"Treat it like it is their partner" - Paul Warne raises issue with Derby County after Sunderland loss | OneFootball

Rams manager unhappy with his side's ability to keep the ball, but does he share some of the blame?

As time goes on, it is becoming increasingly difficult for managers to find new and creative ways of inspiring a squad and conveying a message in the dressing room, though Derby's Paul Warne may have come up with something unique last night.

The Rams suffered a difficult two-nil loss to league leaders Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening, making it four losses on the road out of four.

Thankfully their home form sees them in mid-table for now, but Warne was scathing in his post-match interview last night claiming there isn't 'enough quality on the ball', with the stats backing that up emphatically.

Derby County sit rock bottom of the average possession charts, having only achieved higher possession than their opponents on one occasion this season (an opening day loss to Blackburn Rovers).

While it isn't unsurprising that Warne has identified this as a problem, the wonder is how it took so long realise.

Not good enough on the ball

While failing to collect a result away to the League leaders is by no means a tragedy, Warne was openly pensive about his overall gameplan post-match.

Speaking to BBC Radio Derby after full time, the former Rotherham manager had this to say: “I cannot criticise the lads’ lack of effort, I just don’t think we had enough quality on the ball. In the final third we did not have that cutting edge."

“It is disappointing, but I will come away with some positives.”

A change of tactics

It is evident that Warne is dissatisfied with the team's overall technical ability, a concerning gripe for Rams fans as this cannot be fixed overnight.

What can change, however, is the manager's overall approach to fixtures going forward, as Warne is typically a manager who likes to play on the back foot.

Despite finishing second in last season's League One, Derby averaged just 51.1% possession in games, the 13th highest total league-wide.

This figure alone, given the supreme relative quality of Derby's squad in last year's third-tier, implies the club's reluctance to keep the ball is very much by choice, so Warne will likely be incredibly busy over the next few days in a pursuit to step out of his tactical comfort zone.

Derby play at home to fellow strugglers Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon, where fans of the club should expect some importance being placed on ball-retention.