Derby County struggles should ask clear John Eustace, Pride Park transfer question | OneFootball

After an exciting summer transfer window, Derby County have struggled to kick into gear so far under John Eustace.

Derby County had one of the most exciting summer transfer windows in the Championship, with 13 players arriving at Pride Park to play under John Eustace.

The ex-Birmingham and Blackburn coach did a fantastic job of steering the Rams away from any relegation troubles after taking over in February, and was backed heavily over the summer.

Exciting American forward Patrick Agyemang arrived from Charlotte FC following a deal that could reach up to £7.3 million, while experience was added with the free transfer arrivals of Andi Weimann and Danny Batth - both of whom had worked under Eustace at Ewood Park.

Youngsters Owen Beck, David Ozoh and Bobby Clark arrived on loan, as did Ben Brereton Diaz, who has a history of tearing the Championship apart with Blackburn.

However, the Rams are yet to kick into gear, with Eustace's side carrying an unwanted record of just one win in their opening six matches, and there is not much to suggest that Derby are on the right track.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Preston raises the question of whether too much upheaval over the summer has left Eustace with a squad that simply isn't ready to deliver yet.

An exciting window raised Pride Park's expectations

After the Rams were promoted back to the Championship in 2024, last season's expectations were nothing more than safety.

This is something that they were able to achieve under Eustace, who was able to steer the club away from any immediate return to League One.

After building up a rapport with supporters thanks to his work during last term's crunch point, Eustace was backed heavily going into his first full season at the helm.

The aforementioned Batth, Weimann, Ozoh and Beck, alongside Dion Sanderson and Lewis Travis, all made the switch to Pride Park over the summer after previously working under Eustace.

Familiar faces for Eustace, and the willingness to work under the Solihull-born manager again pointed in the direction of progression. While a fight for promotion was nowhere near expected, there were quiet murmurings of a top-half push within the Rams fanbase.

This was further exemplified by the experience of Derby's additions, with the majority of the summer arrivals being seasoned veterans at Championship level.

However, as we know, it hasn't quite clicked yet.

The Rams fail to get going in the opening period

Throughout his short managerial career, Eustace has become known as an expert at getting results. He had Birmingham City in a play-off place before his sacking prompted the arrival of Wayne Rooney,

His Blackburn side followed a similar path of being a more than reliable second-tier outfit, and the number of players he had worked with making the switch to Derby shows exactly how popular he is in the dressing room.

Derby's fixture list hasn't been the kindest. On opening weekend, they fell to high-flying Stoke City, who have started sensationally under Mark Robins.

Their other losses have both come on home soil: a 5-3 defeat at the hands of Coventry, and their recent 1-0 defeat against Preston. The Rams' five points came from a win against West Brom, and draws with Bristol City and Ipswich Town.

It would be unfair to suggest that Derby 'should' be winning these fixtures. However, when the summer backing is considered, it has been a far from ideal start for a side aiming for, at the very least, the upper echelons of mid-table.

Upcoming fixtures against Wrexham and Charlton are, on paper, more favourable for Derby. Strong results could lift the mood, but failure would only mean that scrutiny on whether this summer's heavy turnover intensifies.

For all the excitement of the transfer window, Derby's abject start has left them staring nervously over their shoulder rather than pushing on as many hoped.

Eustace proved last season he can steady a struggling side, but unless the new-look squad begins to click quickly, the summer overhaul may have set the Rams back instead of moving them forward as imagined over the summer months.