John Eustace Told To Make Derby County Contract Decision Amid Coventry City Win

Derby County made it back-to-back wins for the first time since September on Tuesday evening, as they ran out 2-0 winners at home to Coventry City.

Frank Lampard’s return to Pride Park did not go to plan as Matt Clarke and Marcus Harness handed the Rams an incredible victory in front of their own supporters, closing the gap to safety to just one point.

A trip to Plymouth Argyle awaits John Eustace’s side on Saturday, with confidence levels high and a realistic target of heading into the international break outside the bottom three for the first time since the 45-year-old took over from Paul Warne.

While they have not eradicated the threat of League One by any means, Derby do look strong in their new 5-3-2 formation, and the re-introduction of academy graduate, Liam Thompson, has helped the club re-take control of the midfield.

However, with his contract coming to an end in the summer, Eustace has a decision to make.

John Eustace must hand Liam Thompson a new deal at Derby County

At 22, Thompson has his whole career ahead of him and the Rams must pounce now before it is too late to hand him a new deal.

It has not been the easiest of seasons once again for the young midfielder, but he has proven on multiple occasions that when he is fully fit, there are few that can fulfill his role, with it clear to see against Coventry why Eustace kept him in the team.

The Nottingham-born ace’s ability to chase and press for 90 minutes is incredibly impressive and he is just as important as Ebou Adams and Harrison Armstrong in the middle of the park.

Thompson has never been the most technical of players, but he is still able to pick out a pass when needed and he can find gaps that few others can due to his smaller stature.

Derby have already lost two midfield dynamos in Jason Knight and Max Bird over the last couple of years, and losing yet another would be tough to take for a fanbase and club that prides itself on the strength of the academy.

The former Scunthorpe United loanee was superb on Tuesday, and while he will not get the plaudits of those who score and provide assists, without his tenacity, the Rams would not have come out of the game with all three points.

While he has impressed nearly every time he has got onto the pitch this season, Thompson does struggle to stay fit and he has started just 11 games.

If he can get on top of these problems, then there is no doubt that he could become an incredibly important player under Eustace, but these issues have followed him throughout his short career. However, it must be said that he is not the only Rams star to have suffered from injuries in recent years.

While it is not vital, Thompson has to start scoring more as well, with the midfielder having only found the back of the net three times in 99 appearances for Derby so far since making his debut in 2021.

Nevertheless, this will come with more consistent game time and he has the perfect role to do that at the Rams right now, and he must be given a new deal by Eustace sooner rather than later.