Gary Rowett has highlighted the importance of Derby County's next match, calling the trip to Burnley a 'really key' test for John Eustace's team. The former Rams manager made the comments as he assessed the pressure on his successor ahead of the weekend's fixture.
Rowett, who managed Derby between 2017 and 2018, spoke about the current situation at Pride Park. "It's a really key game for Derby, a really key game for John Eustace," he said. "When you're down there, you need to start picking up points."
His warning comes with Derby sitting 22nd in the Championship on just four points from seven games. Their recent form reads one win and four defeats from the last five, including a 1-2 home loss to Birmingham last Friday. Bobby Clark scored for the Rams in that match, but goals from Carlos Vicente and Paik Seung-Ho secured the points for the visitors.
The club's standings position shows they are ten points behind leaders West Ham and have conceded 13 goals while scoring only six this season. A trip to face Burnley, who are 24th, presents a direct opportunity to climb out of the bottom three.
Injury concerns persist
Eustace continues to deal with a lengthy injury list. Key defenders Craig Forsyth and Derry Murkin remain sidelined, alongside Matt Clarke and forward Rhian Brewster. Their absence has been felt in a defence that has kept just one clean sheet in the league so far.
The manager's task is to find a formula that can stop the slide, with the team having lost their last three Championship matches. The 0-1 defeat to West Brom and a 3-0 loss at West Ham preceded the Birmingham setback.
The bottom-of-the-table clash
Saturday's game at Turf Moor pits the 22nd and 24th-placed teams against each other. It is the kind of six-pointer that can define a season at this early stage. Rowett's experience of the Championship's pressures informs his view of the match's significance for Eustace.
Derby's only victory in the last five games was a 2-0 win at Portsmouth on September 1st. Supporters will be looking for a similar performance on the road this weekend. The full schedule of upcoming challenges is available on the club's fixtures page.
Eustace and his squad travel to face Burnley on Saturday, September 19.
