Rooney reign has changed minds of doubters

DERBY County propped up the Championship with only six points from 11 matches when manager Phillip Cocu left the club by mutual agreement in mid-November.

The situation was deeply concerning as the team drifted worryingly from game to game, desperately short of goals, wins and confidence.

The initial reaction of many, including myself, was that the situation cried out for an experienced manager, somebody who knew their way around the Championship, preferably an individual with a track record of escaping from the second tier of English football.

But Wayne Rooney has changed minds.

The 35-year-old Rams playercoach and skipper had no managerial experience behind him when he took up the role of interim boss five weeks ago. His eight games in sole charge have brought three wins, four draws and a defeat by Preston North End, whose winning goal came in the sixth minute of added time.

Thirteen points from 24 is not a spectacular return but it is a significant improvement on the three points that had been collected from the previous eight fixtures and a good enough tally to lift Derby out of the bottom three for the first time in two months.

From the outset, Rooney spoke of simplifying matters and going back to basics. He demanded hard work from the players in training and in matches and the first task was to become difficult to beat.

They are, keeping five clean sheets in the last six games. The form table of the last eight matches has the Rams seventh.

There is greater intensity and tenacity to Derby’s game. The tempo is higher than under Cocu and the players appear to be running harder and look fitter, although that can come with improved confidence brought on by improved results. With and without the ball, they are doing the basics better.

Rooney has galvanised the players. They have bought into his approach, his demands, his thinking on how the team should play.

The ongoing proposed takeover of the club remains a constant backdrop and the appointment of the next permanent manager is expected once the takeover is completed. Meanwhile, Rooney has been the front man as regards football matters and he has handled and tackled the task impressively, so far.

He is clearly enjoying his new role. Management is something he had planned to do once his playing days were up. He believes this is the right time and he has belief he can do the job.

As Chelsea boss Frank Lampard displayed in his year in charge at Derby, former top players such as he, Rooney and Rangers’ manager Steven Gerrard have an unshakeable belief and confidence that they can be a success and this can filter down to the players.

Derby, given the size of the club, their history, fanbase and the expectations that surround them, are a challenge for any manager, rookie or experienced.

Serving an “apprenticeship” is important for upcoming coaches and managers, gaining their badges and learning the ropes, but management is not an exact science. There is nothing to say a first-time manager would not work, nor is experience guaranteed to bring improvement.

Often it can come down to basics, presence, personality and saying the right things at the right time. Manmanagement is a key quality.

Experience can help, of course, and having Steve McClaren around as technical director provides an interesting, tantalising dynamic to the current set-up. Some of the recent tactical tweaks are a reminder of McClaren’s Derby when he was manager.

There are the makings of a double act and we are at the stage now where it would be more of a shock if Rooney does not land the job and more of a gamble, given the way the players have responded to him. Further change now might unravel some of the progress made.

Rooney is firm favourite to fill the position and although much work lies ahead if Derby are to continue to move up the table, he has impressed and he has done enough to keep the role until the end of the season, at least.

Give him the job, remove that uncertainty, attack January – a crucial window for the club – with his transfer plans and targets and, hopefully, he can deliver a strong second half to the campaign.