Carlton Morris has told his Derby County teammates to “stop hiding” after Norwich City’s 4-0 win at Pride Park left the Rams seven points from safety.
John Eustace’s side have won just once in 14 Championship matches, but the striker put responsibility on the players and insisted he remains behind the under-pressure head coach.
Morris Demands Derby Players Take Responsibility
Speaking to BBC Radio Derby, as reported by Derbyshire Live, Morris delivered a blunt assessment of another damaging evening for the Rams.
“4-0 at home is unacceptable. No one deserves to see that. Hurting tonight but we have to see a reaction and we have to look inwardly now and see how we can affect a game more, stop hiding and come out and play.”
There had already been frank conversations in the dressing room, and Morris had little patience for players leaving the difficult jobs to somebody else.
“It’s way too easy to hide and not want the ball and think ‘I’ll wait for him to do something, I’ll wait for him to defend, I’ll wait for him to mark, I’ll wait for him to track the runner’. No. We need to stand up now and start taking responsibility before it’s too late.”
Eustace took Derby to within four points of the play-offs last season, but the Rams are now 23rd following successive defeats in which they have conceded four goals.
Asked whether the players should take more responsibility than their head coach, Morris replied:
“Even more so. I don’t even know if you can say it’s tactics. Like I say, the goal psychologically is a gut punch, and if we’re not getting out to stop the cross and if we’re not marking at the back post, how is that on the management staff? I don’t understand it.”
Norwich had the game under control before half-time, with Anthony Musaba, Paris Maghoma and Darlin Yongwa all finding the net. Substitute Jovon Makama added a fourth from distance as the visitors secured their third successive Championship victory.
Derby also lost top scorer Sammie Szmodics to a knee injury, adding to Eustace’s problems ahead of Friday’s home meeting with Bolton Wanderers. After conceding eight goals across two matches, the Rams have little time to find the reaction Morris is demanding.
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