John Eustace responds to Derby County hammering that left Sam Szmodics ’embarrassed’

Derby County manager John Eustace blamed poor defending after his side suffered a 4-1 thrashing against Alex Neil's Millwall at the New Den. Millwall surged ahead through a brace from Kyrell Lisbie and a goal by Luke Cundle, followed by Jake Cooper adding a fourth before Filip Bilbija scored a late consolation for Derby. The performance notably left Rams striker Sam Szmodics feeling embarrassed.

Eustace admitted his makeshift back four failed to defend well enough and lost crucial duels in the opening 20 minutes. The heavy defeat drops Derby into the Championship's bottom three, with defensive injuries to Matt Clarke, Sondre Langas, and Eiran Cashin, alongside Dion Sanderson's suspension, severely impacting recent results.