Derby County manager John Eustace has described his future at the club as a 'wait and see' situation ahead of their Championship fixture against Bolton Wanderers. His comments come with his team sitting 23rd in the table and facing a key home game this week.
Eustace addressed the speculation directly when speaking to reporters.
The uncertainty adds an extra layer of intrigue to the upcoming match at Pride Park. Bolton travel there sitting 16th in the Championship, having collected 17 points from their 14 games so far, a record of five wins, two draws, and seven losses. Their recent form has been mixed, with two wins, one draw, and two losses in their last five outings, a sequence that includes a 1-0 victory at Charlton Athletic last time out. That win at Charlton on Tuesday 3 November was a welcome result after a 2-3 home defeat to Bristol City on Saturday 31 October and a heavy 1-5 loss to Middlesbrough on Saturday 23 October. The team has scored 19 goals this season but conceded 26, leaving them with a negative goal difference of seven.
Sam Dalby scored the only goal in that win, his sixth of the season, making him Bolton's top scorer. The team's next challenge is a quick turnaround, facing Derby just days after that result, with the fixture set for Friday 6 November. For Derby, the pressure is more intense. Occupying a relegation spot, they are five points from safety and have won just three league games all season. A defeat to their near-neighbours would increase the scrutiny on Eustace's position significantly. The Bolton camp, meanwhile, will see this as a prime opportunity to build momentum and climb the standings, especially with an 11-point gap to league leaders Middlesbrough.
The last meeting between these sides was a 2-2 draw at the University of Bolton Stadium earlier in the campaign. Bolton's recent away record shows they are capable, having beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 last month, a result that was part of a run also featuring a 0-0 draw at Southampton on Saturday 17 October. They will need to be wary of a Derby side playing with potential desperation in front of their own fans. The match kicks off on Friday evening.
The original report is at The72 - Football League News
