Forget ‘bogey team’, Burnley seem to have some kind of magic spell over the Rams after another win for the Clarets at Pride Park. No wins for us in the last eight meetings between the sides suggests that this result shouldn’t have come as a surprise but I challenge anyone to be have been pessimistic enough to lay claim to seeing this one coming.

If anything, and as Nigel alluded to in his post-match interview, many of the twenty-three thousand odd in Pride Park were expecting to see Total Football and another three points. Not so. Instead, the gods of football provided us with a reminder of how long a week is in the beautiful game and a realistic reality-check on how difficult achieving a top-six finish in the Championship is going to be.

In all honesty, the alarm-bells rang in my head when reading an article in the Derby Evening Telegraph pre-match, praising Bucko for his early season form. Not for the fact that his performances have been poor, far from it, but for the reason that Nigel may have planted a big smacker of death on Jake’s left cheek. As it transpired, he might as well have just have waxed lyrical about the whole team as to a man, Derby produced their worst showing of the season so far by some considerable distance.

There was no immediate danger however, as the first ten-minutes passed largely without incident. The atmosphere was good, the party still carrying on from midweek and peoples’ hamstrings having suitably recovered from rising to acclaim five goals.

Showing one change from Yeovil, with Coutts in for the injured Hendrick, the Rams reverted somewhat surprisingly back to 4-4-2, despite the obvious success of the diamond system employed in recent outings.

Despite us seeing plenty of the ball the first chance fell to Burnley with Mee inches away from scoring after we conceded our obligatory free-header-from-a-set-piece. Worse was to follow as the visitors broke to full-effect. From an intercepted pass (not the first and definitely not the last); Treacey’s miss-control fell luckily into the path of Ings.

With no midfield in sight, only Buxton stood between him and a shot on Grant’s goal. No fear then, surely Bucko would prove his manager right, leave Ings eating the Pride-Park turf and give him a smirk while nut-megging him before clearing the danger?

Not quite. Instead Ings turned on the turbo chargers and left him for dead before prodding past his former team-mate. A blip, surely soon enough we would turn on our free-flowing football and finally put the side from Turf Moor to the sword?

Not so. Buoyed by their goal, Burnley resolutely set-about defending what they had. Led on the touch-line by a raucous and animated Dyche, who looks like a man that you certainly wouldn’t want to encounter late at night, Burnley dug in.

Our midfield, creative and sharp in the previous two games of the week, looked predictable and careless. Hughes lacked a killer pass; Ward wasn’t getting going while Martin and Russell struggled to turn a well-drilled back four.

In spite of this, the arrival of the second goal, or more to the point, the manner of the second, really knocked any pre-conceived visions of a comeback for six.

Trippier found space on the right and delivered what looked at first glance to be a cross that was too deep for any apparent panic. Grant however got his ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ audition in earlier by coming, then retreating to his line as the ball sailed towards the by-line. Though under pressure, Freeman inexplicably headed the ball back into the danger area where Hughes could only hook the ball straight onto the head of Vokes, who literally couldn’t miss. The Key Stone Cops would have had nothing on that defending and we were 2-0 down. To Burnley. Again.

With no choice, we finally tried to add some much needed tempo to the play. Bryson shot over in a rare offering before Russell missed a great chance, stabbing wide after pin-ball in the box.

At half time though, we had as many goals as our performance had merited. Too many sloppy passes and lack of quality meant surely there would be a change of formation, personnel or both at the break. The straight swap of Smith for Freeman wasn’t altogether surprisingly, although seemed a little harsh given it was Kieran’s first dodgy performance so far this season.

The lack of change in shape seemed to back-fire almost straight away with the game settling into a similar vein in the early exchanges of the second-period. However, the game should have turned when Russell capitalised on a poor back header to find himself with time to brew up, have a couple of Custard-Creams and then score to halve the deficit. Instead, he snatched a first-time effort wide of the near post.

If that didn’t serve notice that we wouldn’t score, ten-minutes later, we had further proof. Ward’s ball from the left saw our old friend Shackell appear to clear the ball cleanly. As Bryson collected the pieces, the roars of approval from the North Stand and the referee pointing to the spot came as a surprise.

Rams fans though, seem to never learn that we seem to be the kings of the missed pen. Yes Russell scored on the opening day; however normality was resumed when Heaton dived to his left to palm away.

2 down and with time ticking, Davies entered the fray for Coutts, with Sammon, Jacobs and Bennett left no doubt scratching their heads. The penalty miss seemed to sap any belief left in the team as more long-range shots from Ward trickled through to the keeper.

Burnley looked threatening on the break, with Ings always a willing runner while Buxton and Keogh looked unsure, with the skippers’ poor touch conceding a throw in which summed up another worrying performance.

It was nearly three when Grant made a superb stop to divert Vokes’ effort over the bar. From the resulting corner however, the one man who would really put the icing on top of a big fat horrible tasting cake duly obliged when Shackell, unmarked, volleyed through a crowd of players into the bottom corner. His celebration was like watching an ex-girlfriend, who you really didn’t want to break up with, come back for a visit and remind you of how attractive she is. It hurt.

To their credit, the boys never stopped going and Martin who seemed to see more of the ball at 0-3, drew another good save from Heaton with Ward and Sammon coming out on the wrong end of a goal-mouth scramble.

Burnley though, nearly made it four, with the offside flag denying Vokes a second. However, by then, the job was well and truly done.

At full-time, the boo boys, conspicuous by their absence following the previous thumping wins, returned. Sean Dyche’s men had well and truly stifled our passing game and found us once again without a plan B.

At times, we had looked bereft of ideas, which were partially down to organised opposition, but more with our rigid system. Our engine room looked weak and predictable. The lack of pace up top seemed to be a worry for the first time this term with Shackell and co able to comfortably keep us from facing their goal.

However, our lack of basics at the back ultimately cost us and may see Nigel asking for another copy of the Loan Market Handbook. Coming off the back of such impressive displays, the disjointed and slack performance came as a shock. Unlike in previous seasons, the international break may well serve as a time for our to lick our wounds, dust ourselves down and get ready to enter the Lion’s den in two-weeks time.

We said

Derby manager Nigel Clough:

"Very disappointed with the defending in the first half. We have been good going forward and good defensively but today we were poor in both areas. It was down to individual errors and we brought Kieron (Freeman) off at half-time, we thought both goals came from his area and he should have done better, but it's about the team and we never seemed to get going. You have to give Burnley credit and it was never going to be comfortable but if you give goals away you don't give yourself a chance.”

They said

Burnley manager Sean Dyche:

"It was a very good performance. The link all managers are looking for is when the physicality meets tactical organisation meets with individual and team quality and I thought we found that for a lot of the game. Danny (Ings) is really alive at the moment and he's enjoying it. We spoke a lot to him last year and during the summer about what we think he can achieve and he's taken a lot on board.”

"I must say that he's getting the plaudits and rightly so but I will put Sam Vokes into the mix, I thought today he was absolutely tremendous and for the last 25 minutes was unplayable. He's developing well and I think he's enjoying his football."

Weston’s Player Ratings

Lee Grant- Again no real chance with any of the goals. Made one excellent save. Rating 6

Craig Forsyth: A couple of good balls in but still not convinced he’s the long term answer at left-back. 6

Kieron Freeman: At fault for the second-goal, looked uncomfortable with Marney on the left. Poorest game yet but will learn and did not deserve Nigel’s post-match dressing down 5

Jake Buxton- At fault for first goal and wasn’t his normal self. Looked shaky 5

Richard Keogh: Sloppy again from the skipper which is proving a worry 5

Craig Bryson: Too many miss-controlled balls and lack of quality. 5

Paul Coutts: Linked ok down the right but can still tell he’d rather be infield. Needs a yard of pace to go past his man. 6

Will Hughes: —Tried his best but no final ball. Kept things ticking but not his best game 6

Jamie Ward: Another one of our top-players who didn’t turn up. 5

Johnny Russell: Missed two great chances and a penalty. Not looking good to break 20 goals! 5

Chris Martin: Quiet game, well marshalled by Shackell. Went to ground too easily on occasion. 6

Subs

Adam Smith: Couple of glimpses when he came on. Looked decent. 6

Ben Davies: Didn’t do a deal but wasn’t on his own.

Connor Sammon:

Not even the super fish can score 4 goals in 10 mins 6

Attendance:

23,548 (898 Visiting Supporters).

Teams:

Derby County : Grant (GK), Freeman (Smith 46’), Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Coutts (Davies 67’), Bryson, Hughes, Ward, Martin, Russell (Sammmon 75’). Unused Subs: Legzdins (GK), Jacobs, Eustace, Bennett.

Burnley : Heaton (GK), Trippier, Mee, Shackell, Duff, Treacy, Jones (Edgar 80'), Marney (Stanislas 75'), Arfield, Ings, Vokes. Unused Subs: Cisak (GK), Long, Lafferty, Noble, Stock.

Next Time For The Rams:

Millwall vs. Derby

The Den

3pm — Saturday September 14th

Photo: Action Images

Derby County Polls