How John Eustace changing formation can truly unlock the best out of £690k Derby County star

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John Eustace was Derby County’s saviour in 2024/25, but by ensuring the club’s safety in the Championship, he created a structure in the squad that was tough to break.

After three defeats in his first three games in charge of the Rams, the 45-year-old finally got a breakthrough against his former club, Blackburn Rovers. A 2-1 win at Pride Park was the start of a run of six wins in 11 games that saw the East Midlands outfit stay in the second tier.

Derby avoided relegation on the final day of the season, and CEO Stephen Pearce is prepared for a busy transfer window as the Championship side look to improve on their 19th place finish in 2025/26.

Yet, there is one player who will perhaps feel a little bit hard done by after he ended the season as an afterthought. But one Eustace change can unlock the midfielder in the upcoming campaign, and he could prove to be a difference-maker.

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Kenzo Goudmijn has struggled for minutes at Derby County under John Eustace

Kenzo Goudmijn left his home country of the Netherlands for Derby in July 2024, joining the club while Paul Warne was the manager for a fee that Dutch outlet De Telegraaf reported to be 820,000 euros (£690,000).

He started off brightly, and the midfielder scored twice in his first five league games in England as the Rams made a strong start to life back in the second tier.

However, as the rest of the team’s form dipped, so did Goudmijn’s, and when Warne was sacked and replaced by Eustace, he found it tough to break into the starting XI as the ex-Blackburn boss utilised a 5-3-2 formation.

The incredible form of Everton loanee Harrison Armstrong, a player who Derby want to see return, as well as the leadership of Ebou Adams and Liam Thompson’s tenacity made the midfield three hard to split up – forcing the Rams to ignore their £690k summer signing.

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A change in formation can reignite Kenzo Goudmijn’s Rams career

With the Rams yet to make a signing so far this summer, supporters will be expecting a flurry of action in the transfer market ahead of their pre-season trip to Austria in July.

Wingers are needed at Pride Park, and if Eustace is able to bring them in, then he will have the opportunity to return to the 4-2-3-1 formation that has served him so well in his career thus far.

This also benefits Goudmijn, whose best football in black-and-white came while he was playing in a more advanced role. It allowed him to play forward rather than sideways, and he proved on a number of occasions his ability to beat a defender with ease – whether that was by dribbling or with a pass.

There is a player in there for Eustace to unlock, and playing in a structure that allows him the freedom to carry the ball forwards will only see the 23-year-old improve as the Dutch midfielder enters the second of his four-year deal.