Text split as posts are limited to 10,000 characters.........Part 3

A day later, in the home duel with Middlesbrough, it becomes clear how much the events have kept the supporters busy. At the statue of club legends Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, in the fan store, at the smoky sausage stalls, in the stands of Pride Park: the names of the three players involved are buzzing everywhere. And it was Lawrence who would be the man of the match that afternoon. With two goals, the Wales international gives his club the much needed victory in a phase of the competition in which the results of The Rams are very mixed. There is also Dutch input in the field, with the clean sheet from goalkeeper Kelle Roos. Florian Jozefzoon, who arrived in the East Midlands a year earlier than Cocu, wasn’t selected and watched from the stands. After the hard-fought victory, Cocu is a satisfied man. Two weeks earlier, his team had also won against Wigan Athletic (1-0), but the game was below par. A week later it was the other way around: good performance nut nevertheless a defeat, 2-0 at Hull City. Against Middlesbrough, his team combined dynamic combination football with end product. In addition to goal scorer Lawrence, Jayden Bogle, a 19-year-old right back with large lungs and an urge to attack, stands out. He provided the assist for the second goal on the right flank, after the opening goal was achieved through a series of combinations along the axis of the field. That variation in attack designs is exactly what Cocu wants to see in his 4-2-3-1 system. "In addition, I am happy with the intensity with which my team played," says the coach. "In the midst of the ongoing commotion about the car accident, that is a very positive sign."
The differences in the League remain small. Derby County is now fif****th, but the gap with the sixth place that leads to the play-offs for promotion is only four points. In goal scoring, the departure of Liverpool mercenary Harry Wilson and Chelsea mercenary Mason Mount in particular is felt. In two months that problem may have been remedied, with the spectacular arrival of Wayne Rooney at Pride Park. The 34-year-old star recently said goodbye to the American DC United and signed with Derby County for a year and a half. Later this month Rooney reports to the club, the new striker is available to play from the beginning of January.

"I was suddenly asked what I would think if Wayne Rooney came to the club," says Cocu. "My response was immediately: Please. His football qualities are beyond dispute. In addition, Wayne is a top professional on the pitch, who has increasingly begun to delve into all aspects of football. I am talking about tactics, group dynamics, physical guidance; real trainer things. It can be of great value for the development of our players. And he wants to get a glimpse of the trainer’s profession. Performing on the field is definitely one, but in addition Wayne wants to work with me. We spoke extensively and he appears to be very interested in Dutch football. How we train talents, the football style we are known for, match-related training. I know that Wayne was fascinated by the working method of Louis van Gaal at Manchester United. You can compare his double role with my return to PSV. Then I was 33 years old and I came above all as a player. But Guus Hiddink involved me in many things that have to do with coaching. If you do this properly it’s a double edged sword. It is great for the entire club that a celebrity like Rooney is coming here. "

The approaching arrival of the all-time top scorer from Manchester United and the English national team, is already causing promotional fever in Derby and surroundings. Cocu knows how that works and does not worry. In his early years as head coach, he could lie awake from work, but he has left that time behind him. "I have found the balance between focus on work and relaxation," he says. "I really had to learn that. As a starting head coach a lot comes at you. While you are still developing. That completely controlled my thoughts. These days I recognize aspects of the profession from earlier periods. And I have developed my own vision. I know what I want and how you sometimes have to hand things over to people in your staff. That development has given me a certain peace. "

Cocu has learned to put things into perspective, certainly after a tumor was removed from his back four and a half years ago. "Everything you experience is your personality," he now knows. "Good and bad times alternate in life. It rarely blows you away. All those different experiences have made me think, I am now in a mode that is pleasant for me and for my immediate environment. At the club I work with ambition, sharpness and hunger. As soon as I get home, I want to be there for people who are important to me privately. That balance is healthy. It took a while before I had all of my ducks in a row. They say for good reason that being a trainer is a matter of experience. That actually applies to all of life. You experience, you learn, you sometimes fall down and then you get up again. Always slightly the wiser. That is why I started this job with confidence. The bar must be high. I'd rather jump over a high bar with ease than over a low bar with ease. I don't care about the easy way. "