Should Rams worry about underwhelming pre-season?

[BBC] [Getty Images] Derby wrapped up their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw against Rotherham United last night. The result meant the Rams finished with two wins, three defeats, and one draw from their six pre-season fixtures. Is losing 50% their friendlies something to be worried about? I personally don't think so. Last year the Rams drew once, lost once, and won four of their warm-up games. However, it would be fair to say that the majority of these games were played against generally weaker opponents than the teams Derby came up against this year. What we have seen throughout this run of fixtures are very telling choices made by John Eustace. Opting to rest Carlton Morris last night to have him fit and available for Saturday's Carabao Cup tie with Lincoln City, I believe sends out a signal of intent that Derby want to take the competition seriously and want to put out a team good enough to win the game, not just compete well. Ultimately, these pre-season friendlies are never about results, they're much more about getting to see how new players can bed into the squad, building up minutes for those who have returned from injury, and experimenting with different personnel combinations and shapes. The likes of Filip Bilbija and Charlie Taylor have been given valuable minutes to help them integrate into the side, which has also allowed Eustace to get an idea of what kind of role he would like them to play going forward into the new campaign, and allowed him to see first hand how they will fit into his system. These things are key to test out in pre-season. For Eustace, he can go into competitive matches with a clearer understanding of who he will prefer in certain positions and of what his ideal starting XI will look like, without having to continue 'experimenting' when the pressure is on and points matter. For the players, it's about getting to grips with Eustace's playing style, but it's also important for them to build an understanding and a connection with their team-mates. For those who have returned from loan spells and injury, such as Corey Blackett-Taylor and Dajaune Brown, pre-season has provided them with the opportunity to build their fitness back up, but also compete for their places in Eustace's long term plans and fight to remain Derby County players. After it was starting to feel as though we would be unlikely to see Blackett-Taylor play competitively for Derby again, suddenly he has perhaps given himself a good case to be in the starting line-up on Saturday, after being the Rams' brightest spark during the second half of last night's game. On paper, the Rams have produced below average results since 17 July when they kicked off their pre-season. However, despite these results I think Eustace's playing style has been implemented well throughout the friendlies, even when it has led to players making mistakes, like when Derby conceded last night. In my opinion, that's what pre-season is all about, trial and error, getting things wrong to help things eventually go right, and allowing everybody to adapt and be on the same page, manager, coaching staff and players alike. It is no secret that Derby need to recruit further before the summer transfer window closes on 1 September but they remain in a comfortable position to start the season positively and I believe they will do just that on Saturday when they face Lincoln City at Pride Park. You can often catch Amelia Warren as a guest on BBC Radio Derby. Latest Derby County news, analysis and fan views