It may soon be known as the Liam Thompson Derby, but this was apprentice versus master. In the first of two games in 24 hours, John Eustace took on the man who brought him to Pride Park twice, Nigel Clough. The former Rams boss has transformed Mansfield Town into a stable League One side, now sporting a strike partnership which Paul Warne likely dreams of: 2022-23 Rams player of the year David McGoldrick, and perennial target Michael Smith. Thompson was nowhere to be seen

As the full-time whistle sounded at Vicarage Road, John Eustace clearly felt the need for some brutal honesty. “We let ourselves down,” he told RamsTV , “We were too slow with the ball. Physically, we got beat up.” This is about as harsh as we’ve heard John Eustace in his 50 games in charge, who even rejected opportunities to give a more upbeat slant. On BBC Radio Derby , he instead reaffirmed his view that Derby “weren’t competitive enough” over the 90 minutes. So, in