Derby County came from 1-0 down to beat Bolton Wanderers in their match on Friday, ending a 10-match winless run.
Derby turn it around in four minutes
Ruben Rodrigues scored before half-time to put Bolton Wanderers 1-0 ahead. Two goals in the first four minutes of the second half put Derby County ahead, with Ryan Nyambe levelling the match and Jack Robinson making it 2-1 with a header. Rhian Brewster scored in stoppage time.
Senior players speak at the interval
Under-pressure head coach John Eustace said Robinson and Shane Duffy were among the senior players who spoke up at the interval. He said: “I certainly let them know my thoughts as well.”
Eustace said: “It didn't get heated at all. I believe in the process, I believe in the way I am with the players, sometimes you do get emotional and heated, but not with important stakes like this. If you lose your head and show too much emotion, I don't think it has the right effect.”
He added: “We were very calm at half time, the players spoke, we changed our shape and it was about 'right let's go win the second half'.”
Eustace rejects last-ditch description
Asked whether the team talk and half-time changes were a last-ditch effort to save his job, Eustace said: “It certainly wasn't the last throw of the dice, I probably did that one about five or six games ago.”
When asked about the phrase, Eustace said: “That's the way I work.”
International break offers recovery time
Derby County have two weeks off for the international break. Patrick Agyemang has been out with an Achilles tendon injury since April, while Matt Clarke has been absent for three months. Clarke was Derby County's player of the season in 2025-26.
Eustace said: “We haven't had them all season and they have certainly been missed, so just to get them back in the group is brilliant.”
