34-year-old Wayne Rooney in action for Derby County. (Getty Images)
Derby County’s problems on and off the pitch have been well documented. They’ve recently suffered a devastating points deduction and have found themselves adrift at the bottom of the Championship.
Despite the series of significant issues that Wayne Rooney, their faithful manager, has had to face though, many fans and pundits have been thoroughly impressed by some of the performances from the squad on the pitch. Perhaps the promise demonstrated by these talented individuals could be the first of some much-needed silver linings following some very dark clouds.
Historically, they’ve always been a fascinating club to analyze: between 1967 and 1973, Derby County were led by the legendary Brian Clough. During Clough’s tenure, they won the First Division in 1972 and had a memorable European Cup campaign the following season, reaching the semi-finals. It’s important to remember that their recent trials and tribulations are just one chapter of a fascinating story.
Currently, the outright markets in the Championship betting odds have Derby County staked at odds of 4/11 to see relegation at the end of this campaign. On a more positive note, one thing Derby can count on is their fans.
They were praised for the atmosphere they created in a recent 2-1 win over Stoke City. Many of the Championship predictions for that weekend had anticipated a comfortable Stoke win. Derby’s fans proved that maybe, through sheer optimism and hope alone, their faith can positively impact the team’s performances.
Derby’s primary objective for the season is to avoid relegation, however, as highlighted by the odds above, this prospect is looking highly unlikely.
Once seen as a bright prospect for Manchester United, Ravel Morrison has had something of a journeyman career. He played with Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard in his formative football years, both of whom have gone on to play at the highest level of football. It’s hard to believe that Morrison was rated higher than both of those over a decade ago.
Capturing his signature was initially a risk for Derby, but he could provide the spark to ignite their season. Some within the game still believe he can reach his obvious potential. Who knows? The troubled world of this club might be the perfect place for him to shine.
Despite their problems, they still have a decent squad and more than enough talent to win games at the Championship level. A prime example of this talent is Phil Jagielka who has under his belt the experience of playing regularly in the Premier League. Any player who can do this in the Merseyside derby is bound to have insights invaluable to other members of any squad.
Whilst relegation to League One would be a disappointment for Derby County, they can surely recover from this blow. Let’s not forget that the likes of Leeds United, Wolves, and even Manchester City have all spent time in the third tier of English football and eventually recovered from this setback. In fact, even stranger things have happened: Norwich City suffered relegation to League One in 2009 but back-to-back promotions saw them reach the promised land of the Premier League.
For Derby County, this recent mishap might even provide an opportunity. The financial constraints might be in place for a while so it could allow them to look towards the Academy. Those aspiring Derby players set to rise up the ranks should be relishing the opportunity to help the club move forward from this time of struggle.