John Eustace says he does not feel under pressure despite Derby County sitting second from bottom in the Championship following a run of six games without a win.

The Rams' latest setback came on Wednesday evening, a 4-1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers that extended what has become an increasingly worrying sequence of results. Four of those six games have ended in defeat, and Derby find themselves in the lower reaches of the second tier at a moment when questions are starting to be asked about where this season is heading.

Yet Eustace was measured rather than defensive when he addressed the situation ahead of Saturday's home fixture against Stoke City, who sit eighth in the table.

"I don't feel the pressure," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby. "I feel frustrated and angry, simple as that. It's not where we want to be and it's my responsibility to get results, no matter what anyone says or thinks. I have to find solutions with the team, and we have got to start picking up some wins as soon as we can."

That is the language of a manager who believes the situation is retrievable, but the facts of Derby's position are difficult to argue with. Second from bottom is not a place that any club wants to occupy at any stage of a Championship season, and the division has a habit of making recoveries harder the longer a poor run is allowed to continue.

Context matters, but so does the table

Eustace's record at Pride Park is not without genuine substance. He arrived partway through the 2023-24 campaign and steered Derby clear of relegation in his opening months, a task that was by no means straightforward. Last season he pushed them to within four points of a play-off place, which represented real progress for a club that had endured a prolonged and well-documented period of financial and sporting difficulty.

That context will buy him some patience from supporters, and rightly so. Clubs do not rebuild overnight, and Derby's recent history involved a points deduction, administration and a rebuild from the ground up. Eustace took on that project with his eyes open.

But patience has limits in the Championship, a division that moves quickly and punishes inconsistency without sentiment. The gap between the bottom three and the relative safety of mid-table can close and open again within a fortnight, and Derby will be acutely aware that they cannot afford to let this sequence stretch much further.

Stoke the immediate test

Saturday's visit of Stoke City to Pride Park offers an immediate opportunity to reverse the momentum. Stoke, currently eighth, represent a side with genuine aspirations of their own this season, so it is not a straightforward fixture. A home crowd, however, tends to lift a side in difficult moments, and Derby's supporters have demonstrated their commitment to the club through far worse circumstances than a six-game winless run.

What Eustace needs from his players is a performance that reflects the frustration he says he feels privately: controlled urgency, not panic. Press-conference composure is one thing; translating it into three points on a Saturday afternoon is quite another.

The Championship table will not wait for anyone, and Derby know as well as anyone in the division what it looks like when the view from the bottom gets truly bleak. Eustace's task between now and kick-off is to make sure Saturday begins to look more like last season's near-miss than the difficult months that preceded his arrival.

Frequently asked

Why is Derby County in the relegation zone?
Derby County are second from bottom in the Championship after six games without a win, including a 4-1 defeat at QPR. Head coach John Eustace has acknowledged the poor run and says finding solutions is his priority.
Is John Eustace under pressure at Derby?
Eustace says he does not feel under pressure but describes himself as "frustrated and angry" with Derby's current position. He is in his second full season in charge and led the club to within four points of the play-offs last term.
When is Derby's next Championship match?
Derby County host Stoke City on Saturday in their next Championship fixture. Stoke are currently eighth in the table.