John Eustace praised for Derby County tweak involving resurgent Rams star - 'he looked completely lost' under Paul Warne | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fan pundit has commented on Joe Ward's recent form for the Rams

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Derby County's Joe Ward has been in terrific form for the Rams in recent weeks with three assists in his last three starts from full-back.

There are very few teams you'd rather support than Derby County over the past month, with the Rams currently on a five-game winning streak in the Championship, which has certainly created a feel-good factor around Pride Par.

Despite injury setbacks, Derby manager John Eustace has found a winning formula that has led them to currently sitting in 10th place and merely two points off the play-off places, much to many second tier fans' surprise after a slow start to the 2025/26 season.

It would be an injustice not to mention the fine form that Carlton Morris has been in this season, with the former Luton Town striker already on double digits in the league for goals after 15 games. However, one man who hasn't got the limelight he deserves is Joe Ward, who has forced his way back into Eustace's plans due to injuries to Owen Beck and Max Johnston.

With the wideman being given three starts in a row, he has certainly grabbed the opportunity with both hands by assisting in each of those matches and looks to be a real potent weapon that Derby perhaps haven't used to their full potential, especially due to his proven crossing abilities combined with their powerful forward targets in Morris and Patrick Agyemang.

Joe Ward has been given a new lease of life under John Eustace in Derby County's 3-4-3 system

With injuries being prevalent throughout this season for the Rams, a couple of absentees in full-back areas has led to Eustace toying with the 3-4-3 system over the past three games, which has worked a treat with nine points to show for it.

Ward, who has been very much a fringe player so far this season, seems to have found his role for the Rams on the right-hand side in that system which has suited his strengths and could well give the soon-to-be-returning Johnston a run for his money once reintroduced. It may be a case of 'if it's not broken, don't fix it' for the manager.

Football League World's Derby County fan pundit, Shaun, believes that Ward looks like a different player in Derby's current system and, despite knowing the abilities that he possesses, he can now add real competition for places and give Eustace a healthy problem going forward.

Shaun said: "I'm not surpised by his [Joe Ward's] performances at all. I think everyone knows at Derby he's got an amazing cross on him, he's deadly from set-pieces, really accurate with his passing, it's just his consistency over the last year or so, injuries, and also the system we've played hasn't suited him."

"Under Paul Warne, he played at right-back on a few occasions and he looked completely lost. He gave away penalties and just looked like he was lacking confidence back there. It's not naturally his game to be a defender."

"In this 3-4-3 that we're playing, it suits him down to a tee because he's got three big centre-halves behind him to protect him, and it gives him the license to get forward. And with the fact that we've now got two real big target men, it's perfect for him because he really can put a ball on a sixpense as he has shown with three assists in three games. He's deadly from set-pieces."

Derby County's wing-backs Joe Ward and Callum Elder have been loving their new roles

Ever since making the slight tweak of moving from a 4-2-3-1 to a 3-4-3, Derby County have experienced a major upturn in results with the squad all working for each other as a unit to grind out results on a consistent basis. Narrow wins against Hull City and Blackburn highlighted their stern defence and the Rams have merely conceded three goals in their last five.

As well as Ward benefiting from the change of formation, so too is his full-back partner, Callum Elder, who has also been amongst the assists. His whipped inswinging corner onto the head of Morris against Blackburn was a delightful sight for Eustace, whose personnel switches have paid dividends.

For FLW's Derby County fan pundit, Shaun, he thinks that if the pair carry on in the same vein, then it wouldn't come as a surprise if they retain their spot in the starting lineup once injury concerns start to settle.

Shaun said: "On the other side you've got [Callum] Elder, who's come into his own as well, so our two kind of full-backs/wing-backs, albeit they're probably our second choice if Beck and Johnston were fit, they might not even be in the team. So, it's a funny one because they're probably the two players that are most at risk of losing their positions in the starting XI who are getting all the assists and playing really well."

"It's great for competition, it's great for Eustace to have this headache when everyone is fit, and long may it continue."