Derby County have been tipped to build on their Championship survival by enjoying a more comfortable campaign next season.
The Rams returned to the second tier last season after a two year absence following their promotion from League One a year ago. They started well and by November they were in the top half of the table.
It started to unravel after Christmas though, when a run of seven successive defeats saw the club plunged into a relegation battle, leading to the departure of Paul Warne. After an almighty wrangle with division rivals Blackburn Rovers, John Eustace was appointed head coach in February.
The East Midlands-based outfit enjoyed a resurgence under the former Birmingham City boss. They became one of the form teams of the division to steer themselves to safety, eventually finishing 19th.
Eustace To Build On Momentum
Last season was always about maintaining their Championship status. Having done that, Derby can now look forward to building on that momentum, which is exactly what Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes will happen.
Speaking to Football League World, the former Sunderland striker believes Eustace’s side will not face any danger of relegation next year:
“No, I don’t see Derby County in a relegation battle next season.
“I look at the 14 games John Eustace took charge of at the end of last season – six wins and three draws, and that’s despite losing the first three games he took charge of.
“If he accrued that points total over the course of last season that would be 69 points, which would’ve actually been enough for a play-off spot for Derby, remarkably.
“He’s outstanding at organising teams and making them hard to play against and hard to beat, so those are ingredients that will see Derby County not be in a relegation battle.”
Writer’s View
John Eustace performed miracles at Derby following his arrival in February, proving why he is one of the most highly rated coaches in the Championship. The job he performed at both Birmingham and Blackburn had built him a stellar reputation and he showed his capabilities by saving his new club from the brink of relegation. There will be a queue of players wanting to play under him and he should build an squad capable of challenging for a top half finish. The Rams haven’t been in the Premier League since their infamous record breaking campaign in 2007/08, but there’s little doubt that the long term aim will be to have another crack at the top tier.
