Derby County

Image source, Getty Images

There have been plenty of contentious decisions in the 2025-26 Championship season so far.

Offside goals given, perfectly good goals ruled out, red card offences missed, penalties not given, dubious spot-kicks awarded. You name it.

With the video assistant referee (VAR) only used for the play-off final, the outcome of every second-tier game in the regular season can hinge on how on-field officials see incidents in real time.

• Would you want VAR introduced for every league game in the Championship?

• If so, why?

• And if not, let us know your reasons.

You can share your thoughts on VAR here or comment below, and we will publish a follow-up article soon with a selection of your responses.

Image source, Shutterstock

Derby County match-winner Sammie Szmodics says he's enjoying the "pressure" of expectation as the Rams push for a place in the Championship play-offs.

The 30-year-old Republic of Ireland international arrived on loan from Ipswich in January, scoring his second goal for the club in Monday's 1-0 win at strugglers Portsmouth.

It leaves the Rams three points off the top six ahead of Wrexham's game at Watford on Tuesday.

Szmodics told BBC Derby: "Positive or negative, I enjoy the pressure. I've worked so hard to get to this level, and I've worked so hard to have that pressure on my name.

"There's big names in the changing-room, and we're here to score goals. If we're not doing that, we're open to pressure and criticism, and that drives us on".

Szmodics scored one goal in 18 appearances for Ipswich before his loan move, and Tractor Boys head coach Kieran McKenna admitted Szmodics' departure "wasn't a football decision", but about the "values of our dressing room and of our team".

Szmodics has chosen to let his performances do the talking: "Listen - there are things said in football, there are opinions and different sides in football you don't get to hear.

"I just focus on playing football. As soon as I knew there was interest from Derby and John Eustace, it was something I couldn't turn down.

"I'm just focusing on getting match fit and enjoying scoring goals, and hopefully leading Derby back into the play-offs.

"Its been a bit of a stop-start season at the beginning, so to come here at a great football club and score two goals, I feel like I'm getting my season underway and getting that match fitness and match sharpness.

"To score the winner and put us that step closer to the play-offs is what I've been brought in to do, and hopefully I can score many more."

Derby County assistant head coach Matt Gardiner spoke to BBC Radio Derby following Monday's 1-0 win at Portsmouth.

"Hopefully everyone could see that was a real battling performance from the boys. The whole group came together to see us over the line," he said.

"We had to defend the box for our lives, our shape was excellent and we had some really good transition opportunities. On another day, with a bit more quality, we could have scored a few more goals.

"It's a tough place to come, so to get that early goal gave us something to hang on to. But we tried to be positive and tried to get a second."

On boss John Eustace working remotely from the stands: "We were all mic'd up and John was watching the game and communicating down.

"He had the helicopter view so was able to pass it on, so we were able to navigate it. But it will be good to have him back on Saturday."

Portsmouth's bid for Championship survival will continue when they welcome Derby to Fratton Park on Monday (20:00 GMT).

Pompey suffered a third defeat in four when they lost at home to Swansea last time out and will be looking to pick up three valuable points in their bid to steer clear of the drop zone.

Derby have a chance to get back on track after losing ground in their hunt for a play-off place when they were beaten 1-0 at Millwall and The Rams know how vital a win here will be.

• Portsmouth are winless in 11 league games against Derby (D7 L4) since a 3-1 home victory against the Rams in the 2007-08 Premier League campaign.

• Four of the last five league meetings between Portsmouth and Derby at Fratton Park have ended as draws, with the Rams winning 2-1 in the other game in 2011-12.

• Portsmouth's current 11-game league winless run against Derby is the third-longest current active streak; they are only on a longer winless run against Chelsea (26 games) and Arsenal (18 games).

• Derby manager John Eustace is unbeaten in his three Championship meetings with Portsmouth (W1 D2), last losing against them as player or manager in February 2012 when he was a sub in a 2-0 defeat for Watford.

• Portsmouth's Conor Chaplin has been involved in four goals in seven league games against Derby (2 goals, 2 assists), although his two goals were scored at Pride Park.

Amelia Warren
Fan writer

Image source, Amelia Warren

I remember it as if it was yesterday.

The 12th of March 2011. Derby County vs Swansea City. A game that, on paper, most would deem your average Championship fixture.

However, for seven-year-old me, it was about to become my fondest memory supporting the Rams.

Weeks earlier, I'd come home from school to my mum, dad, and brother surrounding the kitchen table, pushing a pretty formal looking letter in my direction.

"Dear Amelia, we are delighted to tell you that you have been selected as mascot for our home fixture against Swansea City on the 12th of March 2011."

I must have read the letter five or six times, and had it read out to me by both of my parents, before I realised I had just received the best news any young football fan can possibly receive.

Meeting my heroes, walking out of the tunnel, being on the Pride Park pitch.

Overjoyed doesn't even begin to describe the feeling.

Sporting a full home kit, and a huge smile of course, I made my way around the dressing room with an autograph book, collecting the signatures of the entire squad.

I recall being asked which player I'd like to have my picture taken with by the club's professional photographer, and quickly replying with one of my all time favourite Rams players, Paul Green, before being taken out to the pitch to soak up the atmosphere and have a kick about with Rammie.

Enjoying my time out on the hallowed turf made an hour pass in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, a friendly Welsh accent was greeting me in the tunnel. Posing the question, "do you think we're going to win then?"

As I looked up to Derby's captain at the time, Robbie Savage, I simply nodded and said "it will be 2-1 to Derby, I've dreamt about it."

I remember him smiling as he offered me a high five, and expressed his appreciation for my confidence, before walking us out to the famous Pride Park roar.

My dreams had come true in more ways than one that afternoon, as Derby put a stop to some terrible form that had seen them only win once in 12 matches, overcoming the Swans 2-1. Of course.

When I look back at my time supporting Derby, from play-off heartache, to famous victories over our rivals, to the dark days of administration, and more recently the joy of promotion, I always recall that magical day at Pride Park in 2011.

The day I truly believe I fell in love with Derby County.

Standing in the away end at The Den on Tuesday night, hands on head, wondering how on earth we'd managed not to come away with something from the game, I realised I'm no different to that seven-year-old girl who walked out at Pride Park with Robbie Savage.

This club still makes me feel as passionate and proud as ever.

Fifteen years on, and a lifetime left to come. Whether it's a long mid week trip in the rain, or a Saturday afternoon home match in the sun. My inner seven-year-old will always be there, cheering us on every step of the way.

You can often catch Amelia Warren, external as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.

Image source, Getty Images

Derby County midfielder Lewis Travis says the frustration of losing at Millwall on Tuesday will not diminish the Rams' desire to reach the Championship play-offs.

Josh Coburn's first-half goal earned Millwall victory against a Rams side that were left to rue a number of missed opportunities, even before Patrick Agyemang hit the post in search of a stoppage-time equaliser.

Derby's fourth defeat in seven games has left them seventh in the table, three points adrift of Wrexham in the play-off spots immediately above them after the Welsh side were beaten by Hull City.

When asked if there were a feeling of frustration in the dressing room after the loss, Travis told BBC Radio Derby: "Yeah, 100%.

"It was a tough one to take given the chances we had.

"We had four golden opportunities, and we have played games in the past with less opportunities and won. It's just about being clinical and today we didn't get the rub of the green.

"We are all competitors and are dying, dying, dying to get into the top six. And we feel that was three points [dropped], but there are nine games left and there is no reason why we can't go put a run together to get into the top six."

Derby are next back in action on Monday when they travel to face Portsmouth.

You can listen to all the latest Derby County interviews and analysis from BBC Radio Derby on the club's BBC Sounds page.

Image source, PA Media

Derby boss John Eustace says his players must learn the lessons from their painful defeat at Millwall.

Derby lost ground in the play-off race when they were beaten 1-0 at The Den and they missed three good chances near the end, while Patrick Agyemang hit the post in stoppage time.

Eustace told BBC Radio Derby: "I'm disappointed to lose. I thought second half, we were excellent and we've got to take the chances when they're given to us.

"It just wasn't good enough today. In the first half, we didn't get tight enough in midfield. That was very evident and we made changes at half-time, we were a lot more competitive.

"You know to concede again, another soft goal on our part. Millwall are going to score from free-kicks and corners and for us not to defend the second or third phase is disappointing. We have to learn from it and we have to stop conceding those kind of goals.

"I think the free-kick, which led to their goal certainly wasn't a free-kick. I think sometimes, you know, it just takes a bit of a calm head to make the right decisions. I've got to be careful what I say, of course, but even at the end, it could easily have been a penalty for the foul.

"So listen, we're disappointed, but we've got to take a lot of heart and we were very positive in the second half. We've come to a team third in the league, doing very well, and put in a really good performance in that second half."

Derby County cannot relax and treat the remaining 10 Championship games as a free hit, according to boss John Eustace.

Having avoided relegation on the final day of last season, the Rams go into Tuesday's game at Millwall (19:45 GMT) in seventh place, three points short of the play-offs.

Expectations have dramatically shifted from 2025 as the Rams are firmly in the play-off race and outside of matches against Millwall, Southampton and Coventry, seven of their remaining 10 fixtures are against teams placed 11th and below in the table.

"When you play for Derby County there's pressure on every game no matter where you are in the league," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby.

"We want to be competitive and win very game we play and that pressure comes from playing for this fantastic football club."

Derby have won their past two matches and are hoping to make it three successive victories for only the second time this season and Eustace feels there is a level of expectation that comes with representing the club.

"Even when you're doing well you still get scrutinised - but there are a lot of positive people out there who realise this is a huge turnaround from where we were," he added.

Listen to more Derby County interviews and content on BBC Sounds.

With Middlesbrough not in action until Wednesday, Millwall can close with within a point of second place in the Championship with a win over Derby County on Tuesday evening (19:45 GMT).

Derby are three points outside the top six as they travel to south London.

• Millwall are unbeaten in their past six league games against Derby, alternating between a win (3) and a draw (3) each time.

• Derby have lost just one of their past eight away league games against Millwall (W3 D4), and are unbeaten in four since a 2-1 loss in August 2018.

• Having lost three of their first four home league games this season, Millwall have now lost just two of their past 14. All five of their defeats at The Den this term have been by more than one goal.

• Derby have lost their past two away league games, last losing more consecutively in January 2025 (4).

• Derby's Ben Brereton has scored four goals in his past five league games against Millwall, with all of those strikes coming with Blackburn between 2021 and 2023.

Image source, Getty Images

Derby County head coach John Eustace says he was impressed by his side as they beat struggling Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at Pride Park.

Ben Brereton-Diaz gave the Rams the lead before Jerry Yates headed Wednesday level soon after.

But Matt Clarke got what proved to be the winner shortly before half time as Derby moved to within three points off the play-off places.

"I thought it was a great win," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:

"There's no guarantees in any game that you should win. Sheffield Wednesday are playing with a lot of freedom, we knew it was always going to be very difficult.

"It's about the mentality of the group and I thought that we scored a great goal initially and then we were really poor for the defending for their equaliser.

"They had some good possession, some good spells without really hurting us, but we always looked a threat on the transition going forward.

"I thought second half we played some really good football when the game opened up and if we'd have been a bit more clinical in that final third it could have been three or four."

Derby County will be aiming to regain some momentum in the play-off race as they host relegated bottom club Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Rams lost two straight games before finding their composure with a win over Blackburn Rovers last time out, but still remain six points adrift of the top six.

However, a tie against the struggling Owls will offer up a big opportunity to try and close the gap, while Wednesday will be looking to avoid joining Derby with a worrying winless run record against their name.

• Derby are looking for their first league double over Sheffield Wednesday since the 2013-14 campaign under Steve McClaren.

• Sheffield Wednesday won 2-1 at Pride Park last season, last enjoying successive away league wins at Derby in March 1932.

• This will be Derby manager John Eustace's 50th league game in charge – two of the last three Rams managers to reach 50 games won their 50th game (Paul Warne and Phillip Cocu), while Gary Rowett was the last to lose his 50th (0-2 vs Wolves in April 2018).

• Sheffield Wednesday have gone 29 league games without a win – only four teams have ever had 30+ consecutive winless games in Football League history; Crewe in 1956-57 (30), Cambridge United in 1983-84 (31), Derby from September 2007 to August 2008 (36) and Macclesfield Town from January 2012 to October 2018 (36).

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost their last 12 league games, with Sunderland between January and August 2003 the last side to have a longer losing run in the top-four tiers (17 in a row).

Image source, Shutterstock

Earlier we asked what you make of the news that, from next season, the Championship play-offs will be expanded to include the teams finishing seventh and eighth?

It was announced on Thursday morning that EFL clubs voted in favour of expanding the play-offs from four to six teams.

Here's a selection of your comments...

Josh, Derby: I don't believe this is necessary. I do think that the play-off format should be aligned throughout the top five leagues, but expanding isn't needed. Better distribution of the monies involved and establishing a clear matchday structure to balance various men's and women's leagues would be a better use of everyone's time. This strikes me undue American influence.

Callum, Dartford: I think it's a good thing so teams can push for promotion that thought they wouldn't get near the play-offs.

Cato, Sheffield: If we adopted it to this season, it means that eighth-placed Derby (on 51 points) have about as much a chance of going up as third-placed Millwall (on 63 points). Plus, to accommodate the extra games, would they extend the season into June? I don't like the idea of it at all, and I hope it's short-lived.

Steve, London: Another example of football being ruined, week by week. Don't you dare think about implementing VAR too.

Mark, Stafford: As a Stoke fan, I think it's good news. The season has come to a grinding halt due to being decimated by injuries. Add to that, the quality of what is coming down from the Premier League, it would mean upsets can happen and still allow teams in that mid-table race to dream of greater heights!

Richard, Stansted: Absolutely ridiculous. What is the point of a league format if you are going to make it a bigger lottery to include even more teams at the end of the season? It also brings teams that are even less ready to actually be in the Premier League into scope. But mostly it's the undermining of the league format which makes no sense. I'm a Derby fan - and we look like we would have a chance of benefiting from this if it were in place this season.

Andy, Nuneaton: Anything that expands the opportunities for those outside of the parachute teams is a good thing. We need to get away from this elite view of the Premier League. If it was up to them, they'd stop automatic promotion and relegation and have a system like Rugby Union, where it's based on meeting certain criteria. The eighth-placed club in the Championship getting to the PL? Bring it on!

Ron, Hayling: Money, Money, Money. Players complain about the amount of games they play with the league games and cup competitions so the intention is to play even more at the end of the season. Owners will make some money but that's all that matters!

Barry, Dartford: Yes it's a fantastic for everyone, all the small teams as well as the big boys, to have something to play for. It will give the end of the season something to look forward to.

Benjamin, Poole: I'm a Charlton fan, so it's unlikely we'll come 8th in the Championship any time soon, however, this is ridiculous. More pandering to Americans to make it more likely they'll make money, which is the only thing they care about. Sporting integrity out of the window again. Shame as I felt the Championship was the last bastion of quality and integrity combined. Game has gone.

Broughton, Derby: Absolute ridiculous, put it back to the old days of three straight up, no play-offs. If you don't make top-three you don't deserve to go up.

Julian, London: The worst decision from a footballing point of view ever! The National League teams have been trying to change their system to be like the current EFL system so it seems a very strange decision for the EFL to take. You can finish 8th after 46 games and still get promoted - sporting integrity has been totally lost with this decision. Money over integrity every time!

Amelia Warren
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

After 49 games in charge of Derby County, John Eustace finally secured his first win for the Rams after falling behind.

Eustace's style of play has come under scrutiny after his record in management had seen him take charge of 160 games but win only two of them after coming back from a deficit.

It has been clear across his tenure at Derby, as well as other clubs, that he is not the type of manager who focuses on expansive attacking football.

Instead, he is a manager who prioritises organisation and pressing out of possession to create chances.

I believe Eustace's style of play is largely the reason his turnaround rate in games is so low - but I would not like to see Derby play any other way.

For me, Eustace is bringing the best out of this Rams team and, if anything, we are overachieving by being eighth in the table on 51 points after 35 games.

For some perspective, Derby beat their total points tally for the whole of last season by overcoming Blackburn on Saturday, which is evidence that the work Eustace has done has been nothing short of remarkable.

For most teams I feel as though a stat like this would bring a defeatist mentality, and you would see more 'total capitulation' after they fall behind. However, I don't think we've seen that with Derby.

The biggest example for me, would be Hull City away last Tuesday.

Derby twice fought back to level. But ultimately the Rams went on to lose that game.

And for a majority of fans, it was not a question of Derby not having the desire, mentality, or quality to turn it around. It was more just a sheer lack of luck, and lack of clinical finishing.

This has been a common theme.

But now that Derby are rid of this record, I am intrigued to see whether we do start taking more risks after falling behind in games, like we saw on Saturday.

I am also curious to see how other teams look to play against Derby.

Up until this point, whenever a team has taken the lead they haven't - for the most part - smelt blood and run away with the game.

They have mostly tried to sit back, create the two banks of four defensively, and make it really difficult for Derby to break them down.

Knowing that Derby have now proven their ability to overcome that kind of set-up, I do wonder if we will see teams try and be slightly more expansive? And if they go ahead and attempt to kill the game off, it could work hugely in Derby's favour.

Particularly with the idea of gaps opening up in midfield and wide areas for the likes of Bobby Clark and Patrick Agyemang to exploit.

It has never felt as if Derby are dead and buried after they concede, despite their struggles to get that comeback win, but it is good to finally have some evidence to back it up.

Going forward, I hope ending this drought changes the mentality of supporters and that we can feel more confident in the team even if they fall behind.

You can often catch Amelia Warren, external as a guest on BBC Radio Derby.

Striker Ben Brereton Diaz says Derby County are determined to continue to defy expectations in an effort to gatecrash the Championship play-off places.

The 26-year-old Chile forward scored his fifth goal of the season in Saturday's fightback victory against Blackburn Rovers that momentarily moved the Rams to within three points of the top six.

The win got Derby beyond the 50-point mark, a tally head coach John Eustace has long focused on rather than talk of the club's play-off prospects.

Beating Blackburn moved Derby up to eighth with 11 match remaining and put their promotion hopes back on track after back-to-back defeats.

"It's a great position to be in and we are hunting it [a play-offs spot] down," Brereton Diaz told BBC Radio Derby.

"We don't need to get carried away - we know how many games are left and we just want to see how many points we can get on the board and see what that gets us.

"I don't think anyone at the start of the season would have said we would be in and around it. We have proved a lot of people wrong and are chasing down the top six."

Image source, Shutterstock

Derby County boss John Eustace claims he always knew the Rams would come good after he made it three wins from three against his old club Blackburn.

Derby recovered from 1-0 down at half-time to power to victory thanks to goals from Ben Brereton Diaz, Matt Clarke and Rhian Brewster and Eustace says he was confident they would recover from their slow start.

The Rams are in the play-off hunt after winning five of their last nine Championship games and Eustace told BBC Radio Derby: "To get to this points tally with 11 games to go, I think it's a great achievement from where we were.

"It's been a lot of hard work to get to this point, but the season's certainly not over. Now we've got to really enjoy the next 11 games and see how far we can go.

"I think it shows great progression throughout the club, on and off the field. Obviously, we spoke about how it was going to be, we felt it was going to be a slow start, which it was, but we knew where we'd want to get to and we knew with the right process, we'd get there.

"There's been a lot injured players, a lot of players going out, a lot of players coming in, so to get up to speed was really important. You can see the progression in the season up to now and we've found a way to get results."

Image source, Coventry City FC

You might not hear the old terrace refrain of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' as often as you used to, but it still has a better ring than 'the shirt's not fit for you to wear'.

Championship leaders Coventry City launched a new collection on Friday, proudly taking inspiration from a kit widely dubbed the 'Worst of All Time'.

A take on the club's infamous brown change strip worn away from Highfield Road from 1978 to 1981, the modern reinvention features what the club calls "a deeper chocolate plum colour with sky blue elements".

Many would suggest it sounds tastier than it looks.

But it's got us thinking... what are actually the worst EFL kits of all time? Let us know which of your club's shirts is hiding in the back of the wardrobe, or even if they were too ugly for you to even part money for them.

We'll collate a list of the biggest eyesores and will give you the chance to vote on the ghastliest of all next week.

Click here to let us know your suggestion, and you can even attach a picture if you really want to convey the horror.