John Eustace must make Rhian Brewster decision at Derby County – It could transform him | OneFootball

John Eustace should begin to trust Rhian Brewster in the so-called 'number ten' slot for Derby County this season.

Derby County have endured a slow start to the 2025/26 Championship campaign but a slight tweak in the system from John Eustace could be about to help unlock former Sheffield United attacker Rhian Brewster.

At the start of this season, Eustace deployed a back three shape and the Rams struggled both in terms of performances and results, often lacking any real consistent threat in the final.

The recent switch to a 4-2-3-1, as was on show in their most recent outing against Southampton, hasn’t quite led to an avalanche of attacking creativity, but it led to an increase in chances and could be the way to go for them in the long-term.

Big money summer signing Patrick Agyemang was used as the striker with Carlton Morris in behind in the so-called ‘number ten’ role, with Bobby Clark playing tucked in off the left-hand side.

This system could well be the key to unlocking another summer signing, Rhian Brewster, who joined on a free transfer in the summer following the expiration of his contract at Bramall Lane.

Rhian Brewster began to grow in the system at Sheffield United

Known for his back three system with overlapping centre-backs, the often innovative and always pragmatic Chris Wilder switched to a 4-2-3-1 shape with Sheffield United last season.

The Blades performed extremely well for the vast majority of the campaign before losing to Sunderland in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May.

That system, due to an abundance of attacking options, led to something of a mish-mash in the final third, but it began to suit certain players with Gustavo Hamer playing as a narrow left-sided player, rather than as a central midfielder, and plenty of different options used in the position behind the striker.

Brewster was one of those players who did occasionally play in that position and he showed glimpses of being able to thrive in that role, most notably with his performance against Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City Derby in mid-March, whereby he scored the only goal of the game in another Blades victory.

Sheffield United supporters may well lament Wilder for chopping and changing too much last season, leading to too many players struggling to find confidence and fluency.

The riches on offer made it too easy to rotate and Brewster often found himself in and out of the side, unable to really nail down his starting berth at Bramall Lane, despite signs of major individual improvement.

The left-sided player being tucked in, more of a central midfielder, allows for that striker playing in the ‘number ten’ to operate as a second striker and push forward into that space to support the out and out number nine.

Last season, with United, it was Hamer and this season, if Eustace is to show some consistency, it could well be Red Bull Salzburg loanee Bobby Clark for Derby, who, again, is more of a natural number ten or central player rather than winger.

That can make Derby play a 4-4-2 at times with the deeper striker pushing up alongside, which was Morris’ role against Saints, but could well be ideal for Brewster.

Not necessarily an attacking midfielder, not necessarily a striker and not necessarily a winger; Brewster’s frustrating career thus far could yet still be saved by smart coaching and management into a specific system, of which Eustace appears to now be set to prefer at Pride Park.

Capable of getting in behind Agyemang, almost as a winger, or alongside Agyemang, almost as a striker, or playing off Agyemang, like an attacking midfielder, it could well be that Derby have the key to unlocking the diminishing potential of the former England FIFA U17 World Cup winner.

What Brewster may well require is consistency to ensure his confidence is protected and improved – and playing in this shape in that role, where he finally began to reignite things last season, could be transformational for himself and Derby’s fortunes.