Richie Barker’s Derby County secured a win against Chesterfield on Tuesday evening.
Paul Warne faced a harsh reality check when his promotion-winning Derby side traveled to Blackburn for the opening day of the 2024/25 Championship season.
Derby County suffered a 4-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers, exposing several key issues within the squad during the match.
The Rams are now preparing to face Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday. Before that, they hosted Chesterfield at Pride Park for a League Cup tie.
The newly promoted side put on a solid performance, earning a 2-1 victory.
Craig Forsyth’s impressive display against Chesterfield could see him earn a spot in the starting eleven for the weekend. Goalscorer Liam Thompson was particularly impressed by 18-year-old Dajaune Brown, who set up the equalizing goal for the home side.
Richie Barker gives hilarious response to Derby County issue
In England, it’s becoming increasingly common for assistant managers to take on more responsibility during League Cup games.
Derby County is no exception, with Richie Barker playing a leading role both on the sidelines and in post-match media duties on Tuesday.
Following Derby’s win over Chesterfield, Barker provided an injury update on Ebou Adams and Corey Blackett-Taylor, confirming that both players should return to training this week.
During his interview with BBC Sport, Barker was asked if Derby’s goalkeeper situation would be resolved before Saturday. His response was both candid and humorous: “I honestly don’t know. If I’m being brutally honest, I honestly don’t know. If I’m honest, I’m not interested in goalkeepers—they just spoil the game, don’t they?”
When is Derby County expected to finalize the signing of a goalkeeper?
Derby have been on the hunt for a new goalkeeper since Joe Wildsmith departed the club as a free agent earlier this year.
The club has been linked with several candidates but has finally secured a replacement for Wildsmith.
Last month, Derby agreed on a deal with Swedish club Djurgardens to sign Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, though the goalkeeper has yet to make his move to England.
The delay is due to a condition in the deal allowing Zetterstrom to remain with his current team for their Europa Conference League qualifiers.
Fortunately for Derby fans, the 26-year-old is set to play his final match for Djurgardens on Thursday before making the move to England.
However, as Barker mentioned earlier, it remains uncertain whether Zetterstrom will be available to feature against Middlesbrough on Saturday, August 17th.