Hanging in there: Robins defends Eustace after injury-hit Rams lose again

When a manager walks into a post-match press conference after a hard-fought 1-0 away win, the first thing they are meant to do is sing the praises of their side.

Not Mark Robins. Instead, he leapt to the defence of John Eustace, whose side are still without a home victory this season.

“He’s got a lot of injuries, John. Loads and loads of injuries, mostly in the backline, but a key injury to [forward] Patrick Agyemang. He’s a really good player.

“So, he’s got a lot of injuries there. And that really does have an impact, as we found last season when we came here.”

Next up was Eustace, who was “frustrated” to lose again with his side still in the bottom three. Having continually said that patience is needed, I put it to him that Stoke, who are now sixth, could be the perfect case study as to why.

“Yes, possibly. I don't know how many injuries they had last year,” he said.

“It is what it is. As I say, I believe in what we do as a football club and as staff and as coaches. We're very limited with what we've got at the moment. The attitude of the group has been very good today. We've lost on a set-piece that we didn't defend properly. We've gone down to 10 men [temporarily due to Lewis Travis’ ankle injury] and it was a foul before the goal as well.

“We're just not getting that bit of luck as well, which over the course of the season, I think, evens itself out. It's tough at the moment. We had a fantastic reaction after Wednesday. We had a good performance, a brilliant performance against Wrexham last week. We're not far away.”

There you have some grievances from the game, and a general sense of Eustace’s mood at around half-past five on Saturday evening. There was a noticeably different feel to the start of the press conference before Eustace settled into the conversation.

In what was a fiery but scrappy game where referee Oliver Langford let a lot go, there was little quality on display. The sole goal a perfect microcosm.

Travis picked up his ankle injury while bringing down Luca Bombino to concede the free kick. Following a lengthy delay, Ethan Galbraith lifted the ball to the back post from 30-yards-out in the inside-left. Having pushed Ryan Hedges, Scotland defender was able to head the ball goalwards, with Josh Vickers powerless to stop it despite getting a hand in the way.

Derby’s best goalscoring position was perhaps found when Sam Szmodics played Carlton Morris in down the inside left, only for the number nine to be brought down by Bosun Lawal on the edge of the box.

Eustace said: “Carlton went down and [the referee] obviously missed the free kick for the goal, so I don't need to say anything else on his performance.”

Szmodics later went close on the stroke of half-time, while David Ozoh and Bobby Clark combined well down the right to find substitute Rhian Brewster, who rolled a shot wide from 20 yards just after the hour mark.

Injuries, of course remain a hot topic, with Travis not the only blow. Alex Mowatt was not available after he “took a kick on Wednesday” according to Eustace.  Aside from the midfield duo, who he gave no further detail on, Max Johnston remains the only possible returnee before the international break.

There is a sense from Eustace that Derby just need to hang in there. To get through to the next international break, after which the likes of Agyemang could return. At least there has been a reinforcement at the back in the shape of former Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest man Jack Robinson. The 33-year-old is a left-footed, left-sided defender who is comfortable at both centre back and full back.

“He's an experienced left-sided player, that's all I know about him really. He's obviously had a good career and I'm sure he'll come in and help,” Eustace said of the defender who “the club highlighted”.

But Eustace says that young defenders like Raymond Offor and Isaac Gordon, who were both on the bench on Saturday, will “certainly get the opportunity” to play too.

Whoever plays at Bramall Lane, it will be imperative that they bring back all three points.

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Goal: Graham 49’.

Derby (4-2-3-1): Vickers (GK); Ward, Nyambe, Sanderson, Hedges (Blackett-Taylor 87’); Ozoh, Travis (C) (Brewster 52’); Fuseini (Meister 73’), Clark (Bilbija 87’), Szmodics (Salvesen 87’); Morris.

Unused substitutes: O’Donnell (GK); Gordon, Offor; Fraulo.

Stoke (3-4-2-1): Johansson (GK) (C); Wilmot, Lawal (Talovierov 68’), Graham; Johnson, Soumaré, Galbraith, Bocat (Bombino 38’); McGlynn (Hirst 46’), Devenny (Tchamadeu 88’); Cissé (Boženík 68’).

Unused substitutes: Griffiths (GK); Pearson, Junho, Manhoef.