“We’ve let ourselves down” – Derby fall to another 4-1 defeat at Millwall
Deflated, dejected and drained, Derby left The Den defeated again.
Derby fans left The Den asking, “Where were the spirit and the defensive discipline that we saw at Sheffield United?” Sam Szmodics hit the nail on the head when speaking to BBC Radio Derby, saying: “You can’t come to The Den and get outduelled and outworked. It’s happened on too many occasions.”
Fundamentals basics of defending were absent from the off. Max Johnston, replacing Joe Ward who suffered an injury in training on Friday, was all at sea for the opener. Ryan Nyambe had stepped out of the makeshift backline to track Lydon Dykes, who played in Kyrell Lisbie. And with Johnston failing to get tight to the winger, he had acres of space to take a touch in the inside-left and curl a low shot past Jacob Widell Zetterström and into the far corner.
Alex Neil’s side continued their bright start when left back Zak Sturge arrived late on the edge of the box to meet Camiel Neghli’s ball and fire wide. And they soon grabbed a second after Derby failed to clear their lines from a corner. Neghli lifted the ball to the back post where Caleb Taylor rose highest to flick it back across goal for Lisbie to bundle over the line.
With any hope of building on last weekend’s point at Bramall Lane fading fast, Rhian Brewster fashioned the Rams a potential lifeline. Fed by Sam Szmodics, he whipped the ball from the Derby right to the far post, where Carlton Morris shot wildly over the bar. Still yet to score this season, that summarises the number nine’s goalscoring form.
Millwall continued to have no such problems, though. They carved Derby open like a Jack-o’-lantern with the flame clearly yet to be lit inside.
Dykes lifted the ball over Nyambe and Jack Robinson (making his first Derby start) to find Neghli. The Algerian then cut back to flick it over Hedges and Robinson again. Meanwhile, Luke Cundle got further into the seasonal spirit, as he ghosted in between the Rams’ centre backs to control Neghli’s pass and slot it into the bottom-right corner.
“The defending has to be better in that first 20 minutes, and it wasn't,” Eustace told BBC Radio Derby. He also admitted that: “We've let ourselves down, for sure.”
The ease with which Millwall scored was akin to the league’s high-fliers, which they are not one of. Neil’s side are yet to hit the heights of their third-place finish last season and had won just one of their last seven league games prior to facing Eustace’s side.
The Rams began to show a few signs of scoring just after the half hour mark. But Brewster could only curl a right-footed effort wide of the far post from 15-yards-out in the inside-right, after being found by Clark.
They were dealt another blow when David Ozoh was forced off in the 37th minute. According to Eustace, the 21-year-old should not be out for long, though. He told Rams TV: “He suffered a slight back spasm in the first half, so hopefully it’ll be okay for Tuesday.”
After the break, Derby came out of the blocks quickly, winning a corner within 13 seconds. It was cleared to Szmodics 20-yards-out, and he crossed the ball to Morris, whose header from six yards was palmed over by Max Crocombe. And the skipper was teed up by Szmodics again a few minutes later, before putting an effort from range wide of the Millwall stopper’s left-hand post.
On a hat-trick, Lisbie remained lively in the second period, scooping over from an offside position and later cutting the ball back for Cundle. The attacking midfielder was denied his second by a good stop from Zetterström, though. And Taylor saw a back-post diving header fly just over the bar after Derek Mazou-Sacko’s delivery cannoned off Morris.
With six minutes to play, Millwall continued to push for a fourth. Substitute Mark Sykes was denied after Derby put bodies on the line to block the former Bristol City wing-back-turned-winger’s shot. But they were powerless to stop Jake Cooper finding the top-left corner from four yards after Alfie Doughty beat Johnston to cut the ball back for the hosts’ captain.
The Rams grabbed a consolation with three minutes to play. Crocombe parried Oscar Fraulo’s 25-yard strike, with fellow substitute Filip Bilbija arriving to open his Derby account with a first-time, left-footed finish. Both Fraulo and the goalscorer looked bright when they came on. Having been limited to substitute appearances in since deadline day in the case of Fraulo and since signing for Bilbija, there will now be increasing questions over whether they should start.
Given that Eustace bemoaned the lack of natural goalscorers in his side the other week, and Bilbija had an excellent record in Germany, a chance to play from the first whistle could benefit him and rejuvenate the likes of Morris, who is struggling for goals. Fraulo too, may well come in instead of Ozoh, should the midfielder still be struggling for fitness in midweek.
It is increasingly clear that something has to change for Derby, who remain four points from safety after 13 games. Now it is back to Pride Park, where they are still yet to win this season, to host Norwich and Bolton. A win in at least one of those games may well be critical for Eustace’s future heading into the international break. Three points on Tuesday night could be the perfect birthday present.
Goals: Lisbie 3’, 10’, Cundle 17’, Cooper 84 | Bilbija 87’.
Millwall (4-2-3-1): Crocombe (GK); Crama (Leonard 67’), Taylor, Cooper (C), Sturge (Esse 78’); Metcalfe, Mazou-Sacko; Neghli (Sykes 74’), Cundle, Lisbie (Doughty 74’); Dykes (Ivanović 68’).
Unused substitutes: Evans (GK); Baggott; Kelly; Coburn.
Derby (4-2-3-1): Zetterström (GK); Johnston, Nyambe, Robinson, Hedges; Clark, Ozoh (Mowatt 37’); Brewster (Fraulo 78’), Szmodics (Bilbija 78’), Meister (Fuseini 57’); Morris (C) (Salvesen 78’).
Unused substitutes: Vickers (GK); Gordon, Duffy; Blackett-Taylor.
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