Derby County defender Ryan Nyambe has identified injuries and a collapse in confidence as the core reasons for the team's alarming start to the Championship season. The Rams have just one win from their opening 11 games, a run that has left them 23rd in the table with only six points. Speaking after the 1-0 home defeat to Stoke City, Nyambe urged the squad to take collective responsibility and find a way to turn their fortunes around.
Nyambe pointed to a lengthy injury list as a primary cause of the team's problems. "Obviously, you can see injuries," he said. "Then you lose games, confidence goes down - those are the two main factors." The defensive unit has been particularly hard hit, with Sondre Langas, Matt Clarke, Craig Forsyth and Eiran Cashin all sidelined. This crisis forced Nyambe, a right-back by trade, to play as a centre-half against Stoke, a position he estimates he has played only about five times in his career.
Defender steps into unfamiliar role
The 28-year-old admitted the adjustment was not easy. "It's something I'm kind of used to, at the same time, I'm not," Nyambe explained. "The gaffer asked me to step in so obviously I stepped in and took one for the team." His makeshift role in the heart of defence is a stark illustration of the squad's current strain. The team's form has been bleak, with no wins in their last five matches, a sequence that includes heavy losses to QPR and Birmingham City. They have scored just nine goals all season while conceding 20, leaving them with a goal difference of minus eleven.
With frustration growing among supporters, Nyambe was clear that pointing fingers is not the answer. "Let's not do blame games, it's all of us together, we're all letting ourselves down," he stated. He called for unity and a renewed competitive spirit to handle a way out of the relegation zone, which currently sees them 17 points adrift of the league leaders. "We all need to stand up and showcase what we're about."
The immediate focus shifts to a difficult trip to face Sheffield United this Saturday. The Blades, sitting 11th in the standings, will provide another stern test for John Eustace's side. Nyambe believes any kind of positive result could be the catalyst for change. "Everyone needs to gain confidence somehow whether it's next game we win the scruffy way, just get a win and then maybe it's a start for us." Derby County's next Championship fixture is away to Sheffield United on Saturday, 24 October.
