Would David Clowes Sack John Eustace at Derby County?
Derby County’s return to the Championship has taken an unexpected and frustrating turn, with the Rams struggling to reproduce the form that saw them come so close to securing a play-off place last season.
Head coach John Eustace remains in charge at Pride Park despite mounting pressure, but the club’s disappointing opening to the campaign means his position is becoming increasingly uncertain. With the Championship action returning this weekend following the international break, Eustace knows that results will be crucial if he is to convince owner David Clowes that he remains the right man to lead the club.
John Eustace Under Growing Pressure at Derby County
It has been a difficult opening eight games for Derby, who entered the new Championship campaign with genuine hopes of challenging near the top end of the table.
Those expectations were understandable after the Rams narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season. Derby suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United on the final day, although even a victory would not have been enough to secure a top-six finish because Hull City defeated Norwich City by the same scoreline.
With the Championship play-off places now extending as far as eighth, expectations around Pride Park were understandably high. Many supporters believed Derby had the squad and momentum required to mount another promotion push.
Instead, the Rams have found themselves fighting at the opposite end of the table.
As of October 7, Derby sit 22nd in the Championship with just five points from their opening eight league matches. Their only victory so far came in a 2-0 away win against Portsmouth last month, leaving them just one place above the relegation zone.
The situation becomes even more concerning when Derby’s recent results are considered.
Their victory at Fratton Park appeared to offer Eustace and his players an opportunity to build some momentum. However, that result was followed by three consecutive defeats against West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City.
Those losses inevitably increased the pressure on Eustace and raised questions about whether Derby could turn their season around under his leadership.
There was at least a small positive in their most recent outing. Mohammed Fuseini’s dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser rescued a point for Derby in a 1-1 draw away to bottom side Burnley.
While the late goal prevented another defeat, a draw against a team struggling at the bottom of the table did little to completely ease concerns surrounding the Rams.
Derby now face 14th-placed Wrexham at Pride Park on Saturday when Championship football resumes. It represents another important opportunity for Eustace to change the narrative surrounding his future.
David Clowes Has Already Shown He Is Not Afraid of Difficult Decisions
If Derby’s poor form continues, attention will inevitably turn towards David Clowes and whether the club’s owner is prepared to make another major managerial decision.
Clowes has already demonstrated during his time at Derby that he is willing to make difficult calls when he believes a change is necessary.
After rescuing the club from administration in the summer of 2022, one of his first major decisions was to decide against giving Liam Rosenior the permanent manager’s job.
Rosenior had taken temporary charge following Wayne Rooney’s departure and had overseen a promising start to Derby’s League One campaign. The Rams won four and drew two of their opening nine league matches under him.
Despite that encouraging beginning, Clowes decided to make a change in September 2022, turning to Paul Warne and bringing him in from Rotherham United.
Warne initially missed out on promotion during his first season at Pride Park, but he eventually delivered the desired result in the 2023-24 campaign. Derby finished second behind champions Portsmouth and secured automatic promotion back to the Championship.
Their first season back in the second tier initially appeared promising, but Derby’s fortunes changed dramatically during the winter.
A prolonged run of poor results pushed the Rams towards the relegation battle, while frustration among supporters continued to grow. After seven consecutive defeats, Clowes eventually decided that a managerial change was necessary, with Warne dismissed in February 2025.
That history makes Clowes’ current position particularly interesting.
He acted relatively quickly in replacing Rosenior, but some supporters would argue that he waited too long before dismissing Warne. It therefore remains difficult to predict exactly how much patience he will show Eustace if Derby’s poor run continues.
One thing is clear, however: the current situation will not be pleasing the Derby owner.
Derby’s Transfer Investment Could Increase the Pressure
Another factor that could influence Clowes’ thinking is the amount of money that has been invested into strengthening the squad.
Derby have spent significant sums in the transfer market over the past year, bringing in players such as Max Johnston, Lewis Travis, Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang for sizeable fees during the previous summer window.
The club also made another major investment this summer by reportedly spending around £6 million to make Bobby Clark’s move permanent.
Although Derby’s transfer activity this summer was perhaps less ambitious than the previous year’s recruitment drive, Clowes can still reasonably feel that Eustace has been provided with a competitive squad capable of performing better than its current league position suggests.
That makes the Rams’ position after eight matches particularly concerning.
It is not simply the fact that Derby are sitting 22nd that will worry the club hierarchy. Their performances have also failed to provide convincing evidence that a significant improvement is just around the corner.
For an owner who has invested heavily in trying to establish Derby as a competitive Championship club, remaining in the relegation zone for an extended period could become increasingly difficult to accept.
Why David Clowes May Still Give Eustace More Time
Despite the growing pressure, there are also several reasons why Clowes may decide against sacking Eustace immediately.
The three-week international break would have provided an ideal opportunity to make a managerial change. If Clowes had already decided that Eustace was no longer the right man, the break would have given a new manager valuable preparation time before returning to competitive action.
The fact that Eustace remains in charge suggests that Clowes has not yet reached that conclusion.
There is also plenty of goodwill towards Eustace because of what he achieved last season.
He arrived at Pride Park in February 2025 and helped Derby retain their Championship status. More importantly, he subsequently guided the Rams towards a genuine play-off challenge during the following campaign.
That means Eustace has already demonstrated that he can get results at Derby and compete successfully in the Championship.
Another issue that deserves consideration is the unusual nature of Derby’s summer.
Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh withdrew from his proposed investment in the club at the last minute in August. Such a development could have disrupted Derby’s plans during the final stages of the transfer window and potentially affected preparations for the new campaign.
Eustace can also point to the difficulty of some of Derby’s opening fixtures.
The Rams have faced Swansea City, West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion, with the latter two currently occupying places inside the Championship’s top five.
However, that argument only goes so far because Derby have also struggled to defeat teams they would have expected to compete more strongly against, including Charlton Athletic and Burnley.
Eustace’s Previous Departures Could Also Be Considered
Clowes may also look at what happened at Eustace’s previous clubs before deciding whether to continue with him.
Birmingham City is perhaps the most obvious example.
Eustace left Birmingham in October 2023 while the Blues were sitting sixth in the Championship. The club subsequently suffered relegation to League One at the end of that season.
That does not necessarily mean Eustace was responsible for Birmingham’s eventual relegation, but the sequence of events could still form part of the wider discussion surrounding his managerial record.
Blackburn Rovers have also experienced difficulties since Eustace left Ewood Park to take over at Derby just over 18 months ago.
Blackburn narrowly avoided relegation last season and have once again experienced a mixed beginning to the current campaign, leaving questions over their ability to stay clear of trouble.
At the same time, it would be unfair to ignore Eustace’s wider record.
The 46-year-old has repeatedly demonstrated that he is capable of managing at Championship level, and his previous success at Derby means he deserves some patience.
There is also the reminder that Derby themselves started slowly last season before eventually improving their position and pushing towards the play-off places.
The Next Few Weeks Could Decide Eustace’s Future
Ultimately, Eustace’s position at Derby is likely to depend heavily on what happens over the next few weeks.
The club’s supporters are becoming increasingly frustrated, and continued poor results would inevitably increase calls for a managerial change.
For now, however, Clowes appears willing to give Eustace another opportunity to turn things around.
The upcoming meeting with Wrexham at Pride Park is therefore far more significant than an ordinary Championship fixture. A convincing Derby victory could provide Eustace with the breathing room he desperately needs, while another disappointing result would increase the pressure on both the manager and the club hierarchy.
Derby have invested too much time, money and ambition into their return to the Championship to accept a prolonged relegation battle.
Eustace has already earned considerable credit for keeping the club in the division and coming close to the play-offs last season, but that goodwill will not last indefinitely.
If Derby can rediscover their form and climb away from the bottom three, Clowes may have little reason to consider a change.
If results continue to go against them, however, the question of whether David Clowes should make another difficult managerial decision could become impossible to ignore.
For now, John Eustace remains in the dugout.
But with Derby sitting 22nd after eight matches and pressure growing among supporters, the coming weeks could prove decisive for his future at Pride Park.