Big chance for early lift-off as Rams aim high again

OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD MOMENTUM IN OPENING FIXTURES OF NEW SEASON

- BY LEIGH CURTIS

PREDICTING how Derby County will fare this season based solely on the fixture release does seem a pointless exercise.

The squad they will take to face Charlton Athletic on August 15 will look very different from the one they have now, so assessing where John Eustace’s side will finish feels rather premature.

What we do know, however, is that under the Rams head coach, the progress they have made since his arrival last February has been hugely impressive.

Derby's transformation from relegation battlers to top-six contenders was something nobody saw coming and served as a measure of Eustace’s brilliance.

If the path that the Rams are currently on sticks to its trajectory, then they should be fighting at the right end of the table again next season.

There are still some significant gaps in the squad to address across the course of the window but the signing of Bobby Clark was an extremely good start.