Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit drops John Eustace, Derby County future claim - it's 'not good enough' | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has spoken to FLW about what John Eustace’s future looks like as Rams boss.

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes Derby County’s run of form is “not good enough” but insists that the club should stick by boss John Eustace to turn it around.

The Rams have started the 2025-26 Championship season so poorly under Eustace, tasting just one victory from their opening 10 league outings – coming against West Brom.

Five draws and four defeats have arrived over the course of the term too, with last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Oxford United bitterly disappointing.

In a tepid performance that resulted in just one shot on target all afternoon, Derby fans feel every right to feel frustrated, with three points needing to be claimed in those games to steer clear from relegation danger.

That result now puts Derby on the cusp of dropping into the bottom three, with just two points separating themselves and the foot of the table.

With so few points on the board, questions have been raised about whether Eustace is the right man to lead Derby forward.

In time, he has been able to lead Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City to play-off contention, but it’s a change in fortunes as he struggles to find the right formula to propel the Rams up the table.

With this in mind, ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has weighed in with his thoughts over whether Derby should stick or twist with Eustace as boss.

Lee Hendrie backs John Eustace to transform Derby County’s fortunes

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has accepted that Derby County’s run of results has been nowhere near the standards for the football club, but still believes John Eustace can turn it around and get Derby looking up in the second-tier table in time.

Hendrie said: “With John Eustace, I think he’s been waiting to get his full squad fit, available and ready.

“But, as we know in football, time can go against you, and with the form they’re in, no win in five, is not good enough for Derby at all.

“You do feel there have been a hell of a lot of draws which could have turned into wins, but I don’t think they’re that far away from turning a corner.

“They’re sitting low down in the league, but if you win two or three games then you’re mid-table in the Championship, so I think they need to stick with him, stick with the process, and hopefully they do that, but this is a club that wants to strive and wants to be doing better.”

John Eustace has been working in challenging circumstances

While Derby County’s run of results so far this season has been concerning, boss John Eustace has been unable to work with a fully fit squad during this period.

Injuries have plagued the squad so much, with left-back Owen Beck the latest casualty by suffering yet another setback with his hamstring issue.

The likes of Sondre Langas, Rhian Brewster, and Corey Blackett-Taylor are back training, but it will take time before they get back to being sharp and at their best.

Despite that, it is a results-based business, and we’ve seen already this season throughout the top four divisions in English football how ruthless hierarchies can be when results aren’t going well.