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John Eustace and Paul Heckingbottom will go head to head tonight in the Championship, as Derby County look for a crucial three points in their fight for survival.
There’s just the one game in the Championship in midweek, with Derby and Preston battling it out on Wednesday night.
The match will pit John Eustace and Paul Heckingbottom against one another, with the former looking to continue his incredible great escape mission for the Rams.
In the past, Heckingbottom has praised Eustace for the organisation he instilled in his old Birmingham City side. But, the kind words go both ways, it seems.
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Blackburn Rovers anticipated hostile Preston clash
Speaking to the Lancashire Post back in September 2024 ahead of Blackburn Rovers’ clash with local rivals Preston, Eustace, then in charge of Rovers, praised his opposite number and explained the kind of hostile clash he was preparing for.
He said: “I went to watch them the other night… Preston are a very good team, we know it’ll be a very difficult game and one we’re looking forward to.
“Paul has been promoted out of the league, he’s a fantastic manager. He’s been a very good coach and he has great staff around him. I am sure he will do well there.
“It’s a local derby, blood and thunder, a match we’re looking forward to. They will be right up for the game and so will our boys. It won’t be any different to last year… a difficult game, but one we’re ready for.”
Frustratingly, that game ultimately ended up in a 0-0 draw. While we don’t quite expect ‘blood and thunder’ this time, we’re hoping there’ll be a little more action to sink our teeth into in the upcoming fixture.
Derby County have more to fight for than Preston North End
Anyone preparing to watch Derby County vs Preston will probably, like us, expect the home side to be the one going into the game with the most intensity and desire to win.
That’s not to say that Preston will be complacent, but there’s no denying that, with safety pretty much guaranteed for Heckingbottom’s men — they are nine points clear of 22nd placed Derby heading into the match — there will naturally be less motivation for North End.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 19 |  Oxford UnitedOxford United | 39 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 40 | 57 | -17 | 42 |
| 20 |  Hull CityHull City | 39 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 39 | 48 | -9 | 41 |
| 21 |  CardiffCardiff | 39 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 43 | 63 | -20 | 40 |
| 22 |  DerbyDerby | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 40 | 51 | -11 | 38 |
| 23 |  LutonLuton | 39 | 10 | 8 | 21 | 35 | 60 | -25 | 38 |
| 24 |  PlymouthPlymouth | 39 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 40 | 77 | -37 | 34 |
Derby, meanwhile, are the most fascinating team in the Championship relegation battle right now. They know a win against Preston will lift them out of the bottom three, and give them a huge mental advantage as we approach the final run-in.
This is not a derby game. Preston are destined for midtable security, and travel to a Pride Park that will be buoyed by recent results. That momentum, twinned with Preston’s own circumstances, leaves us firmly expecting a home win to really spice up the fight for survival.