Verdicts so far as second tier sides take a break

MORRIS THE STAR FOR RAMS, WHILE SKY BLUES SETTING THE PACE AT TOP

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Here’s what they had to say on the battle to reign supreme in the second tier this season. First up is our very own Leigh Curtis:

Leigh Curtis (Derby County writer)

What have you made of the start to the season?

It's gone largely as I expected it to, really.

Derby embarked on a serious overhaul of their squad in the summer and with 13 players arriving and 13 players leaving, it was always going to take a while for the team to settle down.

The Rams entered the season with a considerable injury list, too, but they've started to get players back.

Patrick Agyemang, for example, had a double hernia op in the summer, Owen Beck has not even kicked a ball yet after signing on loan from Liverpool and then there were a couple of signings that happened towards the end of the window, such as Lewis Travis and Max Johnston.

They're still bedding in and I think it will be a couple of weeks or so before they start to really build that understanding and chemistry.

But there has been undeniable progress on that.

There’s been good bits and bad bits but, all in all, it’s gone exactly as I thought it would.

They've had five draws and now it’s about turning them into wins moving forward.

Who has stood out since the season began?

Carlton Morris has been an outstanding signing and would be my pick of the new players.

He just leads the front line so well, great professional and plays with real intelligence, which you would expect from a player of his experience.

Had Patrick Agyemang started the season and done as well as he has for a longer period of time, then I would have maybe said him. But I love what Morris brings to the team, particularly as the Rams have long needed a forward who can make the ball stick.

Barry Cooper (Hull City writer)

What have you made of the start to the season?