By kickspoll 
Paul Warne explained that moving Ebou Adams into an advanced position against Oxford United was for tactical reasons, and he revealed that Derby County midfielder Kenzo Goudmijn has a minor injury.
Adams was played as a number 10 in the first half of Derby’s 1-1 draw at Kassam Stadium, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scoring the Rams’ equalizer. Goudmijn played a deeper role, while Adams, known for his tenacity, typically operates in front of the back four.
Warne admitted the tactical decision was his, explaining, “I put Ebou there to stop Will Vaulks, which was a huge success. However, Ebou probably doesn’t have the same guile as Kenzo. But Kenzo had an injury issue we had to monitor, so we couldn’t rely on him playing further up the pitch.” Warne switched things at halftime, acknowledging that while tactics were involved, it was more about the team not doing the basics well.
Adams’ deployment in a more advanced role was primarily to neutralize Vaulks’ influence, a move Warne felt worked well in that aspect. However, the change was reassessed at halftime due to Goudmijn’s condition and performance.
Derby left the Kassam Stadium with a hard-earned point, thanks to Mendez-Laing’s goal, but Warne recognized the need to adjust the team’s approach based on players’ availability and form.