Eustace says Derby fear no-one ahead of West Brom clash
After Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at West Ham, John Eustace called for his side to have more belief. What better way to cultivate that than with a rallying cry as in Monday’s pre-match press conference?
In the opening month of the season, the Rams boss has spoken regularly about the need to build confidence and chemistry in his ranks. After a tough afternoon in front of more than 60,000 fans in London, a week with back-to-back home games against West Brom and Birmingham City represents a good chance to do just that. So, in learning from their last match, Eustace wants his side to have no regrets and leave it all on the pitch.
Reflecting on last weekend’s defeat he said: “Possibly we came off thinking we should have been better there and that's something we've got to learn from a group of staff and players.”
“There's no one to fear in the Championship. I know there's some fantastic football clubs and some huge budgets and whatnot, but if you can get the right culture and the right group together, which is what I've always said, then I think you've got a really good chance in the league. We're starting to get that; we're starting to build that again now and over the course of the season I think we'll be good.”
Injuries still plague the Rams (more on that below) but with the window shut and new additions having had a few days to acclimatise, Derby have a golden opportunity to kick start their season this week. While they face two sides who have made solid starts, both The Baggies and The Blues failed to beat Eustace’s men last season.
And after a baptism of fire for Henrik Meister and Mo Fuseini as they made their debuts at the weekend, now comes the chance to play in front of Pride Park’s faithful flock for the first time. It is an easier occasion, as Eustace admitted: “I think the fans will get right behind all the new players. We're a family, we're one big football club. The staff, the players and the fans. It's really important that they give the new players a fantastic welcome and get right behind the group.”
While Fuseini started on the bench at the London Stadium, Eustace did not rule out a starting role for him on Wednesday night while singing the Ghana international’s praises. He enthused: “He's very sharp, he's very quick. It's very hard to compare him to any players yet until you see them performing on that pitch. Everyone's excited that he's here and hopefully he'll get an opportunity somewhere over the next two or three games where he can start and showcase himself.”
So how good would getting that first home win this week be? “It would be amazing. We want to do well at home, of course we do. We've got a couple of opportunities now to try and get that win.”
Injury update
John Eustace confirmed on Monday that Rhian Brewster will miss both of this week’s games, against West Brom and Birmingham. Eustace said: “He's feeling a lot better today. He was very groggy on Saturday night, he felt very dizzy during the game and sick. It's a big blow because I was really excited to get Rhian and give him a run of games.”
But as the Rams boss explained, the concussion protocol rules a player out for 10 days, so he could be back for next weekend’s trip to Burnley.
While the Derby boss could confirm that Craig Forsyth’s knee injury is unrelated to his previous injuries, the news surrounding the 38-year-old Scot was disappointing.
He explained: “The news is that it's either going to be three or four months out I think or a little bit longer. It's a shame for Fozzy because I thought he stepped in at Pompey and was excellent. He's never let me down; he's never let this football club down.
“He's a fantastic servant for the football club and it's a big blow to us as a group to lose him. It's a shame but let's hope it's not for the rest of the season and hopefully he can come back just after Christmas.”
Meanwhile, Eiran Cashin is set to join the group for training today [Tuesday]. Eustace told Monday’s press conference: “We'll have to wait and see. Obviously, he had a couple of weeks off before rejoining the football club so let's see how he trains this week.
“It will be fitness probably now, I would have thought. His first day back will probably be tomorrow so let's just assess him and see where we are.”
Filip Bilbija is “still not on the grass now so hopefully at the end of the week he'll feel a bit better.” There were no further updates on Carlton Morris, Lewis Travis, Matt Clarke or Patrick Agyemang.
Connections
There is just the one former Ram in the West Brom squad: Nat Phillips spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Pride Park from Liverpool, with his performances attracting the attention of the Baggies. Phillips, 29, made 33 appearances for Derby, with his sole goal coming against Hull in the penultimate game of the season. He headed in Craig Forsyth’s free kick to secure a vital three points as Eustace’s men completed their great escape.
The two former Baggies in the Derby side are summer additions. Charlie Taylor spent last season on loan at the Hawthorns, making 28 appearances under Ryan Mason, Eric Ramsay and latterly James Morrison.
Taylor counts Alex Mowatt as his best friend in football, so must have been delighted to be reunited with the midfielder in August. Mowatt’s arrival was the result of a long pursuit by John Eustace which brought to an end five years in the West Midlands. Signing for the Albion in July 2021, he made 170 appearances, scoring 14 goals across five seasons, and spent time on loan at Middlesbrough too.
West Brom
Like Derby, West Brom are now managed by one of their former midfielders; James Morrison took permanent charge in the summer after guiding the club to Championship survival while in interim charge for a second spell. Morrison, who also had a spell as a Scotland coach under Steve Clarke, has made a bright start to his first permanent job.
Morrison’s side have played an intricate possession game in most matches so far this season, with the second-most accurate passes per match in the Championship, while competing the second fewest number of long balls. They have also completed the least accurate crosses, with an accuracy of 12.5 per cent – Blackburn are the next lowest with an accuracy of 18.5 per cent, while Derby’s 27.7 per cent ranks them fifth.
Summer signing Jimmy-Jay Morgan has carried his fine form from his loan spell at Peterborough United into the new season after leaving Chelsea. The 20-year-old has already racked up five goals and two assists in seven appearances across the Championship and Carabao Cup this term. But he is not the only bright young talent in Morrison’s arsenal, with Northern Ireland international attacking midfielder Isaac Price and wide man Harry Whitwell also enjoying fine starts to the campaign.
The Baggies sit fifth in the table ahead of the sixth round of Championship fixtures following wins over Norwich, Burnley and most recently Watford, as well as a home draw against Charlton and a 3-1 defeat at fellow high-fliers Middlesbrough. But in the same way that Derby tend to start seasons slowly, West Brom have started recent seasons well before tailing off. They lost just two of their first eight league games last season but went on to finish 21st.
And they count Derby as somewhat of a bogey side. West Brom last beat the Rams in July 2020 and have not won at Pride Park since 2003.
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