The Foxes, a flat four and Fraulo

Bobby De Cordova-Reid prods the ball into the bottom-left-corner. How’s that for déjà vu?

The Jamaica International had again put the ball in the net of a Rams side who had started brightly: but this time the reply was prompt.

Up front alongside Patrick Agyemang in a 4-4-2, Rhian Brewster spearheaded Derby’s rapid response unit. Within three minutes of going behind, he finished from Callum Elder’s cross after some good work from his strike partner in the build-up.

This was better from a side who still haven’t won from behind under John Eustace. Though given that the reverse fixture just 23 days earlier had effectively been over in 31 minutes, the bar was low.  

If you also factor in that the previous instance of Eustace’s team facing a Martí Cifuentes side ended in a 4-0 defeat at QPR, and now a group of snakes are struggling to limbo.

And considering what followed, that was fortunate.

It was a non-entity of a game in large part, with Leicester allowing Derby much of the ball, and The Rams creating little with it.

But The Foxes’ second still felt as though it had come against the run of play, with the defending being even more docile.

Welsh midfielder Jordan James simply had to beat Liam Thompson in a footrace as he scampered after Luke Thomas’ pass, before curling the ball over the flailing leg of Matt Clarke and into the bottom-right-corner.

Agyemang’s shot into the hands of Jakub Stolarczyk after chasing Brewster’s hopeful pass on the hour was the other only chance of note.

That was until Jacob Zetterström had to tip Ebou Adams’ header over his own bar in the final ten minutes as substitutions killed any semblance of momentum.

Where Derby are or the wrong shape?

John Eustace said Derby "have made good steps going forward" when reviewing 2025 at Pride Park.

One of the most striking elements of the game was Derby’s switch to a 4-4-2.

John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby that he felt a back five “would’ve been a little bit negative without [the suspended Joe Ward]”.  Presumably the same goes for Max Johnston, who will miss another two weeks following a setback.

But in a game where it looked as though Leicester were there for the taking, but The Rams were punished for lapses of concentration, was a change of shape the right decision?

This trend was also present in the opening games of the season, but for me it is less about the shape, more where Derby are at.

It chimes with what Eustace told me when I asked him to review 2025 at Pride Park following the Portsmouth game.

He said: “I think I think we've made good steps going forward, and there's still a lot a hell of a lot of hard work ahead, for sure.

“We're still trying to find our feet, to get players fit and all that kind of stuff.

“We've gone through a lot of injuries, already this year, so to get that level of consistency is difficult, but full credit to the group of players.

“As I say, there's a lot of hard work ahead and I think the club is certainly moving in the right direction.”

Silly Season looms

The next phase of this hard work comes with Middlesbrough at home on New Year’s Day, and the January transfer window.

And Derby’s first signing looks as though it will be 22-year-old Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Oscar Fraulo.

Eustace described him as “a box-to-box number eight and a player for the future”.

Asked by BBC Radio Derby whether the Dane, who has played just 40 minutes of league football this season could offer what Derby are missing in midfield, the head coach was tentative.

He said: “Maybe. We’ve got lads coming back now and good competition in there.”

But while captain Lewis Travis returned to the pitch following a 12-week lay-off, he is “a long way off match sharpness and fitness”, while Bobby Clark will be assessed on Tuesday.

While Fraulo will need time to become match sharp too.

When both are fit, the arrival of the Mönchengladbach midfielder could allow Clark to stay in the role he played at Leicester, staying higher up the pitch as was initially intended.

Eustace keeps demanding “more belief in the final third”, and the combination of an unshackled Clark with another energetic midfielder could help unlock this.

But Fraulo’s arrival may be come yet more important, if Clark is absent for several weeks.