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John Eustace’s Derby County are now level on points with Luton Town after their 1-0 loss at Pride Park.
A physical game is to be expected with set-pieces a crucial aspect to the game plan of both teams of late, which is how Millenic Alli struck the winner in the first half.
John Eustace has been an inspired managerial change but it was Matt Bloomfield’s time to be the man and turn things around by catching up to Derby ahead of the 3pm games.
Luton still have plenty of work to do in terms of securing their Championship status and avoiding double relegations, while Derby are hoping to survive in their first season back in the second tier after promotion last season.
Our player ratings paint the picture of a terrible day for the Rams. Their fans could not fathom what they were seeing as they fell to a frustrating and disappointing loss at home, piling the pressure on their final fixtures.
John Eustace explains Derby County 0-1 Luton Town
Championship survival was the main talking point for both sets of fans going into the game, which is a fixture Derby often come out on top in.
They have had a remarkable revival under Eustace thus far and were looking to continue it here, which many experts were expecting them to. Instead, they must regroup ahead of Monday.
Speaking via Sky Sports, Eustace explained his thoughts: “Obviously, we are disappointed with the result. First half, that wasn’t us. We looked a little bit anxious and a bit nervous. We conceded a sloppy goal.
“Second half, we were great. I thought the effort of the group was fantastic. We just couldn’t put the ball in the net. At both ends, there is a lot of pressure on every game. It’s about us learning from today.
“We are disappointed with the result but I can’t fault the effort of the group. Second half, we could’ve scored two or three goals. There’s still positives to take out of the game. We have another opportunity on Monday to get three points.
“They won too many second balls in that first half. We were off the pace a little bit which hasn’t been like us. Today, just wasn’t our day.
“We’ve been in a lot worse situations than this already. We’re still out the relegation zone. The attitude of the boys has been fantastic. Different class. So that won’t change from now to the end of the season.
“We take each game as it comes. We’ll be in tomorrow to prepare for West Brom. It’s in our hands.”
We urged Eustace to start Kenzo Goudmijn but the set up from Derby was poor, with their game plan playing into Luton’s hands in a physical mismatch.
Derby must not unravel mentally from here
Given their games compared to Luton, Derby can feel confident of survival. They must not let this result unravel them mentally after the work they have done up to this point to escape danger.
They have shown real fight and resilience and still have things in their hands given their goal difference. Stoke City and Hull City are six-pointers. Although three games without defeat will set off their nerves.
Eustace’s form has been excellent thus far, showing much more both home and away since his appointment this season. He’s been here before with Blackburn and is the right pair of hands for the run-in.