Pundit spots 'abhorrent' Derby County issue to spark major John Eustace concern | OneFootball

NTT20's Ali Maxwell is shocked at the start Derby County have made to the 2026/27 Championship campaign

EFL pundit and Not The Top 20 Podcast host Ali Maxwell expressed his shock at Derby County's start to the 2026/27 campaign, branding their defensive numbers 'abhorrent'.

The Rams came into the new season with plenty of hope and momentum. They'd finished eighth in the Championship in John Eustace's first full season in charge, a position that would see them in the play-offs this time round.

They actually spent part of the final day in the top six, too, but they've been a shadow of their former selves in the opening stages of this season.

They've won just once in a fixture list which has seen them take on the likes of Charlton Athletic, Cardiff City and Portsmouth, plus Lincoln City in the EFL Cup, sides that the Rams were much better than last year, or who were in League One.

Ali Maxwell delivers worrying verdict on Derby County's start to the 2026/27 season

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More worryingly, though, is the lack of defensive cohesion that isn't commonly associated with John Eustace's sides at all.

The Rams rank right at the bottom of the underlying stats when it comes to shots faced, shots on target faced and the expected goals the opposition have created against them.

John Eustace has made a name for himself at the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and now at Derby as a manager who knows how to raise the level of a weaker on-paper squad, built on strong defensive foundations, but that hasn't been the case.

And, speaking on the most recent NTT20 Championship recap podcast, Ali Maxwell reflected on their slow start.

"I can't believe how poor Derby have been to start the season; I have to admit," Maxwell said.

"Particularly defensively, 10 goals conceded from five games, they've faced the most shots by a long way, the most shots on target, the most xG generated; it's just not what I expect from a John Eustace team.

"Even if he doesn't have a good squad for the level, normally at least they're very good defensively, but that's not the case. Abhorrent defensive numbers and not great going forward either."

How Derby County fans feel about their slow start to the Championship campaign

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Derby have undergone a bit of a tumultuous summer. They had to improve the squad while also dealing with ensuring that their loan talent - of which they arguably had the best in the Championship last season - either stayed on or were replaced, too.

Having the proposed investment from Saudi Arabian government official Turki Alalshikh pulled out at the eleventh hour wouldn't have helped in the transfer market, but some Rams fans are still concerned about the performances on the field.

Speaking online, some Derby fans are calling this a "big week," with a home double-header against West Brom and Birmingham on the horizon. Poor results in both could lead to some extra toxicity.

"This is a big week in the season for us… I think if we don’t get a win in the next two home games, crowds will start to fall a little and pressure will be massively on with the money spent since Jan 25. Performances needed at 🏠 🐏," one fan wrote on X.

"I’m very confused with what John Eustace wants to do and the way he wants to play," another Rams supporter said following their loss against West Ham United.

And towards the end of the summer window, FLW's Derby fan pundit slammed Eustace, stating that the club will be "in for a long season" if they don't start doing their jobs properly.

John Eustace has already turned a slow start around at Derby County — he'll hope he can do it again this year

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If there's one positive from this slow start, it's that this isn't unfamiliar territory for Eustace in the Pride Park dugout. Indeed, last season, Derby opened the Championship campaign with one win in their opening 10 games.

Do you think Derby County can turn results around, similar to last season? Let us know in the comments.

Granted, the performances were a little more encouraging than they were at this stage this season, but it shows that the Rams boss knows how to turn around a sticky start.

The main frustration from within is that Derby will want to see evidence of improvement year-on-year, and with this poor run of games, it's like they haven't progressed from 12 months ago.

Those in the stands at Pride Park will have wanted to be in the play-off conversation again this season, but at the moment, they're closer to the bottom than they are to the top eight and aren't playing like they'll be moving upwards anytime soon.

Eustace needs some positive results to start turning this ship around, and a couple of wins against two strong starters in West Brom and Birmingham wouldn't go amiss.