Where did we go wrong?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB8ysy0YkYA

Fast forward 7 months. The DYS are up there, 10 points clear of 3rd place and surely not even they they bugger it up this season. Saame goes for WBA

Derby? Well, in true Derby Way fashion, we lost the manager, lost our 3 best players back to their parent clubs and failed to adequately replace them, sold a couple of others, the keeper lost form altogether and has been replaced, Keogh out of the equation, Hudds injured off the ball by a Barnsley player and not looking anything like ready to come back yet, Lawro a shadow of his inconsistent self, Bennett out injured........ I could go on.

Things will get better. I'm just not sure when.

I am sure that, provided he isn't kicked out of games by the opposition, Rooney will make a difference. Not THE difference however. We need 2 or 3 more in, in key positions, to make THE difference. Mount, Tomori and Wilson in on loan would do nicely Wink .

Losing the 3 loanees was going to be a big hole to fix this season. Add to that Lampard's late departure, the short timespan Cocu had to buy/sell/loan/lend, Joinergate and the injuries plus Lawro's internal struggles and whatever is up with Marriott and you understand why we are where we are.

Looking at the side that night at Bellend Road.... Roos out of favour, Keogh out for good, Johnson gone to Blackburn, Mount, Tomori and Wilson gone, Huddlestone and Bennet injured. That's 7 of the XI out of the equation and, with the possible exception of Roos, the replacements are inferior. In the case of Johnson none of the replacements has had a run of games to show the right quality and consistency whereas, despite some shortcomings, we knew BJs qualities and how to utilise them in the main.

Dowell and Paterson sould be sent back to their parent clubs in 12 days time. Dowell has done nothing at all of note and Paterson has 1 goal and 1 assist to his credit. Interesting that both have had periods with nthe Red Dogs in the past...........

I have no idea what Cocu is planning for the January window. He has intimated that he might look at some players he has worked with in the past. I hope he chooses the right ones.

January ins and outs will define the rest of our season. It may launch us into the playoffs, it may see us toy with the other end of the table or simply stay in no man's land where we are now.

Possible outs? Lawrence, Buchanan, anybody who was in either of the 2 cars THAT night, except Bennett as he is recovering from his op following his injury or he would have been gone too IMO. Come June he will either be let go or given a reduced contract so that the club can then get some cash from a sale. That should then be the end of Joinergate and its consequences, providing the Keogh question isn't heading for the Courts.

I'm not disheartened but I hope we get quality in this January and we do that early. In the ideal world, Cocu will have targeted the players he wants and will have spoken to their clubs and then the players and have everything in place to move on January the 1st and get business done and dusted early doors. However, this is Derby, not the ideal world....... we shall see what we shall see.