On Tuesday evening at the iPro the Rams defeated Reading 2-0 in the third round of the Capital One Cup, with a defence that included goalkeeper Kelle Roos and Ryan Shotton at centre back.

I’m hopeful that this result might have much more significance than just the Rams progressing to the next round of the competition; I was beginning to despair of the Rams defence being good enough for the team to have a genuine shot at promotion.

Here is what upsets me: the Rams have not kept a clean sheet in the last six league matches. This forces the team to score a lot of goals if they are going to win. Since beating Rotherham 1-0 on the opening day, the Rams have had to score three to beat Blackburn, and also got five to beat Fulham in their only other league win.

Despite the Rams dominating matches, obviously inferior teams — such as Cardiff - are able to take points due to slack defending by the Rams. Among the most common phrases used in match reports to describe the Rams defence are “Switched off” and “caught napping”.

The same problems seem to recur each match: misplaced passes out of defence, defending way too deep, not challenging an opposing player attacking with the ball, allowing free shots from twenty yards or so and the keeper failing to come out for crosses.

In the match against Cardiff, all the Cardiff corners seemed to be inswingers aimed into the Derby goalmouth. Have opponents recognized that Grant will not leave his line to claim the ball?

It does not look as though new faces will be coming in to help the situation: Keogh, Buxton and Forsyth have all recently signed long-term contracts, and Christie was signed to a long contract in the summer, so all of the front line defenders look to have Steve Mac’s confidence.

Things appeared to have become worse without Jake Buxton: two goals were conceded in each of last two league games without him, both against poor opposition.

I took a look at last season, to try and get a better sense of how bad a six match clean sheet-less run is.

Following the arrival of Steve Mac, and after the Rams had the Ipswich home game out of their system, the longest spell of matches without a clean sheet was a run of five matches from December to January. The Rams won two, lost two and drew one of the five. However, Richard Keogh missed four of those five, and was replaced by the loanee Keane.

The Rams went on to keep nine clean sheets in the remaining 21 regular season league games, winning twelve, drawing five and losing four. Other than the spell with Keane in the team, the longest run without a clean sheet after Mac’s arrival was four.

Also last season, despite their dominance of the division, Leicester did go on a run of seven league matches without a clean sheet; Burnley, on the other hand did not go more than four league matches without a clean sheet.

My conclusion?

Just as no team wants to let in goals, keeping opponents scoreless is a good habit, and it is one that pretty much all teams need if they are to be successful.

Tomorrow the Rams visit Bolton and my hope is that Roos and Shotton might keep their places, all though I think it somewhat unlikely.

Only four players have scored for Bolton in league matches this season; their leading scorer is Mason with four, and nobody else has more than one. Dean Moxey has also joined them from Palace, and may well play.

If nothing else - this match looks like a good opportunity for the Rams to keep a clean sheet.

Photo: Action Images

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