Having narrowly missed out on the League One playoffs last term, Derby County will be determined to go one better in 2023-24, meaning that promotion is the main aim for Paul Warne and his players.
The Rams finished a solitary point outside the top six last season, despite posting a 15-game unbeaten streak between October and February, with a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the campaign sealing the club’s fate.
Aiming to put last season’s disappointment behind them as quickly as possible, Derby have enjoyed plenty of success in their recent warm-up matches, picking up three wins and one draw as they prepare for another campaign in the third tier.
After defeating Matlock 2-0, Warne’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Salford City before returning to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Chesterfield, with a 3-0 triumph against Stoke City coming last time out.
Curtis Nelson, James Collins and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing all scored in the first half against Stoke to set their side up for a comprehensive victory, while Warne used the second half to make 10 substitutions.
Sheffield United, on the other hand, are back in the big time having gained promotion to the Premier League last term, picking up 91 points to finish 11 points inside the automatic promotions places.
It is no secret that Burnley ran away with the second-tier title last season, racking up a whopping 101 points, but the Blades managed to register just one victory fewer than Burnley throughout the campaign, underlining their strength.
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That said, Paul Heckingbottom will not be overly pleased with his team’s pre-season preparations as they gear up for a gruelling Premier League campaign, as Sheff Utd have managed to win just one of their four warm-up games.
Following a 2-0 victory over Chesterfield, the Blades played out a goalless draw with Portuguese outfit Estoril before suffering back-to-back defeats against Rotherham United and Spanish side Girona.
Having failed to score a single goal in each of their previous three friendlies, Sheffield United will be eager to produce an improved performance against Derby, with their final warm-up match scheduled for August 5 against Stuttgart.
