From being a promotion hopeful side, Derby County’s helpless run of form has destroyed what seemed to be a mega construction in the making. Placed 10th in the league table with 53 points, the Rams are 9 points behind 6th placed Sheffield Wednesday and unarguably, they have only themselves to be blamed for their mid-table scenario at this stroke of the hour.
Nonetheless, one of the prominent and consistent players for them has been their midfielder, Tom Ince. The 25-year-old has bagged 12 goals and registered 5 assists to his name in 37 appearances for the club in what is turning out to be a stupendous season for him. Derby County might be languishing of late, but Ince has been their silver lining this season with the way he has catered to what was asked of him.
Despite having his share of discoloured form and tough luck, Ince has found stability with the Rams and thrived from the wings. More often than not, he has dictated the tempo of the Derby-based side’s attacking endeavours: plucking delightful passes, creating openings up front and toiling with an immense work ethic to turn the tides in his side’s favour. Moreover, he has been used centrally as well and no wonders why his intrinsic value has risen tremendously in the ongoing campaign.
The former Hull City midfielder has plenty of strong suits, including the way he creates a menace for the opponents during the counter-attacks, has been the focal point in the final third and his pass success rate of 83.4% perfectly advocate the perception that he knits the side up front without giving the ball away too often in the tight areas. Also, he never refrains from tracking ball to shield the backline, has plied his trade with an immense technical edge and his creativity is simply unparallel.
With nothing substantially likely to be gained by Derby County in the business end of the ongoing campaign, a strong finish is all they could possibly plot for and Ince has to keep such a stunning form to achieve that for his side. Now under the tutelage of Gary Rowett, the Englishman has a pivotal role to play next season as well when the new gaffer would start from the scratch. He is a world-class player for the Championship side and Mel Morris must ensure that he is kept at the Pride Park Stadium for foreseeable future and resist the temptations they are seemingly likely to receive in the summer.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
