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It’s set to be an exciting season for Derby County, and a mid-table finish will be the goal for John Eustace in 2025/26.
After the Rams avoided relegation on the final day of the last campaign, plenty of work has been getting done behind the scenes to ensure that the team are not in a similar position come May.
The East Midlands outfit suffered their first defeat of pre-season on Saturday afternoon, with Burton Albion scoring late on to secure a 2-1 victory at the Pirelli Stadium – although Corey Blackett-Taylor’s excellent run of form continued with yet another goal.
However, there are concerns over Matt Clarke after he was brought off injured and the importance of Danny Batth will now increase, as well as another ex-Blackburn Rovers man.
John Eustace weighs in on Derby County duo Andreas Weimann and Danny Batth
Andreas Weimann has unfinished business at Derby and he will be hoping that his Ewood Park departure will pay off, while Batth has also bid farewell to Rovers after just one year in Lancashire.
They have reunited with Eustace, who has spoken out about the role they will play with the Rams this season. He said (via: Derbyshire Live): “I think they will keep calm heads in that dressing room.
“There’s going to be difficult moments throughout the season, but they’ve been there and done it, and they know how to get through it. They know how I like to work as well so they can drive my standards in the dressing room, but they’ve also got a big part to play on the pitch.
“You have to remember Andi scored 10 goals last season, which is a fantastic achievement from being a number 10. Danny was in a lot of winning teams at Blackburn.
“Over the last five seasons, I think Danny’s finished in the play-offs four times, so we’re bringing in good experience just to help the group.”
- READ MORE – Sheffield Wednesday’s latest pre-season win came with an unexpected silver lining, it bodes well for 2025/26
Andreas Weimann will be key for John Eustace
At 33, there is no denying that Weimann’s best days are perhaps behind him, but he proved last season that he still has the quality to be a threat.
During his first spell at Derby, he was often played out on the wing. However, Bristol City realised that he operates better in a more central role and this is where Eustace will play him in the coming months.
He is recovering from injury currently and will not be ready for the start of the season, but with less than two weeks to go until the first Championship fixtures of the campaign, hopes are high that he can hit the ground running when he does enter the fray.
Nevertheless, his workload will have to be managed and experience will be the key to Weimann having success at Derby going forward.