Derby County

"John Eustace and his coaching staff, I don't envy the decision they've got to make but they're paid to make it - and John Eustace normally makes the correct one."

Former Derby County striker Malcolm Christie and BBC Radio Derby's Dominic Dietrich discuss how the club's summer transfer window has panned out and decide who would go in their starting XI on the latest episode of Rams Weekly.

Listen to the full episode and more on Sounds.

Amelia Warren
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

Despite picking up their first points of the season, John Eustace's Derby County head into the international break winless in their first four league matches.

Two draws and two losses leave the Rams 21st in the Championship table, with the difficulty in their start to the new campaign epitomised by playing three teams who currently sit within the top six, and one side fresh from Premier League relegation.

Taking that into account, having two points on the board at this stage, despite it not being what many fans would have desired, doesn't seem to be a cause for too much concern.

One thing Derby have shown, particularly over the last two games, is an improvement in their overall performance - the players are clearly starting to gel with one another, becoming fitter and putting into practice Eustace's desired patterns of play.

These green shoots have allowed fans to remain relatively optimistic and excited to see how their team will perform following the international break.

Positivity among fans hasn't just come from glimpses of magic on the pitch, Derby's successful summer transfer window has also lifted spirits.

Described as "one of the best summer windows in years" for the Rams, 13 new signings have made their way through the Moor Farm door, and are gradually making their mark on the pitch.

Rhian Brewster shone brightest at Portman Road in the last game before the international break, getting on the scoresheet for the first time in black and white, with his direct and skilful attacking approach.

Solid and composed debuts were also made by Lewis Travis in midfield, and Max Johnston at right-back.

Bobby Clark took his first goal for the club exquisitely as the Rams proudly bowed out of the Carabao Cup last week, and Carlton Morris has continued his fine goalscoring form since joining the Rams, now striking four goals in four matches.

This along with the news that club record signing of the David Clowes era, Patrick Agyemang, is back in training and expected to be involved in the matchday squad over the next couple of weeks and it becomes a promising outlook for the Rams.

And not forgetting the arrival of the vastly-experienced Ben Brereton Diaz you can understand why there is so much excitement and enthusiasm around Pride Park at the moment.

For the hindsight lovers out there, had all of Derby's matches finished on 90 minutes so far this season, the Rams would be three more points to the good.

Derby are so nearly at the level we all want them to be.

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

"We've got so many forward options, we've also got the strength in terms of the goalkeeping department. Midfield area is the only area that concerns me but we can work around that now that Travis is there."

Dominic Dietrich, Eric Steele and Malcom Christie are joined by former head of recruitment in the Championship Darren Robinson to give the round-up of Transfer Deadline Day for the Rams.

Listen to the full episode and more on BBC Sounds.

Marc Webber
Final Score reporter

Image source, PA Media

The old phrase "play to the whistle" may need to be painted on to the training room walls at Derby County during this week's international break.

Saturday's 106th-minute penalty at Ipswich was the third time in August the Rams had gifted the game - or a point - to the opposition in injury time.

So the need to keep control beyond 90 minutes must be top of the learning tree for the squad who are around the training ground this week.

In the Bible, verse 13 of chapter one of Corinthians says: "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

Derby County are certainly proving this with their charitable nature by gifting late goals to grateful opponents.

It's heartbreaking stuff for a new squad and fan base full of hope, and given faith by the owners who have bankrolled 13 new signings this season so far.

Image source, Getty Images

Rhian Brewster said Ipswich's last-gasp penalty equaliser made all Derby County's hard work at Portman Road feel worthless.

The Rams were minutes away from securing a precious first win of the Championship season, only to be denied when Jack Clarke salvaged a 2-2 draw from the spot for Ipswich in the 106th minute.

Brewster, who scored his first Derby goal to put John Eustace's side 2-1 up, told BBC Radio Derby: "We put in the hard graft for 98 or 100 minutes and to give away a pen right at the death, all the hard work feels like it wasn't worth it.

"We came here with the aim to get three points and we just felt short right at the end but we can take a lot of positives from the game.

"We're going to stick together as a team and take the positives and also the negatives to make us better.

"We're a team that's only getting better. We're all new and coming together but it does hurt because we go into every game wanting to win it, no matter who the opponent is, or whether it's home, whether it's away and we were so close, yet, so far.

"It's disappointing but we're going to take the positives and the negative and we've got two weeks to work on the training ground and we'll go again against West Brom."

Derby County head coach John Eustace spoke to BBC Radio Derby after the Rams' 2-2 draw at Ipswich Town.

"Really, really disappointed to concede [the equaliser]. I think that's a world record amount of time ever added to any game. I've never seen that amount of minutes before.

"The lads battled, worked their socks off and we deserved the three points. What an effort that was from a group of players who are going to grow throughout the season.

"I think there some really good signs for where we want to get to and I was really proud of the effort.

"We want to build something very special here. We've got some fantastic players, a fantastic squad and we want to build properly. You can see everyone is gathering speed, getting fit.

"The club have been brilliant with the signings we've made. There is lots to be happy with moving forward but we've got to keep working very, very hard the next two, three, four weeks to make sure we've got this group of players fit and ready, hungry and ready to play home and away and start getting some wins."

Dom Dietrich
BBC Radio Derby

Image source, Rex Features

A senior source at Derby County has told BBC Radio Derby all of the club's summer spending has been "entirely funded" by Clowes Developments.

It follows speculation about the source of the Rams' transfer market expenditure.

The club has spent over £13.5million on 12 players during the transfer window, while actively looking for new investors at Pride Park.

"All the expenditure in this transfer window has been funded entirely by Clowes and is absolutely in line with both the existing budget and business plan," a senior club source told BBC Radio Derby.

Ipswich Town host Derby County on Saturday (15:00 BST) with Kieran KcKenna's side still looking for their first win of the new season after a 1-0 defeat to Preston last weekend left them in 18th position in the early Championship standings.

Derby have also had a slow start to the season, though they did pick up their first point at the third time of asking last time out as they snatched a 1-1 draw at home to Bristol City.

• Ipswich Town have won each of their past two league games against Derby County and will be looking to win three in succession for the first time since April 2010 (five wins).

• Derby County have won four of their past six away league games against Ipswich Town (D1 L1), as many victories as across their 15 away matches against them between 1992 and 2014 (L11).

• Ipswich are unbeaten across their past 22 home games in the Championship (W15 D7), a run which has seen the Tractor Boys net 2.5 goals on average per fixture.

• Throughout the opening three matchdays of the 2025-26 Championship, no side has attempted fewer shots than Derby (21), whilst they've also recorded the second-fewest touches inside the opposition's penalty area (45).

• No player has recovered possession for their side more frequently in the Championship this season than Derby's Ebou Adams (21), whilst he also ranks joint-top amongst Rams players for tackles made (eight, alongside Matt Clarke).

Burnley XI: Weiss, Worrall, Edwards, Humphreys, Tchaouna, Flemming, Ramsey, Sonne, Pires, Broja, Laurent.

Subs: Hladky, Tuanzebe, Tresor, Banel, Barnes, Tweety, Delcroix, Leuluai, Pimlott.

Derby XI: Vickers, Forsyth, Osborn, Brewster, Jackson, Elder, Rooney, Ward, Sanderson, Adams, Clark.

Subs: Donnell, Wilson, Clarke, Weimann, Thompson, Goudmijn, Nyambe, Brown, Wheeldon.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Rex Features

Derby have agreed a deal worth up to £3.5m to sign Sturm Graz defender Max Johnston.

The Rams had two earlier bids rejected but the Scotland international is now set to move to Pride Park.

The 21-year-old will sign a four-year contract to end a two-year spell in Austria, where he won the Bundesliga twice and Austrian Cup.

Johnston move to Graz from Motherwell in 2023 and has made 60 appearances, scoring twice, and featured in their 5-0 Champions League play-off defeat at Bodo/Glimt last week.

Derby have lost two and drawn one of their opening three Championship fixtures and face Burnley in the EFL Cup on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

Derby County have agreed a £3.5m deal with Austrian club Sturm Graz for Scotland right-back Max Johnston, 21, who is set to undergo a medical ahead of signing a four-year contract. (Sky Sports, external)

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

Image source, PA Media

Derby head coach John Eustace said he was "very proud" of the way his side kept going to secure their first point of the campaign in their 1-1 draw with Bristol City.

Carlton Morris scored his third goal in as many games in the 86th minute to rescue a draw for the Rams and put their first point on the board after two defeats.

"Very proud of the effort of the group, to keep going the way we did - big pressure at home when you've lost two in a row - the way the lads carried on and went about their business was really pleasing," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.

"First half an hour I thought we played really well and really took the game to a really good Bristol City team. The goal then really knocks the stuffing out of us on the back of two defeats.

"At home when you go 1-0 down it can get a bit nervy but the way the lads got together at half-time, and a few little tweaks, we finished the second half much better, we were a much better team.

"There were some difficult times in that second half to keep going and do what we wanted to do but in the end we got our reward."

Glenn Speller
BBC Sport England

Blackburn Rovers midfielder Lewis Travis has almost certainly played his last game for the club, according to head coach Valerien Ismael, with BBC Radio Derby, external reporting Derby County have agreed a fee for him.

The 27-year-old has only featured once for Rovers so far this season with speculation surrounding a potential move away from Ewood Park, and he will not travel with the squad for Saturday's Championship match at Hull City (12:30 BST).

Derby County and Wrexham were both linked with Travis in June, while Ismael stated 10 days ago he could leave "if the price was right."

"There is something going on behind the scenes, but we are focusing on the game - the other thing we will talk about as soon as we can," the Blackburn boss told BBC Radio Lancashire, but he would not be drawn on a possible destination for Travis.

On whether Travis had played his last game for Rovers, Ismael added: "It looks like it but we will see what's going on."

Ismael also confirmed Todd Cantwell, who captained Rovers in Travis' absence for last weekend's 2-1 Championship defeat at home to Birmingham City, will takeover as skipper on a permanent basis.

"Todd will be the new permanent captain of the club.

"He's a player who, when I came in, we talked together, and I was pleased with how he socialised with everyone within the building.

"He's comfortable talking to the academy players, the cleaners, the board - he's a respected player and the way he speaks to people is very good."