Boss Mick McCarthy admits that Town's midfield players need to contribute more goals but isn't panicking at this early stage of the season. Town’s midfielders are yet to net this term having been outscored by the Blues’ defence during 2013/14.
While Paul Anderson was credited with five goals last season - one in the early home victory over Millwall somewhat fortunately - Luke Hyam, Jay Tabb, Anthony Wordsworth and former skipper Carlos Edwards scored one each, while Cole Skuse and Stephen Hunt are still to open their Town accounts.
Loanees Jonny Williams (one) and Paul Green (two) added three more to the overall midfield total of 12 late on in the campaign.
Last season’s regular backline contributed four more with Christophe Berra - this year’s current top scorer on two - netting five, Tommy Smith six, Luke Chambers three and the now departed Aaron Cresswell two.
Up front, main strikers David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy - who have each scored once so far during 2014/15 - hit 16 and 13 respectively, while a further three came via Frank Nouble and one more from Paul Taylor.
"We don’t actually go out to rely on [the strikers and defenders] to score,” McCarthy said. "We expect the midfield to get goals and they haven’t done it.
"We’ll just keep practising and making sure we’ll try and get some goals out of them - Ando, Tabby, Luke Hyam, Skusey, anybody that plays in the middle of the park. We’re well aware that there was a dearth of goals from them last season.”
Despite the Blues only taking one point from their three games since beating Fulham on the opening day, McCarthy feels his side has played better than their points total of four and early league position of 17th suggests.
"We’ve had four league games and I felt we played really well against Fulham, I thought we played really well against Reading but didn’t manage to score,” he added.
"I thought Birmingham was a scrap and we gave two really awful goals away. And Norwich, I think they’re a good side and the difference between us was a sloppy goal from us.”
He says there’s no sense of panic about the start to the season or the lack of midfield goals: "Let’s get a bit further down the line before I start concerning myself that everything’s wrong, there’s no goals from midfield, there’s no creativity or we’re relying on somebody else. Let’s go a bit further into the league before I start panicking on that score.”
McCarthy knows his Derby opposite number Steve McClaren well and says the pair of them learnt valuable lessons from their spells as international bosses with the Republic of Ireland and England.
"It gives you experience of playing in bigger games and dealing with bigger players. I certainly did playing with them and then managing them as opposed to managing in the Championship," he said.
"The games are completely different. I think it makes you a bit more tactically aware because you have to be, a bit shrewder.
"It certainly makes you a bit more patient because you only get a game every six weeks. I’d like to think being an international boss makes you a better manager. I’ve got to say that though, haven’t I, because I’ve been one.”
He added: "And it makes you a bit thicker skinned. I think the further you go in your career and the higher you go you get more profile and with more profile you get more criticism, you get more exposure and I think you have to learn to be thicker skinned.
”And certainly Steve, having been England manager, I’m sure that’s one of his qualities.”