‘Derby should be extremely concerned’ – Wayne Rooney, Newcastle United links emerge: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Derby County boss Wayne Rooney is reportedly interested in the Newcastle United job.

According to Chronicle Live, the former England and Manchester United captain would be keen should Steve Bruce depart.

that Rooney is on the North East club’s list of candidates.

So, how big a blow would it be for the Rams? And should Derby fans be concerned?

Our FLW writers share their verdicts…

Josh Cole

Derby should be extremely concerned by the news that Rooney is reportedly interested in the Newcastle job as it could spell the end of his time at Pride Park if the Premier League side are looking to hand over the reins to the former England international.

Whilst the Rams struggled for consistency during Rooney’s first season in charge, they have managed to show some real signs of promise during the current campaign in difficult circumstances.

Rooney could be the right man to lead the Rams into a new dawn but with the all the uncertainty that is currently surrounding the club, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he is looking at other job opportunities.

Derby should draft up a list of potential replacements for their current boss if he is indeed looking to seal a move to Newcastle as a failure to do so could have a negative impact on their hopes of achieving a miraculous survival this season.

Adam Jones

He might be inexperienced as a manager, but no one could be a better job than Wayne Rooney is right now.

Not necessarily in terms of tactics, but getting his players mentally for matches and keeping them calm amid the club’s off-the-pitch situation.

Their attacking record may leave a lot to be desired after only scoring seven goals in eight games, but this is largely due to the absence of Colin Kazim-Richards. Sam Baldock is an experienced Championship option, but he just can’t play effectively up top on his own.

They could flourish further when the former Turkey international is fully fit to start for the Rams, so to lose Rooney whilst they’re still in administration with their current lack of squad depth would be a huge blow.

The Manchester United legend knows his players inside out and more than any other potential candidate for the job if he goes, so him staying could be the difference between staying up and relegation. It’s that serious.

I don’t think Derby fans should be too worried about this link though, because Newcastle will probably want to bring in someone slightly more experienced in their future quest to challenge for Europe.

Billy Mulley

I think Wayne Rooney is doing an excellent job at Derby County and his work is going under the radar.

He managed to assemble a competitive team when it looked like they were going to be in a desperate situation when it came to personnel, and despite being knocked 12 points at the start of the campaign, they have the fight and desire to succeed in their survival pursuit.

Rooney has implemented a distinct playing style at Derby, where keeping possession and dominating teams with the ball is desired.

It has come to their detriment on a couple of occasions, but ultimately, it is beginning to pay off.

There is no surprise that Newcastle will have him on his list, but he is a long-term picture kind of manager in my eyes, who is building something quite special at Pride Park.