Eustace gets one over Rovers for Derby’s first win of 2025

Like their inflatable snakes, Blackburn Rovers fans left Pride Park deflated thanks to former boss John Eustace. There had been some bafflement when he left Lancashire to return to Derby, but a 2-1 win for The Rams provides a little vindication.

This, the East Midlands side’s first win in 13 games, had Pride Park rocking as an injury-ravaged squad pulled together to climb to 22nd, now four points from safety.

The Rams were boosted by the return of wing back Kane Wilson and defender Nat Phillips, but after picking up injuries this week, Ryan Nyambe, Ben Osborn, Kemar Roofe and Lars-Jørgen Salvesen were all missing.

With Jerry Yates the only fit senior striker, midfielder Marcus Harness was up top alongside him a 3-5-2 and fans worried whether the side would carry enough threat going forward.

But these concerns were very quickly put to bed.

Defensive stalwart Craig Forsyth found the back of the net inside three minutes. Callum Elder’s floated free kick headed down by Phillips for Forsyth to guide in from a tight angle on the turn.

And after waiting over two months to watch their team score at Pride Park, Derby fans were rewarded with a second four minutes later.

Given freedom to roam in possession, Marcus Harness controlled a long ball, beat his man and crossed to Liam Thompson, who found Jerry Yates. He laid the ball off for Ebou Adams who turned it in from four yards out.

Blackburn were shell-shocked. Pride Park was rocking. Hissing now drowned out by cries of “Eboouuu!”.

But Augustus Kargbo’s injury saw Valérien Ismaël introduce Dion Sanderson, allowing his side to mirror Derby’s shape, in which they grew into the game.

Yuki Ohashi had Rovers’ first real chance, slipped in by captain Lewis Travis, but Jacob Widell Zetterström blocked the effort with his foot.

Substitute Sanderson then found himself in trouble when he took too long on the ball and was robbed by Yates, who looked to again tee up Adams. But ‘keeper Aynsley Pears was this time on hand to prevent the midfielder from getting a shot off.

Blackburn halved the deficit with five minutes of the first half to play, Tyrhys Dolan’s cross from the byline finding Ohashi, who pulled the ball back for Makhtar Gueye to blast into the top right corner.

The visitors were now firmly on the front foot but went in behind at the break after Gueye fired wide despite being unmarked at the back post.

Rovers continued to dominate possession in the second half, Derby’s main threat on the counter being Wilson darting down the right, as has been so missed in recent weeks.

It was thanks to this that he won Derby’s first two corners of the game, which Callum Elder delivered onto the head of Phillips, who failed to find the target on both occasions.

Zetterström was fortunate that Gueye headed wide after he mis-timed his punch from a corner, as Blackburn continued to push for the leveller.

But it was Derby who should have scored again with six minutes to play as Harrison Armstrong’s effort bobbled into the path of Yates, who scooped a volley wide from six yards out.

As a result, the seven added minutes were nervy, particularly when Kenzo Goudmijn opted to cross rather than simply keep the ball in the corner, but Blackburn failed to find a way through.

Analysis:  A glimmer of hope

By John Eustace’s own admission, it’s been “a difficult week” for Derby, losing three players “who would have started” in Lars-Jørgen Salvesen, Ben Osborn and Ryan Nyambe.

But the atmosphere at Pride Park was quite the reward for getting through it, with the Derby County Head Coach lauding the fans as the “12th man” and “the reason [he] came to the football club.”

With Salvesen joining David Ozoh in being out for the season, while Nyambe, Osborn, Roofe are expected to be out for a number of weeks with hamstring issues, and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing out too, Eustace has had to adapt over his first four weeks in charge. After initial deployments of a 4-2-3-1, the 3-5-2 shape, which was favoured by former boss Paul Warne has been reverted to - perhaps a realisation that ‘pretty’ football will be a struggle at present.

But this more direct, counter-attacking, efficient style paid dividends, playing to the strengths of those available. In front of Jacob Widell Zetterström, who prevented 1.1 xGOT (expected goals on target) were a hard-working back three, the standout being goalscorer Craig Forsyth, who won all of his duels. In the middle, the industrious Liam Thompson and Ebou Adams allowed 18-year-old Harrison Armstrong to dictate play, keeping things appropriately simple. The Everton loanee also made the most interceptions of any Derby player (seven).

As with any 3-5-2, the wing backs were key. On the left, Callum Elder won 83 per cent of his ground duels and made the most passes into the final third for Derby (eight). While on the right, Kane Wilson showed why he has been so missed, completing as many dribbles as anyone else on the pitch, dragging the side up the pitch and working hard out of possession with a game-high seven recoveries. He may not be back up to full speed yet, but The Buffalo will be key to any survival charge.

Up front is where things get particularly interesting, I for one did not have my money on Marcus Harness playing as a striker, he didn’t really, such is the futility of formations for describing in-possession structures. Yes, when Blackburn had the ball, the Ipswich loanee moved up top to press alongside Yates, who got an assist and should have had a goal. But in possession, Harness had licence to find pockets of space in which he could be most effective. This performance showed that he is more effective as a creative force in central areas, moving wide, not as an out-and-out winger.

So, John Eustace has his first win as Derby County Head Coach after a well-organised, resilient display. Meanwhile there were losses for Luton, Plymouth, Cardiff and Stoke, who suffered late defeat against Derby’s next opponents, Frank Lampard’s Coventry, and a draw for Hull City.

Ahead of this weekend, the feeling was that Derby County were down and out, and it will still be a mighty struggle, but if they can put in more of these gritty performances, The Rams may yet have a chance.