"Could be tempted" - Ex-Derby County player touted as potential Paul Warne replacement: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County are targeting a move for ex-Birmingham City manager John Eustace, as pressure continues to grow on Paul Warne.

That is according to Football Insider, who state that the League One side are assessing their options.

Warne has come under pressure this season after what has been a poor start to the campaign for the Rams.

They have already lost five games in the league, and recent defeats against Shrewsbury Town and Stevenage have seen fans turn on Warne.

The Derby boss eased the pressure somewhat with a 4-0 win over Northampton Town on Tuesday, but this report states that Derby are looking at their options as Warne’s long-term future is in doubt.

Eustace has been out of work since being sacked by Birmingham City last month, a decision that was deemed harsh and surprising.

The 43-year-old has been recently linked with the vacant Bristol City job, but it now seems Derby could also be an option.

Would John Eustace be a good appointment for Derby County?

Here, we have asked some of the writers at Football League World for their thoughts on Derby looking at Eustace and whether this would be a good move for both parties.

Here is what they said…

Brett Worthington

Eustace finds himself out of work, which many will say is unfair and will no doubt be looked at by several clubs after his excellent job at Birmingham.

Eustace being available for nothing means managers like Warne will come under more pressure as some fans will feel he represents a better option.

This season has been a struggle for the Rams so far, and even though they claimed a commanding win over Northampton, it feels they are just one loss away from more unrest.

It seems many Derby fans have had enough of Warne now and want a change, and if that were to be Eustace, then they would be making an excellent appointment.

The 43-year-old will arguably want a Championship team as his next job, but with him playing for Derby during his playing career, it may be something that he finds hard to turn down should it come about.

Eustace may be intrigued by the idea of getting the Rams back into the second tier, and he would arrive with a point to prove to many back in Birmingham.

There is no doubt that this would be an excellent move by the club, but it will come down to Eustace and whether he is willing to drop into League One or wait for the right Championship job to become available.

Ned Holmes

I understand the growing clamour among some parts of the Pride Park faithful for a change but it's too soon to pull the plug on Warne, in my eyes, and I get the impression that the Derby chiefs feel the same.

Derbyshire Live reported earlier this week that the 50-year-old still has the full support of senior figures at the East Midlands club and, with so far to go this season, he is deserving of that. After all, this is a coach that has won promotion from League One in all three of his previous full seasons at the level.

Performances and results haven't been up to scratch but he still has time to turn things around and his Rotherham sides often kicked on toward promotion in the second half of the campaign.

That said, if they were to make a change then Eustace would represent something of a coup. He did a fantastic job at Birmingham - making the team better than the sum of its parts and taking them to sixth in the Championship - and was unfairly replaced.

He is deserving of another second tier job but given his Derby links, he could be tempted to return to his former club.

A highly-rated coach, Eustace could turn out to be an inspired appointment but for me, it's too soon to talk of replacing Warne.