Is Rooney The man To Take Us Forward?

[rammieib]

He's bought organisation and a style which limits our mistakes.

He's going to suffer because we're still inebt at attacking and basically every player on the pitch is a one in eight man at best at scoring which basically means we are not going to score.

However the lack of a striker isn't on Rooney.

[rad1919]

There's not much of a case not to give him the job at the moment.

The thing that impresses me most is our defending from set pieces. Not only are we getting more bodies forward, which you may expect a Rooney team to do, I have never seen so much solidarity and organisation when defending set pieces. We never looked like conceding from a set piece tonight.

I also really enjoy listening to his interviews. No, he isn't the most articulate, but then neither were Arthur Cox or Jim Smith, but he clearly knows what he is on about.

We may be on to something here...

[Rammeister]

13 minutes ago, rad1919 said:

We may be on to something here..

[Comrade 86]

While I'm really happy with a point against a good side, I'm still not seeing what others appear to be. There's some extra endeavour for sure, but zero shots on goal in 90 minutes! Cocu would have been absolutely roasted for that, so some balance is required. 

Let's not kid ourselves here, we were lucky tonight. Had Brentford not been so profligate in front of goal we could easily have been looking at another drubbing. My hopes still rest on Bielik's continuing return to top form and Ibe providing the spark we need to actually provide some attacking threat. We remain as toothless as ever as things stand with Curtis out now too, we're far from out of the woods.

I've neve really considered it vaguely likely that we'd be relegated and I still don't, but we've scored 3 goals in 6 games since Cocu left and that's nowhere near enough. Folk were adamant that we should be challenging for the play-offs before so it seems pretty odd that our current form is seen as being so much better now, especially with most of the squad now being fit and available. 

All of this said and in fairness to Wazza, I think the job is his to lose now. I'd still want to see someone else at the reins but if he could secure four points from the next two games and fashion a win at Rotherham, it would be grossly unfair were he not at least given the job until the end of the season. In the same way as Cocu had to deal with all sorts of nonsense, to a lesser degree, so has Wayne and I think he deserves a lot of credit for knuckling down with so much uncertainty around the club not to mention his own role.

[Kinder]

Rooney as permanent boss is growing on me. I’m sure we’ll end up appointing him permanently out of financial necessity anyway, but he’s doing himself proud at the moment.  We’re more organised, together, harder to break down. Just need to add / develop that spark in the final third.  Still very early days under Rooney though and so far so good.

[AndyinLiverpool]

Not exactly party time, excellent just yet but we certainly look better.

[RoyMac5]

17 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

While I'm really happy with a point against a good side, I'm still not seeing what others appear to be. There's some extra endeavour for sure, but zero shots on goal in 90 minutes! Cocu would have been absolutely roasted for that, so some balance is required. 

The balance is we never looked like this under Cocu. We hit the post and (mostly) dealt with them with relative composure. Cocu was roasted for his style of football, tonight was light years away from that. We looked like we knew what we were doing and mostly carried out the game plan.

[Ellafella]

On 01/12/2020 at 23:12, Tyler Durden said:

What concerns me more than the question itself is how does anyone in a strategic position within Derby actually believe he is the man to take us forward? That shows a serious lack of judgement from someone running a football club. 

Based on what? 

[Comrade 86]

17 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

The balance is we never looked like this under Cocu. We hit the post and (mostly) dealt with them with relative composure. Cocu was roasted for his style of football, tonight was light years away from that. We looked like we knew what we were doing and mostly carried out the game plan.

Yet never registered a shot on goal and were lucky not to concede several. Laugh it up all you like mate. When we start looking like we might actually win games, rather than simply not losing them, I'll join in with your incessant cheerleading of this massive progress we've supposedly made. Until then, the jury remains out for me, something you'll have to learn deal with, or not. Frankly, I'm not remotely fussed either way. It won't have escaped more rational posters that the upturn in form also coincides with A) Rooney not playing and B) Mac returning to the fold. Coincidence much?

[JustOneBiblicalKazim]

3 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

Yet never registered a shot on goal and were lucky not to concede several. Laugh it up all you like mate. When we start looking like we might actually win games, rather than simply not losing them, I'll join in with your incessant cheerleading of this massive progress we've supposedly made. Until then, the jury remains out for me, something you'll have to learn deal with, or not. Frankly, I'm not remotely fussed either way.

They also had 0 shots on target

[Andicis]

38 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

While I'm really happy with a point against a good side, I'm still not seeing what others appear to be. There's some extra endeavour for sure, but zero shots on goal in 90 minutes! Cocu would have been absolutely roasted for that, so some balance is required. 

Let's not kid ourselves here, we were lucky tonight. Had Brentford not been so profligate in front of goal we could easily have been looking at another drubbing. My hopes still rest on Bielik's continuing return to top form and Ibe providing the spark we need to actually provide some attacking threat. We remain as toothless as ever as things stand with Curtis out now too, we're far from out of the woods.

I've neve really considered it vaguely likely that we'd be relegated and I still don't, but we've scored 3 goals in 6 games since Cocu left and that's nowhere near enough. Folk were adamant that we should be challenging for the play-offs before so it seems pretty odd that our current form is seen as being so much better now, especially with most of the squad now being fit and available. 

All of this said and in fairness to Wazza, I think the job is his to lose now. I'd still want to see someone else at the reins but if he could secure four points from the next two games and fashion a win at Rotherham, it would be grossly unfair were he not at least given the job until the end of the season. In the same way as Cocu had to deal with all sorts of nonsense, to a lesser degree, so has Wayne and I think he deserves a lot of credit for knuckling down with so much uncertainty around the club not to mention his own role.

Pretty balanced and fair take, in my opinion. I think people's expectations have dropped off a long way from the playoffs expectations, the relegation threat ensured that. We're not world beaters all of a sudden, and there is still a lot more improvement that could be made. For the sake of balance though, Jozwiak's shot won't class as a shot on target, but it was only a couple of cms from being a goal so probably was as good as one. 

I'd say now we are playing like a bog standard mid table side, and for the time being that's okay for me due to the nature of the start, but you're definitely right to not get carried away.

[RadioactiveWaste]

It's all a bit "walk before you can run" at the moment, the team know what they're supposed to be doing, working hard and giving the impression they want it. That's pretty much what would've been happening had we got someone practical in as a new slate.

Moving from 2 disspionting draws to 4 unbeaten with 4 points in 2 tricky away matches with home fans only in the ground and it feels a lot better.

Even when I was negetive towards him, i did say, win some games and I'll be happy to be fickle.

[Comrade 86]

Just now, Andicis said:

Pretty balanced and fair take, in my opinion. I think people's expectations have dropped off a long way from the playoffs expectations, the relegation threat ensured that. We're not world beaters all of a sudden, and there is still a lot more improvement that could be made. For the sake of balance though, Jozwiak's shot won't class as a shot on target, but it was only a couple of cms from being a goal so probably was as good as one. 

I'd say now we are playing like a bog standard mid table side, and for the time being that's okay for me due to the nature of the start, but you're definitely right to not get carried away.

Cheers buddy. I see improvement and I think that's noted in my post but a return of 3 goals in 6 games is a long way from where I'd like us to be and a million miles off the expectations levelled on Cocu. That's the point I was making and I don't think it's particularly unreasonable either. I've also not forgotten the performances Rooney was putting in on the pitch so I do wonder just how much of this improved form is really down to him. At the end of the day, as long as the improvement is maintained, I'll be more than happy.

[Jourdan]

I think Rooney deserves credit for making us harder to beat, making us more solid, stopping the rot and getting the team performing to a game plan.

But if that is enough to earn him the job, then I would say we're easily pleased. Rooney's short spell in charge looks far more favourable because of just how awful things had got under Cocu.

If Rooney really wants the job and to merit it, he has to take the next three games and start playing with more ambition.

The appreciation and justification for playing and battling for a 0-0 each and every game will soon wear off.

[Andicis]

2 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

At the end of the day, as long as the improvement is maintained, I'll be more than happy.

That's where I'm at currently. I know we're nothing special and we're not brilliant, but I really don't fancy us being in the same league as Burton so realise at the present this is probably the best I can expect from us, and it is marginally better.

I take your point about Cocu's expectations vs Rooney. Rooney came in at the point where expectations were at their lowest, therefore probably a bit of a free hit for him, whereas people had high hopes for Cocu and that came with the burden of expectation. Pretty unfair, but then Cocu's spell here can be categorised by bad luck.

[DCFC27]

I wish I could amend my choice now. 
To me he’s moulding into a rounded manager. All his focus is on the game, it’s not the Rooney show, it’s Derby county with Rooney as manager, not Wayne Rooney’s Derby county, 

I like that I think the way he interacts with the media is helping portray that image. He’s made a career out of being a grafter and he would have scored more goals in the prem had he been more selfish. Which are good traits as a manager.

His return so far has been okay, we haven’t been beaten and we look like we can win a game. We’re clearly turning up to games with a specific game plan tailored to an opponent something Fergie well at Man U. 
If we can stay unbeaten and grab a couple of wins before Christmas I’d be really impressed. 

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

2 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

Cheers buddy. I see improvement and I think that's noted in my post but a return of 3 goals in 6 games is a long way from where I'd like us to be and a million miles off the expectations levelled on Cocu. That's the point I was making and I don't think it's particularly unreasonable either. I've also not forgotten the performances Rooney was putting in on the pitch so I do wonder just how much of this improved form is really down to him. At the end of the day, as long as the improvement is maintained, I'll be more than happy.

I  must say, that had crossed my mind.  If he has a three month break and works on his fitness  we might get a number of decent performances from him again Jan- March if he picks himself . Stranger things and all that. Only at this club.

[Dcfcsr92]

The reason we are more balanced is because bielik is back in the team the 2 poles are by far our best players, still think he's abit negative we have a very good team if we get the right manager in! 

[LeedsCityRam]

7 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

Cheers buddy. I see improvement and I think that's noted in my post but a return of 3 goals in 6 games is a long way from where I'd like us to be and a million miles off the expectations levelled on Cocu. That's the point I was making and I don't think it's particularly unreasonable either. I've also not forgotten the performances Rooney was putting in on the pitch so I do wonder just how much of this improved form is really down to him. At the end of the day, as long as the improvement is maintained, I'll be more than happy.

 

6 minutes ago, Jourdan said:

I think Rooney deserves credit for making us harder to beat, making us more solid, stopping the rot and getting the team performing to a game plan.

But if that is enough to earn him the job, then I would say we're easily pleased. Rooney's short spell in charge looks far more favourable because of just how awful things had got under Cocu.

If Rooney really wants the job and to merit it, he has to take the next three games and start playing with more ambition.

The appreciation and justification for playing and battling for a 0-0 each and every game will soon wear off.

Exactly where I am.

We no longer look a soft touch & I like the new found defensive calmness. But our attacking threat is still diabolical & until it improves, we won't escape relegation trouble. I think the ambition is there but the decision making & lack of interplay between the front men is pretty laughable - there's just no menace there at all & considering Kazim is now giving us a platform, its arguably even worse now than when Cocu was in charge.

In terms of games, Rooney under sole charge has achieved 2 sub-standard home draws, a very good away win & a hard earnt away point - not a compelling case for him to get the job but reason enough to give him more games to see where he can take the side. Personally, I wouldn't be making any decision about a permanent/season ending interim appointment until the New Year - as a club we're still in significant uncertainty until we get a resolution to the takeover saga so don't see the harm in keeping the current arrangement going.

[IslandExile]

20 minutes ago, Andicis said:

That's where I'm at currently. I know we're nothing special and we're not brilliant, but I really don't fancy us being in the same league as Burton so realise at the present this is probably the best I can expect from us, and it is marginally better.

I take your point about Cocu's expectations vs Rooney. Rooney came in at the point where expectations were at their lowest, therefore probably a bit of a free hit for him, whereas people had high hopes for Cocu and that came with the burden of expectation. Pretty unfair, but then Cocu's spell here can be categorised by bad luck.

I agree with all of that.

I think it's also to Rooney's benefit that Bielik and Kazim-Richards are now fit to play AND that he isn't having to accommodate Rooney, the player, in the team.

That said, since just before the Brentford game I came around to the idea of Rooney as manager. I like what he's saying about tactics, drive etc. I like that he's still believing in the kids (I was pleasantly surprised when he brought MacDonald on tonight).

None of the other proposed managers fill me with excitement, some I would even dread.

Those arguing, fairly to an extent, that we're still not scoring goals or getting shots on target should remember that we're all aware that we are short in the striking department. That will likely be the number 1 priority in January if we have any cash by then. I do think we're starting to create more chances, put in more crosses.

Work in progress.