ROONEY HAS DONE ENOUGH TO STAY AT HELM

ERIK Alonso, the incoming owner of Derby County, has promised to provide Wayne Rooney with “all the support” he needs to bring Premier League football to Pride Park.

Right now, Derby have their work cut out just staying in the Championship, but last weekend’s disciplined performance against Norwich suggests Alonso’s faith in the former England striker is well founded.

Legitimate questions linger over Rooney’s credentials. He has not put in the hard yards as a coach, and it is undeniable that doors were opened by his stellar playing career with Manchester United and England. He was appointed on status, not merit.

That said, few managers have succeeded in frustrating Norwich to the extent that Derby did last weekend.

A low block, minimal pressing and a narrow 4-4-2 denied Norwich any space on the counter-attack.

Derby lost, 1-0, but only to a Kieran Dowell free-kick than no goalkeeper in the world would have stopped. But for some wasteful finishing, they might have won.

A cynic might suggest that Liam Rosenior, Rooney’s high-qualified No.2, was the true architect of the plan. Yet even if that were true, a key skill of any managerial figure is to trust and respect advice from subordinates.

Alex Ferguson, Rooney’s manager at Old Trafford, leaned heavily on the likes of Brian Kidd, Steve McClaren and Carlos Queiroz.

Like anybody else, the 35-year-old needs points to prove his mettle, and collecting them isn’t easy with a paper thin squad that is overly reliant on youngsters.

Survival is far from guaranteed. But whatever happens in May, Rooney has shown enough promise to warrant another crack.