Derby County saw two of their players, Eiran Cashin and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing get named in the League One Team of the Season, but a third was unlucky to miss out.
The EFL Awards took centre stage on Sunday night and Derby had two representatives in the League One Team of the Season.
Centre-back Eiran Cashin partnered Portsmouth’s Conor Shaughnessy in defence while Nathaniel Mendez-Laing earned a spot in the team out wide.
READ MORE: Derby County star Eiran Cashin’s journey from almost released to Premier League transfer interest
There was no surprise to see Mendez-Laing’s inclusion having watched him register a league-high 24 goal contributions this term.
Cashin was also deserving of his spot in the starting XI. The 22-year-old has been the standout defender in League One having helped the Rams keep an impressive 20 clean sheets alongside his “immense” partner Curtis Nelson, who was unfortunate to miss out on a place in the side.
Curtis Nelson wrongfully snubbed from League One Team of the Season
Cashin’s excellence at the heart of the Derby defence has overshadowed Nelson’s importance to Paul Warne.
The 30-year-old was captured on a free transfer from Blackpool last summer but has been just as impressive as the highly-rated Irish defender.
Nelson has been the pillar of their defensive solidity, playing every single minute of their League One campaign while helping his side concede the joint fewest goals (37) in the division.
Hailed as “colossal” by Warne for his dominant performances, Derby’s promotion foundations have been built from their telepathic defensive duo.
As delineated by the above table, the Englishman is a monster at winning aerial duels, positions himself correctly to time his tackles and is excellent at recovering possession.
Those ingredients have created a recipe for success defensively and contributed to their threat from set-pieces, with Nelson unfortunate to be snubbed from the Team of the Season.
Derby County duo crucial to promotion
James Collins and Mendez-Laing may have stolen the headlines at the top end of the pitch, but Nelson and Cashin have solidified Warne’s defensive unit.
They say the best form of defence is attack, though without their duo, the Rams would be in big trouble.
There are just some partnerships in football that should never be broken up and the one Cashin and Nelson have created is one of them.
Defensively, their understanding is second to none. Cashin is the elegant ball player while Nelson is the destroyer of attacks and a beast in the air. The pair complement each other so well, and it’s why the Rams have had so much joy in shutting out teams.
If Derby win their final two games to clinch promotion, Warne mustn’t break up this partnership in the Championship as it’s served him so well this term.
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