When Wayne Rooney joined Derby County as a player in 2019, he probably didn’t expect it to come to this — leading the team as manager at a time when the club as a whole is in disarray. Of all the teams hit hard financially by the pandemic, Derby were one of the most severely impacted. A club with a strong financial structure can withstand such difficult times, but what happens when a pandemic hits a club who were already spending beyond their means?
The answer is cutbacks, and Rooney has hardly had a penny to spend this summer, forced to forage for free agents in a bid to make his team strong enough to sustain their Championship status, all while existing players were ushered out the door. Derby are the favorites for the drop in the Championship relegation odds, and Rooney has a major job on his hands. Let’s take a closer look at three areas in which he’ll need to earn his managerial stripes.
Winning mentality
It’s been a pretty terrible time to be a Derby County fan. After narrowly missing out on promotion in the 2019 play-off final, Derby has been on a slide, and they were fortunate to avoid being relegated last season. Losing has become a habit, and that is something Rooney will need to address as soon as possible.
The Rams have made a decent start to the 2021-22 season, winning two of their five matches so far, and momentum will be vital if they are to streak clear of the relegation zone for the duration of the season. The Championship betting tips remain unchanged in predicting Derby will go down, but their relatively strong start to the campaign will have given their critics food for thought. Rooney’s goal will be to ensure a greater knack for grinding out wins develops within his team.
Tactics
In terms of playing experience and inspiration, Rooney arguably has the edge over many of his managerial rivals in the bottom half of the Championship, but when it comes to tactics, he could struggle. Many of the league’s best coaches have been there and done it countless times before, whereas Rooney is still cutting his teeth as a manager. When push comes to shove towards the end of the season, intricate tactical details could make all the difference.
The one advantage Rooney has is that he worked with one of the best coaches of all time in Sir Alex Ferguson. There’s no doubt that the 35-year-old will have picked up a few tips of the trade from his time under the Scot at Manchester United, and that could pay dividends.
Team spirit
One of Rooney’s biggest challenges will be to instill a strong togetherness within his ranks. In bringing Phil Jagielka, Derby have a strong vocal presence who will be just as important in the dressing room as on the pitch. What Rooney can’t afford to let happen is for the negative discourse surrounding Derby and their chances to infect the team ethos.
It’s going to be a tough season for Derby. They have made a decent start, but you’d expect that Rooney’s managerial credentials will be sorely tested this campaign.
