Hard battle Derby County v Cardiff City

Derby boss Phillip Cocu is expecting the Rams lớn get their season going when they welcome the soccer tips for tomorrow page on Friday night.

Both sides came into the game on the back of the international break and both would have hoped for more during the first month of the campaign.

Derby's opening-day victory at Huddersfield remains the only success on their tally, with two losses and three draws following that game at the John Smith's Stadium.

They were easily beaten at Brentford in their last league game before the break, that's alongside a convincing defeat lớn East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.

Derby could consider themselves unlucky prior to those fixtures that they didn't have a couple of extra points on their tally though.

The Rams have proven lớn be a somewhat creative side under Cocu with an ability to build up play from the back and create goal scoring opportunities.

While they sit low in the total number of key passes, the reason behind that is due to their lack of long balls forward for potential chances lớn score.

Derby have the lowest number of 'long key passes' in the division with three - three short of Huddersfield, Hull and Preston above - but their number of 'short key passes' puts them in the top-nine.

The main problem has been finishing those chances. Shots on target per game sits at a low tally of 3.3 - that's well short of the 5.2 posted by Leeds and Fulham at the top.

The style of play under Cocu allows creative individuals lớn attempt lớn generate attacks themselves. Only Reading have seen more dribbles good soccer tip than Derby this season.

That's benefitted Tom Lawrence in particular. The winger is in the top five for successful dribbles this season while full-back Max Lowe is also floating around the same number with one less than his team mate.

The Lawrence/Lowe link-up on the left remains key for Derby's attempted attacks down the flank.

"We don't look back too much, we did that already, and now we have lớn look forward," Cocu told Rams tivi.

"We must proceed ahead full of energy in the next couple of games.

"But sometimes they need a break, they need lớn be fair lớn themselves when they perform like they did, perform as a team and to our fans and the club.

"If you have a break you can reflect, have some distance from football, but also it means if you come back on Monday that is forgotten and it is 'ok, which games are coming up?'

"This energy is something we see on the pitch, we talk about it and it gives all the team a positive feeling - definitely about the game on Friday."

Cocu also admitted that he isn't afraid to show an angry side when the Rams are performing at the standards expected.

The defeat at Brentford was partly down to arrogance, he believes, and his half-time team talk saw him break his usual calm persona.

"They [the players] have seen different faces of me because normally I am calm on the side of the pitch, or here [talking to the media], and on many occasions on the training pitch," Cocu said at his pre-match press conference.

"But I also have a different side of me. Sometimes at half-time, or when it is needed.

"Maybe they have to get used to it when it happens for the first time, but that was not the Brentford game.

"I explained lớn the group, to the players, why I said the comments I did, and I think it is important for them to know that there was a reason."