Team Focus: McClaren Rebuilding Reputation with Ruthless Rams

Steve McClaren, or the wally with the brolly as he has been less than affectionately coined, became somewhat of a laughing stock in his homeland after England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 under his stewardship. An interview whilst managing in Holland at Twente didn't do him any favours in terms easing the stick (schtick) he continued to receive in England, though his record with a side that he led to their first ever Eredivisie title in only his second season in foreign management was far from a joke.

Now with Derby after unsuccessful spells with the likes of Wolfsburg and the Rams' fierce rivals Nottingham Forest, McClaren's reputation is being rebuilt. It's one that almost hit rock bottom with fans in England - if not the powers that be at football clubs - but the start that he's made in the Midlands makes for impressive groundwork. The former Middlesbrough boss had been linked to a string of vacant top-flight hot seats in recent years, met all but unanimously with moans and groans from the respective clubs' supporters.

With 6 wins in a row and 8 from 10 league matches having not taken charge of first team duties until after a remarkable 4-4 draw with Ipswich, Derby are up to fourth under his tutelage. They've scored at least 10 goals more than any other Championship side and as many as 24 of those have come in the ten matches for which McClaren has been in charge of first team affairs.

It's worth noting that a second half fight-back, having trailed 4-1 at the break in the aforementioned 8-goal thriller with Ipswich came following a team talk from the newly appointed boss. Derby's goals came from a centre-back and two midfielders that night and it's the side's capacity for goals all over the pitch that sees them stand out - only Ipswich have had more different goalscorers this season than the Rams' 11.

While top scorer Chris Martin has reached double figures it's the all-round performances of midfielder Craig Bryson that have been key thus far this season. With 9 goals and 7 assists now to his name the 27-year old has had a direct hand in 16 league goals - only Leeds' Ross McCormack has managed more having netted 16 times and picked up 3 assists. The Scotland international has been a regular fixture at Pride Park (the iPro Stadium) since a transfer from Kilmarnock in 2011 but perhaps hasn't received the credit he deserves due to the emergence of another midfielder at the club.

All eyes tend to draw to the fluorescent head of 18-year old Will Hughes, and not merely for his peroxide blonde hair. The teenager is one of those rare youngsters that plays with maturity far beyond his tender years and has in turn been tipped for big things. Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool are touted as the most persistent of a plethora of interested top-flight teams and it isn't hard to see why.

Of all players in the division to have started at least 10 times this season only five have a better pass accuracy than Hughes' notable 87.1%. When considering that the youngster is a player that has an eye for a killer pass that success rate is all the more impressive, with Hughes creating more chances from open play than any other central midfielder in the division (29). He's picked up 4 assists in turn to add to 3 goals thus far but also shown that he can break up play as well as dictate it, averaging 2.9 tackles per game - the second most at Derby. Meanwhile, his threat to the opposition is obvious given that only teammate Chris Martin has been fouled more times in the Championship (46).

The two all-rounders in Derby's midfield have certainly been essential this season, but the centre-back pairing of Buxton and Keogh deserves great credit too. McClaren and his coaching staff can certainly claim some of that, with the side conceding just 9 goals and 11.9 shots per game in the 10 matches he has taken charge of, having conceded 17 and 13.8 respectively in the 10 matches beforehand.

Elsewhere the statistics haven't changed drastically other than the fact that the Midlands outfit seem to have become a more reactive side, willing to be patient and let their opponents make mistakes. They exert less energy in winning the ball back by getting in players' faces, with Derby's tackles per game dropping from 20 prior to McClaren's arrival to just 15.7 per game since. They seem more organised and are able to retain their shape in doing so, which also enables them to attack as a unit, helping to add goals from a variety of different positions and players.

The side's main strength has been taking the chances that have been presented to them. Derby's conversion rate of 14.5% is by far the best in the league - Reading are closest behind with 12.1% - and when you consider that under McClaren that figure is up at 17% it's clear that the players are confident under the new manager.

His ability to motivate players in that sense is obvious but the feeling that he lacked the respect of the international side in only his second managerial job remains. It’s something that he has had to earn since and he's certainly started to do that at Derby. McClaren will hope that in the interest of his career the rest of the nation will follow.

Will Derby secure automatic promotion under McClaren? Let us know in the comments below