Sammie Szmodics has defended Derby County manager John Eustace following Saturday’s heavy defeat to Millwall, while insisting he is not ‘Eustace’s boy’ after being labelled as such by BBC Radio Derby reporter Ed Dawes.
The Rams suffered a 4-1 defeat at The Den, extending their miserable run of form to just one win all season. That victory came two months ago, away at Portsmouth. Since then, the club have lost six and drawn three times in nine games, leaving supporters rightly disgruntled.
Despite his own disappointment, Szmodics was quick to dismiss suggestions that Eustace was responsible for the latest setback, placing the blame firmly on the players.
“It’s not been good enough, that today again is nothing to do with the gaffer, it’s nothing to do with the tactics, it’s completely on the players. How can you go about the first 80 minutes and not win your duels? That’s got nothing to do with anyone else but the players on that pitch.”
The Lions were rampant in the opening stages, scoring three times inside the first 17 minutes. Jake Cooper made it four before the Rams eventually pulled one back through Filip Bilbija, but the damage had already been done.
Similarities To League’s Worst
The Derbyshire outfit have the same record for wins, draws, losses and goals conceded as Sheffield Wednesday had at the same stage last season, despite still sitting above Preston North End.
Asked about the team’s desire and commitment, the midfielder admitted that performances have not consistently reached the required standard.
“There have been a lot of games where the desire and the passion have been there; ultimately, it hasn’t been there in many games, and they are the games we have lost by three or four. Today is another one of those games, and as players we need to take the criticism.”
Backing His Manager
Szmodics’ defence of Eustace is perhaps unsurprising given their previous working relationship. The former Blackburn Rovers midfielder enjoyed the peak of his career under Eustace.
The club were fighting relegation at Ewood Park, and Szmodics netted 27 times that season, winning the league’s Golden Boot and helping steer the side away from relegation. It was Dawes’ description of Szmodics as ‘Eustace’s boy’ that provided one of the most talked-about moments of the post-match interview.
“I’m a professional footballer that wants to win, I’m not John Eustace’s boy, I’ve played under the manager, I’m not his boy. We are all in it together; you could say defensively the goals were poor, but that starts from the front.”
The exchange has attracted attention online, with supporters divided over Dawes’ line of questioning. While some have criticised the reporter’s choice of wording, others have praised him for putting difficult questions to a Derby player during a period of growing frustration.
Attention now turns to two important fixtures at Pride Park, with Norwich City visiting on Tuesday before Bolton Wanderers arrive on Friday night. With pressure mounting on the Rams boss and supporters growing increasingly impatient, Derby desperately need a response. Another disappointing week could leave the manager facing even greater scrutiny heading into the international break.
