It’s a scary time for everyone involved with Derby County, who have had such a dismal start to the 2026-27 season.
The Rams were expected to be in the promotion picture, but they are now in the bottom three with only six points from their first 11 league games.
While pressure is rising on manager John Eustace to stem the tide, the players are also receiving a lot of criticism for such poor performances.
Midfielder Alex Mowatt has received some harsh words after failing to strike the ground running since joining Pride Park from West Brom during the summer transfer window.
Mowatt was supposed to be a key player for Derby given his considerable experience in the second tier, but he has yet to offer any dynamism in the middle of the park to assist the squad climb out of the bottom half of the division.
So, with that in mind, FLW’s Derby County fan pundit has remarked on Mowatt’s recent comments and if it is justified.
Alex Mowatt’s initial problems at Derby County
When Alex Mowatt’s signing was announced earlier this summer, fans were optimistic about the type of player they were getting, with the 31-year-old having made over 400 Championship matches in his career.
Mowatt, formerly regarded as a reliable set of hands in the heart of midfield, has subsequently been quite disappointing when wearing the Rams jersey, failing to add any presence in the middle of the pitch and preventing such a worrisome run of form.
Mowatt has played nine games in the second division this season, failing to make a single attacking impact and picking up four yellow cards, putting him at risk of punishment in the coming weeks.
Further numbers from FotMob have shown his lack of influence, with Mowatt winning just over half of his duals in the middle of the park, dribbling past six times, being dispossessed three times, and the team conceding a massive 14 goals while he was on the pitch.
Alex Mowatt’s Championship statistics with Derby County (2026-27 season)
Matches played
9
Starts
8
Goals
0 assists, 0 dispossessed.
3
Duals won (%).
56.7%
Dribbled past.
6
Statistics given by FotMob.
Derby haven’t seen much of Mowatt’s game in terms of getting on the ball from deep and influencing play, while his defensive duties have lacked any genuine pace or mobility to prevent the Rams from leaking so many easy goals.
Derby County’s ‘concern’ regarding Alex Mowatt
Speaking to Football League World, Derby County fan pundit Shaun Woodward admitted that it hasn’t been easy for Alex Mowatt to settle after the team’s poor start to the season, but he also admitted that there are concerns about the former West Brom midfielder’s game that could prevent him from succeeding at Pride Park.
Shaun said FLW, “I think the problem is he’s joined a team that isn’t performing.
“He has to run a lot, and we don’t keep the ball, so he’s not the type of player who can cover a lot of ground. He’s not the fastest, and he thrives in a possession-based club where he can get on the ball and influence play, but Derby don’t do that.
“At the moment, we’re under tremendous pressure, there’s a lot of negativity around the club, and rightfully so, because we’re not winning games, and I just don’t believe it’s a good fit for him to be in a team like Derby right now.
“I don’t want to go back in time, but when we had the likes of (Liam) Thompson and Ebou Adams, these real workhorses in the middle, they may not have as much technical ability, but they will run up and down for 90 minutes, they will make tackles, and when you’re in a bad situation, those are the type of midfielders you probably want.”
“Mowatt, for example, will be bypassed and caught out a lot, as he is now, so we haven’t seen the best of him.
“I’m concerned about him moving forward, even if Derby become a better possession-based team with more confidence, because he doesn’t appear to have much mobility, which is a concern because Derby do need some more athletic-type players in that middle to complement the likes of Ozoh, so it’s a little worrying.
“I’m not going to write him off just yet, as I think he’s just one of a number of players that’s struggling to find their form and I think if we can get a couple of wins, everyone feels a bit better, and we start to see the best of all the players.”
Derby County may need to contemplate managerial changes.
“Mowatt, for example, will be bypassed and caught out a lot, as he is now, so we haven’t seen the best of him.
“I’m concerned about him moving forward, even if Derby become a better possession-based team with more confidence, because he doesn’t appear to have much mobility, which is a concern because Derby do need some more athletic-type players in that middle to complement the likes of Ozoh, so it’s a little worrying.
“I’m not going to write him off just yet, as I think he’s just one of a number of players that’s struggling to find their form and I think if we can get a couple of wins, everyone feels a bit better, and we start to see the best of all the players.”
Derby County may need to contemplate managerial changes.
Further numbers from FotMob have shown his lack of influence, with Mowatt winning just over half of his duals in the middle of the park, dribbling past six times, being dispossessed three times, and the team conceding a massive 14 goals while he was on the pitch.
Alex Mowatt’s Championship statistics with Derby County (2026-27 season)
Matches played
9
Starts
8
Goals
0 assists, 0 dispossessed.
3
Duals won (%).
56.7%
Dribbled past.
6
Statistics given by FotMob.
Derby haven’t seen much of Mowatt’s game in terms of getting on the ball from deep and influencing play, while his defensive duties have lacked any genuine pace or mobility to prevent the Rams from leaking so many easy goals.
Derby County’s ‘concern’ regarding Alex Mowatt
Speaking to Football League World, Derby County fan pundit Shaun Woodward admitted that it hasn’t been easy for Alex Mowatt to settle after the team’s poor start to the season, but he also admitted that there are concerns about the former West Brom midfielder’s game that could prevent him from succeeding at Pride Park.
Shaun said FLW, “I think the problem is he’s joined a team that isn’t performing.
“He has to run a lot, and we don’t keep the ball, so he’s not the type of player who can cover a lot of ground. He’s not the fastest, and he thrives in a possession-based club where he can get on the ball and influence play, but Derby don’t do that.
“At the moment, we’re under tremendous pressure, there’s a lot of negativity around the club, and rightfully so, because we’re not winning games, and I just don’t believe it’s a good fit for him to be in a team like Derby right now.
“I don’t want to go back in time, but when we had the likes of (Liam) Thompson and Ebou Adams, these real workhorses in the middle, they may not have as much technical ability, but they will run up and down for 90 minutes, they will make tackles, and when you’re in a bad situation, those are the type of midfielders you probably want.”
“Mowatt, for example, will be bypassed and caught out a lot, as he is now, so we haven’t seen the best of him.
“I’m concerned about him moving forward, even if Derby become a better possession-based team with more confidence, because he doesn’t appear to have much mobility, which is a concern because Derby do need some more athletic-type players in that middle to complement the likes of Ozoh, so it’s a little worrying.
“I’m not going to write him off just yet, as I think he’s just one of a number of players that’s struggling to find their form and I think if we can get a couple of wins, everyone feels a bit better, and we start to see the best of all the players.”
Derby County may need to contemplate managerial changes.
It’s unpleasant scenes at Derby County right now, with poor performances causing dissatisfaction in the fans and the real chance that the Rams will slip through the Championship trapdoor.
While the players must accept responsibility for their performances, the management team isn’t helping, with John Eustace justifiably being questioned about his suitability to lead the club forward.
He’s already ruffled fans with his nasty statements to the media in recent weeks, and with such a negative attitude, Derby may need to press the reset button and bring in someone else who can breathe new life into the playing squad.
It could explain why players like Alex Mowatt have been so underwhelming, with Eustace clearly not getting enough out of his club after only winning once this season.
If the current results continue, Derby will be forced to pull the plug on Eustace, but this could be the decision that enables some of the players return to higher levels.
xz
