Derby County have been urged to make a number of League One deals, including Huddersfield Town centre-back Michael Helik, in order to strengthen their backline following Friday’s 4-2 defeat at Blackburn Rovers.
The Rams frequently used a back-five in League One, but during the 2024/25 Championship opener, they fielded a flat four of Kane Wilson, Curtis Nelson, Eiran Cashin, and Callum Elder.
Paul Warne’s team held their own for much of the game at Ewood Park, drawing level with 23 minutes remaining after Nelson converted a Nathaniel Mendez-Laing corner, but they quickly capitulated, allowing three times in ten minutes to fall 4-1 behind.
Wilson equalized for the visitors in the dying moments, but it was too little, too late.
Though Friday’s thrashing may appear to be a simple baptism of fire after securing promotion from League One the previous season, Derby’s lack of defensive mettle was demonstrated on more than one occasion during their pre-season preparations, when they lost 4-0 and 4-3 to Chesterfield and Barnsley, respectively.
As a result, Derby have been instructed to seek a number of newcomers from the league in which they were promoted to bolster Warne’s defensive line in the future.
Derby County told to consider Josh Earl, Michal Helik transfer moves
Derby fans were startled by how quickly Blackburn tore apart the defence, and FLW’s resident Rams fan analyst Shaun Woodward hopes it will drive Warne to act on the transfer front, with a number of players he has highlighted as potential targets.
“As we showed against Blackburn and to be honest in pre-season, shipping an average of three goals a game over the last five or six games [is poor], I know they’re only friendlies before the Blackburn game but even so, you don’t want to be conceding goals like we are,” Shaun told Football League World.
“Especially when Warne prides himself on his defensive capabilities and his team are normally hard to beat, so he’ll be bitterly disappointed behind the scenes at how easily we’re shipping goals.
“I mean the other night, we just capitulated in that 10 minute spell after equalising, it was schoolboy defending so we desperately need reinforcements in my opinion.
“I’m worried about Cashin, Nelson and Sonny Bradley – none of them have got any pace and we’re up against some really intelligent, quick-thinking wingers and centre-forwards who look like they’re going to tear us to pieces.
“Blackburn aren’t tipped to be up there this season and they could’ve scored five or six, so that’s very worrying moving forward.
“I would be desperately looking to bring in a centre-half and a left-back. For me we need someone younger in both positions, I would be tempted to do a cheeky bid for Lee Buchanan maybe – ex-Derby player I know, but we could offer him Championship football which Birmingham can’t.
“It might be a bit cheeky but he’s 23, he’s quick, knows the club, probably lives around the area so you never know.
“Or someone like Josh Earl. Again, he’s at a good age, mid-twenties, has played a lot of football for Barnsley and he’s always impressed whenever he’s played against Derby.
“Centre-halves, I think realistically we’re going to be in for League One players because we don’t have the money to bring in ready-made Championship players, so we should be looking at the better League One players.
“Someone like Michal Helik at Huddersfield Town, he’s 28 which is a great age for a centre-half, big and strong, he’s always played well for Huddersfield and impressed against Derby a number of times – but we need some reinforcements desperately.”
Derby County should consider Huddersfield Town’s Michal Helik as immediate signing
Shaun has supplied a fascinating list of theoretical targets, and Helik may well be the best of the group.
Derby certainly need another left-back, but it’s unclear whether Buchanan’s return to Pride Park is practical, while Earl, despite his good performances, only joined Barnsley from Fleetwood Town in February.
Helik, with four years of Championship experience with both Barnsley and Huddersfield Town, appears to be the most realistic and best choice.
The Poland international was at the heart of the defence as both teams achieved unexpected play-off finishes in separate times, and he performed admirably last season despite Huddersfield’s relegation from the Championship.
Helik is defensively dominant in any case, but it is his goal-scoring ability that truly differentiates him, as he scored nine goals from defence last season.
Derby scored 24 goals from set pieces in the same season, and both of their goals on Friday were because to Mendez-Laing’s precision corner deliveries, which might be improved even more with the signing of Helik.
Helik, a forceful presence and real menace in both boxes, could be a game-changer for Derby’s survival aspirations – provided they can pull it off.
