Can 'producer of miracles' Eustace turn season around?

[Getty Images] Seven games to save the season? Maybe. Derby County head coach John Eustace is a football man, from Premier League player to Championship midfield stalwart on the field, and a producer of miracles off it. One win in nine at the start of his second full season at the helm of the Rams is not a great record in anyone's book. In 2024-25, he inherited a group of players at rock bottom mentally, "a squad of League One players with a sprinkling of sugar", as his predecessor Paul Warne said. After two narrow 1-0 losses, he instilled belief and a work ethic that saw them win four games in a row. They lost only twice more in the next eleven games, winning six, and survived. Last season, his first full campaign, his Rams side finished eighth in the Championship table and were pipped to the play-offs in the second half of that final game against Sheffield United. It is forgotten that the start of the 2025-26 season was littered with injured players, late transfer activity and new recruits who were not fit and ready for action. After eight games last season, they had seven points. One win at West Brom, standard, and a cluster of draws. Games they could have won, games they should have won. But the difference between then and now is having more than 75% of your first-choice players fit. A fit squad enables coaching. It means three weeks away from the fixture list can be used to work on patterns of play, build confidence and get energy reserves working. Right now, Derby County's international break has seen training numbers reduced to barely double figures on the grass at times. Meanwhile, the treatment room will have been working overtime. So, what realistically can any coach do if his players are injured or away on international duty? Very little. It becomes about man-management and checking the medical bulletin. Not having the core spine of your team ready for selection is damaging. We all know how important that is, and how one or two absences can be handled if you still have that central pillar. The collapse of the Saudi takeover put the Rams on the back foot, which is surprising considering the deal was mooted at the end of May, talks were then confirmed and, until 10 August, it was all systems go. Three different people said the club wanted to go one better and compete for the Premier League this season, which, on the face of it, was the correct trajectory. So, when the transfer window concluded, many people were left scratching their heads and searching the internet for the playing history of their new heroes. There is nothing to say that the Rams squad right now could not be the strongest in years when the full roster is available. Sadly, it isn't available, and those are the cards the head coach must deal with. What is most frustrating is the constant injury cycle. Why does it keep happening? What is it about Derby County's day-to-day, pre-match preparation, training and post-game formula that means players are breaking down? Are the pitches too hard at Moor Farm? Could Derby fly to long-distance games? Would that help with recovery post-match? Are players being rushed back early because numbers are low? Are they simply injury-prone players? Who knows? Different messages come in interviews from across the set-up. "The players are injured" is never offered as an excuse for poor results, but it is a fact. The squad is weaker when some of your top players aren't near it. Currently, the Rams look weaker than at any time in their recent second-tier revival. As for head coach Eustace, right now he cuts a frustrated figure. The mood music from the boardroom points towards going one better than last season. If he can turn the form around, get players back fit and get those signed for him ready for this level, he has a big chance to finish in the top eight and reach the play-offs. Eustace knows it is a results-driven business and that patience in football only lasts so long. But, given what he has already achieved at Derby, he has earned the chance to get his players back, get his team on the pitch and show what this squad can really do. There are 38 games left. Seven of them come before the next international break. That feels like a fair place to start judging where this season - and Eustace - are really heading. Latest Derby County news, analysis and fan views