The Rams have announced that a bid from local businessman David Clowes has been accepted and long-suffering fans hope that it can finally get rubber-stamped as they prepare for a season back in the third tier
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Wayne Rooney reacts to Derby relegation in April
Even by Derby County’s standards, the last few days have been the definition of whirlwind.
The Rams saw manager Wayne Rooney depart the club on Friday, just as genuine hope began to emerge over yet another takeover. Sunday then saw Liam Rosenior appointed Rooney’s replacement, at least in the interim, before another positive bit of news dropped: David Clowes’ bid to buy the troubled club had been accepted.
The hope is now that the deal will go through, with Clowes indicating Wednesday as the much-hoped-for day of destiny. Before then there will doubtless be more fretting for Derby supporters to endure.
They have gone through 18 months of unwanted drama with a last-day survival mission in 2021 the high point among a myriad of lows.
Administration, points deductions, takeover sagas and relegation have left supporters clinging to gallows humour but there may now, finally, be light at the end of the tunnel.
The appointment of Rosenior, albeit in the interim, has largely been praised given his knowledge of the club and the respect for him within the game. On Monday morning he will report to Derby’s Moor Farm training complex for the start of pre-season training as the club prepare for a first season in the third tier since 1986.
Unfortunately, Rosenior and his small group of staff could well outnumber the senior players at his disposal.
Derby have seen a mass exodus of players in the summer, understandable given their predicament but no less concerning with the new season barely five weeks away.
A clutch of players whose contracts were set to expire have already moved on, with goalkeepers Ryan Allsop and Kelle Roos heading to Cardiff and Aberdeen respectively. Youngster Festy Ebosele had already agreed to join Udinese on a pre-contract agreement whilst another academy product, Isaac Hutchinson, has opted to move to Walsall.
Arguably the most painful exit is that of Malcolm Ebiowei who despite being tracked by Manchester United, has signed a long-term deal with Crystal Palace. Ebiowei was highly-regarded by ex-boss Rooney who said of the 18-year-old: “He has got an enormous amount of ability, he is brave, he will take the ball, he is not afraid to take players on, to get tackled, to make mistakes. So he has got a really bright future.”
That future will now be away from Derby, who as it stands have just a handful of senior players set to return on Monday including Krsytian Bielik and Jason Knight.
They will presumably be joined by academy prospects who will make up the numbers although there are also plenty of players whose deals are set to expire whose futures are far from certain including Tom Lawrence and Ravel Morrison.
They could well train with the club and feature in the pre-season schedule, although they would have to be offered contracts if they are to figure in the club’s League One campaign which starts at home to Oxford on July 30. The risk for Derby is leaving it too late and therefore seeing rival clubs snare them.
The success of the 2022-23 campaign for Derby is likely to rest on how the next few days and the proposed takeover pans out.
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