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Keith Andrews blog: Watford midfielder examines reasons for Derby's success

'Hornets showed spirit but not enough quality against Ipswich'

Will Hughes of Derby looks on during the pre season friendly match between Derby County and Rangers at iPro Stadium on August
Image: Will Hughes' technical abilities are 'ridiculous', says Keith

Keith Andrews examines why Derby are flying high at the top of the Championship and reflects on his Watford team’s weekend loss at Ipswich…

Derby go into the international break top of the Championship after annihilating Wolves at the iPro Stadium on Saturday.

It was always going to be interesting to see how Derby would react to the play-off heartache they endured at Wembley in May, especially when you consider they have a relatively young squad.

Steve McClaren has done a magnificent job since he took over at County in September of last year and has completely transformed the way they play football.

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Jeff Hendrick and Johnny Russell both bagged braces as Derby thrashed Wolves 5-0 in their Sky Bet Championship clash at the iPro Stadium.

He is a vastly experienced manager who hasn’t been afraid to make brave decisions by going to Holland and Germany to manage FC Twente and Wolfsburg respectively.

I know David Moyes is currently being linked with the Real Sociedad job but we rarely see managers from these shores manage or coach abroad. I think that’s a real shame as surely experiencing different styles of play is only going to improve them.

I do, though, think Nigel Clough deserves credit for the squad of players that McClaren inherited when he took over as he gave them a very good grounding. The majority of the squad are in their early to mid-twenties so they are only going to get better with games, experience and learning from a very good manager.

They have already shown they have real character as a squad with how they have reacted to the playoff disappointment by using it as extra motivation this season to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

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Steve McLaren hailed the attitude of Derby after they beat Wolves 5-0 and says he thoroughly enjoyed watching his side.

So often in years gone by we have seen teams that are defeated in the playoffs have terrible starts the following season but it’s testament to the Derby management team that they haven’t let that happen.

Complement

Derby play with huge energy throughout their side and have some talented individuals they have done well to hold onto – I’m sure there were Premier League suitors sniffing about in the summer.

The midfield trio of Jeff Hendrick, Craig Bryson and Will Hughes is as good as any midfield in the league and they complement each other very well.

There has been much hype about Hughes and I’m not surprised in the slightest as he is a genuine talent who will undoubtedly play in the Premier League sooner rather than later. His vision, awareness and composure are ridiculous for someone so young.

Jeff Hendrick of Derby looks on during the pre season friendly match between Derby County and Rangers at iPro Stadium on August 2, 2014.
Image: Jeff Hendrick has become a star for club and country

Hendrick has added another dimension to his game under the stewardship of McClaren and blossomed – He is a very good all-round midfielder who could quite easily play in an old fashioned 4-4-2 formation as he is very fit and physically strong.

He showed on Saturday that he has started to add goals to his game which is vital if you are playing in a three-man midfield.

He has quite rightly been given international recognition with Ireland over the last year or so and I’m sure he will be a major asset for us for years to come under Martin O’Neill. He could play a key role on Friday when we face a rejuvenated Scotland at Celtic Park.

Image: Derby skipper Richard Keogh has boundless enthusiasm

The club captain Richard Keogh epitomises exactly what Derby are all about with his leadership qualities; technical ability to pass or dribble out of defence and start attacks; and just his sheer enthusiasm.

It’s very clear to see that Derby have a good team spirit and are enjoying their football. I’ve no doubt that they will be knocking on the door again this season for automatic promotion.

Quality

We dropped to fifth in the table after our defeat to Ipswich on Saturday in what was a very tight game. That result means we have back-to-back games which isn’t good enough for where we want to get to. We have been disappointed with the last couple of performances.

I thought we showed good character and spirit against Ipswich but not enough quality in possession to really hurt them in key areas of the pitch. I’ve talked before about the quality that we have in the squad here at Watford but we can’t just rely on individual brilliance week in, week out to get us results.

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Tommy Smith's 83rd-minute goal was enough to earn Ipswich a 1-0 win over Watford in the Sky Bet Championship at Portman Road.

Ipswich are a very good side that have been well drilled by Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor. You know that any result you get against a McCarthy side will be well-earned as they don’t give you an inch.

The back four is as solid as you get in this division and in Daryl Murphy and David McGoldrick you have as potent a strike pair as there is in the league, so they are very strong at both ends of the pitch.

My only concern with Ipswich is the size of their squad and whether they can deal with injuries and suspensions when they occur. Mick has done a great job at Portman Road, though, and has really brought a buzz back to the club after a few years of mediocrity.  

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