Eustace says his side were “punished” in 2-1 loss cup to Lincoln City

John Eustace gives his players instructions during a hydration break.

Archie Brown - Football Journalist

Derby County Head Coach John Eustace says his side were “punished” after their 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon.

Goals from Ben House and Dom Jefferies gave the visitors a controlled lead, before a Sam Szmodics wonder-strike pulled a goal back just before half-time.

When speaking to Talksport’s Geoff Peters post-match, Eustace said: “We didn’t start the game well enough and we got punished by a really good team.

“We’ve got to keep building and keep trying to build the momentum that we finished off last season with.

The game saw the appearance of several new Derby County signings, including German midfielder Filip Bilbija and defender Charlie Taylor, as well as the returning Bobby Clark and Sam Szmodics.

With rumours circulating of a potential takeover from Saudi investor Turki Alalshikh, Rams fans’ expectations continue to grow with the transfer window deadline looming.

In terms of making additions to his squad, Eustace said: “We need more bodies in, we lost five or six players from last year and brought in a couple to replace them.

“We want to bring as many quality players in as we can to help this group.”

As a potential takeover seems imminent pending agreement between both parties of up to a rumoured 75% stake in the club, Derby County could well be up for a turbulent 2026/27 campaign.

The Head Coach said: “It’s got nothing to do with me, I just focus on the team and the players, who have shown great attitude all pre-season.

“That’s the first time we’ve played that group of players together, so it was important they got minutes in their legs today and that’s a big positive for me.”

Derby look ahead to their first game of the season next Saturday, as they travel to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic on Saturday 15th August.