Is this must win? April’s 2-0 home win over Stoke is a distant memory: Derby have won just once at Pride Park since. “We realise we haven't won enough home games up to now,” Eustace said in Thursday’s pre-match press conference. “But again, it's a new challenge now on Saturday and it's important that we just go and be as positive as we can and be as competitive as we can and see where it takes us.” It is well documented that the Rams’ squad is depleted, with Sondre Lang

The 4-0 defeat to Queens Park Rangers that was John Eustace’s first game in charge of Derby laid bare the difficulty of the job he had taken on. Now keeping it seems a bigger task than ever. Looking to build on the positives of Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Wrexham, the Rams boss named an unchanged XI at Loftus Road. Also unchanged, were Derby’s fortunes from that night exactly 20 months ago. This was a horrendous of full circle moment. Yes, I’d written that before Lars-

The confirmation of the inevitable administration season relegation. The Valentine’s Day thrashing which was the John Eustace era’s nightmare start. And, ugh, Bobby Zamora. Queens Park Rangers have not been the kindest of opponents for Derby in recent years. While demons were banished when Jaydon Banel kept the Rams’ play-off hopes alive with a stunning 88th minute winner back in April, Eustace’s mind is focused firmly on the job at hand. He said: “we’re in a different posi

Three consecutive defeats for the first time since John Eustace’s first three games in charge; this is the lowest ebb of the head coach’s Rams tenure. His side end a bruising week with two losses. To ten-man West Brom, who had not won at Pride Park in 23 years, and Birmingham City, in what was just the second loss in seven games where Eustace has faced a club he previously managed. That is not to say that the 46-year-old’s job prospects are terminal – he has brought Derby

As Birmingham come to town, the themes are familiar: patience, time and the need to build consistency and chemistry. It is, John Eustace says, “very similar” to last season’s start. Instability is the enemy for any manager, and Eustace is no different. It is difficult to manage a side who have lost thirty goals from last season in the shape of the injured Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang, as well as former loanee Ben Brereton Díaz. But he concedes that “people aren’t in

Given his surname, maybe it should not be surprising that the way James Morrison’s Baggies side shut up shop on Wednesday night was supremely impressive. There was wave after wave of Derby pressure, with no real threat to Max O’Leary’s goal. West Brom remained steadfastly alert off the ball despite being a player down for over an hour. Unfortunately for John Eustace, possession does not win you points; 78 per cent in the second half would have easily secured all three if it

Leading The Rams on their first trip to the London Stadium, it looked as though John Eustace had one plan in mind: keep it tight. Facing West Ham was always going to be a tough task. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side possess two starting centre backs bought for a total of £60m, and the Championship’s most expensive import after they signed Celtic’s Belgian midfielder Arne Engels for £25m. Then there's Jarrod Bowen, who really should be playing European football this season. But un

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:

The new season is upon us, and before the Championship campaign has even begun, there has already been a huge story at Derby County. Four years on from David Clowes’ reluctant act of heroism, he looked set to and over a large stake of the club to Lion Sport. But unpredictable as ever, Saudi government official and boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh has now pulled out. It is clearly a blow to preparations for John Eustace and co., but now David Clowes and his team must leap into

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

In his post-match interview with Rams TV, John Eustace echoed the away end in bringing back a phrase the flock have used a lot over the past few years: “We fight to the end.” That was the sentiment four years ago, almost to the week, when the administration-stricken Rams were relegated at Loftus Road. Again, last season during The Great Escape. Even after the nightmare start to Eustace’s tenure that was the 4-0 defeat at the same ground 14 months ago. Reflecting on that g

When Jacob Widell Zetterström dived down to his left to push away Mohamed Toure’s poor penalty after eight minutes, Derby should have woken up. The opening stages had been nervy, sloppy even. The Rams’ number one had already had to dash out of his goal twice, first to beat Liam Gibbs to a loose ball, and then to clear Sondre Langås’ weak backwards header. Making his first start in nearly three months as Dion Sanderson was given a night off playing through the pain barrier

John Eustace with the nine students, including myself, who put questions to him. Photo: University of Derby. Even during a week that has featured the quagmire of deadline day, deal sheets and the usual pre-match preparations, John Eustace has still found time to visit the University of Derby for his pre-match press conference. While it comes during what must be one of the busier weeks of the season, at least the Derby head coach will no longer have to bat away transfer rumour

Report and analysis from Derby County's 1-1 Boxing Day draw at Birmingham City in the EFL Championship.

It’s 0-0 with nine minutes to play. Derby and Millwall have been locked in an intensely physical battle. Scrappy doesn’t really do it justice. In a game with more aerial duels than a Battle of Britain re-enactment, Thierno Ballo wraps his foot around the ball for what must be cross number 300. As he has done countless times, Matt Clarke dives to head the ball clear, but instead it flies into the back of the net. Even captain for the evening Sondre “quicker than Mbappé” Lang

There is a reason Sondre Langås fits in so well at Derby: he’s a Rolls-Royce. Back after months out with a torn meniscus, the Norwegian defender’s impact was transformative; allowing The Rams to switch to a 3-4-3 as they secured a first home win of the season against fellow strugglers Norwich.

Jack Bryan chronicles how John Eustace's Derby County completed the great escape to avoid relegation from the Championship over 14 'cup finals'.

Report and analysis of Derby County's 0-0 draw at home to Oxford United in the EFL Championship.

Report and analysis as Derby County draw 1-1 at Norwich City just a day after Paul Warne was relieved of his duties as head coach.

Report and analysis from Derby County's 1-0 Sheffield United defeat and of a big 48 hours to come.