How’s that for a response? After the depths of Saturday’s dismal defeat to Swansea and fears of regression if new faces did not arrive Tuesday brought a glorious fightback. John Eustace’s “true warriors” secured a 2-0 win over Portsmouth. Nobody at Fratton Park embodied that spirit more than Lars-Jørgen Salvesen. He scored within three minutes of coming off the bench, just hours after rejecting a loan move and opting to fight for his place. Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

Is it dramatic to call today season defining? Not the trip to Fratton Park. Whether Derby bring back three points, one, or none, there is still so much football to play. But whether The Rams will have enough fit players with enough quality to avoid regressing, which John Eustace reiterated was a possibility on Monday. “Of course there is [a possibility of going backwards], but if that happens, then that happens. It's really important that we keep positive, and we understa

Nobody enjoyed watching that. Portsmouth fans tearing their hair out. Derby fans biting their nails from behind the sofa, or a padded seat in the directors’ box as it was for the suspended John Eustace. Perhaps it was predictable that a game some fans billed as a battle of Rams skippers past and present would be ugly and marred by bookings. Neither Ebou Adams nor Lewis Travis are known for their playmaking prowess. Adams' second-minute shove on his armband-sporting successor

Analysis of Derby County's 1-1 EFL Championship draw with Portsmouth, while looking ahead to The Rams' upcoming fixtures. Featuring quotes from John Eustace.

After such an impressive point at Turf Moor in midweek, to revert to a 4-3-3 and make five changes was bold.

On a very wet evening on the south coast, Derby put in a disciplined performance to earn a potentially crucial point.