Derby County midfielder Krystian Bielik believes that Phillip Cocu's methods on the training ground are helping the Rams make progress throughout the season, and that his coaching is helping the 21-year-old's performances in midfield.

Bielik arrived at Derby in the summer transfer window from Arsenal, having impressed during a loan spell with Charlton Athletic last season where he helped the club earn promotion to the Championship, and he has been an influential figure at the base of the Rams midfield so far this term.

The 21-year-old is naturally more of a centre-back, but Cocu has helped to transition him into a holding midfielder, a role which he played at times for Charlton last term, and Bielik has proven himself to be a very consistent and reliable performer for the Rams at the heart of midfield helping to protect the back-four and also retain possession.

The Phillip Cocu quiz – How much do you know about the Derby manager?

Speaking to Derby's official website, Bielik suggested that Cocu's methods are starting to translate out onto the pitch and that he is helping him to improve his performances on the pitch, saying: "He was a great player and you can see in the meeting rooms that he explains to us how he wants us it always takes time

"I feel on the pitch we are getting there and we are getting better. I can see players feel more confident on the pitch and in training. I’m happy I’m here, and I’m happy we have this coaching staff.

"It’s always great to have a manager who was a great football player, playing in my position, because he can help and improve me.

"He can pick up on something and he can tell me what I can do better so it’s helpful. I speak with the manager on the training pitch and he explains some movements that I need to do. Sometimes I make a bad decision and we work on it together."

The Verdict

Bielik has certainly been one of Derby's best players during the first few months of the season, and he is improving with every game, which suggests that Cocu is having an impact on him on the training ground helping him to adapt to his midfield role and improve his quality in possession.

Derby have been largely inconsistent so far this season in terms of their collective performances, but as Bielik suggests they are starting to slowly show signs of progression, especially at home with the Rams securing wins in all of their last four matches in the Championship in front of their own supporters.

However, Cocu now needs to ensure that he is able to improve the Rams' away form, with Derby having lost three in a row on their travels all without scoring a goal, so it will be interesting to see whether Bielik's belief that the Dutchman is starting to improve his side translates in to better performances in the next few weeks.