of four consecutive clean sheets coming as
a result of their organised, back-to-basics
approach. Rooney upped the team’s tempo
and intensity – adapting it from the slower
build-up play of his predecessor, who had
opted for a trademark Dutch style.
He’s often been a relatively calm presence
on the touchline, and has got the best out of
young players who look up to him. “In terms
of man-management, he’s great,” enthused
midfielder Jason Knight, who recently turned
- “He’ll tell you what you’re doing well, and
what you need to improve. He’s very clear.”
The Rams have become ‘Wayne Rooney’s
Derby County’, unofficially renamed since
their one year as Frank Lampard’s personal
property. Rooney’s ex-England team-mate
guided Derby to the 2019 play-off final, but
had a pre-season and less turbulent starting
point. In 2020-21, they were in the midst of
a takeover, with wages even delayed at the
turn of the year.
The wait for takeover news seemed like the
only delay to Rooney getting the permanent
gig – Derby’s improvement meant giving him
the job full-time suddenly seemed the least
risky option. He’d passed his audition, and
was confirmed in mid-January – announcing
his retirement from playing, too. “Time stops
for no man,” he declared, almost poetically.
Time was not his friend in the surprise, late
home loss to relegation rivals Rotherham
that followed, but Derby then won five of
their next six games and climbed to 16th –
six points clear of the drop zone. After a late
triumph at Wycombe Wanderers, he offered
an almost Fergie-esque reaction in response.
“I’m delighted with the three points but I’m
angry at the performance,” groaned Rooney.
He used his contacts well on deadline day,
borrowing Teden Mengi from Manchester
United, Beni Baningime from Everton and
George Edmundson of Rangers.
However, a run of poor form towards the
end of the season left them in trouble. Derby
eventually needed a 3-3 draw aainst
Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the
season to avoid relegation.
Lampard’s spell at Derby led him straight
to a job within the Premier League’s Big Six.
Rooney dreams of managing United one
day, although his route is unlikely to be quite
so direct.
Had Ukraine’s election gone differently
in 2012, Shevchenko might never have
become a manager at all.
Months after his retirement as a player,
Sheva moved into politics, appropriately
joining the ‘Ukraine – Forward!’ party. Sadly
for him they won only 1.58 per cent of the
national vote, though, lagging well behind
the main parties – one spearheaded by
boxer Vitali Klitschko.
The striking great failed to secure a place
in parliament, so reverted to Plan A – he’d
spoken previously of wanting to become
a coach, and became his national team’s
assistant manager ahead of Euro 2016.
Ukraine lost to Northern Ireland and exited
without collecting a single point, leading to
the departure of boss Mykhaylo Fomenko.
Then Shevchenko took charge, narrowly
missing out on a play-off spot for the 2018
World Cup after defeat at home to Croatia- had Ukraine won, the eventual finalists
would have been out. However, Sheva’s
side stormed to promotion in their Nations
League group, then qualified for Euro 2020
with ease ahead of holders Portugal.
Their second Nations League campaign
proved more controversial. Ukraine were
relegated after positive COVID-19 tests
forced the squad into quarantine before
their final match in Switzerland, handing
victory to the hosts.
Chatting to FFT in 2019, Sheva explained
how he’d been most influenced by Valeriy
Lobanovskyi and Carlo Ancelotti. “The
main thing I learned from Lobanovskyi is
there’s nothing you can ignore as a minute
detail,” he said. “And only when I went to
Milan with Ancelotti did I truly understand
what tactics were about.”
He still speaks to Roman Abramovich,
and was linked with the Chelsea job before
Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard –
although in 2020 he extended his Ukraine
contract up to the 2022 World Cup. But
first the small matter of Euro 2020.
“The task in front of us is clear: we have
to qualify for Euro 2020 and play very
successfully there,” he previously told FFT.
He ultimately led Ukraine to the quarter-
finals where they were beaten by Gareth
Southgate’s England side.AnDRIY
SHEVCHEnKO
UKRAI nE
Below Wazza aptly
demonstrates how
wide of the mark
Jordan’s views areImagesGetty Images; PAFourFourTwo.com The Managers 155n EXT-GEn
MAn AGERS