Derby County

Ed Dawes
BBC Radio Derby commentator

Image source, Getty Images

John Eustace's pre-season warning proved prophetic - the early weeks would be about acclimatisation.

At Stoke, the lesson was clear - without a fully fit squad, Derby struggle to compete over 90 minutes at Championship tempo.

Matt Clarke recovered from a shaky start, while Jacob Widell Zetterstrom's superb second-half save kept the scoreline in check. But the numbers told the story - Stoke completed 381 passes to Derby's 125, controlling the game through an industrious midfield.

Stoke midfielders Lewis Baker, Bae Junho and Ben Pearson dictated play with composure and bite, while Derby's central trio couldn't match their control.

Kenzo Goudmijn was peripheral with just 20 touches in 68 minutes, Liam Thompson was busy but ineffective and captain Ebou Adams showed energy but lacked influence. Carlton Morris's fine finish came from Derby's only truly cohesive move.

David Ozoh's introduction after 68 minutes injected some presence as he won key tackles, came away from duels with the ball, and showed why, if he stays fit, he could be a pivotal figure.

This wasn't a poor performance, but it was a revealing one. In the Championship, matches are often decided in midfield, and Derby lack proven operators in that area when injuries hit.

The fixture list offers no respite. After the EFL Cup tie at West Brom on Tuesday (19:45 BST), back-to-back home games pit them against Frank Lampard's promotion-chasing Coventry and a Bristol City side buoyed by their thumping of Sheffield United.

With 45 games left, the season's story is only just beginning, but Derby need their missing men back quickly if they are to shape it on their own terms.

Derby are preparing a third offer for Scotland international right-back Max Johnston, with Panathinaikos also monitoring the 21-year-old who plays for Austrian club Sturm Graz. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Derby boss John Eustace said he expects his side to get stronger and keep growing after defeat to Stoke City on the opening day.

Following the 3-1 loss to the Potters, Eustace told BBC Radio Derby: "We limited Stoke to very little today. I was proud of the effort of the group, the attitude was fantastic but we have to learn to see out these games.

"I expected us to be better when we went 1-0 and control the game, we dropped a little bit too deep for their equaliser.

"I know this group very well, and we have seven or eight players to come in and help the quality even more.

"Over the course of the 46 games we are going to improve, keep growing, and get better. That is what we will take from today."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Nottingham Forest captain Terry Hennessey has died at the age of 82.

Hennessey made over 159 appearances for Forest between 1965 and 1970, earning 39 caps for Wales over the span of a decade.

The club said in a statement: "Everyone sends their condolences to Mr. Hennessey's family and friends at this extremely difficult time."

Hennessey began his career with Birmingham, where he made 178 appearances and won the League Cup in 1963.

After leaving the City Ground he joined Derby County and won the First Division title under Brian Clough in 1972.

Derby County boss John Eustace said his side are "nowhere near the finished article", ahead of their opening day clash against Stoke City.

After ensuring their Championship survival on the final day of last season, the Rams have been busy this summer, and Eustace stressed to BBC Radio Derby there is still plenty of work to do.

"You can see the amount of players that we have signed and the amount of players that have gone out as well," he said.

"We have to assess who is fit and there won't be many of the new players who will be fit for the first two or three games, but we will know more after the first international break. That is why I am stressing that it is a 46-game season.

"We are nowhere near the finished article, but we are working to find that progress."

The Rams have made 11 new additions to the squad, however Eustace, 45, said he doesn't want fans to get "carried away" with expectations.

"We are rebuilding a new team here and that is not done overnight, he said.

"We are up against some unbelievable squads, and it is just important that people don't get carried away with the new signings turning up on Saturday and playing, or that we are going to be playing like Barcelona because the likelihood of that is very slim, but what we are building here is something special."

Speaking on the changes that he wants to implement for the forthcoming campaign, he added: "We want to try to change our style of play and not be as direct as we were last season, but that is going to take time, that is a slow process."

Click here to listen to the full interview via BBC Sounds.

Two sides locked in last season's Championship relegation battle meet to mark a new campaign as Stoke City host Derby County on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Potters ended their season in 18th place just one point above the Rams, who finished in 19th.

Derby were just one point clear of relegated Luton Town and both sides will be hoping to get off to a good start as they look to avoid another relegation scrap this season.

• Stoke City have won just two of their last nine league games against Derby County (D4 L3), though both victories have come on home soil via a one-goal margin in 2021 and 2024.

• Derby County have won just four of their 31 away league games against Stoke City (D9 L18) but did win on their second last visit to the bet365 Stadium in December 2021 (2-1).

• Stoke have won three of their last four opening day fixtures (L1), with each of those victories in that time coming on home soil.

• Derby have lost their opening league game in the last two seasons, last having a longer run of defeats on MD1 between 1980 and 1984 (5).

• Stoke failed to score in each of their last three league games in 2024-25 – they last went four without a goal in March 2019.

The new arrivals of Dion Sanderson and Bobby Clark at Derby County could be key to them improving on their 19th-place finish from last season, according to recruitment expert Darren Robinson.

The pair, who arrive at Pride Park on season-long loan deals, take the number of Derby's signings this summer to 11. They are available to make their debuts for the club in the Rams' opening-day Championship fixture at Stoke City on Saturday.

"[Head coach] John Eustace has competition for places and strength in depth," Robinson told BBC Radio Derby.

"Last season, when Derby got to the higher end of the table they were unable to sustain it. That's what they have changed in the last few days with stringent loan signings.

"Bobby Clark has got high energy, he's got good composure on the ball, could slip in at number 10, and I think he offers that box-to-box characteristic which is different to Ebou Adams and David Ozoh.

"[Dion] Sanderson, for me, this is a big season for him. It could be a strength in depth [option] - he offers good, athletic capabilities, size and presence."

Listen to the full episode and more on Derby County on BBC Sounds.

Derby County boss John Eustace says Sunderland midfielder Nectar Triantis is not on his transfer radar despite rumours circulating about a possible move for the Australian.

"That's not a name I've been speaking about with the club. I think his agent might be putting that out there," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby after the side's 2-0 pre-season victory over Atromitos on Saturday.

"He's a good player but he's not somebody that, at the moment, we are looking at."

The Rams may find themselves a little lighter defensively as they prepare for their opening Championship game against Stoke City on Saturday (15:00 BST), with Eustace unsure if left-back Owen Beck and defender Matt Clarke will be fit in time.

The 45-year-old added: "They've had slight injury niggles so we will have to see if they will be available for next week.

"But Jake Rooney has stepped in, he's done well today."

Listen to the full post-match interview with Eustace and more on BBC Sounds.

Amelia Warren
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Just like that, another pre-season has come and gone and the start of the Championship season is just under a week away.

The Rams have had a relatively impressive warm up, only losing one out of their six friendlies, and one player who has particularly shone throughout all of those matches is winger Corey Blackett-Taylor.

Blackett-Taylor has had a topsy turvy Derby career so far, struggling to make himself a regular starter and being hit with injuries that have prevented him getting a consistent run in the squad.

However, in pre-season, the 27-year-old has been on the scoresheet an impressive five times, whilst also adding two assists.

The winger's fine form has almost certainly earned him a starting spot for the opening game against Stoke on Saturday, with his confident, direct approach being heavily praised by fans.

You'd struggle to name another player amongst the squad who is oozing more confidence than Blackett-Taylor right now. It will be interesting to see how he gets on when things get real at the weekend, and also what differences we see in him throughout the season under John Eustace's style of play and instructions.

Derby have strengthened their squad over the summer.

After losing key players from last season such as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Marcus Harness and Harrison Armstrong, it was important the recruitment team were able to bring players in that would not only suit the Eustace philosophy, but also provide some much-needed depth to the squad, something which many fans feel has been missing for a number of seasons.

The signings of players such as Rhian Brewster, Patrick Agyemang, Owen Beck on loan and the return of midfielder David Ozoh on another season-long loan have impressed the Derby faithful, with the general consensus that the players coming in possess more quality than those they're replacing.

You also feel like the calibre of players we've recruited gives out a strong statement to other clubs in the division that we will no doubt be aiming for the top half, and potentially even pushing for the play off places in the coming campaign.

With Eustace taking charge of his first full season with the Rams, impressive fresh faces through the door to bolster the squad and other players looking totally reignited throughout pre-season, Derby look set for an exciting and much improved nine months of Championship chaos.

The countdown is on.

You can often catch Amelia Warren, external as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.

Austrian side Sturm Graz have rejected another bid from Derby County for their 21-year-old right-back Max Johnston despite the Rams having increased their offer from £1.4m to £1.6m for the Scotland international. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Derby County forward Kayden Jackson said he is keen to get stuck into another Championship season following a productive pre-season.

The Rams beat fifth-tier Solihull Moors 4-2 in a friendly on Tuesday as they continue their preparation for another season in the Championship.

"[I'm] eager to get the season started. It's been a lot of hard work and still hard work to go," Jackson told BBC Radio Derby.

"Lots of things to work on. You're always improving, you always want to be better, you always want to be fitter."

Jackson said he has belief in the Derby County coaching staff ahead of the upcoming season.

"A lot of good messages, good structure, good practices. It's different ways of working from previously but it's something to embrace and something to keep working on."

Derby County play their final pre-season friendly against Greek top-flight side Atromitos FC at Pride Park on Saturday, 2 August.

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.