"Like Ipswich Town last season" - Can Paul Warne take Derby County to the next level? | OneFootball

Paul Warne has been backed to bring success to Derby County after an impressive start to the Championship.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County have enjoyed a strong start to the Championship season, winning three of their opening five games to sit just outside the play-off places.

Despite the size of the club, many didn’t know what to expect from the Rams following their promotion to the second tier, as boss Paul Warne is unproven at this level, and he wasn’t given a massive budget to work with.

However, the early signs are positive, and it will be intriguing to see if they can sustain these levels over the course of the season.

Paul Warne is looking to prove himself in the Championship

Looking to the long-term, Derby will have ambitions of returning to the Premier League, and Warne will be looking to show that he can be the man to bring success to Pride Park on a consistent basis.

The former Rotherham chief has shown time and time again that he is a capable manager in the third-tier, which is why he landed the Derby job.

So, the next challenge for Warne is to prove himself in the Championship, as he has been relegated from this level with the Millers in the past.

It remains to be seen whether he is capable of taking Derby to that next level, but fan pundit Shaun explained to FLW that Warne warrants an opportunity to show what he can do, and why he is a good fit for the club right now.

“It’s a hard one to say as he has never really cracked it in the Championship, so there’s nothing to say that he can do it. But, given the fact of where we have been, he has as much chance as anybody of galvanising the squad, and creating that siege mentality. I think he suits that role in a way.

“As we don’t have lots of money, he has to be savvy in the market, loan players and get the best out of what he’s got - and I think he’s good at that.

“At the moment, nobody really expects much from us, so it might just suit him, and, who knows, we might be that club, like Ipswich Town last season, that is a surprise package in the Championship. It’s unlikely, but you never know, and I’m enjoying the style of football right now, as something seems to have clicked in the last month. So, if we can keep doing that, you just never know.”

Derby County are making progress under Paul Warne

It seems unfair to be looking ahead too far for Derby and Warne right now, as they will just be loving the way the side are playing on their Championship return.

Warne has built a team that looks solid, they all work hard, and there are a few standout individuals who are making the difference in the final third.

As well as that, the recruitment team deserve a lot of credit, as the players they have spent money on are all looking good at this early stage.

But, there needs to be patience with Warne, as he is leading a long-term project with the Rams, and the first priority is to establish the club back at this level.