Derby County endured a busy summer transfer window, bringing in 11 new players, including Eiran Cashin, Alex Mowatt, Ryan Hedges, Filip Bilbija, Henrik Meister and Mohammed Fuseini. The Rams also welcomed back David Ozoh, Bobby Clark and Sammie Szmodics following their loan spells last season.

After finishing eighth in the Championship last campaign and narrowly missing out on the play-offs, Derby were expected to challenge near the top of the table again. Instead, their campaign has started disastrously, with the club currently sitting in the relegation places.

The Rams suffered their third straight defeat on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Birmingham City. Bobby Clark put Derby ahead shortly before half-time, but Carlos Vicente and Paik Seung-ho struck after the break to complete Birmingham’s comeback.

With only four points from their first seven league matches, frustration among Derby supporters has grown, with some now calling for head coach John Eustace to leave.

Derby face another struggling side, Burnley, at Turf Moor on Saturday, with Clarets boss Nicky Hayen also under pressure after a difficult opening to the season.

However, Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward believes Eustace should still be given an opportunity to turn the situation around. He acknowledged that the manager’s position could become increasingly difficult if Derby lose again.

Woodward pointed to Eustace’s previous achievements, including helping Derby avoid relegation and guiding them to an eighth-place finish last season. He believes seven games is too early to make a drastic decision, especially with 39 league matches still remaining.

He also highlighted the number of new players arriving during the summer, along with injuries, as reasons why the squad may need more time to settle.

Nevertheless, Woodward admitted that Eustace’s future could be in serious danger if Derby lose at Burnley and enter the international break at the bottom of the Championship.

For now, he hopes owner David Clowes remains patient and allows Eustace the opportunity to correct the problems before making any decision over his future.