‘We are not even close to discussions of that sort’: Derby owner Mel Morris shuts down rumours of under-fire boss Phillip Cocu being replaced by Wayne Rooney as he insists ‘we are very confident we have the right plans in place to turn things around’
- Phillip Cocu has endured a tough start to the season as Derby County manager
- The Rams have lost three of their opening four matches in the Championship
- Player-coach Wayne Rooney has aspirations of going into management one day
- Derby owner Mel Morris insists Cocu won’t lose his job if they lose to Watford
Derby owner Mel Morris insists Phillip Cocu will keep his job as manager even if his team lose to Watford on Friday.
The Dutchman is under pressure after the Rams lost three of their opening four Championship fixtures, though Wayne Rooney‘s late winner at Norwich before the international break bought him breathing space.
A report on Thursday indicated Cocu would be dismissed if Watford win at Pride Park, with player-coach Rooney – who is 10 months into an 18-month deal at the club – taking the reins. But Morris claims Cocu is safe for the moment.
Phillip Cocu’s job as Derby County manager is not under threat even, insists owner Mel Morris
Morris has shut down reports claiming player-coach Wayne Rooney will replace Cocu as boss
Morris insists that Cocu’s job is safe even if they lose to Championship rivals Watford on Friday
Asked whether Cocu would remain Derby boss in case of a Watford victory, Morris told talkSPORT: ‘Yes, absolutely. We are not even close to discussions of that sort.
‘Yes, he (Cocu) is under pressure but he feels that pressure himself, it’s not pressure we’re mounting on him. The pressure we’re talking about is that we need better results. Better results come from better performances.
‘We are very confident we have the right plans in place to turn things around. There’s no guarantee in football.
‘Everyone wants good results but we have a good understanding of what’s behind some of the results we’ve had so far, and we’ve had lots of discussions around that. He’s had lots of meetings with the team and the rest of the coaches.’
Rooney is known to want to move into management and since he joined Derby, he has been working on and off with Cocu and his coaching team.
Pressure is mounting on under-fire boss Cocu, with the Rams suffering a poor start this season
Rooney joined Derby as player-coach in January and does want to become a manager one day