Breaking: John Eustace told how to make Derby County a top Championship team as ‘brilliant decision’ praised by pundit
Derby County completed a miraculous turnaround under John Eustace and have been told how to go to the next level.
Paul Warne began the season as Derby County manager, but the club opted to make a change when relegation was looking likely.
They entrusted John Eustace to lead them to survival, and he did exactly that despite a shaky start, seeing the Rams finish 19th in the Championship.
Eustace swapped Blackburn Rovers for Derby, a move that has worked out tremendously for his new team.
They lost just one of their last five league fixtures to secure their place in the second tier and have now been told how they can go to the next level.
Derby County told they must score more goals
David Clowes revealed recently that Stephen Pearce was key to Derby hiring Eustace.
The manager also enjoyed success in the first half of 2024/25 with Blackburn and has earned praise from one pundit for his efforts at both clubs, suggesting Eustace could be Manager of the Season.
Now, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has been discussing the 45-year-old, praising the Rams’ ‘brilliant decision’ to hire him.
Goodman told Derby what they must do if they are to become a team competing at the top end of the Championship, highlighting their lack of goals as a key issue that must be addressed.
He told Football League World: “It was a brilliant decision by Derby County in the end. And, after the first three games which they lost under John Eustace, it would’ve been easy for people to question had they made the right choice.
“But no, safety. Did it by making them resilient and dogmatic,” Goodman explained. “But, he will know that there are challenges still ahead.
“He’s ambitious to do well, and that’s why he left Blackburn and went to Derby County,” he added. “But, if they want to be a club towards the top end of the table, they’re going to have to find a way of scoring more goals.
“Just 48 in 46 Championship games. Just about half of them were set pieces as well.
“There’s lots of work still to be done. John Eustace will be plotting and planning that as we speak. But, it turned out to be a brilliant decision by Derby County.”
Derby County top goalscorers 2024/25
Derby ended the season with 48 goals, which isn’t a lot, but for context, Millwall did finish eighth with 47 goals scored.
However, no side in the top six netted fewer than 58 (fourth-place Sunderland), so work will need to be done on that front.
Jerry Yates ended the season with 10 goals scored in 42 matches for the Rams, with a big drop-off behind him.
Ebrima Adams scored six in 44 matches across 2024/25, with Marcus Myers-Harness taking third place with three.
