Charlton Athletic suffered Derby County transfer miss - John Eustace is the one laughing right now | OneFootball

Joe Ward has emerged as a key performer for the Rams in recent weeks

Both Charlton Athletic and Derby County are nicely positioned within the top half of the Championship table at present after impressive recent runs of form.

It must be said, though, that it is the Rams who are currently taking the second-tier by storm amid the two-week international break, with John Eustace's men certainly making up for lost time through a remarkable run of five victories on the spin to propel themselves into play-off contention.

After a prior run of one win in the opening 10 games of the season, there were, unsurprisingly, question marks regarding what could be achieved by the 46-year-old and his squad throughout the remainder of the campaign despite the well-documented wide-open nature of the division this time around.

However, numerous players have certainly stepped up to the mark between the October and November schedule gaps, with the East Midlands side seeing off Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Sheffield United, Hull City and most recently, Blackburn Rovers in successive outings.

As a result, Eustace's 3-4-2-1 system continues to come up trumps, with it definitely being a case of 'round pegs in round holes' in DE24 right now, as Derby can now taste a potential play-off bid for the first time since their Wembley Stadium loss to Aston Villa in the 2019 play-off final.

The Addicks, of course, are no strangers to North London themselves, and have certainly proven a multitude of doubters wrong in the opening three months, with Nathan Jones' men sitting one place above the Rams on goal difference.

However, it is definitely Eustace who is reaping the rewards of a key transfer decision involving the two clubs right now.

Charlton Athletic failed to land Joe Ward from Derby County this summer

It seemed as though Joe Ward's two-year stint at Pride Park was coming to an end this summer, with the versatile figure previously an outcast under Paul Warne after Derby's promotion from League One at the end of the 2023/24 term.

The 30-year-old was able to showcase his importance and quality in the third-tier, as had been previously demonstrated through 60 goals and assists in 237 appearances with Peterborough United beforehand, despite the occasional injury issue.

However, Ward fell significantly down the pecking order under the current Milton Keynes Dons boss. After signing an initial three-year deal two summers ago, many debated that the previous transfer window was an ideal time for Derby to cash in, despite the fact Kane Wilson would reunite with Warne in Buckinghamshire on top of the arrival of the currently sidelined Max Johnston.

Ward was able to return from a knee issue for the Rams' EFL Cup second round defeat at Burnley in late August, before Football League World exclusively revealed on Deadline Day that an enquiry over his availability was submitted by the Addicks, who, like Derby, operate in a three-back system which enhances the onus placed on those in Ward's wing-back role.

Unfortunately for Jones, talks never progressed, and Eustace is now the clear beneficiary.

Joe Ward has been in inspired form of late for Derby County

The likes of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Sondre Langas, Bobby Clark and Carlton Morris are just a quartet of those to receive high praise of late in DE24, but Ward also falls into such a category after being in inspired form.

After a continued spell in and out of the starting lineup, Ward returned to the XI for the 3-1 success at Bramall Lane on November 1st, turning provider for Morris' opener through a smart header, before doing exactly the same against Hull and Blackburn.

The Rams' in-form striker, who now sits joint-top of the scoring charts, powered home an exquisite first-half corner in the 2-1 win over the Tigers, before Ward turned provider for his strike partner and £7.3m summer buy, Patrick Agyemang, in East Lancashire last Saturday, with a headed goal also the order of the day for the American.

Unsurprisingly, Rams supporters have waxed lyrical about Ward's recent form, which has seemingly come from nowhere, yet been a key influence behind a major upsurge in fortunes.

As such, the Chelmsford-born man will hope to continue where he left off after the international break and look to earn a fresh contract, with his current deal expiring next June.