not be true, but that is nothing when compared to what our (supposed) rivals and fellow contenders for the 4th to 10th places are spending. The clubs that came down from the Premier League and others are spending way beyond our means- see West Ham, Wrexham, Birmingham as examples, 'Boro and their 20 million quid sell on for Morgan Rodgers. The transfer window is a bit like going to a carvery for a meal. We all know when it opens, and some get in first, quickly pay what is asked, get the pick of the meat and veg on a big plate and slap on the gravy. In Derby's case, we were told we were being taken to the carvery and that someone else was paying, but as it turns out we got let down, went alone, and joined the queue late when the best of the food had gone, we only have enough money for a small plate and the gravy has run out. As such, supporters are not only asking why our plate looks less attractive than others, but why we haven't eaten our meal yet, when in truth we are just picking up the knife and fork and the big plate people are already digesting and moving on to dessert.

Being let down late in the window means that players are having to get used to each other on the hoof, not during some pre- season getaway, and players are not yet match fit.

Derby have had to cope with injuries as all clubs do. There's a lot of soul searching going on amongst supporters and observers alike to try and work out why. I don't think this is rocket (or sports) science. If players regularly play 90 minutes in pre- season, or during the opening games (accepting they need to build that up of course), then they are likely to get fit. The number of substitutes available to managers now, once heralded as a positive change, have had a negative impact in my opinion. Players 'getting an hour under their belt', or 15 minutes here or there, ill prepares them for then suddenly being asked to play for a period they are not physically prepared for. Constantly managing minutes and having the physio department or doctor tell the coach 'get him off, he's run 10k' is surely counterproductive? Yet the moment circumstances dictate that a player has to play longer than he is used to, or trained for, then the obvious result will be an injury. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy I'm afraid, and ever decreasing circle of the less you do, the less able you are to do it. Ronaldo and Messi (extreme examples I know) are such good players they have rarely been substituted (can you imagine a club doctor telling CR7 his number is up?) and as a result these guys have played massive amounts of matches and continue to do so. Simply put, get players fit enough to play 90 minutes by......playing 90 minutes!

We are 6 matches in. The league is a long haul. I've seen far less able looking squads in my time, and Derby will hope to get injured players out there sooner rather than later, as their first choice 11 is strong enough to be upper mid table. Derby would hope to battle out another win and a draw ahead of the (almost 3 week) international break at the end of September to give a respectable look to the table. In that time, the Oxo cube holder will be made using the correct wood and measurements, the carvery meal components are neatly arranged on the plate and tasting good, and Eustace is getting a tune out of his squad- unlike Eric Morecombe.