One win in nine games to kick off his second full season at the helm, and Derby County head coach John Eustace is already in a tough spot. This isn’t just a slow start, it’s a record nobody wants, especially for a guy dubbed a “producer of miracles.”
The Miracle Man’s Past vs. Present Reality
Eustace arrived at Derby County in 2024-25, inheriting a squad that was, as his predecessor Paul Warne put it, “League One players with a sprinkling of sugar” and mentally at rock bottom. What did Eustace do? After two narrow 1-0 losses, he somehow instilled enough belief and work ethic to grab four straight wins. That team ended up losing only twice more in the next eleven games, winning six, and somehow survived. Last season, his first full campaign, the Rams finished a respectable eighth in the Championship, only missing the play-offs in the final game against Sheffield United. So, this “producer of miracles” has a track record. But this season? It’s a different story with that single win. It feels like the opposite of a miracle right now.
What’s Sinking the Rams This Season?
The harsh reality is, a lot of what’s happening at Derby County isn’t really on Eustace. The start of the 2025-26 season was absolutely slammed with injured players, late transfer activity, and new recruits who simply weren’t fit or ready to play. Last season, after eight games, they had seven points, including a win at West Brom and a bunch of draws that easily could have been wins. But the big difference between then and now? This year, Eustace has been without more than 75% of his first-choice players. How are you supposed to coach when your training numbers are “barely double figures on the grass at times” during the international break? When the treatment room is working overtime? When the core spine of your team isn’t even ready for selection? It’s impossible to build patterns of play or confidence when your guys aren’t there.
Then there’s the absolutely wild collapse of the Saudi takeover deal. This whole thing was mooted at the end of May, confirmed by August 10th, and everyone was saying the club was ready to push for the Premier League. The correct trajectory, right? But then it fell apart, leaving everyone scratching their heads after the transfer window closed, with new players arriving that fans barely knew. The frustrating “constant injury cycle” is also a huge problem. Why does it keep happening? What’s going on in the day-to-day, pre-match prep, training, and post-game formula that has players constantly breaking down?
Looking Ahead for Derby County
The good news, if there is any, is that the source suggests the Rams squad, when fully available, “could not be the strongest in years.” That’s a powerful statement. For Eustace, a coach who thrives on instilling belief and work ethic, getting his first-choice players healthy and on the field is the only way forward. He’s got to manage the guys he has, check those medical bulletins daily, and hope the injury cycle breaks. If he can get his full roster together, maybe, just maybe, he can produce another miracle and turn this season around before it’s completely out of reach.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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