Kicking off their campaign tonight against Huddersfield, Derby County can finally shake this dodgy summer off and leave it behind for good.

Obviously left in the shitter when Frank Lampard decided to ditch them for a 6-month stint as Chelsea manager (because honestly, I don’t think it’s going to go well), Derby dropped off from promotion favourites to potential play-off contenders. 

The man with the job of bettering last years efforts? No other than ex-Barca player Phillip Cocu. Now, as a player there are no questions, but just what is his managerial record like? Let’s have a quick look! 

Rising through the managerial ranks at PSV, Cocu very quickly found himself in the hot seat as Caretaker Manager for the Dutch side in 2012 and is the man responsible for bringing Memphis Depay. After seeing out that season, he stepped back into his role as PSV U19’s Manager however, it would only be 12 months until he’d find himself back in charge of the first team.

His first move was to prioritise the youth system at the club, highlighting the importance of bringing players through. He went on to win the league three times in four seasons, ending an Ajax stronghold of four years

Cocu left after five years at PSV, making a move to Fenerbahce. He was sacked after only three months after a poor start to the season.

The big question is: can he build on the success that Lampard had at Derby? And I believe that the answer is yes, but he’ll have to overcome some immense obstacles. Liverpool youngster Harry Wilson is no longer at the club as well as a host of other players including Bradley Johnson, Ashley Cole and two-time player of the year Craig Bryson. 

If Cocu can find some hidden gems in the Derby youth system as well as getting the current squad to buy into his tactics, then I think they’re only one or two signings off really challenging. It’ll definitely be an interesting watch tonight as they take on last season’s Premier League strugglers Huddersfield who’ll be aiming to bounce right back up.

If you’d a Derby fan, let me know what your thoughts for the season ahead are and if you think Cocu will be a success or not!

James Ryan – @JHR_1995