Derby County : Fighting Relegation On And Off The Pitch
Derby County coach Wayne Rooney's tenure is one year old, in the midst of which the club has gone through a storm off the field, and what Derby and Rooney are doing on the field is amazing.
Wayne Rooney first joined MLS side DC United as a player under Philip Cocu, then became a player-manager, then retired from football and became a permanent manager. Derby county somehow avoided relegation the previous season, and what's worse at the start of this season is the fact that the administration left early in the season and Derby was cut off 21 points for financial reasons.
The two times league winners (1973, 1975) Derby's debt was 83million. There is an unpaid tax of £ 26million. Besides, many clubs are yet to be given 8 million in various transfers from Derby. The club's condition is so bad that in September last year the club announced that they owed St. John's Ambulance, which provided medical support for their match, a total of 8300 pounds, but the club could not afford that either. Derby's Loyal Passionate fans donated £ 12,000 to the club in 3 days.
After the arrival of former Derby owner Morris in 2015, he announced that he would do everything in his power to take the club back to the Premier League, in the process they ended up breaking Derby's transfer record three times in five years. But after losing the play-off to Aston Villa, he fled from responsibilities. Now Derby and Rooney are suffering.
Out of his own pocket, he paid for the training equipment for the team, paid for the purchase of drones for videotaping, paid the staff salaries himself, and in an interview with the Sunday Times, Rooney said he slept on a sofa in his office during the summer transfer. The club has only been able to bring in players from local trials and free transfers. Rooney is also paying for travel and hotel fees at the club's away matches out of his own pocket. Above all this they've lost their starting centerback Phil Jagielka this January. It can be said that Rooney and the club's hard walk is getting results.
A few days ago, Derby registered a 2-1 last-minute win over relegation rivals Wycombe, the 5th win of the last six matches, won against Bournemouth, West Brom, Stoke City, who are fighting for promotion. The only team in the bottom half is Derby County who have no negative goal difference. Derby is 6 points away from the relegation zone, and survival is guaranteed only if Derby get 9 more points. If Rooney and Derby can avoid relegation after being docked by 21 points at the start of the season, it will be a remarkable achievement, but Derby is Rooney's first managerial job at 37, Rooney said in an interview last year that if he could avoid relegation with Derby, it would be the best achievement of his career, the storm he has gone through since coming to the club, there is no way to disagree with Rooney.
Good luck to Derby County and Wayne Rooney.